S-spam..?

[jdkluv]

Aug 18, 2013 6:25:58 GMT -5 MP83 said:

What the hell, Lailmith?!



Maybe enabling the Like system wasn't such a good idea, after all.

[jdkluv]

PREPARE MY ZACK FOR COMBAT. FOR THE GLORY OF JOHN.

[jdkluv]

MP83 you have to stream dat masterpiece.

[lailmith]

Aug 18, 2013 13:00:04 GMT -5 jdkluv said:

Aug 18, 2013 6:25:58 GMT -5 @MP83 said:

What the hell, Lailmith?!



Maybe enabling the Like system wasn't such a good idea, after all.

I just wanted to try if there is a limit how many posts you can like per minute or so. Seems to me there isn't any real limit

And this is S-spam thread, it needs all the love it can get
>Quest updated: Like all posts on S-spam..? thread

[jdkluv]

www.YouTube.com/watch?v=IOfGBJe_5ZU

[Gamemusicfreak]

That's easily the best ending theme ever, I've listened to it so many damn times. Many different versions.

[Gamemusicfreak]

Someone might buy this album, but now it makes me think how much I love it!

[jdkluv]

Aug 18, 2013 14:55:31 GMT -5 Truner said:

www.YouTube.com/watch?v=Vq1jWJ95wOM

As far as endings go, this is my personal all time favorite.

Here:

www.YouTube.com/watch?v=Vq1jWJ95wOM

Another beautiful Mieko Ishikawa Ending theme:



Seriously underrated

[jdkluv]

Aug 18, 2013 15:26:59 GMT -5 Truner said:

Okay, how are you doing it?

[jdkluv]

Interesting. Unlike the PC-88/98, the credits of the X1turbo version of Sorcerian says it was composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Mieko Ishikawa.

[jdkluv]

Also, I *think* I've found Masaaki Kawai's Twitter . This guy composed for Falcom around 1989~1991 on games like LoH I, Dinosaur and the extra tracks from the Sharp X68000 version of Ys III ('The Theme of Chester', 'Chop!!', 'Believe in my Heart', etc.)

We should ask him about his time at Falcom

[jdkluv]

www.YouTube.com/watch?v=5CEA9mCBEGg



One of Falcom's best games ever. Masterpiece and a great goodbye to all PC Engine users.

[Gamemusicfreak]

Randis is an extreme badass.

[jdkluv]

www.mobygames.com/game/turbografx-cd/legend-of-xanadu/reviews/reviewerId,6226/

The Legend of Xanadu: Meet the Action-RPG colossus of its era

The Good
In the early 1980's, the Japanese company Nihon Falcom almost single-handedly defined a genre we now call "action RPG". They were the first to combine leveling up, equipment, and other typical RPG elements with fast-paced, arcade-like combat, where enemies were eliminated simply by bumping into them. Ys games were the quintessential representatives of that design school. But its culmination, the highest peak of "bumping combat" and of top-down action RPGs in general, is Legend of Xanadu.

Only loosely connected to the old Xanadu games, Legend of Xanadu is much closer to Ys in its core concept. Though it contains some very complex dungeons, it is less of a dungeon crawler and more of a "proper" RPG with overworld exploration and towns. It is, however, much larger, deeper, and richer than any Ys game, with a multi-layered world containing a wealth of locations, characters, and items for you to lay your greedy gaming paws on.

I like generous games. I like games that throw lots of stuff at you, games with big worlds, many people, and objects to grab. Legend of Xanadu is just such a game. The sheer volume of it, the quantity of things to see and do is staggering. The game is divided into eight chapters, each consisting of a mini-world map, usually with at least one town and other places of interest. There are vast overworld stretches and dungeons. If you are brave enough to venture to the game's final chapter, you'll be greeted by a gigantic, monstrous tower, a map of which is included in the game's documentation. It brings even hardened dungeon explorers to their knees with its enormous size and complexity.

It's not all quantity, though, as there is plenty of quality to find in this game as well. Even simple exploration never feels mechanic: there are interesting places and puzzles thrown at you, some of them surprisingly challenging. One of the most remarkable things Legend of Xanadu attains is simulation of a living, breathing world. Very few Japanese RPGs succeeded in that. There is a night-and-day cycle in the game, but it is more than just a cosmetic feature. NPCs actually have their own schedules. You'll see shops get closed at night, the owners going to sleep peacefully in their own beds. Street punks would hold a meeting in the evening, but disappear at sunrise. People would lock their doors and you'll have to knock on them to wake them up. Harmless overworld monsters would be replaced by fear-inducing undead roaming unhospitable wilderness.

It doesn't reach the heights of complexity achieved by Ultima, but it is still an outstanding triumph for a genre that never quite dared to cross the line between fast-paced arcade to serious immersion in a role-playing universe. Legend of Xanadu masterfully combines the utmost simplicity, the ever-entertaining ease of "bumping combat" with a game world that lives a life of its own, waiting for you to explore it.

Exploration is indeed king in this game. Delving into it reveals a beautifully expansive world evoking a sense of wonder, not unlike the feeling you get when firing up a Zelda game. The rich world blends pure combat-oriented challenges with NPC interaction in a way that makes it feel believable and appealing. You may complain about the excessive backtracking and all those errands you'll have to do before getting to the last stage of a chapter. But Ultima games are also full of that kind of gameplay, and that is one of the reasons why they are so immersive: you want to stay in this world and simply get to know it. Legend of Xanadu doesn't have, by far, such refined interaction and meticulous detail as Ultima, but it nevertheless successfully conveys the cozy feeling of belonging. Through those little errands and sub-quests you get gradually acquainted with the game world and feel as if it were created specifically for you.

Besides exploration, you'll participate in very simple, very fast-paced, arcade-like "bumping battles". Don't let the simplistic combat fool you: it serves as a pleasant diversion from the more heavy tasks, one of which is building up your character. Unlike the vast majority of Japanese RPGs, Legend of Xanadu features a character-building system I particularly like: training. Like in Quest for Glory games, the more you do something, the better you become at it. Weapons and armor grow in levels as you repeatedly use them. I always prefer this kind of gameplay to the restricted level system. It can get devilishly addictive to just keep training your character until he reaches ungodly might. It also opens up all sorts of tricks, which is another thing I love doing in RPGs. You can dedicate your attention to a particular equipment part by removing everything except it. You can fight without any equipment, let monsters hit you hard, and then go to an inn when you are almost out of HP, for a better permanent increase of it. You'll hoard money and buy cool items that increase your stats or heal you in various ways.

And you'll need all that, because each chapter ends in a remarkably tough side-scrolling stage followed by a challenging boss battle. These stages will require all your platforming skills, and if you lack those (as does your truly) - extensive preparations and training. Legend of Xanadu can be played just to face those platforming challenges: even people who don't like RPGs will derive satisfaction from performing those tricky jumps and defeating powerful bosses, demonstrating their skills at reflex-based games. On the other hand, the unlimited character-building means that with enough patience and persistence, even less skilled players may emerge victorious from these daunting forays because their character was so well-protected beforehand.

The platform sections also look really good, and the bosses are visually impressive as well. The top-down parts are less attractive, with small sprites and an irritating menu that keeps changing its position. Still, there is a raw old-school charm to those graphics, and the musical tracks are uniformly well-composed and fitting. There are also fully voiced anime-style cutscenes between chapters that advance the plot nicely.

Story was never really important in Falcom's games, and Legend of Xanadu is no exception. The story is your basic tale of a goody-two-shoes adventurer out there to save the world and its suburbs. But there is something magically innocent in the presentation of that fully traditional medieval fantasy tale. The simple "good versus evil" story works within the game's epic frames, and its structure and gameplay pace make you feel you are truly participating in a long, perilous, exciting journey. On this journey you'll meet various characters, each with their own background story, and become attached to them. The game maintains a bright, optimistic tone, but never goes into anime excesses, and tries to preserve the almost ascetic medieval atmosphere without deteriorating into inappropriate anachronisms or ill-conceived attempts at humor. There are no "cute" characters, no talking teddy bears, no female androids with existential problems, and no annoying little brats with incessant crushes on spiky-haired protagonists. All is kept simple, with reserved emotions, but not in a dry or schematic way.


The Bad
Legend of Xanadu is a monster of a game. Those who like a lot of gameplay and content in their RPGs will surely appreciate it. Unfortunately, the game's complex pacing and the changes in NPC dialogue and routines depending on the time of the day makes it a veritable nightmare for translators, and very hard to complete if you don't know Japanese. A guide of some sorts is an almost absolutely necessity in such cases. Thankfully, there are a few of those floating around.

People who just expect a straightforward Ys and dislike non-linear, laid-back, gradual exploration of a game world would probably feel aggravated by the game's lack of direction. Sometimes there are simply too many instances of going back and forth between NPCs, too many errands when you just want to plunge into action. The night-and-day cycle can also be a nuisance, since some NPCs can only be accessed during a specific time to advance the plot. Already the prologue chapter contains quite a lot of backtracking, which can easily anger impatient players.

The game's difficulty is quite unbalanced. The overworld is universally easy, and so are battles in the top-down dungeons. The side-scrolling stages, however, are quite a different affair. No matter how well-leveled you are, when you enter these final chapter segments, you are going to be beaten very fast by ferocious monsters and perish in the many traps and abysses of the tricky platform sections. If you survive those, you'll have to face unrelenting bosses that like decimating you in a few hits. The only valid solution would be stocking those healing items like a madman.


The Bottom Line
Criminally unknown and untouched by many due to its difficulty and complexity, Legend of Xanadu is an underrated gem packed with quality gameplay from head to toe. It perfects, enhances, and evolves a simple gameplay formula to unseen heights. It has exploration, action, and character-building mixed in just the right doses. It is a proud, generous game with a royal attitude, unafraid of being the biggest and the meanest of all. Legend of Xanadu is the pinnacle of the PC Engine CD library, the apogee of Falcom's outstanding work, and the culmination of early action role-playing design.

That last line is beautiful.

Don't let him scare you with the side-scrolling stuff. Side-scrolling levels RULES! Totally killer Castlevania-style side-scrolling stages!

[jdkluv]

sevne.com/turbo/?page_id=79

LEGEND OF Xanadu II: THE LAST OF DRAGONSLAYER
by Falcom

Sure, you’ve heard a lot about great Japanese RPG’s. But maybe you’ve laid off of them because you can’t read Japanese. Well, Falcom’s Legend of Xanadu II can be finished without any knowledge of Japanese.

You thought Emerald Dragon was cool? You think it was better than Final Fantasy III? Well Xanadu II is in my opinion BETTER than Emerald Dragon.

Xanadu II is an Action/RPG similar to Ys I&II or IV. You travel throughout the beautifully drawn lands with up to 5computer controlled characters. That’s right, computer controlled, no more menu based fighting. Its like playing Ys with 4 other computer guys to help you out. There are really cool cinemas after each of 7(I think)acts. Its just overall an awesome game. Next, I’ll run through the different aspects of the game.
MUSIC: The game has cool music. Its not all CD music, some of it is “chip music” but even that is cool. Music: A
GRAPHICS: Hello? Are we playing a PC Engine here? Awesome 320×256 graphics. Loads of colors. Even my friend who doesn’t like the PC Engine said it was the best he’d ever seen on a Turbo. Graphics: A+

STORYLINE: Oh man! I can’t read Japanese, but the story line is so well done that you don’t need to know Japanese to figure it out. It has probably the best voice acting of any game I’ve ever played. Just a superb story with “sub-cinemas” similar to the one’s in Final Fantasy III. Storyline: A

GAME LAYOUT: This game is just freaking great! I’ll tell you, the intro will blow you away. There is even a prologue act. Great control, easy to play, very fun(I played and finished the game 3times cause its so cool). Oh, and after you finish it there is still lots more to do. At the end of each act there is a boss. The game then switches to a side scrolling action view where you and one of your followers fights the boss. This scene is 2P! You can play 2P simultaneous in the boss fighting scenes. The graphics in the boss fighting part are just awesome. During the boss fighting, each character has several moves that can be performed like in Street Fighter II in addition to the old hack and slash techniques. Game layout: A Overall: I know this isn’t a “traditional review”, but I just want to let people know how good this game is. This game is spectacular, easily damn near the top in the category of best RPG ever. Its just so fun. Its not hard, never any boring parts never any parts where you have to build your level up to 100000 just to beat a boss. And the Computer controlled characters are very helpful. They make your journey much easier. GREAT GRAPHICS. COOL MUSIC. NEAT STORYLINE. SUPER GAME LAYOUT. If you want a PC Engine Action/RPG get Xanadu II! The game is great. I’m telling you. I paid $115 for it the day it hit the US and it was worth it, every penny. I have since traded it for several games and a 6button controller and I now wish I hadn’t.

[Gamemusicfreak]

He made an awesome Adol man!

hiro150106.deviantart.com/art/Adol-392123184

[Red Hairdo]

Aug 17, 2013 23:55:50 GMT -5 Gamemusicfreak said:

Hey, Red, Sorry I totally fell asleep at some point last night, I had no control over it, I really enjoyed the Dragon Slaying though, I was there for most of it.

Oh, no problem. XD

[Red Hairdo]

By the way, I'm considering streaming Soul Blader (Soul Blazer), one of Quintet's earliest games made. I'd like to check it out for [1] The Granstream Saga references and [2] Ys references. In the case of [1], I'd like to see if there's any way one can tie in anything between the 2 games.

If there's neither, the stream will at least be about an old, classic, enjoyable game made by some of the main Ys creators and the amazing company that Quintet is/was.

Never played it myself!


Anyway, if I do stream this in 15 minutes from now, will anyone be there?

[Yakra]

Aug 18, 2013 21:17:47 GMT -5 Red Hairdo said:

By the way, I'm considering streaming Soul Blader (Soul Blazer), one of Quintet's earliest games made. I'd like to check it out for [1] The Granstream Saga references and [2] Ys references. In the case of [1], I'd like to see if there's any way one can tie in anything between the 2 games.

If there's neither, the stream will at least be about an old, classic, enjoyable game made by some of the main Ys creators and the amazing company that Quintet is/was.

Never played it myself!


Anyway, if I do stream this in 15 minutes from now, will anyone be there?

You should go check for Ys references in Legend of Xanadu~! Or Romancia~! *poke poke~!*

[Gamemusicfreak]

Aug 18, 2013 19:59:33 GMT -5 Truner said:

Aug 18, 2013 19:08:11 GMT -5 Gamemusicfreak said:

He made an awesome Adol man!

hiro150106.deviantart.com/art/Adol-392123184

I just couldn't resist...

Great job!