Dragon Quest VII: A Primer

With Dragon Quest VII for 3DS being released very soon, and me being who I am, I thought I’d write a little bit about this long-awaited RPG remake. There are people out there who aren't too familiar with the game or the DQ series out there, so I wanted to talk about what to expect!

One of the most important things to know about Dragon Quest VII is that it is a very gradual game. It doesn’t throw everything at you all at once. You’re eased into its gameplay elements and story, in an almost relaxing way.

For example, in every other Dragon Quest game (and most RPGs in general), you’ll likely encounter some low-level enemy a couple of steps outside the town you start in. Fighting a slime early on is something of a DQ tradition, but in DQ7, you start out in a world with no monsters whatsoever. The beginning of the game focuses on the efforts of you and your friends to explore the local ruins and find fun stuff to do (with no monsters around, life is boring, I guess!) and eventually you find yourself in a new location, face-to-face with some familiar blue guys staring you down.

If this isn't a smile-inducing sight for you now... it will be!

The buildup to this first enemy encounter is huge. I’ve never seen anything like it before in an RPG. You’ve spent the whole game without a battle and suddenly you’re thrust into the middle of one. It should be a completely ordinary thing, but until now you’ve been playing as some misfit kids goofing off around town with not a single enemy in sight. You feel unprepared and unsure of yourself. Just like your characters are feeling! It’s great.

After this, the game plays much like a typical RPG with regular enemy encounters. Your character’s progression is very straightforward at this point - you’ll get new abilities automatically as you gain levels. This allows you to learn the battle system and make your way forward in the story without worrying too much about the details.

You have no idea how important this costume is

Later in the game, you’re introduced to the job system, which allows you to go much more in-depth with the abilities your characters learn. Even further on, once you’ve mastered several jobs, you’ll unlock advanced jobs which give you even more options to play with. None of this feels too overwhelming because you feel familiar enough with the game to experiment a bit as new things are slowly introduced.

A lot of people are fixated on the 100+ hours of gameplay thing. What’s important to remember is that Dragon Quest games, and DQ7 in particular, aren’t about one long continuous story. DQ7 focuses on one region at a time, each with their own little scenario. It’s possible to finish with one area and take a break, then come back and tackle the next, without fear of forgetting what was going on when you played last. It’s a very laid back sort of format, without any pressure to put in those 100 hours all at once. Sort of like watching different episodes of a TV show. Binge at your leisure! The portable format of this version really makes this aspect of the game shine.

As a personal suggestion, I'd recommend playing the game from the beginning up until that first enemy encounter in one sitting if you can. It leaves you off at an exciting point to pick the game back up again, assuming you can put it down!

You can't really argoo with that!

Hopefully all this gives some people a more clear idea of what Dragon Quest VII is all about. It’s a really neat game and I’m very happy we’re finally getting this remake. This is the part where I ask everyone and anyone to do their part and purchase a copy - it’s important that we get this series worldwide and every sale counts!

FFXI update 5: The end, and a new beginning...

Here it is. The end of a long journey. Having stayed up a bit later than I should have to grind that last job to 75, on March 12, 2016, I unlocked the last Xbox 360 achievement in Final Fantasy XI.

I left my starting job for last. Also, yes, I stayed up til 5AM.

I did the math: that's about 1,610 hours. This probably includes quite a bit of idle time.

About a year ago, I set out to try and see if it was even possible for me to accomplish this. In the beginning, it was an ambitious "well, I'll try and see how far I get" sort of a project, but as time went on, I became more determined as the goal itself became more and more realistic. The looming deadline of March 2016 kept me motivated as I plugged away at over a decade's worth of content. I was anxious over achievements involving content I wasn't familiar with (especially Ballista), and there were times I wasn't sure I'd make it in time as the months passed into the new year.

In many ways it was a lonely sort of journey. Most players I know had long since stopped playing FFXI, even questioning why I'd go back and play it. Many others had never played the game to begin with, so talking about my latest accomplishments wasn't exactly an interesting topic to bring up with most people. Still, I knew I wasn't the only one still playing, nor was I the only one trying to unlock all the achievements. From Xbox 360 achievement forums to the FFXI subreddit and even finding friends on Twitter, I got encouragement and advice while on my quest to unlock 'em all.

Mumba and Bigbrett, indispensable allies in my quest for Ballista gold. Thanks again guys!

The achievements themselves are mostly an excuse to experience much of what FFXI has to offer, something I hadn't been able to do until recently. While one could argue that achievements themselves aren't important or worthwhile, they acted as a sort of roadmap for me to follow as I finished storyline after storyline, battlefield after battlefield. It was also nice to have "proof" that I accomplished these things, showing what I had finished and what I still needed to do.

I enjoyed a majority of the experience. FFXI is an older MMORPG with an older mindset, but I've always been comfortable with "old games" (because I remember when most of them were new), so that wasn't a negative thing for me at all. The changes made to the game in recent years made soloing most content very accessible, so most of the time, it just felt like I was playing an offline RPG with some online components.

There were certainly quests here and there with annoying requirements, there was quite a hefty level grind involved, and there were entire types of content (Assault...) that weren't very fun solo. At the end of it all, however, I was proud to have experienced FFXI in at least some form. The storylines, characters, and music will remain with me for many years to come, and as the title of this post indicates, I don't consider this the end.... not at all. The game will still continue strong on PC and eventually on mobile, and there are things I've still yet to accomplish in the game.

It's not always easy, Lovingyou...

I'll be writing up a couple more blog posts about my experiences in FFXI soon. One will detail the achievements themselves and my notes about them, and I'll probably write up my thoughts about FFXI itself as well. Stay tuned!

For now, though, I'll be taking an extended break and enjoying my newfound "freedom". When I do return, I'll take my time and enjoy what Vana'diel has to offer. Until then, this is Kittywoo of Asura, signing off!

One of my favorite areas in the game. The Blueblade Fell area in Lufaise Meadows. It seemed like a good place to take a nice long rest as I logged off.

FFXI update 4: Cleaning up the new year!

Happy 2016! ... err, yeah, I'm a bit late with that one, but I'm also late with this update, so at least I'm consistent!

The outfit of the now! I worked hard for that crown...

I got a bit distracted towards the end of December with the holidays and all, and what I really mean by that is, "I got a bunch of cool video games for Christmas so I didn't play FFXI as much". However, I was still able to finish up the Wings of the Goddess storyline and get a few more jobs to 75!

January brought with it a lot more progress: so far I've managed to complete both San d'Oria and Bastok storylines to rank 10. These were super easy and I could've probably done them in a day each. Having all the appropriate warps unlocked (plus being an invincible level 99 job...) made things zip by incredibly fast. Now I can return to being a Windurstian, as it should be!

One of the areas of content I hadn't touched up until very recently was Limbus. It's unlocked via Chains of Promathia progress and features dungeons where you can acquire key items to... access more dungeons! And at the very end you can unlock fights with both Omega and Ultima Weapons. Turns out each of those bosses are necessary for achievements, lucky me!

One of the reasons I hadn't touched it yet was due to the fact that Trusts aren't usable there (yet). I wasn't sure how easy it would be to solo, or whether I should wait to see if Trusts would be added in later, much how they were to Dynamis.

However, my Twitter friend and fellow FFXI player @MoombaB just so happened to scrounge up the items for the bosses, so teaming up sounded like a plan! As it turns out... I probably could've easily soloed both bosses, as well as farm the items needed myself without too much hassle. Still, it was fun to party with someone for once! Big thanks to Mumba of Asura for the help!

Bang, zoom, kapow! Other sound effects!

With Limbus down, I don't have too many achievements left to unlock! The current remaining list is:

Top Assault / Mercenary Rank

Value: 40 points

How to unlock: Earned the Top Assault / Mercenary Rank.

Assault hasn't been Trust-ified and there are a couple tricky/luck-based missions, especially if you're solo, but overall it's not SO bad. I like Aht Urhgan's town music so that'll be a treat to revisit.

Gold Ballistar

Value: 30 Points

How to unlock: Earned the title "Gold Ballistar."

Hoo boy... this is the toughie. Ballista isn't really played much (or at all) anymore from what I can tell, which might actually be an advantage. The Gold Ballistar title is earned from having the top Ballista score in a zone over the last 10 matches, which equates to roughly 60 real hours.

... so really, I just need to get 5 other people who don't mind letting me win! I'm definitely up for gil rewards or something for helping me out, since this is a pretty awkward achievement to get, and technically the only one I can't do solo!

Official Soul Reflector

Value: 5 Points

How to Unlock: Obtained an Official Soul Reflector.

This has to do with Pankration, which is a minigame where... you use monsters to fight other monsters and... maybe it's like Pokemon or something? Sadly, like much of FFXI's side content, nobody really does this.

That's okay though, because this achievement seems to be part of the quest to unlock access to Pankration... in other words, it's easy and I can solo it, so woohoo!

Medal of Altana

Value: 30 Points

How to unlock: Obtained the key item "Medal Of Altana"

This involves Wings of the Goddess' Campaign content. Basically, it's the highest rank of Campaign, so I'll have to warp back to the past and beat up a lot of beastmen to rank up! I haven't touched Campaign yet but from what I've read, ranking up is pretty easy.

Insert a bunch of jobs I don't have to 75 yet

Value: A lot

How to unlock: GRRRRINNNDDD

Uh, yeah. I have a number of jobs I still need to level up to 75. Corsair is the only one still stuck at level 1, though, and many of my jobs are in the 40s/50s/60s. I'll just have to get my grind on and finish things up!

... and that'll be it! I'm projecting I'll be done by sometime in February, which will be well ahead of the March 31st deadline. Of course, there's content not covered by achievements that I could experience, and the game itself isn't going anywhere. However, my assumption is that I'll be taking a well-deserved break from the game once that last achievement pops! But I shouldn't get ahead of myself, there's still plenty to do. See you on Asura!

Until we meet again... wait, there's no time to take it easy!

FFXI update 3: Cooking up some progress!

Since we last left our brave catgirl, she's been quite busy! For starters, she's packed her bags and made the move over to Asura, THE server to be on nowadays, it seems. Right away I noticed a difference: OTHER PEOPLE! In an MMO, what a concept! It's not so crowded that it becomes a disadvantage, which is a good thing. It just feels more... alive. Ragnarok was a pretty fun place, but I'll be needing help with some upcoming content, so it's nice to know the support is there if I need it! If you see Kittywoo scampering around on Asura, be sure to say hi.

At least I've got a nice view!

This month's progress has been a variety of odds and ends. I finished up the (amazing) Treasures of Aht Urhgan storyline, and have spent the rest of my time split between grinding levels and grinding... crafting levels! One of the achievements is to get one craft to 100, and I decided early on that Cooking would be my jam, pardon the pun. There's currently a double crafting skill gain event going on, so I plan to take full advantage of it and push on to level 100. The last event got me from 1 to 49, so I'm hopeful I can get it done and over with this month!

My crafting method is pretty much to burn through it as quickly as possible, spending quite a bit of gil in the process instead of farming up my own materials and crystals. It's not the ideal way to do things, but I've got so much else to accomplish before March! Plus, the truth of the matter is, I don't have much else to spend my gil on anyway.

I never want to see one of these ever again.

Luckily, FFXI has greatly simplified the crafting process. Once you use a recipe once, it gets stored in your "History" tab under crafting. From here, it's just a matter of clicking... over... and over... oh, and refilling ingredients when necessary. Cue hours of me doing this while watching videos or playing 3DS, among other things! Definitely one of the more monotonous tasks I've had to do thus far for my goal, but it's a nice break from the usual, I suppose.

Job level-wise, I've recently gotten Paladin to level 75, and Dark Knight is soon to follow. (Hey, it's Final Fantasy IV's 24th anniversary, maybe I was feeling nostalgic?) This month's EXP bonus isn't quite as good as before, since it's basically just doubling the chain EXP bonuses and EXP boost from ring items, as opposed to doubling the base EXP from enemies. Still, I have quite a bit of leveling left to do, and we just don't know what future campaigns are planned, so I intend to take advantage of any kind of bonus.

Storyline-wise, I just have Wings of the Goddess left of the major scenarios, although it's quite lengthy. I'd say I'm roughly 1/3 of the way through it as of now. I also have to change nations and get through the San d'Oria and Bastok missions, although these should probably go quickly on a level 99 character with all the relevant Home Points unlocked!

Wings of the Goddess: the funny cat video of the FFXI storyline?

That's all until next time... oh, be sure and take part in the FFXIV/FFXI crossover event if you play! It's quite a treat for FFXI players, plus you get Iroha's swanky outfit if you finish it. The event goes on until December 31, so there's plenty of time to celebrate.

FFXI update 2: Electric Goobbue

Since I posted my original entry on the subject, I've had several people offering to help me along and even join me in trying to unlock all the Xbox 360 achievements in FFXI! It's nice to see people interested in XI, and I really do appreciate the support.

I'll most likely be transferring to the Asura server once the discount campaign begins again this month, since that seems to be the place most English-speakers have congregated in. That'll be my chance to grab the Ballista achievement (more on that later) and maybe help out some fellow adventurers!

Today we'll take a look at some of the achievements I'm after. Strap yourselves in, it's one heck of a ride. Our first set involves leveling up jobs to an appropriate level. Once you meet the requirements for an achievement, speak to a Traveling Bard while logged in on an Xbox 360 and select the "Unlock achievement" option.

No, no, I said level UP, dammit!

Bard Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Beastmaster job up to its maximum level.

Beastmaster Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Beastmaster job up to its maximum level.

Black Mage Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Black Mage job up to its maximum level.

Blue Mage Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Blue Mage job up to its maximum level.

Corsair Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Corsair job up to its maximum level.

Dancer Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Dancer job up to its maximum level.

Dark Knight Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Dark Knight job up to its maximum level.

Dragoon Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Dragoon job up to its maximum level.

Monk Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Monk job up to its maximum level.

Ninja Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Ninja job up to its maximum level.

Paladin Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Paladin job up to its maximum level.

Puppetmaster Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Puppetmaster job up to its maximum level.

Ranger Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Ranger job up to its maximum level.

Red Mage Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Red Mage job up to its maximum level.

Samurai Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Samurai job up to its maximum level.

Scholar Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Scholar job up to its maximum level.

Summoner Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Summoner job up to its maximum level.

Thief Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Thief job up to its maximum level.

Warrior Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the Warrior job up to its maximum level.

White Mage Lv. 75

Value: 30 points

How to unlock: Level up the White Mage job up to its maximum level.

... so, as you can see, we're going to need to level up a LOT in order to unlock all these babies. BUT WAIT, it's not quite as bad as you think it is.

You see, we have a couple of advantages here. The 360 achievements were added to the game quite a while ago, back when level 75 was the maximum (it's 99 now), and before two jobs (Geomancer and Rune Fencer) were introduced. This means we get achievement credit even though 75 isn't the level cap anymore, and we don't need to bother with GEO or RUN.

Getting to 75 is much, MUCH easier nowadays, since we can summon a full party of Trusts to level up with instead of waiting for EXP parties. We also have the advantage of permanent EXP boosts from the Rhapsodies of Vana'diel key item rewards; it's around 180% right now if you've caught up with the storyline. EXP loss from death has also been greatly reduced, to the point where you'll most likely never see a "LEVEL DOWN" message [shudder].

Pick an appropriate leveling camp and just smash everything you see until the FF victory music plays. I'd recommend following Fields of Valor for general ideas of what areas you should attempt based on your level. If you can summon 4 or 5 Trusts, I'd recommend focusing on Tough/Incredibly Tough monsters whenever possible for the best EXP. You may need to do a bit of traveling to find these areas at first, just make sure to click on any Home Points or Survival Guides you see to enable warping back later.

Our lord and savior, floating book thing.

While leveling might be our first 75 will be a huge pain because you'll have to finish various "limit break" quests to increase your max level, starting at level 50. They'll slow down what is otherwise a relatively quick process, but once they're done, they're done. Future leveling will be much easier without those things in the way. My recommendation is to choose a non-Aht Urghan or Wings of the Goddess job as your first 75, since those limit break quests are more straightforward and easily accessible.

We don't HAVE to level beyond 75, but I highly recommend getting at least one job to 99 in order to completely trash and humiliate every storyline battle that you encounter, and it'll also make traveling through areas much safer and quicker, too. This speeds up getting through the various storylines significantly, which takes up a large chunk of the time we'll spend getting those achievements.

My personal progress: I've gotten Samurai to 75 and Dancer to 99, along with various other jobs in the 50s and 60s, and a number that are quite a bit lower. The upcoming bonus EXP campaign in November should hopefully help me grind through the rest of them!

Final Fantasy XI: My solo quest to achieve greatness. Or level down trying.

Carby Cap: the most appropriate cutscene armor for every situation.

Some of you might've noticed that I've been mentioning Final Fantasy XI lately, either through random twitter pictures or possibly overhearing a Valkurm Dunes reference at your local Best Buy. Regardless, it's true, I've been playing FFXI. I have both a good reason and a kind of silly reason for doing so.

Firstly, I want to experience FFXI in full, or at least hitting the main bullet points, simply because one day I might not have the chance anymore. FFXI's last "major" update will happen in November of this year, and while PC support will continue, console support ends in March of 2016. There's no telling exactly how long the servers will stay up after that point.

Secondly, I'm dumb, and I want all the Xbox 360 achievements for FFXI. It's been a semi-serious goal of mine ever since I experimented with returning to the game back in 2010. After the announcement of console support ending was made, I knew that my time to get this done was limited, and I'd never have the chance again unless I did it now. Ultimately, it's a great motivator to get me logged in and plowing through storylines and other content, so getting some little pop-ups of victory along the way is a nice bonus.

It should probably be noted that I'm not a serious Xbox person at all. I probably put more time in with my Wonderswan Color than my 360, but it's got some exclusives (<3 Blue Dragon) that make it worth hanging onto. My point is, it makes it all the more ridiculous that I'm attempting this, but hey, why not?

Oh, did I mention I'm doing everything completely solo?

As it turns out, FFXI is a different game than it was in 2010, let alone 2005. The three main points that are making my life a lot easier are:

• "Trusts": NPCs that act as party members, which can be acquired by various means, usually involving progressing in the main storylines. Basically, you get to summon your favorite story characters and fight alongside them, eliminating the need for a party full of those pesky real people. Trusts are permitted in most major content, meaning any storyline battlefields or bosses can be tackled alone.
• Teleportation: Home Points and Survival Guides are scattered around the major areas of the game, allowing you to warp there instantly for a small amount of gil or other currency. This speeds up fetch quests and other story missions considerably. While you need to "unlock" the warps by traveling to them the old fashioned way, once you've gotten most of the important ones at your disposal, travel times become trivial.
• Rhapsodies of Vana'diel key items: Rhapsodies is the final storyline for FFXI, bringing together all the other stories for one final climactic finish. Progressing through RoV awards you with key items that each grant a 30% permanent EXP boost (we're up to about 180% now), in addition to other rewards like being able to call forth more Trusts at a time and lowering warp costs to almost nothing.

These additions allow me to summon up a full party out of thin air, warp to the best leveling spot instantly, and gain RIDICULOUS amounts of EXP in a short time. That's right: the leveling parties of the past are long gone. The main goal of the game is to get to endgame quickly and participate in the advanced content, not gain levels.

For my purposes, I have a lot of jobs to level, so the ease of leveling up is very much welcomed. I also have to do a lot of running around for storyline missions and quests, meaning those warp points are saving me hours and hours. It's a wonderful time to be a solo player in Vana'diel, to be sure!

I've got until March to reach my goal of acquiring every Xbox 360 achievement, which will complete most of the major content in FFXI as a result. I'm actually well on my way, I've been playing so much that I haven't had any time to write about it! Stay tuned for future updates, assuming I get a chance to stop playing in the next few months.

Final Fantasy Dimensions - Sure, why not?

Final Fantasy Dimensions, a retro-looking throwback to the 16-bit era of the series, was released on iOS a few days ago. While there are a few issues with this title at first glance, a classic-style FF is not something that gets released all that often nowadays. After playing through the free Prologue chapter, I got over my minor issues and didn't hesitate to invest money to see more of it.

Dimensions is very similar to Final Fantasy V, including a job class system, and even certain storyline elements are obviously taken from the game. The aesthetic is very "SNES", graphics-wise, and hits hard in the nostalgia department for anyone who holds that era of FF dear. That being said, something about this game just looks... off. The game honestly comes across, at first glance, as some sort of an RPG Maker-like FF clone. While I appreciated the very easy-to-read text, the menus and text boxes lack any sort of character whatsoever. The sprites also feel slightly off, possibly due to their upscaled nature.

That being said, the slightly odd visuals are something that, if they bother you, will only bother you at first. Gradually, I got over my reservations about them and ended up not really noticing anymore.

The game's music is simply excellent, by the way, and it's worth downloading the Prologue just to hear it. The "classic FF battle intro" chords are present, and the traditional victory music is back in full force as well.

Gameplay-wise, the game will be familiar to anyone with experience in classic Final Fantasy. Besides the job class system, the game sports a "two party" concept, which switches between the Warriors of Light and the Warriors of Darkness at certain points. The dynamic of two different perspectives is a welcome new idea and keeps things fresh.

I personally didn't have many issues with the touch controls. There are a few different control schemes to choose from, which I'd recommend experimenting with to find out what works best for you. Battles run smoothly and I never felt like I was at a disadvantage due to the controls. The game has options for "active" or "wait" for the ATB system. Those who feel unsure about their reaction times with the touch controls are probably better off leaving it at the default of "wait", at least at first.

In fact, the only time I had a problem with the controls was when I was checking multiple barrels/pots for items, as maneuvering up to them and examining them was a bit tedious. Still, I grew accustomed to the controls much quicker than I thought I would, even if I'd prefer physical controls any day.

On to perhaps the most pressing matter of them all... its status as an iOS game. The choice of smartphones as the game's platform is kind of a "glass half full/glass half empty" situation. On the one hand, it would be much more preferable if the game was released on the 3DS eShop or as a downloadable PSP/Vita title. Physical controls benefit 2D RPGs more than any other kind, and the market for a 16-bit throwback FF game would undoubtedly prefer to access it via a "proper handheld". In fact, I have no doubt that its current platform will only hinder access to the people who would care about this game the most.

On the other hand, this game originated as a cellphone game in Japan, which is a codeword for "you will never play this game ever" to English-speakers. Dimensions is essentially an HD remake of said game, and its price point is actually lower than the original's. If the options are "iOS or nothing", then this is clearly the better choice. Thinking about it that way, I've begun to get over my reservations about the game, while still wishing for it to appear on a handheld console, perhaps futilely.

Speaking of the price point, $30 for an iOS game might seem steep. The game does include the aforementioned free Prologue chapter which will introduce the basics of gameplay and give you a couple of dungeons to explore. However, the first chapter you have to pay for is less than $3, and that will give you access to the job system and quite a bit of game for the price. Paying for the chapters individually will only end up costing you a tiny amount more than paying for the bundle, and I definitely recommend buying them one at a time if you're unsure.

Overall, Final Fantasy Dimensions is an odd game to categorize. It's clearly aiming for nostalgia points and the classic FF market, but on a platform that isn't all that friendly to the concept. If you're a fan of this kind of game and can get over those issues, though, it's a worthwhile investment. This sort of Final Fantasy doesn't come around all that often anymore, and considering the fact that it's been saved from "Japanese cellphone game limbo", it's something I've decided to cherish.

Chou Mahou Tairiku Wozz. My new favorite word is "Wozzuka".

ウォズ超魔法大陸WOZZ (Chou Mahou Tairiku Wozz, The Magical Land of Wozz)
Super Famicom
RED Entertainment / Bullet Proof Software
Release: Aug 4, 1995

English translation by TransCorp: http://transcorp.parodius.com/projects/wozz/

So. There was once a Super Famicom RPG released in 1995. Have you heard this one before?

They're a dime a dozen, and yet each time I discover a new SFC RPG that's been translated, I feel that kind of happiness that can only originate from the mid-nineties. Especially when they're amusing and quirky like this one, and the nice presentation does not hurt at all.



The basic story is that this magical land that exists parallel to "our world" (I use the term loosely) is in peril so a wizard attempts to summon a legendary hero from Earth to defeat the evil badguy. Since apparently he can only be defeated by modern technology, which they don't have in WOZZLAND. Unfortunately the old coot summons three punk kids instead, so they kind of have to help him with all this or they're stuck here.


Yeah I don't think this old guy who summoned you really knows what he's doing...

Our heroes are Leona, a Japanese girl smartypants who's skilled with technology. She uses a bazooka in battle and can synthesize items using materials. Then there's Shot (yes, that's his name), an American archery pro who's kind of a dick. He's the physical attacker type. Finally, we have Chun, a Chinese boy gifted with psychic powers in the real world, which translates to him being good with magic in Wozzlandia. He's basically a huge scaredycat and wuss, struggling to even keep up with the party as they walk through dungeons.


The problem with being named "Shot" and being an archer: you're redundant!

You get to choose one of the three to be your "main character", although all three form the main party. The story seems to have certain spots that change slightly depending on your choice. For example, the team gets separated during one dungeon, and I was alone as my main for a while before rejoining the others.


Say it with me, "Wozzuka!"

You apparently acquire multiple vehicles, robots, and other such amazing things as the game progresses. As stated above, Leona can synth items if you snag the right materials. These neat aspects plus the fact that the game doesn't really seem to require much grinding makes it feel really fresh in comparison to many other SFC RPGs. The abundant humor in the script definitely helps this feeling, as well!

The map sprites are small (slightly bigger than FFV's) but well-done and expressive, and there are some impressive graphical touches on the world map itself. Battles are done in a sort of isometric perspective and the battle sprites of the main party and the monsters are quite nice.


Some pretty graphics on the world map. Look at that water!

Wozz's music is pretty good as well, the map music is soothing and the battle music is motivating, what more do you really need? Standard lovely SNES-era music. There doesn't seem to be an official soundtrack to the game that I've found, so those .spc files are your best bet.


When you use the Quake spell in battle, it causes the battlefield to shift all unevenly! Badass.

In short, Wozz is a great pick if you're up for a 16-bit RPG. It's got charm, it's got style, and it's unique enough to leave a lasting impression. As always, I have totally NOT uploaded a fully-patched rom for your convenience. Nope. No way.

I'd like to give props to TransCorp again, not only for the translation work, but because their page has translations from the original manual as well as a scanlated introductory manga to the game! Really stellar work.

Live A Live: Prehistoric Chapter preview

If you thought there wouldn't be any Flintstones-style cars in this chapter, YOU WERE WRONG.



Meanwhile, our heroes spy dinner...



... or maybe they're the ones becoming dinner? Oshiiiii





... aww :3





You gotta work to earn your keep. It's the same back then as it is now! More or less.



Even civilizations without spoken language know what a Y button is. Obviously.



You press said mystical button to sniff around and find your prey. Following the scent and hunting down some food is your job at this point in the chapter.



... just try not to think about it too much. They didn't have the luxury of playing fetch with them back then. At least you get to listen to the amazing battle music.



Delicious, non-specific meat.

That's a sneak peek at the prehistoric chapter of Live A Live! Once you get a bit further, things start to get very interesting. This part was just covering the basics and introducing you to combat, pretty much.

Live A Live

Here's the rom!



So what's Live A Live?

LaL is an offbeat RPG developed by Squaresoft in 1994. It was never released outside of Japan, but thanks to the awesome folks at Aeon Genesis, we can experience this game in English!



Live A Live consists of separate stories spread across several chapters. These different scenarios are rather unique settings for RPGs to be set in. For example: the caveman chapter contains no dialogue, since, well, language hadn't been invented yet. The ninja chapter is essentially Metal Gear Solid in RPG form: you have a choice of killing as many (or as few) guards as you see fit to complete your mission, and much of the chapter involves avoiding being detected.

The game is also deceptively innocent on the surface. Sure, those wacky chapters sound like fun, but underneath the surface lies some of the most unexpected, profound twists and turns you'll ever see.

What's the gameplay like?

Live A Live has a grid-based battle system. Your character can freely move about, and when you're ready to attack, you select one from a list and target any enemies in range. If you stand still, the enemy won't attack, but for each step you take, the enemy's "ATB gauge" will fill, and eventually they'll gain an opportunity to strike back. It sounds complicated, but it's actually pretty simple to figure out. As long as you remember that you can't just wander around the battlefield aimlessly unless you want to get smacked, you'll be fine.

The game isn't terribly difficult and most chapters don't even allow you to grind, let alone require it. The one thing you should keep in mind is that only the items/equipment you have on your main character will carry over to the final chapter, upon completing that character's scenario.

What chapter should I start with?



The caveman chapter, despite being somewhat offbeat, is actually one of the more "standard RPG-like" scenarios. The space chapter has almost no combat, and the wrestling chapter is nothing BUT combat, to name some chapters I'd save for later.

One hint I'll give about the caveman chapter: overleveling a certain female party member until she learns powerful attacks will make the boss much easier!

So let's play some Live A Live! I guarantee the game will surprise you, and the graphical limitations actually work in the game's favor when conveying the story. Never before have 16-bit sprites blown your mind like this. And did I mention the incredible soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura? I'll be posting it and some fan-made albums later on. Some of the best SNES tunes ever made, in my humble opinion.