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

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's a pretty awesome game.

Does anyone other than me even answer it ever? Because I feel like I've only said it like twice, probably because I stopped following this series of topics for ages.

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Mistake you're making - overlooking the fact that we might not want to be saved.

Yes, but twice is still two times too many!

Well, I guess we did get several FFXII answers for "What is your favorite FFXII moment?" but that is the only circumstance in which an answer to a positive question is allowable.

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

You could make all your questions from now on "Which game has the most fun ultimate weapon acquisition method?"

Pretty sure I'll give that a different answer!

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We clasped our hands, our hands in praise of a conquerors right to tyranny

...I feel like you're trying to bait me with that.

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"Why must we always choose between certain death and probable death?"
"I'm in an epic battle to the death, FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF!"

Oh yes I am totally a huge fan of arbitrarily needing to ignore treasure chests and killing fifty million of the same ****ing enemies in the vain hopes that someone will drop one piece of the puzzle needed to get a damage upgrade that won't save me half as much time in a single fight as it cost me to get the damn thing in the first place.

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We clasped our hands, our hands in praise of a conquerors right to tyranny

That's pretty much what I figured.

Nice try though!

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Bonus Question: What is your favorite cast of villains in a game?

Wild Arms series. Love the Quirky Miniboss squads, the Big Bads, The Final Boss, and even the Secret Boss from each entry! Though admittedly, the one from WA 4 is kinda underutilized.

Bonus Bonus Question: What is your favorite game from the lower half of the list?

Super Mario RPG > TWEWY > Kingdom Hearts > Mario and Luigi > Brave Fencer Musashi

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Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

All RPGs, huh.

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Lufia II spoilers below


26. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals – The Fortress of Doom





Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a lot of Lufia II videos, so if you want to watch any footage of this moment, you’ll have to settle for an LP with the player talking the whole time. Oh well. But if you’re going to watch any of the videos I linked to, watch the last one because it deals with the part that causes this moment to make the list. The other stuff contributes to the cause and I’ll deal with it in this writeup, but it was the last part that sealed the deal.

First of all, this part is cool because it’s the final showdown with all the Sinistrals. Maxim has gained control of the Dual Blade, which can permanently defeat them. The Sinistrals are a great set of villains because of how big and imposing they are. It feels like an accomplishment when you take one of them out. Plus, they have that really awesome battle music that plays when you fight them. Now you have to run through the gauntlet and take out all four of them. It’s a pretty cool setup for the last dungeon.

However, it’s the stuff that happens after you beat the Sinistrals that make the end of Lufia II so good. The Sinistrals use what remains of their powers in a last-ditch effort to wipe out the party, but Maxim and company are able to fight them off, although it comes at a cost. Selan expended so much energy during the battle that it kills her, and Maxim ends up getting isolated from Guy and Arty, who are forced to bail out of the Fortress of Doom before it’s too late. Now it’s up to Maxim to stop the fortress from crashing into the earth and killing many innocent people, including his son. The music that plays during this sequence is really good, so it really contributes to the overall atmosphere of the scene.

When Maxim gets down to the last stone he has to destroy to alter the course of the Fortress of Doom, he finds that he doesn’t have enough energy to do it alone, but then Dual Blade appears to give him the final boost of strength he needs to get the job done. Whew, that was close. Then Selan’s spirit appears to Maxim to express her gratitude for saving their son’s life, and she invites him to go with her to see him. Then Maxim’s sprite begins to flicker and he walks out over the sky, and…wait, what? Maxim is DEAD?! That totally threw me for a loop when I realized he had died when he destroyed the last stone because I wasn’t expecting that at all. You don’t see many games kill off the hero, and Lufia II really made it work, especially with it not being obvious that he’s dead at first, which makes it even more surprising when it’s revealed. It really adds to the impact of the moment.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite final dungeon in a game?

Bonus Bonus Question: Which moment in the lower half of the list is your favorite?

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Bonus Bonus Question:

Edgeworth > Ken > Tali for characters I think (have only played ME1)
Kingdom Hearts > Lufia 2 > SSFIV
And moments are hard since ranking moments isn't something I can do easily but...
Fort Zeakden > Turnabout Samurai > Area 6...? Kinda drops off after the top 2.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite cast of villains in a game?

Probably FFVII. Sephiroth is amazing and Shinra/the Turks are also good. Also if you include spinoffs you get Genesis too!

Bonus Question: What is your favorite final dungeon in a game?

FFVI I think. A lot of people hate it (I think?) but I really felt it just felt... and I don't like to use this word... epic? The multiple party thing was really neat. (unlike in the Phoenix Cave where it didn't really feel necessary and was a hassle)

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No problem!
This is a cute and pop genocide of love!

From: LeonhartFour | #059

Bonus Question: What is your favorite final dungeon in a game?

Tough question, I tend to find a lot of final dungeons rather underwhelming. I think I'll tentatively pick Venus Lighthouse from Golden Sun, largely thanks to the awesome music.

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Mistake you're making - overlooking the fact that we might not want to be saved.

Kefka's Tower is pretty good. I don't know if I'd rank it very highly personally, but it's certainly not awful.

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Bonus Question: What is your favorite cast of villains in a game?

Xenogears -- this time without question. No game I've played has come close in this regard and it's definitely one of the very first things I cite when people ask me why I like the game so much. For comparison's sake, FFVII's cast of villains is in my top five, and I probably like Xenogears' batch about ten times more.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite final dungeon in a game?


Ultimecia's Castle.

I'm not answering those Bonus Bonus Questions right now. I'm so sick that the simple thought of pondering on anything for too long is making my head hurt even more.

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1. Kingdom Hearts
2. Metal Gear Solid
3. Super Mario RPG

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

Hmmm, Ultimecia's Castle is quite the good one.

Bowser's Castle (Paper Mario), End of the World, and the final dungeons of the first two Zelda games come to mind too.
Maybe the Black Omen if that counts.

And speaking Zelda, what happened to final dungeons of Zelda games?
They're either nonexistant, or quick "summary" dungeons like OoT.

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

Yeah, most Zelda final dungeons kind of suck. I'll never understand that.

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Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, Jeff. I've been feeling kinda bad the last couple days myself. I'm feeling better than I did yesterday, at least.

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

Me too! Grateful for that. I just wish I didn't have an essay to write by tomorrow afternoon. If I keep feeling better and better, though, then it won't be the end of the world. I had a fever of like 103 yesterday. ;_;

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That's pretty rough, man. I'm just glad I got off work early last night. I dunno if I could've made it an entire shift with how bad I was feeling. Felt like I had a huge weight rolling around in my head and my throat was so sore I could barely swallow.

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

I hear that! I've been feeling both those descriptions off and on. Most of the soreness in my throat has been from the rather atrocious coughing bouts I've been dealing with. But I can't really be too resentful about that since I'm clearing my body of toxins when I cough. It isn't a dry cough, I mean.

I've been hearing from lots of folks in the Southeast US that they've been getting sick this past couple of days. Something might be going around.

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Yeah, it might be some sort of thing going around. We had quite a few people at work get sick with something along those lines last week, and my parents have both had something similar in the past week as well.

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"Stay with me until the end. Please."
"Not until the end. Always."

25. Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin’s Creed)
Quote: “When I was a young man, I had liberty, but I did not see it. I had time, but I did not know it. And I had love, but I did not feel it.”


Ezio is a very interesting character who goes through a good deal of development over the course of the series. In each of the three mainline games he is featured in, Ezio is at a different time and place in his life, so we get to see how he changes grows from a hot-blooded youth to the leader of the Assassin Brotherhood to an old man who is trying to put some things to rest and getting ready to pass the torch to the next generation and the generations even further down the line to Desmond.

In Assassin’s Creed II, Ezio is a young man whose carefree life is shattered when his father and brothers are falsely accused and put to death for treason. When that happens, he takes up the mantle of the assassin in order to find and exact revenge on those responsible. Along the way, Ezio makes many allies who aid him in his search for the Spaniard, who turns out to be Rodrigo Borgia, who eventually becomes Pope Alexander VI. Ezio’s quest to find him lasts for more than a decade, and over the course of that time, he matures and grows from a young man obsessed with revenge to a man who realizes the futility of killing the man responsible, even when given the opportunity to do so. He found the one he sought, but he couldn’t figure out what it was all for.

In Brotherhood, Ezio becomes the leader of the assassins and strives to wrestle control of Rome away from the Borgias. He recognizes the need for raising up assassins to fight against the Templars, and so much of the game is spent finding and training those recruits to help him in this cause. Ezio is a much more calm and mature individual than he was in AC2, and he’s become someone who knows what he’s fighting for. He realizes that he’s fighting for a purpose that is bigger than himself.

In Revelations, Ezio is now an old man who is seeking to find answers to questions he has had for decades, as well as attempting to leave a legacy behind, knowing that he must soon pass off the scene. Even though he’s faced a hard road, he’s become wiser for it. In the end, Ezio recognizes his role for what it is. He’s been a conduit meant to transmit the things he’s learned to future generations for reasons unknown to him, but he accepts it. Then knowing that his work is complete, he leaves the life of an assassin behind him, content to spend his remaining days in solitude.

So yeah, Ezio’s growth over the course of the series is pretty good, and he has many great moments along the way. It’s rare to see a video game character whose life is as thoroughly explored as Ezio’s is, but it was a great journey, and I really felt like I knew and understood the guy by the time it was over. You grow attached to a character like that. Also, Ezio is really fun to play as in the games, with twin hidden blades, poison blades, Assassin’s Tombs, and the works. Just a great character all around.

Bonus Question: Which Ezio role is your favorite: Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, or Revelations?

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Whew, that was quite a nap.

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Well most of your bottom list of games suck or I haven't touched.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite final dungeon in a game?

Hmm, some ridiculously ramped up the final areas, others are easy, and still others are... boring. Gonna have to go with FFV's Dimensional Rift. Or whatever it's called.

Also, have to agree with Zelda final dungeons being lackluster. Most of the time, at least.

Bonus Bonus Question: Which moment in the lower half of the list is your favorite?

Area 6 from Star Fox 64, TWEWY Last Day, Super Mario 64 Last Level, KH Hollow Bastion, and FF XII Lighthouse.

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Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

Hey, none of the games on my list suck! That's why they're on the list!

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Hmmm...

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"The great GF...Bahamut."
"...GF? I...? Using my powers...It is you humans...I fear..."

25. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal


First of all, you need to play the Ratchet & Clank games, if you haven’t done so already. It’s the best new series from the last generation, hands down, and it peaked on the PS2 with the third installment, Up Your Arsenal. Everything from the first two games is bigger and crazier in this one. The weapons are better and more destructive than ever, and now your weapons upgrade and get more powerful the more you use them, which is a great touch. UYA places more emphasis on combat and less on platforming than the previous two R&C games, but the combat is literally a blast. The arena is also a lot of fun to play and a good challenge.

Of course, Up Your Arsenal also introduces Dr. Nefarious, a character I’ve covered in an earlier writeup. He completely fits the tone and style of the series, and he thrives in it. His rivalry with Captain Qwark is great as well. Speaking of Qwark, after spending the first two games as a fallen hero, he’s able to get a bit of redemption for himself in this game, in classic Qwark fashion. He assembles a group of uh, “heroes” known as the Q Force to battle Nefarious, but at the moment of truth, he bails on the team, unable to face the pressure of the final battle. But then Qwark showing up during the last boss fight to help you finish it off was a great moment.

The writing and the voice acting in Up Your Arsenal is superb as well, which should be pretty much expected for any Ratchet & Clank game. This is (somehow) an underrated aspect of the series because I rarely hear any praise for how clever the dialogue is and how it’s presented in the game, how completely ridiculous things are spoken and treated as if they are totally normal occurrences. If you’re someone who enjoys a cleverly written script and you haven’t tried these games out yet, then do so. The dialogue is always very entertaining.

And yes, this writeup is basically a big “Play Ratchet & Clank” promo, but I feel obligated to introduce and hype this series to people who, for whatever the reason, believe they don’t need to play these games. Well, I’m here to tell you you’re wrong. You’re doing yourself a disservice by neglecting R&C, and with the upcoming HD collection, you will have no excuse not to play them. Heck, if you’re in Europe, you’re in luck, since it’s releasing in like two weeks, as opposed to in the fall for North America, for some reason. Either the series is pretty popular in Europe or Insomniac is trying to build it up over there because when Sony had that PSN hacking fiasco and offered two free games to all their users, Europe’s list of games to choose from included a Ratchet & Clank game while North America’s didn’t! But just remember: I’m doing this with your good in mind.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite series that was introduced last generation (PS2/Xbox/GameCube)?

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Revelations Ezio best.

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

I watched LPs of the PS2 Ratchet & Clank games a while ago and they all looked amazing, especially Up Your Arsenal. I'm definitely excited to get into the series myself someday, although I'll stick to my "wait for half a year to pass between watching an LP of a game and playing it myself" rule (which means waiting for September to get into the series...whatever).

Kingdom Hearts, and then Devil May Cry.

I guess I'll get the R&C Collection unless I can find the individual games for cheaper.

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

What is your favorite series that was introduced last generation (PS2/Xbox/GameCube)?

Disgaea

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Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

Onimusha 1 through 3 was pretty amazing last gen. Otherwise, it's the usual suspects: DMC, KH, R&C.

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We are living our lives
Abound with so much information

Bonus Question: Which Ezio role is your favorite: Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, or Revelations?


I actually haven't played that much of Revelations so I'll have to say Brotherhood.


Bonus Question: What is your favorite series that was introduced last generation (PS2/Xbox/GameCube)?


Sly Cooper. I would say Jak but I really don't like Jak 2 that much and I haven't played any R&C games besides Quest for Booty.

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Oh yeah and Halo for third place.

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

LeonhartFour posted...

Bonus Question: What is your favorite series that was introduced last generation (PS2/Xbox/GameCube)?

Either Sly Cooper or Ratchet and Clank. Both are so good.

most_games_r_ok posted...

I haven't played any R&C games besides Quest for Booty.

This needs to be remedied immediately.

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mcflubbin preachin' the truth up in this topic

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

Bonus Question: What is your favorite series that was introduced last generation (PS2/Xbox/GameCube)?

Halo.

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

All you people not answering R&C need to play it.

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

I did play it, right before my PS2 died for good.

Still prefer Disgaea

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Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

Sounds like you didn't play enough...!

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

MGS1 and MGS4 too low. Good to see Parasite Eve on the list.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite series that was introduced last generation (PS2/Xbox/GameCube)?

I'd like to think Persona 3 invented a whole new series because 1 and 2 feels way too different and inferior. So even if it isn't the best that was introduced last generation, it certainly is the most improved.
Persona 4 ranks in my top 3 beyond the year 2000 along with Resident Evil 4 and FF10.

On topic, Star Wars: KOTOR, Ratchet & Clank, Jak, Prince of Persia: SoT Trilogy, Disgaea, Onimusha.
Can't choose one

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Rock n' Roll and Glam Metal... It never died

You can make me replay a good game all you want, it won't dethrone a great game.

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Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

It's a good thing I'm not asking you to play a merely "good" game then...!

Whew, it's getting harder and harder for me to get up in time to do a writeup before work the night after I've worked. Well, I'm off tomorrow, so we should be able to get one in then.

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Whoa, got off work early tonight. Might get a writeup in after all!

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Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story spoilers below

25. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story – The Final Battle




So I think this battle has gotten a mention on all three lists now. I mentioned it during my character writeup for Bowser, my game writeup for Bowser’s Inside Story, and now here. But it keeps getting mentioned because it’s awesome! Like Bowser says right before the battle begins, “Seriously, perfect backdrop for an awesome final battle!” I apologize for the poor video quality in the links, by the way. There was one that was much better quality, but the dude was so overleveled that he destroyed this fight, so you couldn’t even see what was so good about it. I dunno if any of you even view the links I provide, but just in case!

Anyway, the fight itself is divided into two parts. There’s Bowser vs. Dark Bowser, which is basically “Whittle down the boss’s HP so he’ll cough up Fawful/The Dark Star so Bowser can swallow it up and Mario and Luigi can pound on it,” which is what the second part of the fight is. After a certain number of turns, Fawful will automatically come out of Bowser’s body and regenerate Dark Bowser, and then you start all over. Once you completely wipe out Fawful’s HP, the Dark Star will rupture and Dark Bowser will weaken enough to the point that Bowser can defeat him for good. I enjoy the way this fight is broken up like that.

But it’s the atmosphere that sells this fight for me (If you haven’t noticed by this point, atmosphere is a big thing with me). The backdrop, the music, and the various moves the bosses throw at you just make this fight “feel” like a final battle. One of the great things about the Mario & Luigi games is how interactive the battle system is, despite being turn-based. Almost every attack by you can be timed to cause more damage, and almost every enemy attack can be defended to reduce or avoid damage. This final battle has some really cool-looking attacks from the bosses. My favorite is when Dark Bowser pushes Bowser really far back, and as Bowser marches back toward the battle, he has to defend against Dark Bowser’s version of his various special attacks, such as the Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Bullet Bills, Thwomps, etc. I thought that was a really nice touch. But most importantly, this fight is just fun. I play video games to have fun, and I had a blast playing this part of the game.

I know this isn’t strictly related to the final battle, but I also enjoy the ending where Princess Peach sends Bowser a cake as thanks for helping rescue the kingdom as he’s all lying in bed recovering from yet another beating Mario and Luigi gave him. He pretends like he doesn’t want it while his minions are around, but after they leave, Bowser checks to make sure nobody’s still in the room and peeks inside the box to see what’s in there. The sprite of him leaning in to look made it obvious that he was curious what Peach sent him, and it almost makes you think that maybe Bowser’s not all that bad sometimes. Maybe.

Bonus Question: What is your favorite final boss battle theme?

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"The great GF...Bahamut."
"...GF? I...? Using my powers...It is you humans...I fear..."

Lots of FF ones.

Battle for Freedom and Nascent Requiem come pretty close to the top.

Meridian Dance and Darkness of the Unknown for non-FF.

Can't pin it down to one.

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

From: LeonhartFour | #095

Bonus Question: What is your favorite final boss battle theme?

The Battle for Freedom from XII or, if you want to count it, the final battle player phase theme in Fire Emblem Gaiden. Or Tor's battle theme from Iji. Hard to pick between those three.

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Mistake you're making - overlooking the fact that we might not want to be saved.

Darn it

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Oh the Valkyria Chronicles one is good too, but I'm a sucker to final boss themes that include the main theme in it.

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

From: LeonhartFour | #098

Darn it

You hate XII's music too?!

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0