MediEvil Review

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(More customer reviews)This game is incredible. It is so much fun to play and has wonderful graphics and a great story line. Of all the RPG's I have purchased, I have yet to find one which I like and enjoy as much as Medievil. I reccomendthis game to anyone who enjoys RPG's. I enjoyed this game so much that Iwas actually sad when I finally beat the game. The mixture of fighting andpuzzle solving is one aspect that makes this game so much fun. There aremany hidden clues and "secret" areas to uncover, so that when youreplay the game you always find something that you had not found the firsttime you played it. I hope there is going to be a sequel because itcertainly deserves one. This is the greatest game I have ever played and Iwish I could find another like it.

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Product Description:
A Gothic Tale Straight from the Grave, Challange the Powers of Darkness and untold Magic....

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Secret of Mana Review

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(More customer reviews)This game is one of the best ever, on any platform, from NES all the way to PS2, surpassed only by Chrono Trigger.Unfortunately, the sequels to this game absolutely butchered it, removing all the features that made it great.However, despite what happened to future versions, gamers can still enjoy the original and best.
The graphics of this game are good, looking very colorful, stylized, and very rich, as if they were drawn and painted by hand, and your adventures take place in a wide, diverse range of environments, from caves to deserts to lush green wilderness and waterfalls.The music is wonderful, always inspiring and fitting the mood, from the eerie and strange song of Thanatos' castle, to the slow, wintry theme of the Ice Palace, to the heroic theme of the battle with the Mana Beast.The story is great with all of its plot twists, and it manages to be linear and coherent without dragging you along by the nose.The three characters are very likeable, especially that quirky little Sprite.
But, the gameplay!Despite all else, this is where the game really excels.Secret of Mana has been compared to Zelda because of its real-time battle system, but I believe it surpasses Zelda in all sorts of ways.Instead of one character, you now have three, and they can fight extremely well because of a wonderful feature known as the Action Grid.This allowed you to set all actions of a character, including whether they should fight aggressively, stand back and defend themselves, or use hit-and-run tactics (this works EXTREMELY well--watch your allies step in, whack the enemy, then deftly back-flip out of range before he can counterattack), and you can even set whether they will use their stronger special moves and what level of special move they should charge up to.This is the best idea for computer AI that I've ever seen in an RPG, and it was absolutely STUPID of Squaresoft to remove it from the later games.In Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2, Japan only), your allies all mindlessly rush in and attack, even if the enemy is much stronger than they are, resulting in healers and mages in your party getting creamed in battles.In Legend of Mana, your allies are absolutely brainless, simply staggering around the battlefield like drunkards, only bothering to fight if the enemy happens cross paths with them.Another example of Squaresoft throwing away what was perfectly good in an attempt to be "new" and "original."The saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," comes to mind when I think of Squaresoft's latest games.
You have 8 different weapons to choose from, so there is a weapon for everyone's taste.Weapons are upgraded, and as they are upgraded, new special attacks can be learned.For your allies, their mana powers can also be made more powerful by use.
Some complain about the time delay between attacks, having to wait for the meter to recharge, but I think this is a good feature.It adds some strategy to the game and maintains its status as an RPG and not a beat-'em-up.You can also use your quick, weak attacks to simply distract an enemy while your allies hit them with mana power.
And, by far, one of the best features of this game is the multiplayer aspect.Three players can get together and control the three characters, and the fun never ends.
Simply put, among action or adventure RPGs, this is the best, no contest.Among RPGs as a whole, this is second only to Chrono Trigger.

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Product Description:
There is one force in the universe that keeps good and evil in perfect balance. It is called the tree of Mana. But a magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting the balance, spreading evil throughout the land. Thus, the warrior must undertake a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mara tree which have been hidden for centuries. Only then can perfect harmony be restored. In this incredible adventure, things are not as they seem. Magic swords release evil as well as fight it. Treasure chests hold booby traps. Monsters are friends and friends are enemies. Dragons fly, weapons change. It's a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right. And the only way to succeed is to solve the Secret of Mana

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Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Review

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(More customer reviews)I was never too fond of RPG's when I was younger, no matter how much I loved video games.Final Fantasy VII changed that, along with how I looked at the genre, as I, like many others, became addicted to the game's emotional storyline and well-rounded characters.Since then, we have seen a number of tie-ins, spin-offs, and even feature films based on the Final Fantasy VII universe, and now, Crisis Core has finally arrived.Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a prequel to the game, where you play as Cloud's old friend and partner Zack, and uncover secrets and revelations that are full of surprises, and lead up to the events of Final Fantasy VII.First off, the game is is simply gorgeous to look at.Not just the cut-scenes, which themselves are beautiful and stunning, but even the in-game graphics look great, making this undoubtedly the best looking RPG to hit the PSP, and the game's voice acting is even better.The game's combat system is also worth mentioning because it isn't quite turn based, and isn't quite real time.Instead, it is a fast moving system that is quite fun in itself, even if it may come off as a bit too easy for some.Leveling up and performing Limit Breaks is now determined by the slot machine-esque DMW system, which is a fun little twist as well.There are familiar characters abound as well: Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and of course, Sephiroth.The game's story wonderfully weaves into FFVII mythology, and offers some new perspectives on Zack and Sephiroth, and those respects alone, Crisis Core is worth picking up.All in all, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a stunning achievement that is an absolute essential addition to your PSP library, and needless to say, if you love everything Final Fantasy VII and you own a PSP, you have to pick up Crisis Core.

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Product Description:
Seven years prior to the events of FINAL FANTASY VII - The Shinra Company is rapidly increasing its influence through its monopoly on mako energy and military might. With the burgeoning city of Midgar as its base and symbol of prosperity, Shinra is on the verge of establishing absolute dominance over the world. SOLDIER is a group of skilled combat operatives within Shinra. The elite within the group - those strong enough to be deemed SOLDIER 1st Class - are respected and idolized by the citizenry. Zack is a young SOLDIER 2nd Class who aspires to become a 1st. He spends his days carrying out assignments under the guidance of his 1st Class mentor, Angeal. During an operation in Wutai, a large number of SOLDIER members, led by 1st Class operative Genesis, go missing. The severity of the situation prompts Shinra executives to deploy even more SOLDIER operatives in hopes of bringing an end to the war with Wutai-and conducting an investigation into the mass desertion. The ones assigned to the mission are Zack, Angeal, and the 1st Class hero who is known the world over as Sephiroth... What truths lie behind Genesis's disappearance? What secrets bind the three SOLDIER 1st Class operatives? For Zack, a cruel and fateful struggle awaits...

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Einhander Review

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(More customer reviews)There's a reason why this game is held in such high regard among true blue shooter fans.Einhander has the trappings of a legendary game within its genre.Dazzling graphics, tight control, outstanding music and sounds, and a strong variety of weapons.They're all here, but that's not where the fun stops.There's also an art gallery that grows as the quality of your performance increases and an intriguing story, much different from the usual "an evil alien empire wants to destroy humanity, let's send one fighter pilot to stop all 500,000,000 of them" fare.In Einhander, you're on a suicide mission and you're painfully aware of it.Beautiful!
Einhander's visuals are beyond reproach.The backgrounds are vibrant and detailed without being garish or distracting, especially stage five.Ship designs are cool all around, and every enemy, from the mightiest boss to the lowliest peon, goes out in a blaze of glory when you destroy it, instead of merely blinking out of existence or disappearing in a bland red puff.
On the audio front, the sound effects are excellent.Launching rockets, shattering neon signs, and, of course, explosions.All well done.The intentionally emotionless female voice that addresses you after each stage is very credible, and the German commands you hear during boss encounters lend a terrific sense of atmosphere to the game.Moody and catchy techno tunes provide the musical backdrop and, for the most part, complement the corresponding areas perfectly.The operatic female vocals at the beginning of stage one clash very effectively with the destruction that ensues and let you know your ears are in for a treat from the start.And, the music for the sixth stage end boss (after the rocket with the time limit) is so rousing, you won't even care when he kills you 20 times in a row.
Eight special weapons are readily available and there's something for every taste, from the heat-seeking Wasp ("You can run, but you can't hide!") to the lightsaber-like Blade ("I don't need no Force to kick your sorry butt!") to the no-nonsense, wallop-packing Cannon ("JUST DIE!!!!").Plus, there are four others (each a sort of variation on one of the ubiquitous eight) hidden throughout the game.
Einhander's developers hit the nail squarely on the head (pun absolutely intended) where the challenge level is concerned.The game can get pretty rough, but it's the GOOD kind of rough.No shields or defensive power-ups are available (one of the game's very few flaws) so one hit will kill you, but it has to be solid, direct impact.Enemy bullets that travel at 2 MPH and just barely graze the little ball on the top of your radio antenna don't count.The last two bosses are tough to beat, and some of the earlier ones aren't exactly a cake walk either, but the only one that I think crosses the line between "challenging" and "frustrating" is the robotic ape mid-way through stage five.Oh, how I despise that banana-chewing abomination!
You get three lives per credit and nine continues for a total of 30 lives, though you'll earn an extra life or two along the way when you attain a certain score.However, there is one point in the game...the rocket you approach from behind...where, if you fail to defeat it within the given time limit, it's GAME OVER no matter how many lives or continues you have left!So, unless you want to see the "bad" (or should I say "worse"?) ending, I'd advise you to get yourself killed if it looks like you're not gonna get the job done in time.Then, you'll get another shot at it.
If proof was ever needed that 2-D games can still be plenty of fun, Einhander is that proof.I revel in the fact that it outshines many more modernized games on all fronts despite the old-fashioned 2-D gameplay.The only exception is the Wasp missile being able to seek and destroy on-screen enemies that have yet to align with your ship (and certain objects in the background, too...that's a hint).Some might complain about the lack of a two-player mode, but in my opinion the gloomy suicide mission aspect of the game would be jeopardized if it weren't played solo.With three ships to select from and no shortage of secrets (including two additional ships), the replay value is strong, but even if that weren't the case, you'd want to play it again and again anyway, because it's crafted with such tender, loving care and, on many levels, it's flawless.I have no qualms about calling Einhander one of the all-time great games for the PlayStation.Square would be well advised to re-release it (along with Final Fantasy Tactics and Xenogears).Don't hesitate to grab a copy if you come across one, as I for one am NOT selling mine!

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Product Description:
There's no denying that the space shooter isn't what it used to be. The once-thriving genre, championed by such classics as Gradius and Raiden, has boiled down to more of a nostalgic pastime. People just aren't as jazzed about blowing away hordes of alien space ships and racking up billions of points like before. While the occasional shooter still shows up every now and then, it seems like it'd take a miracle for a company to produce one that would rejuvenate the genre and renew public interest. Leave it to Squaresoft to accept the challenge. And while the fruit of its efforts may not be the miracle this genre needs for a complete revival, it's just about as good as shooters get. Einhander isn't particularly long, but shooters almost never are. The half dozen or so stages are seamlessly interconnected and demand just over an hour to plow through in total. Each stage - in fact, each part of each stage - grows progressively more difficult, such that you'll constantly face new challenges in the form of smarter, meaner enemies and more of them. Likewise, the mid and end-level bosses will constantly keep you guessing, as they tend to be both unpredictable and versatile in their attack styles. Even shooter veterans will have their hands full with Einhander, though multiple difficulty settings make the game accessible and enjoyable even for those whose hand-eye coordination isn't what it used to be.

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Chrono Trigger Review

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(More customer reviews)Chrono Trigger remains the greatest console RPG ever made. The version on this new CD compilation is identical in play to the original, but includes several animated cutscenes (done by Bird Studios, producers of Dragonball/DBZ and owned/operated by Akira Toriyama, who did the character designs for Chrono Trigger as well) which are themselves worth the price. (In point of fact, the price itself is interesting; the compilation of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 4 costs less than either of them did separately when first released.)
Chrono Trigger centers around the adventures of Crono (yes, that's the correct spelling), a young man whose only apparent unusual feature is skill with a sword; otherwise, he lives a rather ordinary life, getting his allowance from his mom, taking care of his pet cat, and, as the story begins, looking forward to the Millennial Fair. At the Fair, he meets with a pretty blonde girl, Marle, who wears an interesting pendant, and who as a stranger to his town asks him if he'd be nice enough to show her around a bit.
Things get strange when they visit the exhibit area of one of Crono's friends, Lucca, who's an eccentric inventor. Her invention mysteriously reacts to the presence of Marle's pendant, and Marle vanishes, leaving the glowing pendant behind. When Crono decides to follow her wherever she's gone and bring her back, he's catapulted into a time-spanning adventure which will take him from the present to 65 million years in the past, and thousands of years in the future, and eventually to confront a world-destroying monster which may, at the same time, have been responsible for the creation of Crono's own civilization. Along the way he will learn secrets of his world's history, gain new powers, and gather allies, ranging from the super-strong cavegirl Ayla to the technologically advanced machine-man Robo.
Chrono Trigger's greatest claim to fame was, and is, that it boasts many possible endings, all quite different, based on what decisions you make during the game. They're not all easily predictable, either, and at least one or two are rather creepy. It's also interesting in that, after a certain point, you no longer have to keep Crono in your party (most games have a set viewpoint character that you have to keep around). It's quite possible to finish the game with *ANY* combination of available characters.
Gameplay is, in my opinion, superior to that of any of the Final Fantasy games. For one thing, it avoids the "eternally wandering monster" phenomenon which makes overland travel in the FF series so damnably frustrating, while still allowing you to wander freely across the land and visit places, looking for clues, new things to buy, and new friends and allies. For another, the combat sequences are much more active than those of other RPGs of its same era, and include special techniques -- both for individuals AND ones combining the techniques of two or three characters at once. Once you beat the game, you have the option of using "new game+", which allows you to start with the same power, and most of the items, that you'd gained along the way the first time. This is useful for those trying to play through again, since it allows you to zip through combats which, the first time, took many minutes to complete. (it does, however, introduce a bit of cognitive dissonance, especially in the early parts of the game: "How the heck are they throwing ME in jail?! I have enough power to level this entire CASTLE by myself!")
The soundtrack of Chrono Trigger is unbelieveably good. Somehow, through the miracle of MIDI, the original game had 3 full CDs worth of music crammed on it, and the skill with which the MIDI was composed and produced made it sound, at the time, very nearly orchestral. Even today the sound isn't bad, and the re-done, fully orchestral version is amazing. Each major character has its own theme, and they're all excellent. Chrono Trigger's soundtrack still rates as one of my absolute favorites.
If you like console RPGs at all, this is one that you absolutely MUST buy, and keep enshrined somewhere. Now available as part of "Final Fantasy Chronicles", there's even more reason to own it, since it's cheaper now than it was when first released!

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Product Description:
Box for the very popular and semi-rare Chrono Trigger for the SNES!

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Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions Review

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(More customer reviews)Final Fantasy Tactics was without a doubt one of the greatest Playstation games out there.Starting off as a cult classic it became a big success when it was released later as a Greatest Hits package.Ten years later and Final Fantasy Tactics is still one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made.

Of all the Final Fantasy games, Tactics has arguably the best story out there.It's full of emotion, political intrigue, fantastic characters and it's very deep.If this is your first trump through Final Fantasy Tactics, prepare to be dazzled.It's still one of the most absorbing in the series.To the point where you'll be sad to leave when the whole thing is over.The game is also backed up by a fantastic new translation that out does the original and makes the world of Ivalice come alive.The translation alone may actually warrant Final Fantasy Tactics The War of the Lions worth a buy even for those who played through the original game.

It's the gameplay that makes Final Fantasy Tactics a treat, though.Thanks to the job system, customization is nearly endless.Before each battle you can assign jobs to your characters.Each job has specific traits about them and can greatly affect how you perform in battle.Mages have devastating magic abilities while Knights are strong physical attackers.They also bring their own unique abilities to the table.Because there are so many job classes to choose from, there's a lot of experimentation you can do.As you master abilities you'll also be able to mix and match.You could have a Squire casting white magic, for example provided you've learned some of the white magic abilities.

As battles progress you gain experience.You pretty much gain experience after each and every turn, which is nice.Not only do you gain experience but you also gain job points to help you master the abilities in your job class.It's pretty simple stuff and you'll be surprised at just how fast you can learn abilities here.

Final Fantasy Tactics provides its own challenges, though.Not all your enemies are taken down easily, and if you don't take advantage of the opportunities to improve your characters abilities you'll be overwhelmed before you know it.When they say Final Fantasy Tactics, they're not kidding.Sometimes little simple mishaps in your strategy can cost you a battle.Not only that, but even doing things such as casting spells you must be careful with because if any of your characters are in range, they'll be struck by that spell.You also have to be quick about reviving characters otherwise you lose them forever.If your first plunge into Final Fantasy Tactics was with the GBA version released in 2003 you'll be in for a rude awakening.

There is also a multiplayer thrown in there.You can work with a friend or battle friends.First there are melee battles where you can battle up against friends and then there's the Rendezvous Battles where you'll team up with a friend.These let you get some rare and hard to find items that are otherwise unable to be obtained.

While Final Fantasy Tactics is a great game, it certainly doesn't do as much in the technical department as it does in the gameplay.The game itself doesn't really look any different from the game released ten years ago.There's little, if any, enhancement to the graphics at all.For the pleasure of story, however, there are some pretty cool cutscenes thrown in that are incredible looking.These cutscenes are truly artistic and in depth.While those cutscenes are beautiful, it's a shame Square-Enix did little to update the games other visuals.Despite the cool cutscenes, though, there are some slow down issues in battle.

Music wise, though, Final Fantasy Tactics easily has some of the best music in the series.It's still memorable to hear and can still give many video game soundtracks a run for their money.While the voice acting isn't as good as other video games, they add a lot of depth to the cutscenes.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few differences outside of the translation to Final Fantasy Tactics The War of the Lions.New characters such as Balthier appear.There are new missions exclusive to the PSP version as well as the multiplayer aspect of the game.While there aren't a huge assortment of new items and abilities, you'll find War of the Lions takes a much longer time to master than the original.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is a great re-release of a great classic.While it's still a good game a bit more could've been done to update it.The technical issues will probably annoy some fans, but for the most part you're getting a good game.Even if you have the original, this one is worth a look.

Pros:

+A fantastic storyline
+Beautiful soundtrack
+New job classes
+Good cutscenes
+Addictive gameplay
+Tons of customization
+The New Translation is far better than the original, making even the experience of the story completely different for those who went through before.This alone makes the game worth a purchase for those who already went through it and enjoyed it once before

Cons:

-Will be difficult for newcomers
-Some technical issues with the graphics and sound
-Not much of a graphical update at all, it looks just like the original Playstation version

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Product Description:
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions PSP

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