Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s Judas-like betrayal of Isiah Thomas, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s latest “oops” moment, or The Rock vs. The Miz, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I love Fridays…except for those following a NY Yankees ALCS loss in a perfectly winnable game. In order to stay positive, I’m going to think about a few of my favorite things. I’m not talking about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. I’m talking about the games that make up my favorite gaming franchise.
While I’ve enjoyed hundreds (thousands?) of games over the years, no series has entertained me as much as Final Fantasy Tactics. The games just work for me on so many levels. I’m addicted to the strategic gameplay. I love the art style. The world of Ivalice just fascinates me. The music, particularly from the first game, entrances me. And for some reason (that I’m still not sure of), I think Viera are sexy. Whether it was on my PSone, GBA, or PSP, the Final Fantasy Tactics titles works for me on every level.
To help you stay happy this Friday, I want to hear about your favorite gaming franchises. What’s your favorite series of all time? Why?
I like the Tom Clancy games for one. But then again, I'm pretty much a Ubisoft fanboy.
GTA is a given.
Smackdown vs Raw is up there. I pretty much get it every year.
Does it have to have more than 1 or 2 games to qualify?
#1. Uncharted
#2. God of War
#3. Metal Gear Solid
@N8R
GTA4 let me down. I got to the 2nd island and lost interest and haven't played it since. If not for GTA4, that franchise would have made my list.
While I haven't explord the series' portable versions, Final Fantasy Tactics is by far my favorite FF. I think the political/religious story that it weaved regarding the standing governments and the manipulating hand of the church was some of the best writing in a game period, and the fluid nature of combat, especially once you mastered the later classes (I'm talking about you Calculator), was exceptional.
Currently though, I don't know if I have a perenial favorite series outside of Final Fantasy. I was kind of disappointed with the combat in XII, and am really looking forward to XIII. I certainly have a couple of favorite games I hope turn into a series (anytime Rocksteady wants to kick out another Batman game, I will happily hand them my money, and inFamous was outstanding) but lately my time has been either exploring games that will eventually yield sequels (had a great time with Mass Effect).
@N8R, RROD – GTA4 was difficult to get into for me. I love the series (VC was my favorite, but SA is high up there) but there was something so off with the driving that it just kept me from doing things. The writing was fantastic as always, and I thought Niko and Roman were great, but I just didnt enjoy it as much as the others.
The Zelda series has always been fun with the exception of phantom hourglass. I didn't like how they extended the game by making me do the same dungeon all the time.
My favorite series was the Legacy of Kain games though. Great voice acting, great story, so much fun. I wish the franchise had continued.
1.Diablo franchise (or anything blizzard entertainment by that measure)
2.Legacy of Kain series
3.Zelda franchise
4.Metal Gear
5.GTA (except Vice City, never liked it)
6.Grandia
my favorite gaming franchises?
they evolve over time…i used to love the contra series on my NES, but as technology has evolved, ive come to expect more and more from games.
I used to love the tenchu series, but that game never evolved, but if theres a GOOD new tenchu game one day, im all over it
I loved ace combat and splinter cell, but those games wouldnt impress me if released today
god of war games have all been great so far, but its been like 5 years since the last one. That being said, im sure gow hd will get me more than ready for gow 3
uncharted is quickly jockeying for position in this conversation as well.
Call of Duty
God of War
Zelda
Mario
GTA
but i loved mortal kombat back in the day, street fighter, samurai showdown….same franchises that everyone my age fell in love with.
if a game doesnt STAY fresh though, its old. And if a game is old, its done
see tony hawk's pro skater
@tokz
i was tempted to list cod as well, but i HATED waw multiplayer…
if you had said "infinity ward" cod games, then id agree
A few posts have God of War in them. I should have included that on my list I guess. I can't call it one of my favorites though. I'm kind of "meh" about the new one so far. It looks the same as the first 2 (which isn't bad but I need innovation in the third installment). Maybe it's the confirmed secret DLC that turns me away. I feel that confirmed DLC before the launch will turn me away from many franchises.
@thundercracker
I was tempted to get COD W@W but never did. Maybe that's why it made the list for me. I heard a lot of bad feedback on the multi-player so i never bothered to waste my money on it.
I tend to always get excited about Final Fantasy releases. They're usually very good games. Like LarcenousLaugh, I also hated the combat in XII. The 3rd time I fell asleep in the middle of a battle, woke up and found out I'd won, I realized I wasn't the least bit interested in a game that basically played itself for you. I really hope the combat in XIII is more like in X. I loved how you could change out your characters on the fly to get the best matchup for the enemies you were facing.
Although, if Mass Effect 2 is as good as the first one, then that might be my new go-to series.
I wanted to like GTAIV, but mandatory street racing will make me stop playing any game. I'm terrible at racing games.
Armored Core (not as much these days but I own like 5 of them)
Ace Combat
God of War
Grand Theft Auto (III & Vice City were the best)
Ratchet & Clank
Twisted Metal
Legend of Zelda (mostly the older stuff)
Did anyone download that Uncharted Comic?
I think my favorite franchises are Kotor, The Elder Scrolls, GTA, and newly Mass Effect.
On GTA4. I always thougt I wanted GTA to be more real than funny. but ironically I think I liked Saint's Row 2 more than GTA4. I'm glad they tried it and I think overall it was a great game even if it wasn't classic GTA. I do hope they go back to form though with the next installment
@Slicky,
how could I forget Zelda. definitely one of my favorites of all time. I haven't played most the handheld stuff though. and Twighlight Princess may be the last one I ever get to play but Zelda hold's a strong place in my gaming heart
@ RROD & others
You're gonna let one bad apple spoil the bunch, huh? I liked GTA4 but that might be because I found my own ways to make it interesting. I didn't care much for the dating and going to see Katt Williams all that much, but I was down for stalking prostitutes and other things kept my interest. I was also down for the multiplayer.
@ Thundercracker
I agree. I wasn't thinking previous gens. In that case, Zelda makes the list as well does Metal Gear, Street Fighter, MK, KI, and Perfect Dark (that counts as a franchise, right?).
@Shockwave
I thought the same thing about GTA4 but it turned out to really suck. I don't think I even played it long enough to unlock the third Island and I bought the stupid expensive version with the safety deposit box and dufflebag. Definitely burned me on the series, but Saints Row 2 felt like what GTA4 should have.
Earthworm Jim. Played that all the time. I will buy it when it comes to the PSN.
The Strike Games like Desert Strike, Urban Strike, Jungle Strike (hope someone else remembers those too)
are you kidding me Slicky? I still play the strike games. that was one of my favorite franchises as a kid
@N8R
Absolutely, one bad apple definitely keeps you off of my list. GTA4 just killed it for me. Like I said, I lost interest on the 2nd island and have no interest in going back to finish it.
@N8R – ya pretty much anything Ubisoft puts out is gold, especially in the Tom Clancy area. I don't care for the new ghost recon games as much but Rainbow Six has been one of my favorite franchises (and books) since I was in middle school. I still remember playing the original R6.
Splinter Cell is always a game I anticipate. I'm really looking forward to the new one as well
@Shockwave
What did you find out about the Best Buy deal that we talk about yesterday? Can you do pre orders with the deal?
@Nightshade – I think we might be FFX soulmates. The Active Battle Line and the ability to swap in at a moments notice to take advantage of said line was I think one of the best things about FFX, and it was something I so wanted to them to come back to. I can't say that I fell asleep during a FFXII battle, but I really felt like I wasn't part of the process. Not being a huge fan of the "Macro-Gold Farmer-My game plays itself" technique, it really turned me off.
I completely forgot about some of the series mentioned. God of War is the hack-n-slash king until it's taken down, I haven't played anything that comes close to it's visceral nature. Bringing the discussion back around to the good/evil back and forth from the previous coffee talk, GOW is a game that really breaks through to that "Am I Evil?" side. You are going to do horrible things to everything that steps infront of you for reasons that would make a high school emo kid stand back and say "Kratos, it's really not that bad."
I do look forward to diving head first into Uncharted this weekend. Having previously sharpened my poor shooting skills on other games and the multiplayer beta, I am looking forward to possibly not having the ever loving piss shot out of me and really getting somewhere.
@RROD, actually thanks for the reminder. with the windows 7 release yesterday my friend said it was a little crazy around there. he's checking in to it for me though. I'll let you guys know when I know. the deal starts monday right?
@ RROD
So… Windows sucks because of Vista? The Falcons suck because of the 2000 season let alone 1967 where they only won 1? Wu Tang sucks because of … (well I liked all of them) Wu Tang Forever?
If you mean strictly in the sense of video games, Nintendo sucks because of Gamecube? Zelda sucks because of Windwaker? RE sucks because of Outbreak?
I think GTA4 needed to be toned down because they need to improve from there. They went back to Liberty City and put in/took out alot of things to make it reminiscent of GTA3.
Also, maybe the 360 version was slightly better because there was no mandatory install plus the DLC. I honestly had more fun with L&D than I did with Nico… but maybe that's just me.
@Shockwave
Yeah, it starts Monday.
@N8R
I don't think GTA 4 was a bad game. I thought it was an amazing game. wasn't my favorite in the series. Although SA had all the fun elements that game had a lot of major flaws. the story was awful. I don't like the gangster from the hood story at all. also the map was humungous and it took forever to go from one place to the next.
As far as fun goes I thought SA had more of it but for Story and substance I thought 4 was far superior
For series it would be Halo. I always have liked the Halo campaigns and the way Bungie constantly drops hints about the Halo universe at large during the campaigns.
My favorite game would have to be Tales of Symphonia though. It has the most realistic characters of any game I have ever played. No game has made me care about its characters like Symphonia did. Plus, I love anime and the Tales series is drenched in it.
So my younger brother NEVER plays video games. He just can't get into them. He is one of those people that hates TV, he writes and produces plays. But this last weekend I showed him Uncharted 2. I come home Thursday morning to find he played Uncharted 2 ALL night from the beginning and got to the big tank fight. He said its the story of the game that he likes so much.
@RROD, I'll make sure you guys have an answer by Monday Coffee Talk
@N8R
I see your point but GTA4 just killed it for me. I can't put it in my top games list when I hated the latest in the series. I don't understand how a mandatory install makes a game worse. In that case, the Xbox version of games are better than the PC version and we know that's not true. As far as the DLC, it's just side missions in the same old game that's lacking so much from is predecessors. That doesn't change anything.
@n8r
in rrods defense, i somewhat agree with him…a franchise should be an evolution, gta4 should have been a better game than san andreas, it just wasnt.
San andreas had crazy innovations to the franchise that rockstar took out going to gta4, i really missed them, it kind of killed the game for me. I wanted to ride bicycles, and hijack trains, and fly airplanes, and skydive, and do all the other cool things that were established with san andreas
and it didnt help that the story sucked in gta4 (just my opinion)
@slicky, ya my girlfriend plays games occasionally but when she saw me playing uncharted she started playing through the first one. she just got to the zombie part which was stupid as all hell but she really liked it (until she gets to the quick press boss). I keep telling her 2 is a world apart from 1 but she just has to finish it.
I laughed when I saw that commercial where the guy complains that his girlfriend thinks Uncharted 2 is a movie. My girlfriend could sit and watch me play it for a while
@ Shockwave
I hear that. I was down for the gangsta stuff though. The first rap album I ever bought was Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted and I absolutely loved the soundtrack to SA (it had Danzig) amongst other things. SA is still my favorite of the lot, but I liked 4 better than VC. VC I expected too much from it and it's probably my fault. 3 is in high regard because it changed gaming as we knew it.
@N8R
Oh yeah, you can bad mouth my Falcons, you can bad mouth my PS3, but don't you ever bad mouth the Wu-Tang Clan.
Wow, there are some great answers here guys! I totally forgot about the awesome Strike series. Ha!
FYI, content will be light until late afternoon. I have to finish a pay-the-bills project today.
Thanks for this great exchange though! I'll be checking it throughout the day when I need mental breaks.
Also, and this may be a small thing to some, but not to me
the radio stations on san andreas kicked all kinds of ass, and the radio on gta4 totally sucked…there were times where i didnt wanna get out the car on san andreas while listening to all the early 90s awesomeness on the radio
ratm's "killing in the name of" springs to mind
i liked the strike series too, those damn games were just so hard though
@Thunder – I will admit the radio on GTA4 does suck pretty bad. it took me a while to get in to the SA radio but there were really good stations if you looked around.
I always preferred the made up radio from 3. I would just sit an listen to all those stations. I liked every one of them and the talk radio from Lazlow was hilarious.
Vice city had an awesome soundtrack as well. That's a game I can still play and won't ever need to change the dial when I jump in a car
@Slicky
Uncharted 2 has that affect on people. My wife only likes to sing in Rock Band 2 but she came upstairs to my man cave to tell something while I was playing Uncharted 2 and she saw the game and she sat down and watched me play for over an hour. She said it's like watching a good movie. Normally when she comes up she'll go right back down totally uninterested in what I'm playing, but not with Uncharted 2.
"Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and file this under not an issue"
@ RROD and Thundercracker
I see both of your points. I too wanted to ride the bicycles (I loved that), own property, and fly the planes… all that.
The main thing I liked about L&D were the races. Motorcycle races with baseball bats. I haven't been able to do that since Road Rash (which probably should have made my list). I think they put the effort into recreating NYC and slimmed it down… well (sigh) for the 360's storage capacity.
Still, I had alot of fun with it even though it wasn't San Andreas. But alot of games aren't San Andreas and I have fun with them.
I see your point because I personally expected more from Vice City but in hindsight, I let myself down more than Rockstar did with that.
donkey kong country, castlevania ( on the nes), ninja gaiden ( also on the nes)…tecmo bowl, bases loaded baseball, joe montana sports talk football (just kidding), king of the monsters, road rash, shinobi/shadow dancer, track and field
ill stop there, but i could go on all day
@Thunder – absolutely true. I loved listening to Axel on the dust… kept me from thinking about what a douche he actually is. On top of that, the Public Radio was outstanding.
@Shock – I didn't mind the gang-banging gangster thing so much, I thought it was enough of a concept change that it kind of put me in his mind set. Vice City, for all of it's hot pink and eye-bleeding grandeour, was my favorite of the series. Not being able to swim was forgiveable, but I haven't found a quest yet that ended with a giant picture of tits in the sky like the one at the end of the porn studio line.
@RROD, lol, I just emailed that commercial to my girlfriend
god Road Rash was a great game. Mutant league Sports anyone?
@ RROD
"Wu-Tang killa bee's on a swarm
rain on your collage ass disco dorm
for you to even touch my skill
you gotta put the one killer bee and he ain't gonna kill
now chop that downpass it all around
lyrics get hard quick cement to the ground
for any em-cee in any fifty two states
I get psycho, KILLA, Norman Bates"
Dude… I'm a fan.
@RROD This is related to Wu-Tang by way of Method Man. My old co-host at Yahoo! interviewed Redman:
Like Thundercracker said, GTA4 was severely lacking. Rockstar had to take out a lot of what made the GTA series so great in order to squeeze the game onto one DVD9. Multiple discs is not a solution to open world games like GTA. How would you like switching discs every time a mission sends you to another island or every time you want to travel to another island? There is no way they can make a true GTA game on one DVD9 this gen. This puts Rockstar in a tough spot with GTA5.
road rash made my list!
had it on 3do and wow was that game awesome…although i associate it with green days dookie album and adam sandlers first comedy cd…cause thats what i was listening to instead hearing soundgardens "kickstand" for the 20000th time
I think I just prefer the Italian Mob to any other organized crime. most the GTA games have been good about mixing up the different organizations. I kind of like that you didn't have any major affiliations in GTA 4 though. I will say I didn't really care for Niko or his stupid ass cousin that much.
Which reminds me one game I am really looking forward to is Mafia 2 (not to be confused with the godfather series which sucks)
@ Thundercracker
TOTALLY awesome game.
I was listening to Slayer's "Seasons in the Abyss" and the Descendents "Somery" when I played that game.
i really think that even though rockstar wont admit it, that they are seriously concerned about dvd9 technology, and they knew that gta4 was lacking
And also, check out these totally rad Zippo lighters! One's a Sega Saturn and the other is a Sega Mega Drive (Genesis):
https://rpad.tv/2009/10/23/sega-console-lighters-c…
@RROD, that's not my understanding as to why they took those things out. my understanding was that they wanted a more realistic game this time around. if it was DVD9s fault Rockstar never said a thing about it.
A plane wouldn't have fit in Liberty City and they removed property ownership because in their opinion "why would you be doing little missions when you own property all over the map" which I kind of agree with
lol@n8r
yeah i wasnt into slayer at 14 years old, i was still listening to pop radio (sadly)
matter of fact, i made some rather unfortunate cd purchases over the years
i actually had a soul asylum cd (shiver)
what are some unfortunate cds that you guys are ashamed to admit you bought
cmon its ok, were friends, let it out
@Thunder two big ones I regret are the first Britney Spears album and that god awful piece of crap from Alanis Morsette. I don't know what it's called but it had that Ironic song on it
Saint's Row 2 had no problem fitting everything San Andreas did on a DVD-9.
@ Thundercracker
The truth:
I got my first GWAR record when I turned 13 along with NWA's "EFIL4ZAGGIN"
A year later on my 14th birthday, I lost my virginity and got my first CD player (totally unrelated circumstances).
By the next year, all I wanted was money so that I could buy weed with it.
I blame being in a band for everything you just read.
@ Thundercracker
The bad CD's:
Harry Conick Jr.
Skid Row
Vanilla Ice
Motley Crue "Decade of Decadence"
there's a longer list, but I'm drawing a blank.
@Shockwave – Jagged Little Pill. I don't regret purchasing that one back in high school. While certain britney tunes are catchy (Toxic, Slave for you come to mind immediately) I have never purchased nor plan on purchasing a full album. I am of the mind that if your manager is required to routinely smack the shit out of you to make you function like a human being you don't need my money.
@N8R
Ha! I know you're a fan. I was joking there. Wu-Tang Forever.
@Raymond Padilla
Cool video.
@RRODisHere Ruby's pretty hot, eh? She was Miss Latina USA or something.
@N8R – she's my sex box and her name is Sony.
@Thunder – ahh Vanilla Ice. I checked out his new punk stuff a while back and was shocked to hear that it was really just as bad as his rap stuff. Whenever I think of him, I always think of "Rico Suave" and then I start laughing.
@ Shockwave
Yeah, but the multiplayer was kinda weak, the graphics weren't NEARLY as textured as they were in GTA4, and MOST IMPORTANTLY it froze all the damn time.
everyone had the hammer and vanilla ice cds, i had das efx, fu schnickens, 2 live crew, slick rick, rhexx in effect or whatever that was, c and c music factory, nine inch nails pretty hate machine, sepulturas roots album…i had quite an ecclectic taste, also i stole many of those from "record town"
fun fact
the local mall here near richmond is actually called "south park mall" and it predates the cartoon
im just glad i never fell for the swarthy latin sirens that were color me badd
"yo we dont really care about color, if you wanna color us something, color us badd..yeah"
actual quote…you really gotta admire those guys
@ R Pad
A whole slew of HORRIBLE Miss Latina USA jokes just ran through my mind. Wall Jumping for a talent competition, modeling Home Depot aprons,… I'll stop there before I sound like a total bigot.
@ Larcenous
Rico Suave was Gerardo.
@Shockwave
You totally don't understand how PR works. All companies have to create a spin to cover up the truth. Here's 2 links for proof of what I said earlier.
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?…
http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/2966.html
lol@n8r lost his virginity at 14
i was too chicken, i turned down more than i took…i didnt lose mine until i was 16, and i was a pretty good athlete
wow, i wish i could do that over again!
@N8R yup, glad you remembered his name cause all I can ever think of is that song lol.
mexican word of the day
"bodywash"
i was gonna go to the flea market but no bodywash my kids
@n8r, my saints row froze all the time but I never had any freezing on Saints Row 2. Also, I really liked the co-op SR2 had.
On graphics. this is the age old dilemma with GTA. it was never a graphically superior game. I think they gave up a lot of what GTA was to make an excellent looking game, I think Rockstar listened to all the complaints of previous GTAs and wanted to make it more realistic and feel more real. hence how we lost all of the fun parts to it.
If they wanted to do a sequel to SA they could have easily done it on DVD9 or BD. but they didn't
@N8R Ha! I'll tell Ruby you said that. She's a tae kwon do student, just so you know. She was on that MTV reality show Final Fu.
i dont think n8r is naive enough to deny that disc space was an issue with gta4
dont know if youve noticed, but hes reasonably intelligent sometimes
Jagged Little Pill was awesome. What's wrong with you Shockwave?
@RROD ya I liked it then but I can't stand to hear her voice any more. I thought Britney Spears was good back then too
@ Larcenous
First and foremost, I'm a music geek. My family and I quiz each other on retarded stuff all the time.
@ Thundercracker
True story, my brother was like "How'd you like to f**k this girl I know for your birthday?"
I was like "Uh.. yeah!" because I wanted to play off the lies I had already told about losing my virginity. Sure enough, she came to my house on my birthday and it wasn't like "We're just gonna tell people we did it." It was in fact the real deal.
Wow… RPad.tv is a really personal place.
#RROD, sounds to me like a cop out from Rockstar. like I said SR2 had all of the fun of San Andreas. it came at a slight cost of graphics but is that what you ever liked about GTA in the first place?
@Shockwave
I just saw you Mutant League Comment. LOVE ME SOME FOOTBALL!! Bribing, killing, rumble fumble
Who's Dan Houser? The Co-founder, along with brother Sam, of Rockstar…you know, those Grand Theft Auto guys. Speaking to 1up, Dan Houser states the standard dual-layer DVD simply isn't enough, and that it too became a problem during GTAIV's development. This raises some concern on whether or not the next Grand Theft Auto game will fit on an Xbox 360 disc, because Rockstar's motto has consistently been focused on making each and every new game larger than the last.
http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/2966.html
During an interview with our partners in crime at Official PlayStation Magazine, Rockstar's creative vice president Dan Houser was asked: "On PS3 you've got a guarantee that every machine is going to have a hard-drive and, with Blu-ray, you've got plenty of storage, whereas on Xbox 360 there's no guarantee of a hard-drive and you're working with the DVD format. Does that create limitations?" To which he replied, "Yep."
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?…
@Thundercracker
I have thought the same thing about being able to do it all over again. Just thinking back at all of the situation that I could have taken advantage of if I had just known what I know now. God it would have been crazy
@ RPad
It wasn't her in particular that brought it to mind, just my backwards brain about the competition in question.
@ Thundercracker
I already noted the compression issue for the 360 in comment #44
@ Shockwave
I agree that they totally listened to the complaints about SA and that's why they focused on graphics and story.
The sequel to SA is coming, they're just building anticipation at this point.
i was just timid in high school, too busy getting really really high on whatever i could get my hands on
i guess it doesnt help that i still find high school girls attractive….
wait, i didnt mean that…
@Shockwave
That's not a cop out. Rockstar wants to advance their game in the graphics department. How was that a cop out when they wanted to make better graphics? Either way, the DVD limited them from having better graphics and all of the stuff that made GTA great. I know you love and prefer the Xbox and that's fine but even you have to realize that the DVD format is limiting to developers. Rockstar even said it's limiting but you say they copped out.
mexican word of the day….the sequel
chicken wing
i think she will lose, but my sister think chicken wing
The Ultima series will probably always be in my heart as my most beloved series
The Fallout series MINUS Tactics
the Zelda series
the Golden Sun series
the Grand Theft Auto series MINUS the forgettable 4
those are the ones I love the most, while there are others, I will always remember these for one reason or another.
@N8R
You didn't like Windwaker?? That game was great. Almost as good as Ocarina of Time.
@slicky
the strike series was great. i had forgotten about those.
I am a bit dismayed with the lack of love for Legacy of Kain series. Maybe I was in the minority on that one lol.
@RROD
GEAUX COWBOYS!
@ Smartguy
Being Papappa the Rappa on a boat that took WAY too long to get from place to place went right by me.
Ocarina is the best of the series though.
Legacy of Kain was good, but I didnt like when they went 3d with it.
Windwaker was not my favorite Zelda, I hated the ship movement so much I still have not finished it.
@N8R
I was quite skeptical of Windwaker initially…I gave it a chance and loved it. I put it on even footing with Twilight Princess which is right below Ocarina of Time.
@Hrolf
Yeah, the 3d game was a step in the wrong direction but the story and voice work was still top notch in my opinion. THE DAMN HYLDAN ARE LOOSE!!
@LarcenousLaugh:
My Wife and I talked about Final Fantasy on our first date. Can you say "keeper!" So no offense, but I've already found my FFX soulmate. lol….
@ Smartguy
I agree that Twilight Princess is under Ocarina and then Majora. I'd put 4 swords above Windwaker though.
And honestly, I got a PS1 right around launch and it broke. The game that convinced me to buy another on was indeed Soul Reaver.
im almost ashamed to admit i never got into zelda, after zelda 2 for the NES
@Thundercracker
That's too bad. If you have never played Ocarina of Time you should. If you do, try and put yourself in the mindset of what it was like when it was released. Ocarina still has many great gameplay elements today, but when it came out there was nothing else like it. Lots of adventure, a big open area to run around in, and zelda puzzles. Just good old fun.
@N8R
I finally caved in and bought Soul Reaver after weeks of Jim Ross telling me to buy it during RAW. I actually bought it for my Dreamcast. I was hooked from then on. I did try and go play the first one, but it was just too damn long.
@N8R I know, I'm just teasing. Still, it would be kind of fun getting beat up by her, don't you think?
http://photos.gotcast.com/RubyLopez/e024325f-29d0…
@Smartguy JR is a helluva salesman. I want to buy his chipotle ketchup.
Go Dolphins! Unleash the wildcat!
i had an n64, yet i never had zelda OR goldeneye….i did have wayne gretzky hockey though
i wish al gore had invented the internet earlier
@Nightshade – It's ok, your love is safe. When mine sang the Strongbadia National Anthem (Population: Tire), I knew it was real.
#Zelda – Ocarina was the best. I thought the way they integrated the older and younger Links was spot on. I liked Wind Waker, but it took a while to really get into, and it wasn't rally fun until you got the tornado song and were not required to sail your happy little ship everywhere.
New Mexican word of the day:
Hurricanrana
WCW vs. NWO>Ocarina of Time
@RROD – that was THE wrestling game. The only thing I could recommend better then that one was THQ's next go round with the same system – Wrestlemania 2k. Full move set customization, entrance themes, and the same great grapple system.
@RROD
World Tour or Revenge?
also….Go Romo!
i was talking about juventud guerrerra in here yesterday,
he might be the most entertaining wrestler ive ever seen….why the hell is there no cruiserweight belt in the WWE?
i miss the wcw
Every now and then me and my friends fire up the N64 for some Revenge action. Such a great game. Battle Royale can't be beaten for fun value.
The 64 was great…I still play The New Tetris on it almost daily. I love that game.
juventud lost me when he started doing the "juvi elbow".
He was fun to watch though. I always thought he and Kidman put on good fights. Shooting star press ftw!
Anyone remember when Lesnar tried to do that move?
@Thundercracker In general, Vince doesn't like small guys. Recent examples include London and Kendrick. I'm afraid of what he'll do with Brian Danielson.
@Smartguy Kidman's shoot star press was pretty awful. Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) does it exponentially better.
i liked juvi cause i thought there was a fairly good chance hed paralyze someone (or himself) someday
dude had some crazy high risk maneuvers
@ray
Kidman seems to get more air…but Sydal does look better.
@ R Pad
It depends on whether or not were in a tub of Jello.
I myself was trained by Hung Wei Lo and my specialty is the pelvic thrust.
I only take on females however.
I would like some input. I may be able to grab a game this weekend, but ONLY one, and I most likely wont be able to get another for awhile..
I would like to know your thoughts on a few games to help me decide.
Halo ODST
Batman Arkham Asylum
Borderlands
Brutal Legend
I wish I had the cash to do the buy 2 get one free deal, that would make it a lot easier but the funds just are not there. ODST is on the bottom of the list, but Borderlands and Arkham Asylum looks sweet. Brutal legend looks good too, but it doesn't look like it will keep me wanting to play once I beat it.
I used to love Parasite Eve (was there more than 1 though?)
@Thundercracker
The SNES Zelda A Link to the Past to me by far the best zelda.
@Smartguy Kidman looks like he's getting more air because Sydal is 5'2".
@Hrolf Borderlands is best as a cooperative game. Brutal probably has the most exploration on that list. Batman is pretty excellent and has lots of challenges for replay value, but they're repetitive.
@SlickyFats Yes, there was more than one. There's a new being developed for PSP and it looks pretty hot.
here's another i saw while looking at Sydal. Comparison of RVD and Guerrero. Initially I thought RVD was better…but Guerrero seems to take more chances. Advantage: Latino Heat
@hrolf
if this is the only game youll get in awhile and want to stay occupied with it, id say borderlands is a no brainer there
"You think you impress the Rock because, a couple of months ago, you were down south beating some jabroni named Juventud?"
The Rock killed Juventud's career.
@Hrolf
I have be having a blast with Borderlands, I sold my copy of ODST back after 2 days, the other 2 you mentioned I have only played the demos but I know lots of people like them both so its really a matter of personal preference. Maybe you should give them a rent first.
@Smartguy Guerrero was much, much better at telling a story in the ring. RVD is super talented, but too many of his matches were just a series of high spots. He also had a pretty lame clothesline.
@Hrolf
I recommend Batman AA on that list.
@Hrolf
Can't go wrong with Batman or Brutal Legend. Brutal Legend and Batman I'd say are about par. Batman is an ass whippin machine in AA. BL is quite fun and the story is better than the one in AA. There is lots of exploration to be done. They are both about the same length as far as the main narrative is concerned.
also, i hate the rock, never cared for him…his little one liners failed to impress me
but lemme guess
it doesnt matter what i think!
@Ray
I agree that Sydal does a better SSP. I also can't imagine jumping from the top of a cage and doing a frog splash or Benoit head-dive. Can't do it.
full disclosure
i dont have brutal legend, i dont plan on buying it, so maybe others would consider that the best game
the question was to name the game that would entertain him the longest…i think thats borderlands
I miss King Booker. Who's with me?
also, you cant play as the joker on AA
i mean, I can….but…yeah i wont say it
booker t reminded me too much of shannon sharpe
they are both centaurs
or at least horse like
@Thundercracker
You don't like the Rock?! I have no choice but to take off my $500 shirt, take my size 12 $1000 shoe, shine it up real nice, turn it side ways, and stick it straight up YOUR CANDY @SS!!!
lol yea thats one more reason why I was thinking on waiting on Batman. VERY jealous I cant play as the Joker
Borderlands looks the most promising for me, as far as time spent playing and enjoying. Im just not enough of a Halo fan to get ODST and Brutal Legends RTS style gaming online doesn't excite me much.
When I was a kid I always liked that Japanese wrestler jushin liger (sp?) that WCW would have on sometimes. He amazed me.
maybe i dont like the rock because i stopped watching wrestling after the wcw started to suck..the same reason i dont like yung jeezy when all my friends do
anyways, you people have a great weekend…go bills….sigh
@hrolf
never played the MP of Brutal Legend, can't comment there. The RTS you do in the game is pretty well done though. It isn't a strict RTS by any means. I'd have my units zerg the hell out of a merch booth then I'd use Riggs to melt faces, call in fiery zeppelins and swing the axe on the mobs. Fun stuff.
@ RROD
Did you see him on the Smackdown 10 year anniversary?
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xap10e_the-rock-…
I was talking with R Pad about it yesterday. He's gonna be guest hosting Raw coming up soon too.
I can't wait.
@N8R
Yeah, I saw it. In my opinion, the Rock is the greatest.
@Smartguy & Hrolf:
Multiplayer is ok, but the Single Player really carries the game. The Tainted Coil have the distict advantage of being able to spawn anywhere on the map, which is a bit tedious if you play as either Ironheade or The Drowning Doom. I tend to stick with Ironheade simply because I'm familiar with the units from the single player game. Ironheade move pretty quickly and if you attack in groups you can overwhelm most enemies. I'm not a fan of the "slow them down" style of gameplay of The Drowning Doom, but the preppy goth boy in me wamts to try out them out at some point if only because I love me some Gothic Metal.
Is Sterling McGarvey a new guy over on the feed?
@Hrolf: He's been there a few months at least.
@Hrofl – no, he been around for a bit at least.
As for the games you mentioned – can't comment on Borderlands yet, but Batman hands down was my pick of those you mentioned. Perfect ripped from the comics story from Paul Dini, classic Batman/Joker voice sparring between Kevin Conroy (the one and only Batman) and Mark Hamill (who jump started his voice acting career with the Ace of Knaves). Throw in an awesome combat system and some excellent Invisible Predator stealth, and you have a great title.
"no (FINAL FANTASY GAME) has entertained me as much as Final Fantasy Tactics (THE ORIGINAL). The games just works for me on so many levels. I’m addicted to the strategic gameplay. I love the art style. The world of Ivalice just fascinates me. The music, particularly from the first game, entrances me."
Favorite franchises:
God Of War – (Hack and slash adventuring at it's finest.)
Mario – (How can anyone NOT say Mario???)
Okami
Left 4 Dead
Team Fortress – (2….but that's all that matters)
Megaman – (original, X and Legends. Right up there with Mario, platforming at it's finest.)
Suikoden – (1&2 are some of the best RPGs EVER.)
Pokemon – (I own/beat B,G,S)
Donkey Kong Country trilogy
Castlevania – (Symphony Of The Night singlehandedly raises the whole franchise from decent to freaking awesome)
Favorite Franchises I haven't really played much of, or just watched:
Zelda
Legacy Of Kain
#Brutal Legend – The Drowning Doom aren't that bad, but you start really having to deal with keeping some buffs up and the right mix of troops. Ironheade is great for just smashing things, but the doom is interesting because of the AOE heal solo Ophe gets as well as the debuffs most units drop on the other foes. One thing I found was lacking was the Zepplin solo. Going to try The Coil soon just to get a feel for them and atleast get the double team trophy, and then we'll see where it leads.
1.) Legend of Zelda
2.) Star Wars: KOTOR
3.) Resident Evil
4.) Final Fantasy
5.) Halo (I like the story, not the multiplayer.)
#TheROCK – minor wrestling story
Living in Miami at the time, I got the chance to go to the first Raw of the Millenium (Jan 3 2000, yes I know technically the milennium starts on 2001, but go with me). My tickets were for the front row of the balcony section at AA Arena, I would say a good 75 – 150 feet to the ring. Needless to say, with the crowd of people gathered, it was quite a ways.
The Rock, in his glorious promo goodness, came down to the ring to wax poetic on some Jaborni (it's his home town, honestly, anyone else is a Jabroni comparitively there) when Triple H made his way down to the ring. Naturally, The Game started talking smack with the mic when the Rock raised his hand and addressed him. There was banter back and forth, and I sat, with baited breath, waiting for my favorite of his lines to come to fruition. I will submit the following in screenplay format:
The Rock: You know this is the Rock's hometown, and you don't even have the decency to tell this wonderful Miami crowd your name…
*crowd grows completely silent waiting for the inevitable*
Triple H lifts the mic to his lips: You kn-
From the second floor Balconey: "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS!!!!!!"
The Rock turns from Triple H in the ring and stares into the balcony.
Triple H chuckles: "Well Pavlov, now that your dog has barked…"
/end scene
I solicited a remark from a pro-wrestler mid promo. No matter what happens for the rest of my life, that will always round out the top 5-10 moments.
@Ieyke I loved all the FFT games. FFT, FFTA, FFTA2, and the FFT remake for PSP.
@TheJediRevan I've never heard anyone say that they like Halo for the story. What did you dig about it?
favorite video game franchise of all time??? easy…
Pokemon! i still have a GBC with blue version in it, and i have diamond for DS. i gave copies of blue, red, gold, and silver to my little brother and sister a year or two ago so that they could enjoy them as much as i did.
its just pure awesome!
@RPad
My roomies and are are big dorks and we totally dig the story espcially the Elites turning on the Covenant. I just really dig it…nothing I can really point out but I really like the characters.
@bsukenyan You have outstanding taste! I've actually played more hours of Pokemon than FFT, but a good chunk of that was the year I was writing a weekly Pokemon column. It's a close second for me.
I went to the Royal Rumble back when it was in Atlanta. It was awesome. Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Grand Master Sexay clear the ring and started dancing. Priceless.
I also went to a Monday Night Raw in Atlanta with my friend who works for the Atlanta Journal Constitution and he brought his press badge and got me backstage with him. We walked up to a security desk and and as my friend was handing his business with security I look over to the right and The Godfather and his hos walked by. Then I looked to the left and The Rock, Vince and Stephanie McMahon were standing in a circle talking. They were 10 feet away from me. They wouldn't let me go any further without credentials but I saw a lot of the guys in that one area. Edge and Christian were talking to Perry Saturn and Bubba Ray Dudley was talking to Kane. It was awesome. Also, those guys are much bigger in person.
@rpad, i just always find myself coming back to those games. im not too good at all the technical stuff, when i read articles about the world championships they were talking about types of breeding and everything. its beyond me. but i continually find myself playing over and over again. i always end up buying at least one game from each generation.
REALLY! I found my crutch word…
@rpad i have to agree with TheJediRevan, i also really loved the story in halo. its very explorative and patriotic i think.
@bsukenyan I was more curious about Revan's opinion. I've never heard that before.
As for advanced Pokemon techniques, serebii.net is an excellent resource. You can also check out my old column for GamesRadar called Pokemusings.
@rpad i will have to check those out sometime. ive heard of the advanced stuff before in small doses, but i guess i just never got that in depth into the breeding and whatnot.
@bsuke – it's incredibly indepth. I always joked that Pokemon was purely for kids until my friend Andrew opened up a breeding site and I saw the math that someone had put down to get the perfect IV/EV. I couldn't believe that something I saw as only being a marketing ploy was actually as deep as you wanted to take it. Leave it to the Japanesse to hide complexity in a furry animal that speaks by saying only its name.
Whenever the conversation switches to Pokemon, I always feel like everyone around me is speaking a language I don't understand, nor have any desire to learn. Like Romulan or something. When's the next time I'd actually use it? Never…..
@Nightshade386 IV breeding and EV training are handy skills to have. I'll apply them to make superior children one day.
I think I'd be more likely to actually find a practical application for Romulan….
Pokemon is pretty badass. Which feels like a really weird thing to say.
@Nightshade – what it breaks down to is genetic engineering on its most basic level. Take two parents with such and such qualities and you have x% to get this stat. Take a child with y stat and z stat and breed them and they have the chance to give you x stat and y stat together. One day, when the zombies have had their way with civilization and the few pockets of survivors have forged for themselves a new society out of the busom of the undead oppressors, a young japanesse boy will happen upon these secrets and hold the missing piece to repopulating the earth with a race of super beings. But until that happens, I am giving my Infernape "Grass Knot" and passing it on to all his kids.
I'm apparently chop liver.
@R-Pad
I like the story too. Halo:CE had the best, but ODST is close second. Why everyone obsesses over the online is beyond me. Sure, the amount of ways to share online moments is great, but the online itself is broken.
@RROD – busy today, all meetings.
on the GTA topic though I think if they can't fit everything they want to do on the next installment on one DVD they should make it for the PS3 only.
hey good news PS3 owners. Dragon Age is going to come out on 360 PS3 and PC on the same day now. Nov 3rd. could be the biggest game of the year. check it out!
I doubt it will be anywhere close to the biggest game of the year and I'm a BioWare fanboy. Here's a clip from the press release:
“We’re excited to confirm that all three versions of Dragon Age: Origins will be available to fans on November 3 in North America,” said Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager, RPG/MMO Group of EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The Dragon Age: Origins development team was able to polish the PlayStation 3 version to our high standard of quality and we are ready to deliver the richest and deepest role-playing fantasy experience across all three platforms.”
I don't know if Star Craft would technically be considered a franchise since at the moment there is only one game out (expansion could make it two?), but damn that game is amazing. When I was in high school from grades 9-11 I would spent whole days after school camped out on my computer playing 3v3 or 4v4. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of SC2 :)
Sunken Def. FTW
@Insomniacswaltz Well, it has spin-offs to and console versions. I think it's a franchise.
Ninja Gaiden even though there are a lot of them.
Ratchet and Clank
Uncharted
Persona
Metal Gear Solid
God of War
Can't believe I didn't put in Resistance also
@Xsnipe2killg4feedX Those are some fine choices!
wow, i am so late…but better late than never…
gran turismo
diablo
final fantasy
pokemon
megaman
persona
jak and daxter
uncharted
crash bandicoot
spyro
ratchet and clank
gundam(i know it's based on an anime, but it is just awesome)
metal gear solid
star wars( from jedi outcast to battlefront to KOTOR)
xenogears
breath of fire
suikoden
starcraft
warcraft
age of empires
baldur's gate
bioshock
tekken
house of the dead
fighting force!! (BRING IT BACK SONY!!!)
syphon filter
donkey kong
(itsa me!!!) mario
and the list keeps going on and on and on and on
Geez, speaking of wrestling, mick foley was my personal favorite, epecially if he turns to mankind. He had the best wwe intro EVAR!!! MR SOCKOOO!!!! i remember that epic i quit match with him against the rock, although he lost, he was and is still awesome.
@rbee90 I loved Foley even since he was Cactus Jack. Enjoyed him in WCW, loved him in ECW and WWE. His work in TNA is sometimes hard to watch. I know he loves performing, but I kind of wish he'd stop wrestling and just stick with cutting promos.
Sign me up for:
Diablo
Uncharted
Metal Gear Solid
Xenogears
Age Of Empires
Bioshock
I've only played D2, U2:AT and MGS4. But those are all awesome.
AoE(and AoMyth) was awesome up til 3 which sucked.
Bestbuy buy 2 get 1 free is online only and excludes pre-orders
I got the game borderland today… I have to say it was a very good game! I like it so far