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, Floyd Mayweather not signing a deal to fight Manny Pacquiao in November, the proper response to Oosthuizen, or the ridiculous phenomenon of icing (Smirnoff), Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Last Friday, a few of you got into the old Final Fantasy VII vs. Final Fantasy VIII argument. You’ve already shared your thoughts on your favorite Final Fantasy games, so today’s Coffee Talk is all about blasting the FF games you think are overrated while defending the honor of your champion.
As for me, I don’t see any other choice than FFVII. While I agree that it’s the most important game in the series and quite possibly the most important RPG in videogame history, I also think it’s immensely overrated from a gameplay standpoint. Looking at it solely as game, it’s good but not great. A baby dolphin dies every time someone claims that it’s the best game in the series — that’s the punishment doled out on Earth for people being wrong.
Anyway, I’m hoping a few of you continue the Final Fantasy fight you started on Friday. Have at it!
FF7 is so overrated. The materia system sucks, the lead character is horrible and the game is put on a pedestal because of Omnislash (lionheart is better suckas), Knughts of the Round and One Winged Angel.
Let me add this, FF9 is a better game and it is not a great rpg. Zidane has to be the worst lead in any FF entry but at least his name isn't Cloud. You know, the hero who cries.
8 is better between the two.
I tried to play both of them… but couldn't.
I was working at a games store when VIII came out and i actually bought like 4 copies for various people. One of them was my wife (girlfriend at the time). It was there, but sitting next to Tony Hawk and WCW/NWO Revenge on my shelf, I just couldn't do it. I never got in to the turn-based gameplay. It bored me to death.
My wife liked VIII better than VII though and my our roommate at the time liked VII better than VIII. Go figure.
@ All
I missed a FF flame war!?!?!? Damn lol. Camping was great btw. My favorite FF game is number 7 however 8 was a better game. I think 7 is my favorite because it was one of the hardest game I beat in my youth and I'm still proud because a lot of people still haven't done that. So yes, FF7 is mostly nostalgic but HOW THE HELL CAN A BUSTER (YES KEY WORD IS BUSTER) SWORD BEAT OUT A REVOLVER SWORD THING?! Can't do it.
i'm on the same boat with N8R… i was busy playing the hell outa Tony Hawk and WCW/NWO Revenge with my friends. turn based games/some RPG's are just boring as hell.. I've tried on 4 separate occasions to play through the holy grail known as FF7 but its just so soooo boring in my opinion… maybe it has to do with the lengthy battle animations/turns. I dont have a problem with games like pokemon or advanced wars and i loved mario paper 64 lol i just never hopped on the FF7 band wagon i guess
@ big blak,
if the buster sword is anything like the X-buster, then thats why =P I'm such a mega man X nerd lol
I played my fair share of Revenge and World Tour but that didn't stop me from enjoying getting use out of my playstation either lol.
To prop 8 up some more…Junctioning was amazing as opposed to the Materia system. The draw system for magic was better than managing MP. Let's also not forget how great Tetra Master was.
On a side note, Revenge's gameplay was pure awesomeness. If it had the writing of SmackDown vs. Raw 2010/2011…wow, I can't even imagine.
@ CornFlake & All
The weapons overall in FF8 are just amazing. I need to play this game again, I need a PS2 asap. Anyone know of a nice deal for FF7 and 8 and a PS2. I don't want a PS3 for 2 PS1 games lol.
@Big Blak You could get a PSP, download all VII and VIII, and also have access to a bunch of great PSP titles. Between the downloads and Crisis Core, it's a great machine for old FF titles.
@ Rpad
That is a great option, I didn't even think of that. I'm going to have that as a last resort, I would rather play them on my tv. But damn I didn't even think of that lol. Thanks dude, I really mean that.
@BB
What Ray said about the PSP downloads. Best way to go really.
@BB
If you have a PSP that isn't the 1000 series then you should be able to TV out to it. Otherwise buy you a PS2 off of the Amazon. (there are links on this page conveniently)
@ SG & Rpad
And I could also support Rpad with the Amazon links, nice. Rpad if I go to Amazon through your site do you get help if I buy anything?
@Big Blak It would help for sure and I'd super appreciate. Remember, PSP has component out, so you can play on TV. The cutscenes from Crisis Core are brilliant on a big screen.
@ Rpad
Your right man this is looking like the best way to go. I don't know when I'll buy but I'll be sure to go through here.
I thought they were both good 7 and 8. i like the older ones better as time goes by. I just think plain and simple sometimes works for me.
@Mayweather
he's just ducking Pacquiao. I read that he used that a fight in november wouldn't give him enough time to prepare for a fight with him; that's pretty lame excuse if you ask me.
@rpad did you catch B.A.D on HBO saturday. Angulo looked sharp and Bradley is looking okay.
@proper response to Oosthuizen
Gesunheit! (sp?)
@icing (smirnoff)
i don't get this drinking game. so someone just gave you a bottle of smirnoff and you just took a one knee and drank??
@tokz_21 I think there's a decent chance that Roger Mayweather will be in jail in November. That's a good excuse not to fight.
I missed the Angulo fight, but caught the Bradley fight. 147 is too much for Bradley, methinks.
I still don't get icing. I've seen a bunch of icings too and I was all, "I guess…."
@rpad
true but i don't see any difference in his style from when his dad was training to his uncle training him. You missed a great round of boxing on the Angulo bout.
@ ALL
Used FF7 on Amazon (not the greatest hits edition) is priced at $30 and new at $145!!! PS2 is priced at $100 and I haven't even checked for FF8 prices. Looks like I will own a PsP in the near future.
@tokz_21 I'll catch the replay for sure. I like Perro.
As for Roger, I think it's more of a comfort thing. It's not like he gives Floyd brilliant advice in the corner. He's almost always, "Look man! You gotta outbox this muthaf*cka!!!"
@rpad
El perro is showing good promise. I hope he pans out Mexican boxers are aging fast now!
Haha, so you can say that roger mayweather is a skinnier an ghetto-er version of doc from punch-out
@tokz_21 Nah, Doc would never work in reality TV. Roger is amazingly entertaining in HBO's 24/7 series.
@rpad
you're right. i don't enjoy the other 24/7s as much when Mayweather isn't on them. Speaking of HBO did you or anytone catch Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel? He had an interesting thought about LeBron. I'll google it and see if i can find it.
RPG's just have never been my thing. They always sound really cool and fun to play, and then I try and get too bored. I figured that Final Fantasy III that was released on the DS a few years ago would be a good game to play, and it was mobile which was a plus, but couldn't stand it after only a short period of play time.
Therefore I cast my vote for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. I liked the movie a lot.
@ BSU
Awesome movie!!!
@bsu/Big Blak
I couldn't get into that movie. They started showing it on HBO or Cinemax and i watched the first 30 mins and fell asleep.
Advent Children is exponentially better than The Spirits Within.
@rpad
is that the anime one that came out last year or two years ago?
@tokz_21 Last Order is the traditional anime. Advent Children is CGI.
@rpad
oh ok. thanks.
@ Rpad
Exponentially???? Thats an understatement.
@ Tokz
Lol tell me about it.
@big blak
i'm glad i still have my fat ps2. maybe i'll pop in that ff7 again today.
@ Tokz
See man, I never bought a PS2 because 1) everyone had one so I was never to far from one and 2) our friends and fam would lend us there stuff while they vacationed (we had a great rep for keeping things unbroken). Now I'm kicking myself in the ass for not keeping one.
@ Tokz
Dude my gf just told me she has FF7!!!! I was like wtf! She doesn't even play games lol. I hope its here in Boston not in Colorado.
@Big Blak
haha. does she or do you have a ps1 or 2?
@ Tokz
She has a PS1 in Colorado, which is doing me no any lol. Maybe I can grab one piece of a PS1 or 2 from everyone I know and can have a system by the end of the week lol.
WOW
doing me any good lol.
@BB
you are almost there lol. I think you should use this as a good reason to get a PSP though. Nothing like justifying a game system purchase.
@ SG
Holy Morpheus I've never had a reason to justify a game purchase that a non gamer could understand until now, even my girl knows that FF is the Holy Grail of rpg games.
@Big Blak You should really play Crisis Core. If you enjoyed VII and Advent Children then you should watch Last Order and play Crisis Core. It really helps the VII universe make more sense and fleshes out the characters/conflicts.
My wife and I talked about FFVIII on our first date. We even considered naming a daughter Rinoa We're so lame that it's almost awesome. Almost……
@big blak
i just saw the links at the top and FF8 is 3.49 used! so at least you’ll be able to play that one cheap!
@Nightshade
That was good enough reason to marry her. Though i'm sure you found better ones lol.
@Smartguy: What she doesn't know yet is that I bought her a DS and Dragon Quest IX for her birthday later this month.
That's a nice gift.
speaking of gifts, if i werent so poor, id gift this to myself
http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-War-Cybertron-…
transformers war for cybertron 42.99 on amazon, both systems…i might still get it, i want it so badly
and obviously if you are gonna buy that, dont use MY stupid link, use ray's
lol
Sorry I'm a bit late to the party. I was at a Florida Petroleum Marketing Convention in Orlando for the past few days. By the way, BP is very, very, very, very, very, very, very sorry and is going to do everything it can to make everything better… unless they file for bankruptcy or "restructure" the company.
On to the topic at hand:
I've been thinking a lot about this question and have decided that it cannot be properly or logically answered since perception, time and other games have disillusioned (or illusioned) each of our perspectives. For example; out of the seven or so Final Fantasy games that I've played, IV and VI (SNES 2 and 3) are my favorites. I say that out of nostalgia because if I had never played those games and play them now for the first time, I would probably think they suck. Yet, at the time, they were the greatest games EVER! I still remember how I felt back then when I played those games and what I remember are mostly my feelings and not facts… or rather, my emotions cloud my judgment. This is true for all of us, so I can tell you that Final Fantasy IV is overrated because a lot of people say that it is their favorite and say it is the best one of the series, while other people will say that FF 4 is garbage compared to FF 13, in which they have a point because when you compare 13 to 4, you'll see that 13 is "obviously better" since it is a modern game. Yet I like FF 4 better than FF 13 and I haven’t even played 13 yet.
This conversation is reminiscent of: "Which would win a fight, the original Enterprise with Kirk or the Enterprise-D with Picard?" You can't really make an accurate comparison because the time between the two is so great and the technology and evolution has created two incredibly different products that only have a name in common.
That said, FF7 and FF8 are close enough to compare and while both games have their flaws, I prefer FF7 since I was more emotionally attached to that game and I feel that FF 8 was a step back in terms of gameplay and story. The only thing FF 8 did better than 7 was the graphics. The game was gorgeous, but they should have done away with the static backdrops by this time. I will not defend FF 7 since I know the game is not perfect, but out of all the Final Fantasy games I have played, FF8 seemed to me like a step backwards in terms of game mechanics and plot focus. They seemed to try to do to many things at once and neither of those things turned out well.
-M
@Iceman
You don't think them selling 7 billion in assets has anything to do with impending bankruptcy do you? lol. That made me laugh and fume at the same time when I saw that.
Enterprise D dude. Hands down. Speaking of TNG, I always thought the series finale was better than any of the Star Trek movies ever made.
I have to disagree with the gameplay and story of FF7 vs 8. The story was done a lot better in 8 and was just a plain better story if you ask me. Lots of thought went into the telling and presentation. I think if 7 had employed Junctioning as opposed to Materia, I'd call it a draw on gameplay.
You should really play 9 if you want to see a step back. Just sayin lol.
Cecil is the best lead they have ever had though.
@tokz
No way! Data is the best lol. (wow, are we really gonna have this debate?)
@smartguy
what!?!?! Spock would take Data out!
@tokz
you know that's not true! super strong, super fast, and (this will sound very nerdy) Data can have sex with chicks. He's way more badass.
@smartguy
you know that super intelligence beats strength and quickness anytime. I figured of all people you would know this.
@Tokz
Data is super intelligent. His brain works like an organic one. Don't forget that Spock is super strong and quick as well. I think Data wins though. Interesting vs though lol.
I will take Scotty over Laforge though.
Man, I love this Data vs. Spock debate. Perhaps this should be a future poll….
@smartguy
i think they are evenly matched when it all comes down to it but when i hear trekkies talk it's always comes down to the Spock and the Vulcans. no one talks about Data or even wants to dress up like Data.
@Tokz
That's cause of making a V with your hand lol.
Chekov vs Worf
Bones v Crusher? I like redheads.
@smartguy
i really didn't like either Worf or Chekov.
Bones, hands down! I like redheads too!
I gotta take Kirk over Picard. You can't trust Lucatis.
@smartguy
that is a no brainer. Captain Kirk FTW!
@ Smartguy; (post #52)
I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said except for the third paragraph, which (again) I will be more than happy to debate with you in a more formal and live venue. But I don't want to get into it now because I will be here typing forever.
@ Tokz;
Seriously dude, Picard and the Enterprise-D would destroy a Constitution-class ship in about two and a half minutes flat. For it to be a true test, they would have to be in the same class ships. And even then, I would give the edge to Picard. Between him, LaForge and Data, they have more tactical tricks up their sleeve than Chris Angel as an army battalion general.
Also, Data would snap Spock's neck before the Vulcan can exhale. He's an android; faster, smarter and better than any man.
-M
@Iceman
In hand to hand combat. Original beats TNG. There's no way that Data would snap Spock's neck that easily. Spock wouldn't allow himself to be put in such a comprimising position.
@Tokz;
Please send me whatever it is you are smoking.
-M
@iceman
whatever it is it really fucked me up. I set my laptop on my bed and it flipped over and fell to the ground. The screen froze and i turned it off but now i won't boot up. I really want to get some of thw data off this laptop. Anyone have any ideas??
@Iceman
that’s ludicrous everyone knows that Original Star Trek w/Kirk leading the way would mop the floor w/ TNG.