Cliché' or not, there's that special moment in many RPG's where funky stories and monotonous leveling systems come together to form that warm fuzzy feeling, that I finally have a clue as to where the plot is going and feel in control of the direction I want my characters to level in. Unfortunately the fuzzy-effect doesn't always occur until the whole 'saving the world' realization, but all the same, normally worth the wait(if anything for the sidequests). Always hated that, finally get familiar with the game and it ends...then again momma always said I twas slow.

Then there are games that are so well balanced, that 'fuzzy' prevails the whole way through, like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IX. Simply fun to play, and not life consuming...my definition of gaming bliss. There are few things greater than such balanced play and plot, other than freshly picked strawberries and true womanly love, but that's only thrown in for scale.

Anyway, first time caller, long time listener and all that, hope I didn't bore you to much.

Mike
(fuzzy=bliss=strawberries)

ANDREW Welcome aboard, Mike fuzzyblissberries! I can't say as Final Fantasy IX had quite the cohesion necessary to sustain that fuzziness, but I will agree that during my first playthrough, it did appear in fits and starts. Eerily enough, the game in which I have most keenly felt the sensation you're describing is the other one you've mentioned, Chrono Trigger, which was the equivalent of a half-dozen hits of ecstasy to my poor little 14-year old brain. On the upside, after being brainriddled by CT, I am now easily distracted by anything involving strawberries, and so it is with great delight that I read your letter and get vague urges to go play through CT again, or at least hit up a rave.

Oh, I'm a conservative. I say that ignoring things isn't a solution, but blowing them up is. I mean, let's face it, if I'm fighting with this jackass, and I shoot him, I think that I don't have to fight him anymore. Now, that's not to say that destruction is always the perfect solution, but it can be sometimes (WWII. Hate to say it, but I'd rather destroy two foreign cities that I don't give a crap about than hear about even five dead american troops.) But hey, if Rpgs have taught me anything, it's that massive destruction breeds massive destruction. So if you're gonna blow somebody up, MAKE SURE YOU GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!

Radically yours,
Kenny the C.

ANDREW Hmm... Professor, given attitudes like this, would you say that we should crack open each other's heads and feast on the sweet goo within? PROFESSOR Yes I would, Kent.

Y'see, FF3(6) was never released in Europe, so, it had to be bought on import and played with an adapter. Sadly, some freaky code in the end sequence made it hang when (spoiler) Gogo falls into the hole (/.

Years went by, and in the year 1999, FIVE YEARS after completing the game, I finally found it for an emulator, played it through, and completed it, and saw the entire ending. Oh, the wonder. Pure bliss.

ANDREW Well, I like the happy ending, but even so... You poor soul ;_;

Also in contention would be in a recent playthrough of Final Fantasy VII, after Sephiroth ran his blade through Aeris, and my brother shouting "I'm Sephiroth, biotch!" Dave Chappelle style. That was pretty funny. = D

I can't wait for Tales of Symphonia.

And if you didn't know Aeris dies, then you shouldn't be reading this column.

- Feep "O-holy-master"

ANDREW I would probably find that funnier if I could remember who Dave Chappelle was. Alas, I am far too lazy to tab over to IE, so I'm afraid it's up to you guys to furnish me with a URL.

I can't really say that I enjoyed the first BFM that much, seeing how most of the time they never told you where to go, and you usually had to more or less, wander around until you found where to go yourself. The good thing about it, is that the place was so small you could find where to go easily. Other than the fact you had to find where to go yourself with no possible help from anyone in the game, which is basically a question of why they're even their, the gameplay was actually pretty fun.

Anyways, the only game I really truly hate(more than the pathetic Star Ocean: the Second Story,) is Final Fantasy X. Not for reasons about it's difficulty, and not for bosses that took such a long time to beat. It's just that both the gameplay and the storyline throughout the game is so boring it's pathetic. The storyline is decent for the first few hours(meaning less than 4,) and then just right there you can't even stand the game, but of course, the first time I forced myself to finish the game, while the second time I decided to give it another chance, I deleted my character just after 4 hours of playing the game seeing as it sucks and I no longer had a reason to force myself to play it(and wouldn't have a second time.)

Then, you didn't really ask this, but other people were emailing in like you did ask. Anyways, about everyones favorite moments in games and such. The first is, well, what can I say, but the fact that I love Tactics Ogre(or, TACTICS OGRE IS GOD, yet, that is blasphemous,) and I think that just about explains it. Where the second, is when I was waiting for what seemed like an eternity for Arc the Lad Collection to release, already placing a preorder yet still calling up as soon as the store opened on each new release date to see if the game has been recieved yet, and then finally owning the game, as well as a character watch seeing as I preordered.

Lastly, I don't get how people could think Ultimecia on FF8 was so hard, first time I've played and beat the game was in 22 hours, and the only reason for that is because of the time I've spent playing the Triple Triad card game, yet it doesn't matter if someone beats it at 20 hours, or 99 hours, her difficulty is still the same, yet the thing is, I've never once lost at her(as well as the fact that I didn't have the Lionheart the first time I've fought her, in fact, I never upgraded weapons once).

-andrew- -kupomogli-

ANDREW Okay, well... Not upgrading the weapons is kind of dumb, but whatever blows your hair back. I don't even know if it's possible to beat FFVIII in 22 hours, though, especially if you were playing TT for any extended period of time. The sheer number of plot points in the game makes me doubt that, to say nothing of the many drawn-out scenes where Squall just stands around. Herego, I'm going to have to ask you to prove this once again, cuz frankly, I don't believe you. I actually kind of liked that you had to think for yourself in BFM. As you say, the area was pretty small, so it wasn't like it was too much effort, or too scattershot, like the progression through Metroid Fusion. Most of the time, if you paid attention to the plot points, you could piece things together without too much trouble. As to your bitter, mystifying hatred of FFX (the first few hours are some of the most tedious in the game, in my opinion), I can only assume you think that makes you 1337. Congrats, you got the powerup and won the game, or at least, you would have if you hadn't decided to delete it first.

Moment #2 was getting Legend of Zelda for Christmas, which happened to be the ONE gift I hadn't guessed what it was under the tree from feeling it. I was 12 at the time.

Moment #3 was when I was at the mall and looking at an FMV trailer of FF7 and declaring it to be one of the coolest things ever. I was 15 at the time. (7 years later, I still don't own it.)

Moment #4 was getting DDR Konamix and a dance pad last Christmas. Yayz.

And then come the weird moments, such as after I beat the first Game Boy Zelda (Link's Awakening) and found the ending so disturbing I couldn't play it again for months. (And then there's the whole thing with Ghaleon and Lunar, which I would rather NOT discuss.)

Bucket Mouse
"Ooh, not only Edward is a SPOONY BARD!!, he's a WICKED BARD!! too!"--myself referring to FF4

ANDREW Then discuss it we shall not, which is probably a good thing, since I haven't played Lunar in ages. As such, all I remember of Ghaleon was being endlessly amused by snickering and saying "Hehehe.. Gay Leon!" back when I first played it through on the Sega CD. I guess I kind of remember most of the evilness too. Poor Quark ;_;

Also, I am NOT a girl!

ANDREW Then perhaps you should look into using an email address that isn't under the name Kandy.

Ok to clarify in Jade Cocoon 2(which really wasn't THAT bad.) you raise creatures like in Monster Rancher and Pokemon. You are aloud to put three monsters on each side your right,left,front and back (these overlap, so if it's on the right corner it will also attack when you use the right side. You can only attack with one side at a time.)however you begin with the ability to place a total of only THREE monsters no matter where you place them on the sides. The question is, is it possible to get three on all four sides?

Kit cloud

ANDREW Hmm... Upon doing a minimal amount of research, I now realize I probably could have saved myself the trouble (and a reader) if I'd just taken the ten seconds to look up the FAQ on this game. Incidentally, you too could have saved a fair bit of trouble by undertaking the same task, but that's neither here nor there. What is the most pressing matter is that you can, in fact, fill that entire square with little beasties, but to do so you have to pass the advancement tests in the Arena. That's right, three to begin with plus five tests equals eight squares' worth of pure monster goodness (although Pokeballs seem somehow much more convenient a means of storage than a giant wooden disc.)