Lurker > plasmabeam

8/10

I'm not as high on T&T as most because I didn't love its heavy focus on the overarching narrative. The individual cases are a blur to me, and nothing stands out in my memory other than Godot being a phenomenal antagonist.

Basically I preferred the "loosely connected batch of standalone stories" feel of the first two games.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Celes simply doesn't get enough screen time.

Much like all the worthwhile FF6 characters.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Nominate Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

8.5/10

Main quest is too skinny like others have said, but the characters are undeniably awesome.

Lightning Strikes posted...

Yep. You did not!

Everybody, I have a table on the back end so just ask if you want to know what you did or didnt rate or a whole list.

Thanks for all you do. I look forward to these topics every night.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

5 - Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong)
0 - Vectorman (Vectorman)

5 - Yuna (Final Fantasy X)
0 - Crono (Chrono Trigger)

3 - Cave Johnson (Portal 2)
2 - Leah (Stardew Valley)

0 - Hat Kid (A Hat In Time)
5 - Edelgard (Fire Emblem)

4 - Jecht (Final Fantasy X)
1 - Proto Man (Mega Man)

0 - Shantae (Shantae: Pirate's Curse)
5 - Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Proud of you, Board 8.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

4 - Magus (Chrono Trigger)
1 - Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn

5 - Mega Man (Mega Man)
0 - Wheatley (Portal 2)

0 - Hades (Hades)
5 - Goro Majima (Yakuza)

4 - Zero (Mega Man X)
1 - Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)

2 - Luca Blight (Suikoden 2)
3 - Pit (Kid Icarus)

1 - Count Bleck (Super Paper Mario)
4 - Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Walt

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Haven't played. LOL @ those Fates scores

Leonhart4 posted...

Nominate Persona 4

Second'd

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

KamikazePotato posted...

Revelations gunning for that permanent last place spot

Don't underestimate FFTA, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Metroid Other M, or anything Sonic.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

andylt posted...

The set-up- being on the 'bad guy' side and learning to deal with that- is really good, but they do absolutely nothing with it! They remove all notion of moral complexity by making the villain so hilariously one-dimensional.

Yep. I loved the story concept, but it went nowhere. They should've gone the Tales of Berseria route and committed to antiheroes being antiheroes.

Nominate: Tales of Berseria


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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Yes, big time

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Only played Conquest, so ...

Conquest: 5/10

Didn't think the story was bad. It's just kinda there and extremely underwhelming.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

MrSmartGuy posted...

As someone who has this game in their top 60 of all-time, I will say that Kyle Hyde is 100% the reason for that. One of the best protags ever.

Never played, but now I want to.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Lightning Strikes posted...

I am, though Ive lived in Ireland since 2014.

@Lightning_Strikes No kidding? Whereabouts? I lived in Belfast for three months while studying abroad. Best three months of my life.

Also, ironically enough, the only videogame I played while living in Northern Ireland was... Super Metroid. Was the only ROM on my laptop and I played it at 4am on the day I arrived because I was too jet-lagged and culture-shocked to sleep.

On Fusion, I think it did a terrific job of being a more linear, story-driven Metroid game, it works because it was clearly designed as a handheld game where you could play in chunks, just like Metroid II was. I think as an action game it is fantastic, it controls so well and gives you sone fun different abilities (plus it does gradually open up). Furthermore after playing it for a bit I had forgotten how good the art was. Super Metroids visuals hold up quite well, but Metroid Fusion is just a great looking game by any standard.

Absolutely. Fusion is great for what it is. And your Fusion/Metroid 2 comparison is spot-on. Both are definitely meant to be digested in chunks.

red13n posted...

Super Metroid is fantastic aside from a single poorly designed room.

@red13n Which room?

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

UshiromiyaEva posted...

People started getting cocky about throwing out the VN label when it was suddenly incorrectly deemed OK to call AA, DR, and ZE games visual novels.

What should they be called?

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Leonhart4 posted...

It's the clearly inferior snow level, so yeah.

I said on Day 1 that it would get SFF'd by Cool Cool Mountain

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

pjbasis posted...

Yeah I can't get over how much the feeling of progression is ruined in Fusion and Zero Mission. Great maps, controls, and stuff, but I never was really having Metroid fun until the post-game clean up because that was the first time I felt like I was exploring on my own.

Yeah, I get why they guide you (to keep newbies from getting discouraged), but I never liked the "Metroid On-Rails" philosophy they took with everything after Super.

Samus Returns was great though, just held back by being Metroid II.

See, I loved hunting down all the Metroids in each area. Exploring for items AND mini-bosses is a blast IMO.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Also, my rankings

2D Metroids:

Super
Samus Returns
Zero Mission
AM2R
Fusion
II: Return of Samus (very underrated btw)
Metroid NES

Castlevanias:

Symphony of the Night
Order of Ecclesia
Circle of the Moon
Dawn of Sorrow
Portrait of Ruin
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Aria of Sorrow
Harmony of Dissonance

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Lightning Strikes posted...

when it was 30p on Wii U when they were launching that systems Virtual Console.

30p? As in "30 pence"? Wait, are you British?

Then the announced Dread, and I was like time to finish Samus Returns I guess, and I did, and that game rules. This was the point I realised that it was really silly that the only one of the mainline games I hadnt finished was the one that everyone raves about. So I gave it a go, finished it in 5 hours, and I have to say, what an incredible game.

Samus Returns is indeed amazing. I'd argue it's the best 2D Metroid since Super. The controls (especially the aiming) really helped modernize Metroid and make it feel fresh.

And beating Super Metroid in 5 hours on your first full playthrough is impressive, even if you got partway through the game before. Maridia always trips me up, as do a couple other sections.

It really bums me out that they didnt do a GBA/DS rerelease of this game which made some quality of life improvements like updated controls or a better map system as now if they ever do a proper rerelease of this game it will be radically different. There were just some minor technical quibbles holding it back slightly. Also is it just me or is there a massive difficulty spike when you get to Ridleys lair? I found Ridley in particular much harder than every other boss in the entire game.

I think Super has aged exceptionally well. The controls are a little stiff compared to later 2D Metroids, but it's not clunky. Just needs the option to auto-run instead of holding the run button.

And I never found Ridley or his lair difficult. Super is pretty easy overall. I think Phantoon gave me some issues when I was younger.

Also I knew about the ending beforehand but actually playing through it still managed to be enormously affecting. Its weird how they manage to convey so much emotion and drama with basically nothing.

Yep. 2D Metroid games do an amazing game conveying a story through subtext.

Overall I dont know how I would rank it among the 2D Metroids because they are all fantastic from this one on. You can contrast that to my reaction to Symphony of the Night, which I played after all the GBA and DS Castlevanias (except for Harmony of Dissonance) and came away just thinking thats it?, this one holds up.

I think Super is still the best 2D Metroid, although Samus Returns and Zero Mission (hell, even AM2R) are part of the conversation. Fusion is also great, but the linear design holds it back from being elite.

The thing about Super is that it's the last Metroid that doesn't tell you where to go next. That adds to the game's atmosphere and distinguishes it from later titles.

As for your Castlevania assessment, I understand why you feel that way about SotN. The GBA and DS games added a lot of new abilities and spells that make SotN look vanilla by comparison. SotN, however has an amazing atmosphere to it, not to mention a larger scope than the portable ones.

Personally I think Order of Ecclesia is technically the best Castlevania. The game is fun, challenging, loaded with cool abilities, and the storyline and characters are very underrated.

That said, SotN has an "IT" factor about it that makes it feel legendary. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, or maybe it's the soundtrack, but SotN is still my favorite Vania to this day.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Mac Arrowny posted...

9.5

I loved pretty much everything about it except for the last twist, where they're living in a VR simulation. It was still executed well, so it wasn't a big negative, but I would've loved the game even more without that.

While it seems like VR simulations have become the go-to game cliche in the past ten years, I too loved the execution of it in 13 Sentinels. Credit has to go to the world-building, because the way the writers set things up with the different time periods made it feel fresh.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

8/10

Very tough to rate this one.

On one hand it's mind-boggling that a story of its complexity even exists.There's SO MUCH going on, so many moving parts: thirteen main characters and plot lines; time travel to multiple periods of alt-history and the future; tons of sci-fi gimmicks like cloning and body-hopping... And somehow it all holds together well. I want to give it a 10/10 for the effort and craftsmanship alone.

But on the other hand, I have to admit that the story wasn't as gripping as I'd hoped it would be. The early world-building and character introductions tended to drag, and by the time I reached some of the bigger payoffs at the mid-and-late stages of the game, they didn't deliver the mindblow that I'd expect from a long-awaited revelation. I think the game's non-linear progression hurt it in this regard, because choosing certain characters before others would cause the game to tip it's hand at times.

Overall, while the game was consistently intriguing, I never felt like a true page-turner. And while I liked all of the characters, I can't say that I loved any of them other than Ogata, Yuki, and maybe Amiguchi. That's said, it's a one-of-a-kind story that takes advantage of the gaming medium, and I hope we see more games like it.


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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Nominate Kingdom Hearts

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

5 - The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3)
0 - Fiona Belli (Haunting Ground)

5 - Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)
0 - Guybrush Threepwood (Secret of Monkey Island)

0 - Carmen Sandiego (Carmen Sandiego)
5 - Yoshimitsu (Tekken/Soul Calibur)

3 - Captain Toad (Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker)
2 - Cuphead (Cuphead)

0 - Agent 47 (Hitman)
5 - Yoshi (Super Mario World)

1 - Chloe Price (Life is Strange)
4 - Auron (Final Fantasy X)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Lightning Strikes posted...

Metal Gear Solid - 8.67 (27 votes)
Final Fantasy Tactics - 8.65 (23 votes)

Hah. Shades of Spring 2004.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

3/10

Only played it for 2 hours. Story did not click with me or compel me to finish it.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Snowman's Land will get SFF'd to hell by Cool Cool Mountain

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

UltimaterializerX posted...

The first half of 6 is up there. Maybe the second half of 10 and maaaaaaaybe parts of 4.

FF4 deserved far better from the voters in these topics

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Nominate:

Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
Zero Time Dilemma
AI: The Somnium Files


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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Fantastic news! The writer is an absolute beast (Zero Time Dilemma aside)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

KamikazePotato posted...

Also I wait on bated breath for the day that Final Fantasy Tactics Advance gets chosen for this topic series

What a day that will be

We should do a double-header with Metroid: Other M

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

6/10

Haven't played the PSP version, so I'm basing this rating off the PS1 game.

Tactics has some standout moments and memorable lines of dialogue, but the plot always lost me. I'm honestly not sure whether it's a translation issue or if it's because I could never connect with the characters, but I lost interest fast on both of my playthroughs.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

5 - Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy VII)
0 - Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)

3 - Locke Cole (Final Fantasy VI)
2 - Bartz (Final Fantasy V)

5 - Revolver Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid)
0 - Octodad (Octodad)

1 - Kat (Gravity Rush)
4 - Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic the Hedgehog)

0 - Robo (Chrono Trigger)
5 - Kaine (Nier)

0 - Joshua Bright (The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky)
5 - Solid Snake (Metal Gear)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Damn, that's a sexy collection

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

UltimaterializerX posted...

I don't think anyone was truly being a dick last topic compared to the trash you'd see on Twitter.

I just skimmed through the topic. Wasn't bad at all.

As a bonus, I was reminded to check out Neon Genesis Evangelion

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Great final

Harry Potter books for next time?

Mario 64 levels is great as well

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

9/10

Loved the story because it did a brilliant job getting me invested in the main cast, as well as serving up a cool alt-history world that blended nicely with the fantasy elements. Did not expect the game to be as emotional as it was, and the one high-impact moment about midway through the story hit me HARD.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Mac Arrowny posted...

Great villains

This too. Grahf might be the most underrated JRPG villain out there. Every time he was on the screen, he stole the show.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

10/10

Storyline is a mindblow, the characters are conflicted and fun, the pacing is tight despite the game's length, the lore is rich, the philosophy is sound... I could go on and on.

Really want to replay this one someday now that I have a better understanding of psychology and life in general. Wish Square would remaster this one with some QoL time-savers.

Oh, and Disc 2 is severely overhated.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

3 - Zagreus (Hades)
2 - Kim Kitsuragi (Disco Elysium)

1 - Edith Finch (What Remains of Edith Finch)
4 - Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)

0 - Jessie (Final Fantasy VII: Remake)
5 - Palutena (Kid Icarus)

5 - Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)
0 - Mae Borowski (Night in the Woods)

0 - Pablo Sanchez (Backyard Sports)
5 - Jill Valentine (Resident Evil)

0 - Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
5 - Princess Zelda (The Legend of Zelda)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Another one I haven't played. I'm at the final class trial for Danganronpa 2, so DV3 is in my near future.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Kefka is a must.

Frog too.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

5 - Ike (Fire Emblem)
0 - Heihachi Mishima (Tekken)

2 - Mewtwo (Pokemon)
3 - Mario (Super Mario Bros.)

5 - James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)
0 - The Goose (Untitled Goose Game)

0 - Isabelle (Animal Crossing)
5 - Blue (Pokemon)

0 - SHODAN (System Shock)
5 - Velvet Crowe (Tales of Berseria)

5 - Squall Leonhart (Final Fantasy VIII)
0 - Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

Nominate: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

8/10

ME1 is a sloppy game overall, but the story is its strong point thanks to compelling worldbuilding, side characters, and dialogue options. The first half of the journey especially shines, while the latter half feels rushed. Still, this is a prime example of a mediocre game that is worth playing thanks to a compelling narrative, so I'm handing out an 8.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

3 - Dante (Devil May Cry)
2 - K1-B0 (Danganronpa V3)

0 - Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin's Creed)
5 - Cammy (Street Fighter)

5 - Papyrus (Undertale)
0 - Jin Kazama (Tekken)

5 - Hades (Kid Icarus Uprising)
0 - Spinarak (Pokemon)

0 - Max Caulfield (Life is Strange)
5 - Tidus (Final Fantasy X)

0 - Bentley (Sly Cooper)
5 - 9S (NieR: Automata)

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

TheArkOfTurus posted...

Eh, change my rating to a 5. I was probably too harsh on it.

I feel a 5/10 for a game story translates to "The story exists without detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game."

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

LeonhartFour posted...

Nominate Metroid Prime

I second this.

Snake5555555555 posted...

Yeah DOOM 2016 should've followed that philosophy a little closer. Sure, there are enough tongue-in-cheek moments from the Doom Slayer to make the story have some levity and barbaric brutality that the gameplay is built on, but that gets a little muddy when literally every other character takes things so seriously and you have to stop the gameplay to read lore dumps like this is some dark fantasy RPG. I like the attempts at building up the Doom Slayer as this absolute legend with entries that could fit heavy metal lyrics, but it comes to a point where it actively hurts the game's pacing and flow and too often I find myself just skimming the story to get back on with the action. Simply, it's a game stuck between two story philosophies and can't commit to either one.

Spot-on assessment.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

6/10

The game is a masterpiece, but the story itself is a sliver above average. It's just there to give the combat a sense of purpose and direction.

That said, I love the concept of scientists tampering with Mars and creating a portal to hell.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~

pjbasis posted...

Plot is not the same as story.

Story can be told through environment, gameplay, lore, etc.

There are a LOT of different definitions for Story and Plot.

Story is usually defined as a work that expresses meaning/ideas through character conflict.

Plot is usually defined as the sequence of events within the story. ("This happens, which causes this to happen, which causes this character to react, etc.")

I once read a flash fiction story that consisted of a grocery list and nothing more. There was no plot at all, but the items on the list told a story.

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~Jacksonville Jaguars~