Video Game Thread v. Wii4One

[The Walrus]

FF7 is a hot mess that aged horribly - but the remake I am ALL ABOUT. I cannot wait for Friday.

[ErHaO]

FF7 is a hot mess that aged horribly - but the remake I am ALL ABOUT. I cannot wait for Friday.

Why do you think it is a hot mess? I played it for the first time well into the PS3 generation when I was around 20 and thought it was amazing (which was 13 years or so afer release). Now playing it on the Switch. I agree the base character models are terrible and some mini game parts are super clunky, but the core gameplay (turn based combat), exploration of the levels/world, locations, characters, story pacing, atmosphere all are great in my opinion. Many of the pre-rendered backgrounds in combination with the soundtracks are still evocative. Granted, I have never finished it, so maybe it turns into a shitfest, but the game still has a tremendous charm that is unique to FFVII. I am glad the Switch version has a speed button though.


VIII and especially IX have aged better, because the 3d pre-rendered formula was perfected, but I personally think the good elements outshine the aged elements in VII. But really, it is mostly the character models of VII that are the problem, but I tend to get used to them after a while.

[Indiscipline]

I played it at 20 on release and it was a total game-changer. Nothing felt so huge and immersive at the time.

It has aged, like all classics do, and I agree it's due for a remake.

[The Walrus]

Oh I could be here all day explaining why I think the original game is trash, but I'm not at a keyboard right now so it'll have to wait... I just think the art style was a mistake for such an early 3d title; the movement is horrible and combined with really ugly models and backgrounds that appear to be vomited onto the screen, forcing you to ALWAYS move your character in very weird directional patterns with odd camera placement, to the exceptionally poor translation and as a result coherence of the plot... It has a lot of good things about it, don't get me wrong, but these are some of the massive fundamental issues I have with it that prevent me from being able to play through it for the last 15ish years.

But that's also why I'm drooling over this remake. I think this will be an extraordinary landmark for remakes in any medium, and I think it'll still feel a little weird in spots, but I don't see any of my original complaints tracking with the remake. The demo is insanely promising.

[Indiscipline]

Oh, I agree on the technical limitations, in hindsight. At the time, as far as JRPG went, there was nothing comparable (except for maybe Xenogears, which could have been the best game ever if they could be arsed to actually finish it).

A Lola Mk1 is a hot mess to drive today, but it's still a hell of a masterpiece   

[The Walrus]

Yeah, for all the warts I think it has, given the context of its release, I definitely don't want to diminish the impact it rightfully had. Although I think it's telling that its immediate predecessor, 6, is still widely held as the pinnacle of the series. Where did 3D Final Fantasy peak? Surely it hasn't been downhill since 7 - or maybe they haven't reached the peak yet?

I'm wondering if FF7R will be the series' Breath of the Wild, basically. Or if whatever comes next will be. 15 was reaching for it but dropped the ball.

[Cool Chris]

I'm more interested in playing games, rather than re-spawning every 7 seconds....

I was loving Ori and the Blind Forest, up until the last section, when I started encountering the above. I almost quit in disgust but was so close to the end I powered through. The platforming got a little ridiculous, and there was no way to go through some parts without going through it a couple times and realizing the series of jumps/moves required. Annoying gameplay.

[Phoenix87x]

FF VII was my favorite game in 97 and its still my favorite game today. Yeah, the character models look whack, especially in comparison to VIII and onward, but that's a small price to pay for a fantastic overall experience.

The music is still incredible, the battle system still works very well and the environments still have their charm. Sure the story can go off the rails in places, but that's every Final Fantasy to some degree, so it is what it is.

[Lonk]

Just finished playing through Zelda - Twilight Princess. Such a great game and I think it has some of the best music from the franchise.

[Cool Chris]

As a Zelda franchise lover I could not really get into Twilight Princess much at all. I played it once all the way through, and keep thinking about going through it again to see if my opinions have changed, but I just can't commit to the time and effort that we would be required.

[Lonk]

Last time I played it was about 7 years ago. Decided to give it a try and the beginning felt slow and uninteresting but I feel it got better.

Since my Switch controller stopped working and I can’t replace it, I’ll try to play through Wind Waker and Skyward sword. Or should I do Metroid Prime? 

[Phoenix87x]

As a Zelda franchise lover I could not really get into Twilight Princess much at all. I played it once all the way through, and keep thinking about going through it again to see if my opinions have changed, but I just can't commit to the time and effort that we would be required.

Really looked forward to TP, but it took FOREVER to get going and then when it did, it just felt like more of the same and I put it down pretty quick. Really didn't like the wolf parts either. 

[The Walrus]

It's funny that Zelda is my favorite game franchise of all time but I've never played through Twilight Princess a second time. Camped out overnight for a Wii and that game, blew my mind when I played through it... and I could never get through the slog that is early game again. Tried back then, failed, tried a couple years ago, failed, but I'm hoping if the HD version gets ported to the Switch, I'll be able to enjoy it again. It has some of the best dungeons in the series and possibly the best final boss battle(s) too but other than that I don't have a lot of good things to say about it.

[Cool Chris]

Since my Switch controller stopped working and I can’t replace it, I’ll try to play through Wind Waker and Skyward sword. Or should I do Metroid Prime? 

If you have never played Wind Waker or Skyward Sword, I would say WW should be your first choice. If you have already played through WW, filed your taxes, made a will, cleaned your house, did your grocery shopping, then I might suggest playing SS. But only if there is literally nothing else for you to do.

Actually, your first choice should be Metroid Prime regardless. That is one of my favorite games. Then play Prime 2.

[Phoenix87x]

I second that recommendation of Wind Waker. That is a damn fine game

And speaking of Metroid, nintendo needs to get off their ass and release Prime trilogy on switch already 

[Cool Chris]

Prime is the only reason I've kept my Wii hooked up for the past 5 years. That and Mario Kart, which sadly stopped working right. 

[Chino]

What made FF7 such a legend? I never played anything from that franchise, but I see that particular game referenced all the time.

[Phoenix87x]

I'll recollect my first experience with it.

It was 1997. I had just gotten a PS1 and up to that point I only had a Sega Genesis and only had played 2D side scroller kind of games, which were great and all, but could only go so far. I had a certain mindset of what a video game could be.

And then FFVII comes along. And right from the beginning it opens with an actual film like cinematic and beautiful music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD_GqlNtNjo

Yeah, it looks super dated now, but I had never seen anything like that in my life. This sweeping camera that pulls back to reveal the whole city and then pans back in and seamlessly connects to gameplay. I couldn't believe it.

And then from there, it was the progression of the story. For the first time ever, I have a game that is dealing with heavy topics:

Death, love, betrayal, pain, sadness, struggle, sacrifice and intrigue. This didn't feel like a video game. It felt very dark and very real.

For someone trying to approach FFVII today, its definitely gonna look and feel super dated. I totally get that, but that's the beauty of having FFVII Remake coming out now. A modernized version can be experienced.

[ReaperKK]

I was planning on watching some FF7 playthroughs during work today. I've never been able to get into the turnbased RPGs.

[Lonk]

Since my Switch controller stopped working and I can’t replace it, I’ll try to play through Wind Waker and Skyward sword. Or should I do Metroid Prime? 

If you have never played Wind Waker or Skyward Sword, I would say WW should be your first choice. If you have already played through WW, filed your taxes, made a will, cleaned your house, did your grocery shopping, then I might suggest playing SS. But only if there is literally nothing else for you to do.

Actually, your first choice should be Metroid Prime regardless. That is one of my favorite games. Then play Prime 2.

Yeah I'm going with Metroid Prime series.

Side note: I actually enjoyed Skyward Sword. It's not a top tier Zelda game, but still enjoyable in its own way (at least the one time I played it).

[Indiscipline]

What made FF7 such a legend? I never played anything from that franchise, but I see that particular game referenced all the time.

Everything Phoenix87x said verbatim, plus

It was the first time you felt like playing inside a movie or novel, with a pretty complex protagonist and an even more complex villain.

The maddening but electrifying lack of major railroading. It was wonderful to be stumped in the no internet era.

The music, dear God, the music.

[The Walrus]

"It was the first time you felt like playing inside a movie or novel"

*landmark RPGs of the early 90s scowl and murmur indignantly, while Kefka cackles maniacally in the corner of the room*

[ErHaO]

Last time I played it was about 7 years ago. Decided to give it a try and the beginning felt slow and uninteresting but I feel it got better.

Since my Switch controller stopped working and I can’t replace it, I’ll try to play through Wind Waker and Skyward sword. Or should I do Metroid Prime? 

I played Metroid prime (GC version, I don't like Wii controls and it looks sharper because of the 4:3 aspect ratio) on the Wii using a component cable last year and it holds up really well.

Wind Waker, though charming, did not grab me, but I haven't given it a fair chance yet. Twilight Princess (Wii) I did play for longer but I found it to be boring and visually unappealing.

[Indiscipline]

"It was the first time you felt like playing inside a movie or novel"

*landmark RPGs of the early 90s scowl and murmur indignantly, while Kefka cackles maniacally in the corner of the room*

 

I won't argue rankings in hindsight. I'm talking about impact at the time. Heck, they distributed FFVI here a bunch of years after FFVII, and only by virtue of the latter's success,

[Chino]

I'll recollect my first experience with it.

It was 1997. I had just gotten a PS1 and up to that point I only had a Sega Genesis and only had played 2D side scroller kind of games, which were great and all, but could only go so far. I had a certain mindset of what a video game could be.

And then FFVII comes along. And right from the beginning it opens with an actual film like cinematic and beautiful music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD_GqlNtNjo

Yeah, it looks super dated now, but I had never seen anything like that in my life. This sweeping camera that pulls back to reveal the whole city and then pans back in and seamlessly connects to gameplay. I couldn't believe it.

And then from there, it was the progression of the story. For the first time ever, I have a game that is dealing with heavy topics:

Death, love, betrayal, pain, sadness, struggle, sacrifice and intrigue. This didn't feel like a video game. It felt very dark and very real.

For someone trying to approach FFVII today, its definitely gonna look and feel super dated. I totally get that, but that's the beauty of having FFVII Remake coming out now. A modernized version can be experienced.

Nice. That's sounds lovely. I know that feeling well. It's exactly how I felt the first time I loaded Sonic 3D Blast up on my Sega Saturn. Up until then, my experience with Sonic was limited to side scrolling, and then to get dropped into this 3D world with movement along every axis, combined with beautiful (at the time) animations and freedom blew my mind. Daytona USA delivering the cockpit view and Independence Day playing footage from the movie are also seared into my memory.

GTA-III on PS3 might take the cake though. That was my first memory of true free roaming. I'd say that was arguably the biggest leap I can think of in gaming history. Between the scope of the story, the world, changing weather, cut scenes that adapted and showed the present, the amount of weapons, NPCs talking to you, damage to cars, endless cheat codes, etc.. all made that game a monster. Being able to just do whatever for hours on end without actually "playing the game" was almost magical to my 13 year old self.

[Stadler]

You guys are all describing Ultima VI for me.  I'm sure primitive by today's standards, but at the time?  I used to sit in my apartment for hours playing that.   More than once I'd look up and the sun was coming up. 

[The Walrus]

My first 3D experience with gaming was technically Donkey Kong Country, with how they modeled the characters. But after that, I remember seeing Sonic 3D or whatever it was called at a gaming kiosk in a Wal-Mart and it blew my freaking mind, I just couldn't wrap my head around the controls in that dimension (being 5 years old and only ever knowing games as a 2D experience). Then I saw Super Mario 64 at another kiosk and that blew. my. mind - whole other level, true blue 3D exploration and movement. Still have vivid memories of getting my first N64. Kids these days just don't have a comparable experience to making the jump from 2D to 3D right when it was new. It's kind of like trying a good VR experience for the very first time, I guess that would be the closest comparison I could make, and watching a metaphorical door open before your eyes.

[cramx3]

I was planning on watching some FF7 playthroughs during work today. I've never been able to get into the turnbased RPGs.

Yea, same.  A big reason why I never cared for the FF games.  Turn based just isn't very fun.  I did suck it up for the South Park games but the comedy made up for it, but the turn based action really isn't my thing. 

[The Walrus]

12 and 15 have no turn based combat, everything's out in the open. Worth checking out, particularly 15, if the more action-oriented stuff is your deal. The FF7 remake is 100% action akin to Kingdom Hearts rather than Final Fantasy; it actually looks like what 15 wanted to be yet failed to achieve in many ways.

[Ben_Jamin]

12 and 15 have no turn based combat, everything's out in the open. Worth checking out, particularly 15, if the more action-oriented stuff is your deal. The FF7 remake is 100% action akin to Kingdom Hearts rather than Final Fantasy; it actually looks like what 15 wanted to be yet failed to achieve in many ways.

Will the Sephiroth fight be just as tough as Kingdom Hearts.

[The Walrus]

12 and 15 have no turn based combat, everything's out in the open. Worth checking out, particularly 15, if the more action-oriented stuff is your deal. The FF7 remake is 100% action akin to Kingdom Hearts rather than Final Fantasy; it actually looks like what 15 wanted to be yet failed to achieve in many ways.

Will the Sephiroth fight be just as tough as Kingdom Hearts.

God I hope not.

[Cool Chris]

I've never played one second of a FF game.

[Ben_Jamin]

12 and 15 have no turn based combat, everything's out in the open. Worth checking out, particularly 15, if the more action-oriented stuff is your deal. The FF7 remake is 100% action akin to Kingdom Hearts rather than Final Fantasy; it actually looks like what 15 wanted to be yet failed to achieve in many ways.

Will the Sephiroth fight be just as tough as Kingdom Hearts.

God I hope not.

One night, me and my bro spent an entire night trying to beat him. We did, celebrated and went to bed. It was a glorious moment.

[The Walrus]

I never did beat him. I think I got to the second stage? God. I've done some difficult things in games but I just gave up on that one. Not the hardest thing I've ever tried to beat, but it's up there.

[Cool Chris]

One night, me and my bro spent an entire night trying to beat him. We did, celebrated and went to bed.