Vilge Duin

Square have always gone for effeminate male characters. The main villian in FFIX was a half naked guy with a purple thong. Didn't stop him from being such a badass villain though. Just look at the villains in Advent Children. Hell, look at Cloud in Advent Children. Besides, Vaan doesn't look that much like a woman anyway. I was exactly raising my eyebrow when I first saw him. Also, if you are interested in this game, look at this fucking topic!!! It is a very very good collection of most of the information gathered on this game!!! GameFAQs Also, Yasumi Matsuno pulled out of the producer role a while ago.

Why didn't you just use two controllers?...(unless you don't have another) Then you can determine how many strikes or whatever happens during the match.

I did almost all of the challenges against my girlfriend. They comprise of "One , two, three!" and hitting whatever at the same time. Otherwise they require a ten second match. I'm impatient to unlock things. However considering it took hours to get them all finished it's kind of sad... The loading in this is atrocious. I spent an hour on the legend challenges. Excluding the two iron man matches and submission match, they all took less than ten seconds... Too much loading... And anyone that tries the ECW Fantasy match one... Good luck. Rey, Jericho and Benoit kicked my ass and I spent most of it running around til they beat each other. Damn cheap AI...

The term Dusty Finish isn't known by the common person, hell even the "smart" fan. I think calling it that is quite clever. Allows fans who know Dusty's real name and the booking term a little "hey, that's cool" moment. After completing all the challenges and playing a fair bit with my girlfriend... It's decent. Not sure if it was worth the $60 but over time I guess it'll make up for it. Playing against each other is meh. We can counter anything the other tries. We had 8 back and forth punching reversal-fests in a row, the countering is that easy. Grapples less so, but playing against someone competent takes something away from it. I wish wrestling games would come up with better challenge than just being able to time counters correctly. They're getting there with DoR 2 and this game's stamina system but not even close. Something better than slapping in a mini game for everything. Japanese games seem to do it from what I hear people raving on about. What I think would be awesome for a future edition of any game would be "fake outs". They're in sports titles, why not here? Look like you're going to grapple but don't. Go to punch, but don't. Juke and jive with your moves a bit. Make your opponent try to counter before they should. Would be able to mix up things. In wrestling terms... Everything wouldn't be so blatently telegraphed. And damnit... Another thing I miss from DoR is the weapons. Brass knucks, crutches, garbage cans... Oh what I'd give for more variety than a sledge, barbwire bat, chair and I suppose tables and ladders. Screw that... Give me Revenge's stop sign and I'll be happen. Or some roses from No Mercy... Or giant beer can... Oh why oh why can't we have some variety?

If I'm not mistaken. You need to first store a finisher, then get your momentum maxed out. Grapple a guy regularly and hit X to punch him. You'll then be able to move around with him while holding his hair. Drag him over to the back end of the limo and you should be able to hit L1. Causes a pickup to ram into the backend of the limo with them inside... (I think that's how it goes, my girlfriend did it and I was barely paying much attention). Similar to casket finishers.

You HAVE to save your profile data. Otherwise that will happen to you. The save feature with locker room, next show and exit in the season menu is simply to save the season, has nothing to do with your profile which is what saves money and such. Go into the options and turn on auto-save. As for aerial moves, I actually like the change now. It's more realistic, the game is more simulation than arcade. With Eddie just do his default down + O move in the corner and run to the turnbuckle and do it. Or while they're in the corner run at them and hit square. Or do what I've been doing, beat the ever living shit out of them til they're laid out. Not just red and squirming. Until they are flat spread out. Easy as pie once you get the hang out it. Besides I find it more realistic personally. They are called high risk maneuvers afterall.

You can only take a guy through a season on whichever show his in the game . Which is amusing, considering the season, opening videos, in game roster and GM mode rosters are all different. But Cena is Raw only I believe, although while going through Eddie's he was on Smackdown. They can have different storylines occur or a slight difference (you may or may not get the Legends tour for example), but generally each guy will go through the same season every time. I have to say though, despite my earlier grievances with the game, it's growing on me. The things I want in, I'm living without. It'll take more getting used to, but this is one of the best wrestling games I've ever played. Just wish lazy ass programmers would do a better job, or shitty publishers would let them. Anyways, does anyone else know which guys are in the game but not in the company anymore? I was thinking about it and it's quite a few. Spike Dudley, Mark Jindrak, Charlie Haas, Hassan, Joy Giovanni, Jericho, Christian, Eddie (RIP) and I haven't seen either Basham, Michelle McCool and a couple other people for a while. And I finally realized Val Venis and Hardcore Holly aren't in. That bugs me.

The Jake thing is bullshit as far as I'm concerned. I played through GM mode with my girlfriend until around Summerslam, and then we got bored so we autobooked and simmed almost all of the shows. Got to the end, went through draft stuff... Jake wasn't in the draft nor was I able to add him. Regardless, the game's decent. Haven't had to much time with it since we were messing around with GM mode (to get the unlockables). I'm not liking the Irish whip setup. It worked with a Gamecube but with the way a PS2's controller is designed it doesn't feel right at all. Not being able to edit stats pisses me off. I wanted to up Eddie's charisma to 10 (nothing to do with his passing either, I intented to when I first saw his stats on IGN) but can't. Some other people I'd like to give higher, or lower stats. And I'm thinking I got too used to Day of Reckoning's reversal system... It just worked so much better, felt more natural with the timing. And at least there were different counter sets to pick from instead of "elbow to face", "elbow to gut", "flip over", "get behind", "push away" and "low blow". And getting a finisher icon is ridiculously easy. I was happy when I heard they did away with story multiple finishers, but damn... There's no need, do a couple good moves and a taunt and you have one. I also LOATHE what they did to top rope moves. I got tired of Day of Reckoning's handful of moonsaults, splashes and elbows but at least I could hit the damn things. As stated before by others, and myself, hitting a top rope finisher is a bitch. It needs a ridiculous setup every time just to make sure you connect. I've seen Benoit eat more mat from a missed flying headbutt in my short time with the game than in his entire career. Haven't touched create a wrestler, but create an entrance is worse than Day of Reckoning 2. I can tell just by briefly looking it over. Not as comprehensive or full of stuff. The computer also drains the ringout meter in Royal Rumble's way too fucking fast. Same with submissions or anything that requires it to "tap". Too much time is going to be spent on fixing movesets as well. Seeing Bret do a spin kick the second year in a row is pathetic. What do they exactly do with a full year between games? Add some hackneyed systems that have been done better in games only released a few months ago and change shit for no reason. Oh well... As usual, three steps forward two steps back. And even though it started bugging the shit out of me, I desparately miss interupting moves in Day of Reckoning. If they added the reversal system, the stamina system from it (slapping on a resthold felt more natural than holding select for a second or two), entrance creation and the move interuption (albeit tweaked better) from Day or Reckoning this game would be superb. I muss DoR's tangability to connecting with stuff as well (I just felt like I was doing a move instead of pressing a button and watching one). As is though, I'm left with an experience that leaves me wanting more of what I know is possible but also want the things done right in this. Bah, just THQ's shitty business practices showing themselves again. Eh well it's the only wrestling I'll have for a long while since I won't be getting DoR2 again and no next gen systems for me. And I doubt they'll make the next Smackdown on the PS2 as well. Pfft, you'll probably need a PS3, a PSP and some unforseen contraption to unlock half the stuff.

Cheat device more than likely.

Oh how sweet it is. I felt a little pang of happiness in the dreariness that was the past couple days today. We went to EB today to check when this would be released here (since most Canadian releases are on Wednesday for some reason) but lo and behold one of the employees that knows us told us they just got copies in an hour before. We got home, fooled around with GM a very tiny bit and then played a singles match with me as Benoit and her as Eddie. She put me away with the lasso from El Passo. From the looks of it I'm liking it. The camera is fine with me since I got used to Day of Reckoning's pretty fast. I haven't had much time with it, but it looks good. Should be able to decide better with more play time. But I watched Raw and then the replay, so it's hard to do much else except think right now. Was really hard watching Eddie's entrance.

I want to play this game quite a bit. But there's something about it that's bugging me. By the time it's released it'll be 4 and a half years (I think) since the last actual game (FF "XI" and X-2 don't count to me). Why is it taking so long? Maybe it's because I started getting used to a new one every year or two. But I think the biggest selling point for me, has turned into the weakest. I loved Final Fantasy Tactics. I got the Advance game the moment I got a gameboy, and I returned it for credit two days later. It was shittily abysmal. The world was slightly interesting, and the sounds of a more political back to basic medieval story interest me greatly. However I have a dreadful feeling they'll fuck it up. The combat system doesn't sound that good. I was at first expecting a Chono Trigger style system, but this sounds shitty to me. That and I'm still greatly offended by an interview I read awhile ago where they went out of their way to cut out the original main character design for Vaan and went with a more "girly" and "effeminate" hero since that's apparently the in thing in Japan. As much as people shit on Tidus, at least he didn't literally look like a woman.

Pfft. I saw a display at EB the other day and it didn't impress me. It was a flatscreen high definition display, no shit it looks good. I was disgusted though when I saw some kids playing the Call of Duty 2 demo. So much clipping (mainly when near a dead body), and nothing really above and beyond what is out there now. I mainly don't give a shit about graphics. If they're passable, but the game is great I can play all day long. And from what I saw of the demo, nothing has been added gameplay wise to Call of Duty 2 (I'd get it for the PC anyways). Stick a Playstation 2, Gamecube or XBox game into one of the display's I saw and it'll look just as good. Nowadays graphics are neglible and I'll wait a year or two to pick up a system, because that's when they'll expand on the system's capabilities (much like how many first year PS2 games weren't that different gameplay wise from their Playstation counterparts). Bunch of shitty hype I say. However that Dead Rising game looks cool.

I use IGN for just looking at stuff. I find it easier to traverse it and what not, plus I like the style of writing a bit. For reviews of games I intend to buy or at least play I usually will read an IGN review then read a Gamespot review. Compare the two and come up with my decision. I ignore the numbers they rate shit, and instead go by what's said (afterally Gamespot gave The Punisher 6.6 I think and I loved the game). IGN is usually praiseworthy and does make good points, while Gamespot tends to point out the negative (even in good games) which is also a good thing. I also regularly visit Gamefaqs. Mostly to go to the Comic book and Graphic novel board, which is thankfully empty of the idiots that are everywhere else there. I tend not to be bothered with their reviews, but for firsthand info I check message boards to see what people are saying about a game. Also helps me make a judgment call on if the money's worth spending. Also some help on a tricky part of a game (ie. something I can't be bothered to figure out in 5-10 minutes) is good. As for actual magazines... My mother got me a subscription to Nintendo Power way back when they had their offer for a free Dragon Warrior with it. I kept that going for years, it was always great to have a monthly gaming dose. I think I told my father to let it just run out shortly around the time the Nintendo 64 came out (last one I got had a Shadows of the Empire comic in it). It just got shit and I didn't care for most of the games they covered or anything to do with it. About a year later I got into EGM and bought that every month for a year until my father got me a year subscription. He renewed it the next year, but I had him cancel it (again it wasn't interesting me enough) and something screwed up and I got two years free somehow. Been using the Internet since. I also used to occasionally pick up a random Gamepro once or twice a year, and maybe another random magazine I can't remember the names of.

My time playing games is odd. I usually binge play. Like the past two days, I played through Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal to prepare for playing Deadlocked. However the last time I played a game was almost two weeks ago. And again, was in large chunks over two days. Played X-Men Legends II until we got stuck in the third act. However now that she's working, and I still can't find shit all that's decent, I find I have an inordinate amount of time to waste and I'm running out of things to do. Still have a few games I guess, but they'll only last so long.

4- Chrono Trigger 3 - Final Fantasy VI** 3 - Super Mario Brothers Nothing else really... meh. A lot of the choices are meh.

Dragsy's idea is something I've wanted to see for a long time. Well a few months. It occured to me after playering Smackdown vs. Raw and Day of Reckoning right after each other. In DOR you just do the move and have to proceed with the pin (by just pinning or pinning move). In Smackdown, almost everything has a pinning animation (or taught animation), Just have the moves be "multipart". Take Batista's powerbomb. Sometimes he rolls back and pins, other times he just does it. Instead of having to separate moves just have it like Dragsy said and hold a button to complete the whole thing. If you just do the move, boom, powerbomb. Do the move and hold the button, do the move and go straight into the pinning animation. They likely will never do it, or not for a very long time... Tis' sad.

I only buy games full price I know I'll keep. And anyone who trades a game in for $2 is a moron. If you never trade anything in, or sell, what's with the fixation on the number 2? The only games I've traded in and eventually gotten back, I made money off them. I bought Smackdown vs Raw pretty much brand new off a friend for $15 after he played it a day (he has too much disposable income) and traded it in a few weeks later after getting my use out of it for $32. I made $17 off of it. I personally never get the urge to play old games. Most games I do like have higher end sequals (llike Madden, even though I don't like the series) that come out making the older versions obsolete for me. And I would really like to know how you think it's cost effective to buy games over renting them. To rate a game around here from Blockbuster it goes for $8 (or $7 for any Canadian's who do know of Jumbo Video). Shadow of Colossus for instance, I could rent and beat in the rental period. It costs $50 for the game new. I could rent it, or other games, 8 times for that price. To get my value from it I'd have to effectively beat it 8 times. Something I know won't happen because I personally very rarely beat a game multiple times (FF VI, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, a few Mario's and MGS are the only things I've done that with) Oh, and let me know where you find games for around $10. Cheapest games up here are pre-owned greatest hits titles and they fetch for $20. I had the whole, buy over renting thing until I realized most of the shit I got would have been better suited to renting. I've been debating if I want to rent or buy the Warriors and when it comes down to it, I'll beat it in a rental and that'll be it. A waste of money for something I won't play again. Only games like RPGs and long adventure stuff (like San Andreas) or something with good multiplayer (Smash Brothers) are worthing paying for in full and keeping. Otherwise unless I plan on renting something 8 times or more it's a waste to pay the full price.

Since Benji did a near revitalization of this place I've been wondering this question, especially after looking at the PS3 thread about backwards compatability. Over the past year I've owned MGS 2: Sons of Liberty, MGS 2: Substance, Red Faction, Jak & Daxter, Gran Turismo 3, Final Fantasy X, Smackdown: HctP, Jak II, Kingdom Hearts, Smackdown Vs Raw (twice), Prince of Persia, Tony Hawk's Underground, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando, Medal of Honour: Frontlines, Twisted Metal: Black, GTA: San Andreas, GTA: Vice City, Maximo 1, Maximo 2, The Punisher, Gladius, James Bond: Everything or Nothing, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland, Mercenaries (twice), Killswitch, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, X-Men Legends, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception and Timesplitters 2 for the PS2. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Astro Boy, Fire Emblem, Metroid Fusion and Mario 3 for the GBA. Mario Party 5, Rogue Squadron 3, Metroid Prime, Day of Reckoning, Day of Reckoning 2, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, James Bond: Everything or Nothing and X-Men Legends for the Gamecube. And there's a few that I can't think of I'm sure. Over this past year, I've also gotten rid of them all. Currently I just bought San Andreas' special edition to have the game again, picked up Burnout 3 and have Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal again and Jak III (those two were very cheap). And just got Ratchet: Deadlocked two days ago. I personally haven't touched anything except Burnout but my girlfriend's played the others. For the Gamecube we only have Timesplitters: Future Perfect, Star Fox Adventures and Smack Brothers Melee (all gotten when we bought the system), along with X-Men Legends II and MGS: Twin Snakes. That just put a shitload in perspective... Regardless though the point I'm trying to ask is simple, do you sell your shit, trade it in, send it off into space, etc? I noticed in the what systems do you own thread, many people have sold or gotten rid of systems as well. I personally have every single console I've ever owned (anything by Sony or Nintendo along with a Genesis and Dreamcast) and have only gotten rid of a Gamegear and Gameboy. Keeping systems to me is a big deal. There's memories attached to them moreso than games. It's easy to stumble across a game, but very hard sometimes to find an old system. Plus the investment in how much they cost compared to what you get for them is almost nil. I have come to realize, as I wrote up my random list, that games don't mean fuck all. And hell many people don't even play their old games. Once a new system is owned and out, many people just forget about their old games. There are exceptions of course, but most people move on to "newer and better" things. And by the looks of game stores I frequent many people just get rid of what they don't want. Which begs the point, why not rent over buying? Unless it's a game like GTA or even a sports title why shell out a shitload of money for it when you can just rent? No game I've had in the past year except for a few exceptions really kept my attention. And those that did are things like Smash Brothers or San Andreas (we got rid of our copy to a friend when it was banned and he conveniently broke it, thus why we bought it again). So pretty much to cut this long ramble short... What do you do with your used games or systems, and why?

I used to think it was a big deal. Getting a Playstation 2 or waiting a year for the Gamecube soley hinged on if I could play my Playstation games. I found out I could so I got a Playstation about a year after it came out. (may have been two I can't remember). I needed to play my games that I owned, since dishing out for a system is a money drain that doesn't allow getting many if any at all new games with it. However since then, I think I've played Final Fantasy Tactics once for 5 minutes. I played Final Fantasy 9 with my girlfriend to show her what it's like and... That's about it, and those were only recent. So I can understand why people would want to have backwards compatability, but I've grown to realized, once you have a new system new games is all you're really gonna play. Yes, there's exceptions, but Sony has to worry about making the best system they can instead of panicky if a few games does not work on their new hardware. I wait a year or two for price drops and more software anyways and by then there's usually enough games to want to get to play that playing old ones doesn't matter much. Just whip out the old system.

Never had a problem with my old Pokemon Red game, but I never did play it much after beating it and didn't care to collect them all. However there are two other games that have left me in an almost violently pissed off state. The first wasn't really a save, but my lack of saving. In Final Fantasy VI I had played up to the part where you have the three split teams. I completed the Edgar/Terra, Locke and was almost done the Sabin/Cyan when I got killed by a random enemy (this was before I had any real skill at RPGs). Last time I saved was before the split. So all was lost. I played again up until that point and I saved every chance I got. A power surge went through the house though and fried both my SNES and the cartridge... I am not ashamed to say I cried. I beat it by renting it. The second time was other people's stupidity. I told my mother never to let anyone touch my SNES, let alone my games and especially Earthbound. Well, I go out one day, come back and find my sister with my nephews over and they were playing around with it. The only thing they did though, was delete my saved games... all the while both my mother and sister watched. I had two completely beaten saves that took me ages to do. They didn't get the big deal though... Funny thing, all my nephews did was delete the saves and said the game was boring so they put in Mortal Kombat.

From what I've seen co-op/multiplayer can be either always split screen (vertical instead of horizontal) or it can be tethered. Kind of like War of the Monsters, if you're close enough it's just one screen but if you're far enough away it goes split screen. I've been thinking about picking it up, but game's are getting a bit on the expensive side for me. Got Ratchet: Deadlocked yesterday and San Andreas the day before (I got rid of my original copy and have been wanting to play ever since June... got enough money for it again and it all gets pulled). Then Gun coming up, and Smackdown. From the reviews I've read I'm not sure if The Warriors is worth forking over the money. My girlfriend and I just want another game to play through together since we've beaten X-Men Legends II.

I've only played some Counterstrike and Starcraft online and that was a couple years ago. Otherwise I'm in the "I prefer single player and don't give a shit about online" category. I like multiplayer as best as the next guy, but it does get a tad bit boring. Nothing beats a nice and enjoyable single player game. My online experiences haven't been too pleasent. Especially Counterstrike. I was pretty good at Starcraft but in Counterstrike there are quite a few elitist assholes who will cheaply take you out and gloat about it like idiots. It was just frustrating trying to learn much about the game when the same couple assholes wandered the spawn points that they memorized and sniped people that spawned. I also have had one of the shittiest computers ever up until my birthday in August. It was middle of the line in 1998, and time did it no favours. I now have a beast of a machine, that's just lacking a good quantity of ram (only has 256). I also only have basic "light broadband". Max it goes is about 16-18 kbps. Better than dial up but not by much and useless to play online. Don't have the PS2 network adapter and I'll never get an X-box more than likely. So pretty much online is off limits and I like shit that isn't online better. Although my newly acquired Ratchet: Deadlocked may entice me to see what online is like, and possibly Smackdown vs Raw.

Well in that case I can see why someone wouldn't want information spoiled. The Internet has jaded me on not having anything kept from those who don't want to know. A couple movies, a book, an entire comic series and a game have had their endings ruined for me recently. It does take the fun out of things. Stupid Internet people...

How's it spoilery? Unless you want absolutely no information pertaining to story in the game at all... I don't see how it's spoilery. I have yet to even play Snake Eater, but the information on it seems like it's shaping up decently. They need to stop with releasing double games... if that makes sense. Metal Gear Solid eventually (not the intention at first though) got Twin Snakes on the Gamecube. MGS2 got Substance. Snake Eater is getting Subsistance. Just make the game all in one in the first shot, anything else is just milking a cashcow.

How is it shit? The comedy in the game is gold. They all boil down to just skins in the hands of competent gamers, but you have serious and goofy along with just the absurd. The gameplay is refined off of the foundations Goldeneye and Perfect Dark laid down before it. Fast twitchy play that is as much reflexes as it is skill. Numerous different weapons and modes, and I can mess around the map editor when bored. That and I can take a stab at the co-op storymode with my girlfriend just to see who can steal a kill if it boils down to it. I can't stand the slow plodding shit nature of most shooters now because of Halo.