I love Miiverse

So remember when I said my Roc's Cape wouldn't work in that underground section in my last post? ......I feel sheepish, but it turns out all I had to do was hold the button down to double jump, instead of pressing the button twice. Well THAT'S counter-intuitive. But I am happy to announce that I have finally beaten Oracle of Seasons!

I was so nervous going into the final dungeon (if you can call it that). The atmosphere was threatening, and what you can't see is the lightning that kept happening every few seconds.

The final boss was really difficult, but I persevered.

All of these photos are from my posts on Miiverse. I am loving posting my own screenshots from the games I've been playing. Not all of them allow screenshots to be posted, but I am having fun with the ones open to me. :)

Din has been saved, and I look forward to continuing this journey in the sister game, Oracle of Ages.

Also of note is my most recent achievement in Fantasy Life!

This may be the only game I've ever played where I've found crafting fun!

So, what games have you been playing lately? Whatever they may be, I hope you are having as much fun as I am!

Sad Ending and Exciting Beginning

Last night I was playing Oracle of Seasons, and I came across a rather frustrating conundrum. In Level 8, the Sword and Shield Maze, for some reason my Roc's Cape would NOT work in the first underground section I encountered.

For those who have not played the game, you need the Roc's Cape (what I have equipped on the A button) to double jump across that gap. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked. The Roc's Cape even works on the upper floor, so I knew it wasn't a timing issue. I just kept falling to a very fiery death. In lots of lava. *sigh* So unfortunately, that is the end of my Oracle of Seasons playthrough. And I was so close to the end of the game too! Hopefully once I get to Oracle of Ages there won't be any sort of glitch like this to deal with.

On the bright side of things, with Oracle of Seasons no longer in my game rotation, I can start a new game. The next one in my pile - Tales of Symphonia Chronicles.

This is the game that started my love for the Tales series, and I'm super excited to play it again, this time with Japanese audio! I originally played the Gamecube release many years ago, and this HD remaster allows me to have voiced skits (finally!) and access to the game's sequel, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World, something I've never had the chance to play. This will be a long journey, but I plan to enjoy every moment.

New Beginnings

Wow, it's been a while. As per request, I am updating. It's hard to believe that almost a year has gone by. Many games have been beaten, including two games in Japanese! I was finally able to beat Tales of Destiny 2 yesterday evening.

This was a really fun game, and I learned quite a bit in the process. It was especially difficult navigating the menus and upgrading equipment, as I couldn't always tell what things meant. But with that game, I am now up to the 5th installment in the series, and the one I first played many years ago - Tales of Symphonia. I should be starting that up soon.

I also started The Last Story today, a game I bought months ago and have only now gotten around to playing seriously. It should be an interesting journey.

Favorite Video Game Music - Midna's Desperation (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

This song comes at a really desperate point in the game.  It's especially haunting because the only sounds come from a solo piano at the beginning, a stark contrast to the rest of the soundtrack.  Even when it builds, the only other sound is from midi violins.  It doesn't even just happen during a scene - you have to run with a poor dying Midna on your back to get to the one person who can help you, with this music accompanying your desperate flight the entire time.  For me, it's probably one of the most memorable parts of the game. 

A Brief Review - xxxHOLIC

xxxHOLIC is a series about Kimihiro Watanuki, a boy who can see spirits.  One day, he wanders into a witch's shop and is told that she can grant his wish to never see spirits again by working in the witch's shop part time.  The series centers around Kimihiro, the witch Yuuko, and Kimihiro's friends Doumeki and Himawari. 

While this anime is based on CLAMP's manga of the same name, it doesn't have much in terms of continuity.  Most episodes have a self-contained story, and there is no crossover with Tsubasa like in the manga.  There is hardly any character growth, but the supernatural stories are interesting.  The characters are also intriguing, although I do wish there was more growth. 

Music - the opening theme is the best of the bunch, although there is also some very good creepy background music that fits the series quite well. 

Overall, this series did not give me anything immensely satisfying, but I am hoping that will change in the second season - xxxHOLIC:Kei.  The first season gets a 3/5 from me.

A Brief Review - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Gamecube)

The Legend of Zelda series is definitely one of the most iconic in the video game world.  Twilight Princess, the 13th game to be released in the series, originally came out in 2006, and there were two versions of the game - one for Gamecube and one for Wii.  I have not played the Wii version, so I am reviewing my experience playing the Gamecube one, the last 3D Zelda game that features a left-handed Link.

This game is beautiful in every way.  Even my brother's gripes about Midna didn't bother me.  The story is gripping, the characters and scenery exquisitely detailed, and the music varied and interesting.  There were complaints that this game's soundtrack was not orchestrated, but I still think they did a fine job with it.  The only complaint I had was that I thought the ending felt a bit rushed - otherwise, this is an excellent game that owes its success to Ocarina of Time (there are so many references to it in here!).

5/5 from me.  This is only the third Zelda game I have played and beaten, and I look forward to more in the future.  (The other two are Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.) 

Favorite Anime Music - The Sixth Station (Spirited Away)

Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away was the first Japanese anime to win an Oscar, and it certainly deserved it.  Great movie, great story, great animation, and great music.  Here is one of my favorite tracks from the soundtrack.