It’s been another busy week at the Dojo but we’ve always got time for our gaming diary roundup: Week: End Game: On! (We had a lot of colons to spare…) This week, Bradly, Mel and Luke take a trip to JRPG-land and tell us all about it.
Bradly Hale
You better believe I’m getting some serious time in with The Last Story this weekend. This is the first time, in a long, long while, that I do not want a game to end. I think I’m fast approaching the credits, though, which actually makes me a little sad. I haven’t had this kind of feeling since I played Final Fantasy VIII almost fifteen years ago. That’s insane to me. I think it’s also a testament to just how much I truly adore Sakaguchi’s latest work. I truly hope this is not the last we see of him, but at least there’s solace in knowing that, if The Last Story is in fact his last story, at least he went out with a bang. The characters in this game are just so damn good. And the story is so damn good. The whole thing is so damn good. I’m especially thankful for the fact that gamers finally get a JRPG that isn’t filled with a bunch of teenage angst BS – I mean, this feels like a grown-up’s RPG.
That aside, I also plan on playing a bit of Vector Racing, as I just purchased it just last night. Not only do I support just about anything Arc System Works puts out, but I morally can’t turn a blind eye to an eShop game that wonderfully built. Although I was a little turned off the art style up front, once I started playing the game I was able to immediately look past it. Heck, even after playing the game for a short while, I really embraced the aesthetics, and even started appreciating them for just how unique and interesting they are. The title is only $7, so it was a no-brainer for me. Here’s hoping more developers follow suit and start posting solid games to Nintendo’s downloadable service
Aside from that, it’s also the MLG Summer Championships this weekend. Already, I’ve watched too many games of Starcraft II and, more importantly, League of Legends. Needless to say, this weekend is all about the games — just the way I like it.
Mel Turnquist
I’ve been playing Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns a little bit lately. I find myself playing it in weird spurts where for a moment I love the game but the next, I just grow flat out bored with it. If not that, then it’d be Mario Tennis Open or Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones which are two other games I can only play in short spurts. And then of course I’ll probably dabble in Colors 3D making drawings quite a bit. So yeah, that’s basically what I’ll be up to for the weekend gaming-wise.
Also thinking about firing up the Wii and playing some Super Mario Galaxy 2 since now that my sister has moved out, I have free reign on the Wii again. Maybe I’ll even throw on some Rhythm Heaven Fever on top of that.
Luke Brown
To be honest with you, I have struggled to find time for any substantial game playing recently. This morning, as the rest of the family slumbered, I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours of Little King’s Story. The game just gets better and better, never failing to surprise me with its unparalleled charm and innovation. I should Also mention that I believe the soundtrack to be one of the very best, I spent approximately half an hour this morning just sitting in my village church, listening to the music and staring at the sunlight shining through the stain glass windows. The fact that I do not consider even one of those minutes to be wasted speaks volumes for this criminally underrated gem.
I have also recently decided to revisit Resident Evil 4 after five long years. I’m slowly coming to terms with the Wii controls which aren’t as intuitve as I thought they would be (I have only ever played the game on Gamecube). Thus far I have reached the first village section and have had my arse royally handed to me on a number of occasions. I will persevere however as, from the little I have played, the game still stands up incredibly well. A true classic and one of the only games I have ever played through from beginning to end multiple times. An absolute beast of a video game!
Now you’ve read about what we’re playing, it’s your turn! Be sure to let us know what you’re playing in the comments below.