Notice anything different? Probably not at first glance actually. This weekend between playing Sakura Wars and watching Perfect Blue, I finally got around to doing what I've been meaning to do for the last... year and a half or so. I cleaned up the Q&A column format. While mostly this just involved rewriting the code from scratch to eliminate all the coding errors, screwy white space, and other inconsistancies, but unless you habitually view this source, you don't care. More noticably, I chopped out a few things from this sidebar here, more will be removed this weekend or so when I find a good closet to shove'em into. Anyway, while killing white space is a nice perk, the main reason for all this was putting the mailto link down at the bottom. So now when you finish reading the column, rather than having to scroll back up to send me something, you have a great big link right there. Saves you like 2 seconds a day... assuming you send me something every day. Hey, it adds up! Speaking of things that take 2 seconds, while I was at it, I made the column much more friendly for those who have graphics turned off. Anyway, what do you think?

I have a few questions/comments for you wise old rpg gamers:

1. Does anyone else think Chrono Trigger has the best music of all time? I've been depressed since I sold my cartridge, but today I found an old tape I recorded myself of the best music from the game. I thought I lost it.

Googleshng:
For me that title would have to go to either Xenogears or the original Phantasy Star. CT's is pretty good though. By the way, here's another perk of this cleanup. Now I can answer multiparters like this without it taking an extra 5 minutes out of my day.

2. Is Xenogears really good enough to spend a lot of money on? I'm wondering if I should get that or Lunar 2. I want to play Xenosaga, should I know the story of Xenogears?

Googleshng:
It depends how much "a lot" is I suppose, but everyone who has ever played it praises it as one of the best RPGs ever made... except for all those people who hate it with a burning passion. Both groups tend to agree that the story is the longest most complex plot ever placed in a game. The latter group mostly fixating on the long bit. In any case though, buy it before playing Xenosaga. Even though it won't be out for years, Xenogears is long enough you might want to get it soon too.

3. Is there any really good RPG's for the PS2 besides Summoner? I know Lunar 3, Xenosaga, Final Fantasy X and more are coming, but how about now?

Googleshng:
I haven't ever heard anyone call Summoner good, but basically no. All the PSX2 games that look interesting are still a bit off. Hopefully a price drop or two off.

4. Is there going to be a Thousand Arms sequel? I really enjoyed the first one.

Googleshng:
I doubt it. It wasn't recieved particularly well, plus Red seems to be getting back to the Sakura Wars series, the first of which is sitting in my Saturn. For an untranslated, easy, text heavy game full of timed dialog choices, I'm enjoying this FAR too much.

5. Will the revisions of FF7-9 be worth it if I have the originals?

Googleshng:
Given the timetable Square has set for them, the ammount of experience they have with PSX2 hardware, the age of the games, and Square's track record for remakes, I can't see them as being anything other that $50 anti-alias jobs. Possibly buggy at that.

Hello slimy one, I got a question or two. Since it seems to be popular, I'll number them for easy referance. I would htmlize this for you, but I seem to have forgoten all tht I new about it. Anyway....questions.

1. I just got passed the part in Lunar 2 where Zophar turns Luicia into an everlasting gobstopper. I'm around level 47, and I seem to be getting my @$$ handed to me a little too much. Am I extreamly behind in levels, or is the game just that hard?

Googleshng:
<br> before every time you hit return. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Anyway though, you might want to gain a level or two, but yes, L2 is a bit on the hard side. White Dragon Protect works wonders though.

2. I have finished Valkyrie profile in the normal version and got the B ending. I will(after compleating Lunar 2) go back for the A ending. What I want to know is, should I go back through in hard mode? Exactly how difficult is hard mode? In normal some of the monsters were nearly impossible, Bloodvein for example. Could you compair hard mode to the difficulty level of another game?

Well, I didn't exactly number my questions, but I did number my catagories.

Thanks
Beaver "Happy Hour!" Creeper

Googleshng:
I haven't had a chance to start a game on hard mode, but since normal mode is harder than just about every RPG I can think of, I have no analogy for you. The difference though is pretty much more characters, more locations, everyone starts on level 1. I assume monsters are a tad more threatening too.

Hey. That peeps thing was so damn funny. I laughed my ass of for about 3 seconds. Anyway, I have a couple of questions: 1). Was there a shortage of copies of Lunar 2 to Canada? I have looked in almost 15 different stores and have not found a single copy!

Googleshng:
I don't believe there was. Why not just order it online? Phyiscal stores are for squares.

2). When the bejesus is Square gonna release that FFIV/ Chrono Trigger package? I think it's about damn time...

Googleshng:
Uh, you mean the non-existant package a rumor started about when Square made a public inquiry about whether Americans would buy them? You really shouldn't hold your breath on that.

3). What did you think of Panzer Saga? I just got a used copy off of someone.

Googleshng:
Panzer Dragoon Saga is pretty darn nifty. Combat works a bit like Skies of Arcadia ship battles, and it gets serious points for style.

4). Boxers or briefs?

See ya!

"I am the Alpha and the Omega"

Googleshng:
What about them?

You seem to have forgotten the three obscure Zelda games for the CD-i in the current quiz. Few are aware that Nintendo sold Phillips-Magnavox the rights to the Zelda series and Mario back in 1992, resulting in the production of 3 actual new Zelda games. (and a Mario one) They were really awesome, much to many peoples' disbelief. If you want to know more about the games, perhaps to put something on the site, feel free to ask and I'll fill you in on everything about the games and the story behind their production, as I am one of the very few people out there who one these games. Thanks!

-Rinoa the Resistance Fighter

Googleshng:
While I am aware of that little fun fact, those not only aren't cannon, but, well, if anyone out there played one of those before ANY real Zelda game, I'd be shocked. 8)

• Sakura Wars rules.
• FF6 is a great game for the nostalgic.
• Koudelka, did anyone but me love it?

• Hoshigami: The spiritual sequel to FFT
• Xenosaga: The apparent prequel to Xenogears
• Shadow Hearts: Koudelka 2, again, do you care?