Grandia

[Rimmie]

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGHHH!!!!

It just took me an hour and a half to lose to the end boss. I remember starting somewhere around 7, and I don't remember the hour of 8. It's now 9:32.

I've beaten it before, but dang... I don't remember exactly how many times I would've had to beat the first boss, and it's safe to say that that one took me at least an hour, before I learned how the second one works. Then having to lose various times to that one.

Man...

[DragonmasterDan]

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGHHH!!!!

It just took me an hour and a half to lose to the end boss. I remember starting somewhere around 7, and I don't remember the hour of 8. It's now 9:32.

I've beaten it before, but dang... I don't remember exactly how many times I would've had to beat the first boss, and it's safe to say that that one took me at least an hour, before I learned how the second one works. Then having to lose various times to that one.

Man...

Yeah, that last battle can be frusturating, I have a save at the end and maybe 1 in four times I've tried to redo the ending I've been killed. It's a tough, tough battle. I'm guessing you're somewhat under leveled?

[Maiku]

I remember playing Grandia as a demo for the PS1. It was fun too.

I still have a DreamCast O.O
With Grandia II also and I STILL haven't beaten it
The end boss is too hard

[Rimmie]

Didn't mean to let this die.. Oh well.

It says "Over 80 hours of gameplay" on the back of the case, but I've been playing for just over 50 and my guys are at level 37 at most. Justin doesn't even have enough mp for the one level 3 spell he has, and Rapp knows only a fire spell or two. I didn't know how to work Mana eggs, so that's probably it right there. -_o

[DragonmasterDan]

Didn't mean to let this die.. Oh well.

It says "Over 80 hours of gameplay" on the back of the case, but I've been playing for just over 50 and my guys are at level 37 at most. Justin doesn't even have enough mp for the one level 3 spell he has, and Rapp knows only a fire spell or two. I didn't know how to work Mana eggs, so that's probably it right there. -_o

Outside of Dragon Quest VII (Dragon Warrior VII US) I know of very few games with anything near 80 hours of gameplay. Those estimates in game advertising and packaging are always amusing. I remember when Xenogears and Saga Frontier (the package says 140 hours of gameplay) came out for PSone both games advertised some astronomical amount of gameplay, I think my final time for both titles was around 40ish hours each.

[Agawa]

Didn't mean to let this die.. Oh well.

It says "Over 80 hours of gameplay" on the back of the case, but I've been playing for just over 50 and my guys are at level 37 at most. Justin doesn't even have enough mp for the one level 3 spell he has, and Rapp knows only a fire spell or two. I didn't know how to work Mana eggs, so that's probably it right there. -_o

Grandia took me over 80 hours of gameplay, but I'm a very thourough player, and I usually take longer than most people. That does seem a high estimation. As for magic, if I remember correctly, magic is levelled up by two things:
a) using a combination of the right weapons (Variability is the key here. *Don't* just use axes, or just use swords - switch up, or you'll have a hard time leveling your magic and abilities!)
b) using magic on the battlefield - so the next dungeon you get to that has a save/heal point on it should be where you stop, and *only* attack with magic for awhile to level. Just make sure you can regenerate your points!

There's also a menu option that allows you to look at the skills and magic (I think it's both?) that you're learning, and shows you what you'll need to level. Use it!

Finally, check everywhere in a dungeon, since you need all the mana eggs you can get.

[Silver Phoenix]

Hah, octopussoises! I have the import Grandia for the Saturn (and Digital Museum) and I played for over 100 hours with no knowledge of Japanese whatsoever. Now that was damn hard! I don't recall the end boss being that difficult as long as your characters are protected and you use the proper attacks. None of which I knew the names of, just trial and error and remembering what does what. If I went to play it now I'd be pretty clueless as to what most things do. I think you may need to build some more levels as 37 may be a bit too low. I didn't find Grandia II to be as hard of a game, probably because it was in English! There were some difficult areas but I thought the end boss was simple. A really gorgeous game. I never played Grandia III but from most accounts it didn't seem to be a very good game sadly. I hate when a good series turns to crap.

I always wanted a great sequel to Skies of Arcadia and that never came either.

[GhaleonOne]

A really gorgeous game. I never played Grandia III but from most accounts it didn't seem to be a very good game sadly. I hate when a good series turns to crap.

Actually, I really liked Grandia III. It wasn't an amazing game, but it was still fun, and while I thought it should have been longer, it did have a good story IMO. Battle system as always is good in any Grandia game.

I always wanted a great sequel to Skies of Arcadia and that never came either.

I second that motion.

[Silver Phoenix]

Hmmm, maybe I should give Grandia III a try. I think it's only like $20 now anyway. I have too many games to play right now that I haven't even started or finished, and I'm trying to track down a Wii to buy but they're never in stock. I probably shouldn't be buying another system when I have so many games to play through. I barely touched Okami. I still don't know if I should buy the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess or get it for the Wii eventhough I don't have the system yet. Dilemma!

[Kizyr]

I still don't know if I should buy the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess or get it for the Wii eventhough I don't have the system yet. Dilemma!

Well, if you're going to get a Wii eventually, then I'd say to hold off on it.

Unless you're a huge Zelda fan, in which case you may as well buy both.

I mean, I bought Lunar Legend when I didn't even have a GBA.

Hah, octopussoises! I have the import Grandia for the Saturn (and Digital Museum) and I played for over 100 hours with no knowledge of Japanese whatsoever. Now that was damn hard!

I still have Grandia I and II for Saturn... and both are still on a backlog of games. After Tales of Destiny, which also comes after all the Lunar games over again.

...I'll get back to you with my opinions on it sometime in 2010... KF

[Agawa]

Actually, I really liked Grandia III. It wasn't an amazing game, but it was still fun, and while I thought it should have been longer, it did have a good story IMO. Battle system as always is good in any Grandia game.

.

In that case, I should probably pick it up while it's still cheap and common. I'm still slogging through Grandia II, due to what seems like an interesting plot and characters, but with horrible horrible game speed. Running in the PS2 port of that game feels like slogging through molasses, and it doesn't help that the graphics were, in my opinion, a definitive step back from Grandia's. I mean, they were 3d, but they sure as heck were ugly.


... I remember the final boss of Grandia being fairly easy, but the game did like to freeze there, in more copies than mine. Which wasn't fun. Some of the earlier bosses were bloody difficult though, like the three sergeants.

[Silver Phoenix]

Kiz, I think you're referring to Grandia II for the Dreamcast (or PS2) because only Grandia and Grandia Digital Museum were released for the Saturn. I would love to see a remake of the first Grandia because that game is fukkin gorgeous and it would be nice to play through the game and fully understand the events taking place. There's no way in hell I'd touch the PS port.

[Alunissage]

I still don't know if I should buy the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess or get it for the Wii eventhough I don't have the system yet. Dilemma!

Well, if you're going to get a Wii eventually, then I'd say to hold off on it.

Unless you're a huge Zelda fan, in which case you may as well buy both.

I bought both but haven't played the GC one because I loaned it to my sister immediately (she just finished it). But frankly, if I still had it in the house I might consider starting over on the GC version because I don't like the controls much on the Wii. I'm still really close to the beginning and don't have any interesting items at all, though, and apparently aiming the later items is where the Wii controls really shine. But I personally don't see any reason to wait on the Wii version if you don't expect to get the system in the near future. It's not like you can't play the GC version on the Wii.

[Kizyr]

Kiz, I think you're referring to Grandia II for the Dreamcast (or PS2) because only Grandia and Grandia Digital Museum were released for the Saturn.

Not quite. I got confused about what sequels I had in general.

I have Sakura Wars I and II for the Saturn, that's what I was thinking of. I only have the first Grandia. All three of those games are on my backlog--though I've already played a bit of the first Sakura Wars. I don't have a Dreamcast, otherwise I probably would have Grandia II (as well as Skies of Arcadia). KF

[Silver Phoenix]

Kiz, no biggie. I bought Shenmue II for Dreamcast and didn't get very far into it because of backlogging.

Alun, it seems that you are in the same boat with me as far as the controls are concerned. I wasn't sure if I would like using the Wiimote to play Twilight Princess so I wasn't sure which system I would buy the game for. I assume you can just use the Gamecube controller to play the Wii version right? I haven't had the chance to try any Wii games so I don't know how I'll respond to the Wiimote.

[GhaleonOne]

I haven't tried it, but I'm not so sure you can use the GameCube controller for the Wii version of Zelda.

Personally, I give a nod to the wiimote in Zelda. It's hard to get used to with aiming at first, but once you get later in the game, it becomes fairly second nature. The only thing that always gave me trouble was shooting arrows while riding the horse. I never did get that good at that.

[Alunissage]

As far as I know, you can't use the GC controller with the Wii game; otherwise I would have been doing that. I just don't like shaking the remote to swing the sword. It doesn't require a big movement at all, but I still hear my wrist cracking as I do it. And I have to say that the association of pressing a button to swing a sword is far more strongly embedded in my mind than that of swinging something to swing a sword; while on horseback I kept pressing the button by mistake (and whipping the poor horse) because with all the stuff going on onscreen I reverted to the control I expected. Also, using your other hand to do the charge/spin attack just seems kind of nutty to me. Again, though, all this might be easier with more gameplay time.

[DevNall]

I haven't tried it, but I'm not so sure you can use the GameCube controller for the Wii version of Zelda.

I have not tried, but that's the word -- GC controller only works on GC version. (Does anyone know if there are any other interesting differences, besides the world apparently being flipped?)

The only thing that always gave me trouble was shooting arrows while riding the horse. I never did get that good at that.

Enjoy escorting the cart?

[GhaleonOne]

Enjoy escorting the cart?

That part gave me some trouble, but ironically, even while it was hard to get the system down, it was rather enjoyable. I liked the little scenario's like that that were in the game.

[Silver Phoenix]

I think I'm going to buy the Gamecube version. My friend brought over his Wii that he just bought on Sunday and I played Twilight Princess and Elebits.

My wrist was uncomfortable holding the remote while playing TP and it just seems like carpal tunnel in the making. Also, it didn't seem as though the controls for this game are as tweaked as they should be while using the remote and nunchuck. I couldn't fish worth a damn, and why does Link swim like a one-armed retard? No offense to one-armed retards out there. I feel as though it would be a much more comfortable experience with a Gamecube controller in my hands. I really find it hard to swallow playing a system that relies on a nunchuck and remote controller for all of it's games. Perhaps the classic controller is going to become more important but I just don't know if I will acclimate as well as I should to using the Wiimote setup. I guess Nintendo's next innovation will be their psychic link controller that plugs into your head and your thoughts perform the actions.