Progress for July 30, 2008 - FF IV

Whoever designed the encounter table for the Lair of the Father is a sadistic asshole. Dark Sages are ungodly powerful, and have an insanely high attack speed, and Moonmaidens are just evil bitches. They're not even worth fighting, since they give you CRAP experience.
Someone please find this guy and throw a brick through his window. Then while he's focusing on fixing that one, break all the others.

(53games does not promote or condone the use of violence against any people who are not polygonal.)

Lego FFIV DS Grinding Machine

After spending half an hour grinding for the four special monster summons for Rydia, I decided there had to be an easier way.

Progress for July 27, 2008 - FF IV

One small step for a Paladin, one giant leap for a Dragoon.

Yep, I've made it to the moon. I finished almost all of the subquests in the game (at least the ones that are in the original) I just need to pick up my Excalibur from Kokkol, and find a pink tail to get my adamant armor. I am not looking forward to that grind, but there's no way around it.

If I remember correctly, the Siren item summons the rarest enemy encounter to occur. In this case, it will be the pink puffs in the lunar subterrane. I have 5 of them.. so I guess I'll summon them 5 times, hope to get it, and if I don't, reload the game.

(For those of you who don't know what the hell I'm talking about, Pink Puffs are an enemy that only appears 1 out of every 64 encounters, and only drops a Pink Tail one out of every 64 of those encounters, making the odds of getting the item 1 in 4,096 normal encounters. Suffice it to say, it's damn rare. However, the item you can trade it for is the most powerful armor in the game, so it can be worth it.)


Tomorrow, I tackle the moon and the giant. Possibly complete the game.

Progress for July 25-26, 2008 - FF IV

No update yesterday. But who cares; nobody's reading this anyway.
I did the underground, the tower of Bab-il, Eblan, and the tower again, as well as the sylvan cave, and the Cave of the Eidolons (Land of summoned Monsters in the original. I got my rat tail and Asura, So now I just need to get Leviathan before I tackle the sealed cave.

Oh yeah, I managed to get some rainbow pudding for Cheatingway. Now if only I could find him again to get my reward, or whatever you get for it.

Cecil: Lv 60
Kain: Lv 59
Edge: Lv 46
Rydia: Lv 52
Rosa: Lv 57
Total Gil: 141,628
Playtime: 31:02

Progress for July 24, 2008 - FF IV

I spent a good hour leveling up in the Eblan region before going to the Tower of Zot. my level 36+ characters made short work of any monsters I ran into there. But when I got Kain and Rosa, they were only at level 30 :( so now I'm back in the Eblan region leveling them up to at least level 40 before I head underground.

I'm not leveling Cid, though; He's staying dead in the back row. I'm going to lose him for good as soon as I go down the hole, so I don't have any reason to keep leveling him up.

Stats:
Cecil: Lv 42
Kain: Lv 36
Yang: Lv 40
Rosa: Lv 32
Cid: Lv 37
Total Gil: 36905
Playtime: 16:29

Progress for July 23, 2008 - FF IV

I'm about ready to head into the Tower of Zot. Eblan is just as hard as I remember it, if not more so. I almost died in every single battle with the treasure monsters. What sadistic bastard programmed those things? Crimeny.

Progress for July 22, 2008 - FF IV

This game freaking rocks!
I loved the original, but now with full 3D characters and pre-rendered cutscenes, as well as the top notch voice acting, it just pushes it over the line from sweet to fucking awesome!
One major difference in the gameplay from the original is the higher amount of level grinding you need early on in the game. In the original for the SNES, you could blow through the beginning all the way to antlion's nest without having to stop. In the DS version, I had to grind for like 8 levels outside of Kaipo to ensure Rydia wasn't getting her ass handed to her at the start of every battle.

As for the scene in Damcyan, Tellah still calls Edward a "spoony bard.

Right now, I'm at the base of Mt. Ordeals, and I'm planning to continue through the night until I pass out. Then I'll get some sleep, wake up, and play some more. Yay!

A special announcement

That is all.

Progress for July 20, 2008 - Hotel Dusk

No update yesterday? Crimeny, can't a guy take a break?! I watched a bunch of movies; the full Saw series, King Kong, and Batman Begins over the last 2 days. Didn't have much time for games.

But, I got to the end of chapter 2. The plot continues to thicken, and the interrogations become more heated.. I've pissed off Dunning a lot in my curiosity and keep having to reload the game. Uptight bastard.

Progress for July 18, 2008 - Hotel Dusk

Now we're in business! Ghosts, rooms that grant wishes, mute girls living with hot cleaning ladies. Crowbars. I got my first game over; I didn't even know it was possible in this kind of game, but I guess it is. Dunning caught me lifting up his filing cabinet to get the note out from under it.
Luckily I'd saved right after I entered the room. Time to try again!

Progress for July 17, 2008 - Hotel Dusk

I started a new game for, I suppose the third time. But this time I actually played the game and read the story. I solved Melissa's puzzle, and I just now interrogated the bellhop about his past. So far, I'm stuck trying to pick the lock of the suitcase. I'm hoping there's a bolt-cutter in the packages I can use to "borrow" the coat hanger from the corner of the room.

Progress for July 16, 2008 - Diablo II

I finally killed that bastard Duriel. Barbarians, Necromancers, Amazons, whatever I threw at him in the past, he annihilated. But he was no match for my Assassin. I had her dual-weilding socketed Cestuses with Perfect Emeralds and Perfect Skulls in them, treating me to a large amount of refilled Health and Mana whenever I attack. Also, I used her Python Strike with reckless abandon to continually refill my meters. Despite this, he cost me three full rejuvenation potions. Oh well. That's what they're for.

Progress for July 15, 2008 - Diablo II

I played a few hours of Diablo II. My Assassin, Krensalia, finished assembling the Horadric Staff and accessed the Arcane Sanctuary waypoint.

Inventory management is beginning to be a bitch. I have so many charms, It's impossible to hold them all and have any room left for any spoils of war. I need to decide which to get rid of. And soon.

Fifty-Three Games

Over the years, I have developed a large backlog of games that I own, but for one reason or another, have never beaten. Some of these are games that I started playing and got bored with, or simply lost interest.
However, I have always been taught to waste not/want not. So until I beat these 53 games, I will not purchase another system. It is helpful that there is nothing spectacular planned for release over the next few months, but I need a project to keep me motivated. So that is where you, the reader, come in. I will post videos and progress reports as I play, and I want my readers to keep me motivated. Many of these games are considered masterpieces and must-plays among the gaming community, whereas a few others are just cool games I've been wanting to play.

Is this a pipe dream? Maybe. Honestly, who the hell cares about what some random guy from Southern California wants to do with his time? But I'll try to keep this project going.

Here are the games, separated by system, in no particular order:

Super Nintendo Entertainment System:

• Chrono Trigger - Regarded by many as the best RPG for the SNES, and possibly the best RPG ever. (COMPLETED ON APR 20, 2009)
  
• Final Fantasy VI - Ditto.
• Breath of Fire - I like dragons. (COMPLETED ON SEPT 17, 2010)
  
• Breath of Fire II - Ditto.

Nintendo 64:

• Paper Mario - This spiritual successor to Mario RPG is loved by many for its anarchic sense of humor (COMPLETED ON DEC, 15, 2008)
• Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Transformation and time travel. What's not to love? (COMPLETED ON MAR 9, 2010)
  

Nintendo Gamecube:

• Pikmin 2 - Even better than the first simply because they got rid of the running timer.
  
• Viewtiful Joe - Renowned for its fluid action gameplay and intriguing art style.
• Ultimate Spider-Man - I'm a big fan of Spider-Man, and this was one of the better versions that actually let you play as him in a free-roaming environment. (removed)
  
• Super Mario Sunshine - The true sequel to Super Mario 64, though criticized for its considerably higher level of challenge.
• Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - Zelda on the Gamecube. Need I say more?
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - Loved for its fourth-wall-breaking and mind-bending presentation. (COMPLETED ON JAN 21, 2011)
• Metroid Prime - Samus's first foray into first person was a thing of beauty.
• Metroid Prime II: Echoes - Sequel to the first. As a Metroid fan, it's a must-play.
• Tales of Symphonia - The only Gamecube RPG on my list. I like Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicom, And the gameplay style is refreshingly different from other turn-based RPGs.

PC:

• Doom III - People seem to like it (removed)
  
• Diablo II - I loved the original when I owned it for the playstation, but I still have never gotten past that bastard Duriel. (COMPLETED ON JUL 12, 2010)
• Half Life 2 - Sequel to what many call the absolute greatest PC game of all time (COMPLETED ON NOV 30, 2009)
  
• Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb - This was a gift to me from a friend at a Christmas party. I figure I owe it to him to play through it.
• Left 4 Dead - I bought this on Steam when it was on sale, but realized I can't even run it on my computer. D'oh!
  
• Starcraft - Not a big fan of RTS games, but I'll try my best.
• Warcraft III - Ditto.

Sony Playstation:

• Xenogears - I started it a long time ago when it first came out. I loved the combo-based battle system, but never finished it.
• Final Fantasy VIII - I didn't really like the tedious draw system, but a lot of people love the story.
• Final Fantasy IX - Criticized for being too stylized, but it was Hironobu Sakaguchi's favorite of the series. And that's saying something.
• Legend of Dragoon - People that turn into dragons? What's not to love?
• Jade Cocoon - I bought it for its more adult take on the pokemon style of gameplay, but never got too far in it.
• Chrono Cross - Beloved sequel to the greatest RPG ever. A friend of mine roleplays as a character from this, so I figured I should see what all the fuss is about.
• Breath of Fire III - Dragons! Yay!

Sony Playstation 2:

• Guitar Hero 2 - I beat the career mode, but I suppose 100% completion would be to unlock all guitars and outfits.
  
• Kingdom Hearts - People freaking love this Disney/Square crossover. I liked what I've played of it, but my interests later drifted.
• Gun - I found it in a bargain bin and played through 2/3 of it in a single night. I should finish it. (COMPLETED ON AUG 17, 2009)
  
• Resident Evil 4 - The critical re-imagining of the series was critically acclaimed.
• 24: The Game - I loved the TV show. I found the game used for cheap a few years after I forgot I wanted it. (COMPLETED ON FEB 4, 2009)
  
• Dragon Rage - Dragons! This game was a gift from a friend, so I figured I owe it to him to finish it.
  
• Okami - I got it at release but simply stopped playing at a certain point. Why? (COMPLETED ON JAN 8, 2010)
  
• Ico - I beat Shadow of the Colossus, but never the spiritual predecessor.
• Kill.Switch - I seeked this out for the innovative cover system. I'm not usually a fan of shooter games like this, but I liked how it played. (COMPLETED ON AUG 12, 2009)
  
• God of War - Greatest. Action. Game. Ever. (Yeah, right. Completed July 19, 2011)
  
• God of War II - Sequel. To. Greatest. Action. Game. Ever.

Wii:

• Zack and Wiki: The Quest for Barbaros' Treasure - I sometimes find this game insulting when it kills you for just being curious, but I will not let it beat me!
• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - So far the only Metroid game on the Wii (At the time of this writing)
  
• Lego Star Wars - So far, I've only played this with my friend in party situations.
• Manhunt 2 - Rockstar's dark DARK wii game. I haven't even popped this in yet.
• Bully: Scholarship Edition - Rockstar goes to school. Haven't popped this in yet either.
• Super Mario Galaxy - I have gotten 3/4 of all the stars and beaten it with Luigi. Now I just need to get the last 61 stars and I'll be able to finally call it quits.(COMPLETED ON MAR, 30, 2008)
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Zelda on the Wii. Yeah. (COMPLETED ON Jan 21, 2011)

Nintendo DS:

• Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - Damn I have a lot of Zelda games on this list
• Pokemon Diamond - My girlfriend loves it, My friends love it. I got 4 badges and then... stopped.
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - I loved what I played of it, and then... stopped.
• Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - I've heard it's a good game with a freaky art style. (removed)
  
• Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - The best puzzle RPG ever made. Well... technically the only one... but still. (COMPLETED ON NOV, 29, 2008)
  
• Final Fantasy IV DS - I loved FFIV for the SNES. I'll start playing this once it comes out.(COMPLETED ON AUG 17, 2008)
• Metroid Prime Hunters -Hopefully I can get over the uncomfortable controls to get through 1-player mode so I can play online with all the hunters. (COMPLETED ON AUG 28, 2008)

XBox 360

• Assassin's Creed - Parkour style gameplay set in the holyland. (COMPLETED JUN 22, 2011)
  
• BioShock - Game of the year 2007. (Completed April 27, 2010)