Some Other Castle » final fantasy

Some Other Podcast, Episode 44: Super-Effective

Leah — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:38:44 +0000

We’re back once more! Things have been a bit wonky for various reasons, but today we got it together to bring you another chunk of internet radio podcast goodness. Join us as we chat about interactive storytelling experiences, the versatility of Pokemon, and FINAL FANTASY XIII!!!! (I may be a little excited about that last one.)

Check the links, yo:

Heavy Rain

Bioshock 2

Final Fantasy XIII

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

Dante’s Inferno

Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver

Listener mail? Listener mail! Please to be sending it to podcast@someothercastle.com, and we will be very very happy.

Some Other Podcast, Episode 42: Bear vs. Hobo

Leah — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:11:41 +0000

Patience, grasshoppers, it will all make sense in the end… or will it? This week involves a very detailed investigation into our future gambling ventures, and then when we aren’t busy plotting that, also some chatter about Bayonetta, Final Fantasy XIII, and a whole lot of Japanese stuff… also, stay tuned for an extra-special outtakes section at the end. (P.S. BEAR VS. HOBO!)

Links, the Universe, and Everything

Bayonetta

Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Mass Effect

God of War 3 confirmed for 3/16

1st party Wii titles make up 47% of their software sales for 2009

Bioshock 2 multiplayer has no LAN support nor dedicated servers

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood confirmed for Wii VC, but not in English

Warner Bros possibly to do a reboot of the Mortal Kombat film series

Tetsuya Nomura says there will be no FFVII remake; get over it

FFXIII limited edition announced for Europe; it better be US too…

Heavy Rain demo coming 2/11

US Navy says gamers are smarter than “normal people”

FFXIII may be getting DLC, but maybe not

Bayonetta to be patched on the PS3 to allow hard drive install

Upcoming Borderlands DLC to raise level cap

Darksiders patch will fix screen tearing issues

Dragon Age DLC, previously delayed, will be up next week

Plants vs. Zombies for the iPhone delayed until mid-February

Mass Effect 2 delayed DLC is now up

We likey the listener mailz. Send more! Plz? podcast@someothercastle.com! kthx.

Some Other Podcast, Episode 39: Merry Effing X-Mas

Leah — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:52:41 +0000

During this most wonderful time of the year, we bring to you this podcast. It’s a gift! For you! ….you don’t have one already, do you? I didn’t keep the receipt…. Anyway, pull up a nice warm blankie and a glass of eggnog while we talk to you about more delayed games, the possibility of another money-grab from Sony, and Persona! Persona, Persona, Persona….

Persona 4 team to reunite in 2010 to work on “an even bigger title”

Split Second dated for May 2010

FFXIII launch day sales in Japan exceed 1 million

Brutal Legend “Hammer of Infinite Fate” DLC on XBL and PSN

PSN premium subscription possibly coming; possible features include cloud storage and cross-game chat

Trials HD DLC 12/23 for 400 MS points

LBP accessory bundle references PSP 4000; ad company claims it’s a mistake

Crackdown 2 coming “first half of 2010″

Blizzard to return to console development “at some point”

MS files patent for user health-generated avatars

Capcom delays several titles to April 2010 or later

Assassin’s Creed 2 DLC originally slated to be in the game, but was cut

1 vs. 100 available to Live Silver from 12/24 9AM PST to 12/28 9AM PST in many areas

Music games getting specific music stores on XBL

We love listener mail! Please to be sending more of it to podcast@someothercastle.com.

Some Other Podcast, Episode 38: 8-Bit Porn

Leah — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:03:02 +0000

Oh man. OH MAN. Persona is back on the menu, friends. You know what that means…. yeah, it means you’ll be hearing a lot more about Fox for the next couple of months. For now, though, we really are still playing other games! I promise. So tune in as we chat about the silliness that was the VGAs, tutorials for talking to the ladies, and downloadable goodness of all types.

Links in a basket:

Persona 4

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

PixelJunk Shooter

Final Fantasy XIII releases in Japan; receives T rating in NA (mostly for boobs)

Comic service for PSP launched 12/16

Final Fantasy 8 coming to US PSN “soon;” Vagrant Story also coming by end of year

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey dated 3/23; will ship with soundtrack

Rock Band: Green Day will allow songs to be exported

Dragon Age: Origins coming to Mac 12/21

Arkham Asylum 2 and Force Unleashed 2 announced at VGAs

“Don’t Be Nervous Talking 2 Girls” available on XBLA for 80 MS points; be super cool with the ladies

Mega Man 10 tentatively scheduled for March 2010

Borderlands second DLC pack coming 12/29

MW2 Javelin bug patched, spawns STD-like glitch in response

LBP getting two new DLC packs with Pirates and water; $5.99 each on 12/22

L4D2 DLC will feature new campaign; survivors from L4D1

Shatter soundtrack will be $1 until the end of the year

Latest PS3 firmware update makes all of the “minis” work

We love listener mail THIIIIIIIIIS much! Send it to podcast@someothercastle.com, plzkthx.

Some Other Podcast, Episode 35: Hive Mind

Leah — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:58:39 +0000

Sadly, we are no longer on a boat this episode. We still HAVE the boat, but it’s a little chilly this week. However, we do have a lot of talk about the gaems for you to enjoy! Pull up a buoy and listen up as we chat about the release date we’ve all been waiting for (or maybe it’s just me…), special editions we approve of, and more reasons why Atlus is the most awesomest company ever. Also, be prepared for a few awkward pauses….

DOIN’ LINKS AND SHIT

Uncharted 2

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Borderlands

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Mafia Wars

EA closing down Pandemic studios

“Error” on Blizzard’s website had Panda pet listed as sold out one week after store opened

Modern Warfare 2 sold 4.7 million copies day 1 between US and UK; previous record was 3.6 million for GTAIV

MW2 earned 550 million in its first 5 days

PS3 3.10 patch adding Facebook integration

October NPDs

Man kidnapped and made to buy abductors a PS3, then let go

Bioshock 2 special edition announced, $99

Modern Warfare 2 “No Russian” level removed in Russia

Atlus publishing 3d Dot Heroes 5/11 in NA

2 million users simultaneously on Live the night of MW2’s release

FINAL FANTASY XIII RELEASING 3/9/10 IN US!!!!!!

www.catsforgold.com

Listener mail only makes the hive mind stronger…. but at least it gives us something to do during the awkward silences. podcast@someothercastle.com!

Confessions of a Backlogged Gamer, Week 35: The Curious Effects of Magic Mushrooms

Leah — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:03:56 +0000

Sometimes a game has great writing, and sometimes it has great gameplay. Either of these by itself can be a little tricky to find, but a game that has both is a genuine treasure. I’ve always found that the Mario and Luigi series is quite reliable for falling into that last category, which is why I had been patiently waiting for the latest installment, Bowser’s Inside Story, for quite some time before it actually came out. I played a hefty chunk of it this week, and I am happy to report that it’s just as awesome as ever.

I think the thing that has surprised me the most about the game at this point is that you actually spend a great deal more time than I was expecting playing as Bowser rather than the plumbers. This isn’t a bad thing, and it doesn’t mean that you *don’t* play as Mario and Luigi– some of the best fights are the ones in which you actually play as both (usually accomplished by having Bowser inhale something smaller and then having the boys beat it down once it’s in his body). I was just a little surprised that they chose to put so much focus on Bowser when the series has traditionally focus mostly on the 0thers. The basic mechanics of the battles stay mostly the same, though; rather than having jumps and hammers, Bowser fights with punches and flames, but it’s essentially the same idea. Where the game really draws a distinction for itself is in the mini-games it utilizes to activate certain features of Bowser’s body from within to solve puzzles or add extra power to get through tough spots. These, so far, have ranged from pumping up his muscles by batting electrical impulses into them (this one recurs, with minor changes, throughout the game), to fording a river of adrenaline to get him out from under a fallen castle, to stylus-based speedy digestion of a giant carrot in his stomach. These side-activities offer an interesting break from the normal turn-based battles, keeping things interesting and showing just how creative the folks at AlphaDream can really be. At this point, I’ve played about seven hours of the game, and I’m still completely enthralled with it. That’s part of the reason I haven’t really put much time into other stuff this week…

I didn’t really finish Dissidia so much as I hit a giant brick wall. I’m not a hundred percent sure how far you’re *supposed* to be able to get before you have to go level your character, but I made it to somewhere towards the end of Shade Impulse 3 (I assume there are five total, but I don’t really know). I didn’t want to level; I just wanted to fight. So, for my purposes, I’m finished… and this way I got to stop while it was still fun. I think that’s fair.

I’m also still playing Katamari Forever, and I have one complaint (it’s not even a big one, because how can you really have big complaints about Katamari?). I play these games because I want to roll things up into a giant ball. It’s very simple. It’s very silly. I don’t have to think about it too hard. This is why my least favorite levels have traditionally been the ones that have some sort of trick or gimmick to them: make the brightest-lit Katamari possible, for example, or roll up a cow or bear (but not just ANY cow or bear….). The remastered levels that appear from the older games, by and large, seem to be of this latter type. This isn’t universally true, but they do seem to appear with greater frequency than the simple “roll things until the Katamari is THIS big” type, which are what I prefer. I guess the tricky levels are more unique, and so make more sense to be remade, but they can occasionally be frustrating to me, and Katamari should NEVER be frustrating. As I said, a minor complaint, but there it is.

Current backlog total: 106

Now playing: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS); Katamari Forever (PS3); Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (PSP)

New games added: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS)

Games completed: Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP)

Confessions of a Backlogged Gamer, Week 34: How I Roll

Leah — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:45:23 +0000

Yeah, I know I used pretty much the same title for a recent podcast. It fits, okay?

So, as you might surmise, I have been hitting the Katamari pretty hard. Really, why wouldn’t I? It’s bright and shiny, the music is as infectiously adorable as ever, and the King of All Cosmos retains his creepy awesomeness. Even more so now, actually, because now there’s a robot version of him as well…

Katamari Forever has two basic sections: there are the new levels, which were created specifcally for this game, and the recreated old levels, which are prettied-up versions of those featured in previous Katamari titles. This might sound like a cheap bid to get more play out of stuff that’s already been done, but it really isn’t. The levels look gorgeous, even on my crappy non-HD screen, and they fit into the (admittedly weird) story perfectly; you’re rolling around in the King’s head trying to “wake up” his memories (i.e. the old levels), which start out in black and white and gradually turn colorful the more you roll. There isn’t exactly anything particularly groundbreaking in this iteration, but as far as I’m concerned, there didn’t need to be. All I really want to do is wad stuff up into my life, damn it. Success!

I’ve crossed the twenty-hour mark in Dissidia, which is much more content than I was anticipating getting out of the title, and I’m still having a lot of fun with it. I’ve gotten through the storylines of the initial ten characters, and I’ve unlocked all of the bad guys as well. I haven’t really messed with the arcade mode, but I think I’m going to go for that when I’m done with the rest of the story mode (which is where everyone comes back together to defeat the ultimate evil and blah blah blah…). Like I’ve said before, the actual story isn’t all that important to me here; it’s stereotypical JRPG stuff slopped into a fighting frame. Whatever. The great part is that the stages and the bravery system make this different from a standard fighter, which is (I think) why I like it so much. Some of the characters are more difficult to use than others; there definitely seem to be a few balance issues from what I’ve played. However, I even grew into those that I had the most trouble with (FUCK Terra, for example) by the time I’d spent five boards with them. In the end levels, you can choose your character, and I’m going with Cloud for the time being (don’t look at me that way, he was higher level than Squall). I confess to taking a peek at the strategy guide to see if anything else unlocked, and it looks like there’s yet more after I finish the bit I’m in now, so we’ll see how long I can keep this up.

I haven’t quit Pokemon Platinum, but I have shelved it for the time being, because I really, really wanted to play Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. I’m glad I did, because the game meets and surpasses the expectations that I had from playing the previous titles in the series (which rank among my favorite handheld titles to date). It’s been nearly four years since the last M&L (Partners in Time), but I fell right back into the mechanics as though I’d never left. There’s a new facet to the gameplay now, as you control not only the titular plumbers, but also Bowser himself, who contains essentially the rest of the cast in his tummy (and other bits). There’s some neat interplay between the two scenarios, and I’m interested to see how that continues to develop (I’m only about two hours in at this point). Overall, I’d say this is a must-get, particularly if you enjoyed any of the previous games in the series, including the Paper Marios (essentially its sister series).

Continuing on the track of games-I-should-have-played-many-years-ago-but-didn’t-because-shooters-scared-me, I recently borrowed The Orange Box from Elaine specifically so that I could play Portal. I was a bit apprehensive about doing so, because even though every person I’ve ever talked to has sung the game’s praises, I get nervous about these types of puzzle games. I know this makes me sound like a big baby, but I was afraid I’d get too frustrated trying to figure things out, and the fact that it’s a sort-of shooter (which is, as we know, NOT my usual genre of choice) would only make it worse. I’m very glad that I was wrong. Rather than getting frustrated, I actually found myself getting excited when the insight hit and I figured out how to get through a particularly troublesome area. The writing is hilarious, the puzzles are creative, and the game is just the right length at around three hours (for me, anyway). If you haven’t played Portal…. well, I think I was the only one left who hadn’t. But, you know, do it.

Current backlog total: 106

Now playing: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS); Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP); Katamari Forever (PS3)

New games added: Katamari Forever (PS3); Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (PSP)

Games completed: Portal (360)

Confessions of a Backlogged Gamer, Week 33(ish): Milestones

Leah — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:39:22 +0000

I sort of abandoned this column for a while, and for that, I apologize. Rather than bore you with lame excuses, though, I’ll start off with what spurred me to come back to it: after 120+ hours and plenty of both enjoyment and frustration, I have finally completed Persona 3, including the FES content! I’d stalled out for a while, mostly due to the fact that, as I’ve noted before, the FES stuff just wasn’t as engaging to me as the main P3 storyline was, but I recently went back to it and began making progress again; with Persona PSP looming ever-so-close, I made it my goal to complete this particular odyssey before it came out, and I have succeeded.

I kind of wish I’d just stopped playing Persona 3 when I finished the main storyline. No, scratch that. I *really* wish I’d stopped. The FES content really didn’t add much, and the fact that it didn’t have any of the social linking that was such an integral part of the main game meant that it came off as little more than a glorified dungeon hack. It’s touted as being of a higher difficulty level, which it certainly is, but the things that make it so–lack of a Persona Compendium, for instance, or fewer save and warp points within the dungeons–appear to be there simply for the sake of making it harder (and we all know how I feel about that). Coming up with strategies for victory just isn’t as important as grinding, and that, to me, loses the general appeal of the game. Regardless, I plugged on through to the end, conquering the final boss on my third attempt. I’d say that I’ll be taking a break from Persona for a while, but you know… the PSP version comes out on Tuesday….

Since I last wrote, I’ve also been playing a great deal of Dissidia: Final Fantasy. I was braced for this game to be terrible, and to smile and play through it anyway, because my fangirl status was dependent upon it. Imagine my surprise and delight, then, when I found that the game is actually good. Quite good, in fact. Now, I definitely am coming at this from a skewed perspective, and I haven’t really had the opportunity to talk with anyone who’s played it without being a raging FF fan, but the fights are accessible enough that I haven’t gotten frustrated while being skill-based enough that I haven’t gotten bored. The storylines are, as one might expect from a fighting game, and a fighting game featuring JRPG characters at that, not exactly original. HERE ARE GOOD GUYS! THERE ARE BAD GUYS! WE FIGHT NOW! …and so forth. Whatever. It’s fun, and there’s a ton of content, and that’s what matters. If you are a Final Fantasy fan, I’d definitely recommend it, and if you aren’t, you still might enjoy it; I’d say download the demo and give it a shot.

I’ve also played a fair amount of Pokemon Platinum, and though I have not (to Elaine’s dismay) caught them all, I think I’ve got a pretty sweet party going on, including a kickass Monferno. Yeah, that’s right. I tote a flaming monkey, bitches. It’s a nice little game to get into when I just have a few minutes, or when I’m on a conference call at work…. I mean, I would never do that. Never.

Oh! And not only did I finish Halo 2 since last time, I also started AND finished Halo 3. Yes, I know, welcome to 2007. At least I’m caught up now, and ready for ODST to come out. I failed to get any actual achievement points in Halo 3, because I took the easy way out and played on… well, on easy. Don’t you judge me! I’m not very good at shooters. I feel at least a little accomplished now, though, because I’ve at least gone through this whole series without putting a controller through any glass surfaces. Baby steps, you know.

Current backlog total: 106 (stuff came out since last time!)

Now playing: Pokemon Platinum (DS); Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP); Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)

New games added: Dissidia Final Fantasy (PSP); Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS); Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii); Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy (PS2); Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3); Sly Cooper and the Thievous Racconus (PS2); Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS); Scribblenauts (DS); Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (360)

Games completed: Halo 2 (XBox); Halo 3 (360); Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES (PS2)

Some Other Podcast, Episode 26: How We Roll

Leah — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:13:07 +0000

This month marks six months, or one half of one year, that we have been podcasting for your amusement. Have people really been listening to us for that long? Yes! And we love you! Anyway, we both have kind of boring gaming habits this week and we are exhausted, but we make up for it by getting all rambly on lots of listener mail. There’s also some chat about mergers with ridiculous numbers attached, the Septembermas that stole our wallets, and system colors we wish had happened sooner. Or, you know, at all.

Linkmas!

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Halo 3

World of Warcraft

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

PS3 slim (120 gig)

Disney buys Marvel for four billion dollars; yes, billion, with a B

GTA “Hot Coffee” class-action lawsuit settles for 20 million dollars

Special Edition SFIV Fightstick at PAX; Elaine’s wallet cries out in pain

360 price drop causes a 43% sales increase in the UK

Pink and white DSi models releasing in the US on 9/13; Leah curses being an early adopter

Nintendo releasing black remote/motion plus combo for the holidays; black system is Japan-only

Shadow Complex breaks XBLA sales records by selling 200,000 copies

Lego Rock Band possibly to be exportable

Katamari Forever receives date of 9/22, now known as Some Other Castle Goes Broke Day

God of War Collection for PS3 scheduled for the holiday season

Like hugs? How about asking questions? I think we can do business. Send things to podcast@someothercastle.com, and we will answer them. Promise!

Some Other Podcast, Episode 25: Professor Layton and the Sack of Oranges

Leah — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:44:51 +0000

That Layton character is not to be trusted. Something is definitely hidden in his gigantic hat. This is pure, uncut Some Other Castle goodness down to its very core; if you are offended by diversions into completely unrelated territory, well…. you probably aren’t listening to us anyway, so I probably don’t have to warn you. Anyway, this week covers everything from price drops to zombie clowns to Mortal Kombat drinking games, so tune in!

Links o’ goodness!

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Halo 3

World of Warcraft

Persona 3

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Mortal Kombat: The Movie

360 price drops in effect now; Pro being phased out

Water being added to Little Big Planet; beta testing now

New WoW expansion coming in 2010

Monk class announced for Diablo 3; NOT coming in 2010

No new content coming for Battlefield 1943

Pinnacle Station: new Mass Effect DLC

Wii Sports Resort sells 1 million copies in the US alone…. IN ONE MONTH

Peggle Nights coming to XBLA

Left 4 Dead 2 playable at PAX; Elaine attempting to make friends with Valve

We heart listener mail! Send it to podcast@someothercastle.com! Please? Pretty please?