Uwee hee hee... Game over! Don't feed the octopus, kids!

Hey, kiddos! Galactic here!

So, about a week ago, I decided that I should stop neglecting this blog, and go and post another review.
That was a week ago.
In the time between then and now, I have been glued my computer, playing on my Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES or Super Nintendo for short) emulator.

And then finally, I decided to close my emulator and think of a game to review.
Then the emulator was re-opened, because the game was right there anyway!

So, without further adieu, I present to you my review on Final Fantasy VI (though it's called III on the SNES).

Oh, wait. Before I begin, let me just say that this game is my favourite game of all time that isn't Pokemon, so it might be quite biased. Oh, well.

Final Fantasy VI (FFVI for short) is a turn-based RPG, set in a world where things like magic is just a dream. The game follows a group of people called The Returners, who face up against the almighty empire, who wishes to rule the world through force, and obtain and harness the endless potential of magic, and use that to their advantage. It's clear who the bad guys are- you've got to take them down.

So let's begin with the review, shall we?

Firstly, Gameplay:
Well... I could say a lot about this, but there isn't really much to it. Go walk around to get from destination A to destination B. Be careful, 'cause there are monsters, and probably a boss at the end. Because of this, it's not spectacularly hard. If you can't do something grind battles for a bit until you can.
...Yeah... Not really much to say in this area. It's just like any turn-based RPG, I guess.

Though, I mean, the battles are nice, and there are a few things that make battles easier and more interesting (for example, tools, or dance, or rage, etc.), but in the end, it's still doing a lot of the same things over and over.

Ah, and another thing. The SNES port of FFVI is filled with glitches and bugs. Be wary. Some are fun, and can be exploited to make the game easier (or a lot harder), and some just mess your game up. Before you play, be sure to read up about the bugs or something on gameFAQs to be sure that you avoid the bad ones.

Now, we'll take a look at sound:
Well now, sound is a whole other story. If there's anything about this game that I love to bits (there are several things I love, but hey), it'd be the music. Even keeping in mind that it's a game from 1994, FFVI has an amazing soundtrack. Each song really sets the mood, and it really makes the game a much more enjoyable experience than it would be if it had some kind of generic soundtrack.

I'd pull out some specific examples, but I just can't. There are too many good tracks in this game.

Of course I missed you, Ultros <3

Next, we'll go on to graphics:
Well... the graphics in this game aren't spectacular. Nothing on the SNES is really spectacular graphics-wise, but I do love how this game makes use of what they have. Yes, each character is only a small sprite in and out of battle, but it's big enough to have each character show some emotion.
But, I must say, I do like the enemy sprites. They're a lot more detailed than the character sprites, and I like that, for some reason.

Finally, Plot and Characters:
Yeah, I didn't include characters on my last review 'cause there really wasn't much to say about them, but in this game, you've got... fifteen(?) different characters, each with their own stories and whatnot.

A-anyway, back on track. The plot in this game, as stated above, is pretty standard: a large collective of bad guys doin' bad things, and it's up to the good guys to stop them.
That's the plot in a very, very broad sense.
I haven't even brushed upon the intricacies on the plot, and each character's subplot (of sorts) underneath it all. I probably won't, because then I'd end up spoiling everything for everyone, but still. Take my word for it when I say that paired with everything, it's a good plot, okay?

Unfortunately, that's for the first half (or so) of the game. Around mid-way, there's a large catastrophe, and the entire world turns to hell in a hand basket. From this point on, all the characters are scattered, and it's up to you to reunite them. And I mean it when I say it's up to you. Once you reach a short point after the mid-way mark, you can go straight to the final dungeon with, like, three characters, and that's the end of that. Although it does give a lot of room to do whatever you want, it also becomes more dull, as there isn't a main driving point.

Oh, well. It's still enjoyable.

Well, let's see the ratings, shall we?

Gameplay: 2.5/5
Sound: 5/5
Graphics: 3/5
Plot: 2.5/5
Characters: 5/5

Which leads to an overall score of 3.6/5 (apparently)
I personally think that it deserves a better score than what I've given it, but okay.

Anyway, I guess that's the review for now...

Cosmic Energy for the Win!

Galactic, out!

JONATHAN!

Hey guys, Galactic here!

CHARLOTTE!

And I'm here to do a review of a game I decided to replay recently.

JONATHAN!It's a game that I'm rather fond of, and I also really like the series...

CHARLOTTE!
Yeah... If you haven't guessed by now (you probably haven't), I'm talking about Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for the Nintendo DS.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin follows the same sort of playstyle as most of the other Castlevania Games (i.e. A Metroidvania), and follows the same sort of story as the other games: Dracula's Castle. Kill stuff and progress through to the final boss.
Except a little different. Unlike the other Castlevania games, the main villain is not Dracula, but rather a vampire artist called Brauner, who lost his family through WWII.
Nevertheless, he's a threat, and you've got to stop him. WITH VIOLENCE!

Alrighty, now onto the actual review.

So, first of all, gameplay:
Portrait of Ruin follows the general basics of the other RPG-styled Castlevania games (ie. equipment and item collection and whatnot), and in this sort of aspect, it isn't really very much of a change. Thankfully, however, the creators have fallen through, and added a refreshing touch: two playable characters: Jonathan, the whip-wielding vampire hunter, and his trusty sidekick magician prodigy friend, Charlotte. No, I don't mean that you can choose out of two characters to play as. I mean that you have two characters to play as at the same time. There are many aspects of the game that requires teamwork between the two characters, and only once you're able to master this teamwork are you able to proceed.

However. JONATHAN! There is one aspect. CHARLOTTE! About having two character switching. JONATHAN! Control which is verymildly irritating, and that's the voices. Oh, man. The voices.

Which leads us on to sound:
As stated before, the game uses voices in some situations, namely switching between characters, but some bosses also shout lines during battle (see: Astarte, Brauner, Death, etc.). While this isn't too irritating between bosses (in fact, sometimes it helps the battle go so much easier), it is a bit annoying between the characters, as there are situations where you'll need to switch. But by no means are the voices bad at all, they're just repetitive sometimes, and that can get annoying.

The music however, is an entirely different story. I've played a lot of Castlevania games in my life, and I must say that this game has the best soundtrack of them all (though you're free to argue). The game has a wonderful soundtrack that seems to fit nicely with the levels and to help set the mood.

Next part, graphics:
Honestly, the graphics aren't the most beautiful thing, but they're most certainly not bad. They're... well, what you'd expect from a Castlevania game.
Nothing too special here.

And lastly, plot:
The plot seemed good at the start. It had a lot of room to be different, and to reflect on how war can ravage families and change people for the worse, etc, etc. But, sadly, it didn't. It just went to the same sort of "Oh, trouble's brewing. Better go and kill Dracula again." plot. Of course, it had its interesting bits, but nothing really spectacular.

Alright, so an overall score

Gameplay 4/5
Sound 5/5
Graphics 4/5
Plot 2/5
Which leads to an overall score of  3.75

Last notes: While this game mightn't be everyone's cup of tea, I suggest at least giving it a little play. It's pretty fun, and it really helps to relieve boredom when you need to.

Thanks for reading!

Galactic, out!

Introducing Galactic~

Hey, guys! And girls! And others!

Galactic here, and from today on, I'll be a regular writer on this here blog!

About me... well, I'm a massive Pokemon fan, and I love to play RPG- styled games. I suck at FPS games, and as much as I love them, I suck at a lot of Platformers, too. Oh? You wanted to know about me other than games? Well, I'm a girl, if that says anything (no, I am not some kind of girl who pretends to know what she's on about, but actually is not a gamer at all), and I manga and anime, too (though they have nothing much to do in this blog).

I guess you'll be expecting reviews on old games (and new ones, too), and updates and stuff on a certain MMORPG that you'll find out soon enough. Expect a lot of Pokemon news and stuff, too, since I'm a massive Pokemon MasterFan.

For now, though, I bid you adieu.
Oh, and before I go.
Here's a little picture for you.


Yeah. Beat Red on Pokemon Silver with just a level 100 Shiny Rattata. That's how serious I am about Pokemon.

Cosmic Energy for the Win!
~Galactic