Day 152: Aggravation

I am getting closer to finishing Tomb Raider.  I can't wait to be done with it, because I don't really like not being able to use the analog sticks for controller characters.  Especially when you spending the majority of the game running from place to place.  Using the directional buttons is just stupid.  Granted, controllers probably didn't have analog sticks back when the game came out, so I guess it's understandable.  That still doesn't mean I have to like it.

Anyway, I finished Palace Midas.  It took more than one hour, and I only found one secret.  At this point, I just want to finish the game.  As I look back on my previous attempts at playing Tomb Raider, I don't remember what comes after the part that I am currently at.  This is usually where I stop playing the game.  Before I would get bored with it, or aggravated that I have so much trouble get to the end of this level.  Either way, once I pass this point, I am playing blind.  And that is something I don't want to do.  With just over thirty days left in this challenge, I want to finish as many games as possible.  I had actually planned on starting a playthrough of a Final Fantasy game on December 1, 2013.  But I am not sure I will be able to juggle both Tomb Raider and a Final Fantasy game at the same time.

Well, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 150 and 151: Turkey Day and Confusion?

I spent a nice, quiet day at home today.  Gaming was not something I did a lot of today, as I had a couple things I had to that took priority.  The first being to type up the article for the interview I made for EnixOrigin's main site.  The other being a project of making banner images for TFF.  But it wasn't all work and no play.  I did some gaming.

I played the Command Board in Birth By Sleep.  I have played quite a few games of it, and I still haven't won once.  After that, I started the bit over on Snow White's planet.

I just realized that I never posted an entry yesterday.  I know why now.  I was sleeping through most of it after I got home from work.  I didn't play anything that day anyway.  I mean, I slept until my brother came home from his job, and then I went back to sleep and didn't wake up until much later.  I was just super tired.  I'm sorry.  I know I've gone a couple days without posting before, but I normally make it a point to remember to mention it or write it down so I don't forget.

I blame this cold weather.  It has me thinking wonky.  Well, before I forget to save this, I'll just end it now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 149: Wrapped up in blankets and playing all day!

Today I completed the second chapter of the Wasteland Survival Guide in Fallout 3.  And while I was working on that, I escorted that Cherry character to Rivet City.  The weird thing was, when I went back to Dukov's Place, she was there.  How did she get there before I did?  I mean, yeah, I walked the entire way back.  But if she was so adamant about going to Rivet City, why did she go back to Dukov's?  Oh well.  I read that she is possibly needed for a quest.  I just completed that one part before the actual quest began.

And then in Birth By Sleep, I completed the Cinderella world.  Actually, I should say completed it.  After all, I will probably be going back there at some time.  Anyway, I defeated the boss that was controlling the instruments.  And now I am in outer space waiting to go to the next world.

I also practiced some today for the osu! Tournament.  The registration deadline has been shortened due to the amount of participants.  So, if you are still considering joining, you have until November 30, 2013 to enter.  There are now 100 players in the Expert tournament, which is why the deadline has been moved up.  Both the Beginner and Intermediate Tournament don't even have 1/10th that amount.  Anyway, I need to start practicing more each day if I am going to have any sort of chance.

Well, that's all from me.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 148: Writing in places other than here?

Unfortunately, I didn't play video games much today.  I did do something gaming related though, and that's what this entry will focus on.  But first, the actual gaming I did takes priority.

I played Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep today.  But, only for about ten minutes.  Enough time to enter Cinderella's world, watch the cutscene, fight a few Unversed, and then Save the Game.  I liked what I played.  That should count for something, right?

Anyway, the main thing I did today was write an article reviewing one of the new songs that is featured in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.  The full article can be read by going over to http://www.enixorigin.com, where I am the newest site staff member.  I got the acceptance shortly after midnight this morning (I was awake until 3am this morning).  Anyway, I wanted to start off with writing for the site on the right foot, so I spent several hours writing and re-writing the article.  It's only been public for a couple hours.

More importantly, here's the link for you to go and read it! http://www.enixorigin.com/new-lightning-returns-song/

Well, that's all for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 147: Do you want a game?

So over on TFF, they are running a contest for a free iOS copy of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.  Here's a bit about the contest for all those interested.

Courtesy of Square Enix Community and the fine team over at Square Enix DLG, we've got a free copy of FINAL FANTASY IV: The After Years for iOS at our disposal to give away upon launch later this month! For details and rules of entry, check below the jump.

 

Though FINAL FANTASY IV: The After Years has graced the Wii eShop (episodic, 2009) and the PSP (April 2011, as part of FINAL FANTASY IV: The Complete Collection) platforms already, it has yet to see a mobile release outside of Japan. This updated release will feature the same 3D style as FINAL FANTASY IV on the DS, repurposed for the iOS and Android platforms.
In order to win your copy of The After Years on iOS, all you need to do is post in this thread telling us two things:

• What is your favorite thing about FINAL FANTASY IV?
• What do you feel gives this game a replayability factor?You are welcome to carry on conversation on these points, but both must be addressed in your first post in order to qualify.
The winner of the prize will be drawn at random out of qualifying entrants. The drawing will be streamed live via twitch.tv sometime shortly after the conclusion of the entry period (further details and livestream time to be determined post-contest). Qualifying posts will be counted until 23:59 29 November 2013, Pacific Standard Time.

Please keep in mind that the prize is only for the iOS version of the software. At this time, no Android version will be available as a prize. If you wish to participate in discussion but cannot utilize the reward, please note in your first post that you will be unable to receive the prize.

OFFICIAL RULES: No purchase necessary to enter. Only one entry allowed per user. Users may post multiple times in the interest of conversation, but only receive one entry. Users found manipulating the giveaway via multiple accounts will have all accounts disqualified, and duplicate accounts deleted as per forum regulations.

Anyway, the time for entering the contest is quickly coming to a close.  To enter, click here.  And really, this is a great opportunity to get a game for free.  It's not every day that Final Fantasy games are offered for free.  If any of my readers win, be sure to leave a comment telling me if you like the game or not.  I don't have any way to play the game, so I'm missing out.

Moving on...

I played Fallout 3 all day today.  I completed a lot of sidequests, and got my character up to Level 7 (or was it 6, maybe 8).  All of his skills are at least 25 or more.  The last thing I did was complete the Big Trouble in Big Town quest.  I think after I post this entry I may go back to playing Fallout 3.

So, it looks like Korea will be taking on the United Kingdom and Taiwan is up against Poland in the semi-finals of the 2013 Osu! World Cup.  The quarter-final matches were so great to watch!

Well, that's all from me for now.  Remember to enter that contest!  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 146: A Terra-ble time.

The game that kept my interest today was Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.  I was working on the Sleeping Beauty world today.  The battles are very fast-paced.  I had some trouble at first with using the directional buttons to change what special attacks and spells I wanted to use.  I sometimes used Potions when I didn't need to.  Other than that, it was fine.  I like the sticker book, and how you can meld two abilities together to make a whole new ability.

I guess the story is okay, too.  I am still getting acquainted with people that aren't Sora, so everything seems like it's not a Kingdom Hearts game.  It just feels weird, playing as Terra.

I also played some Fallout 3 today.  I am working on a few side quests to gain experience and raise my Level.  Right now, I am at Level 4, and I just finished the quest at Arefu.

And I practiced some more for the Osu! tournament.  There are now 5 players in my category, so the pressure to do well is increasing.  There's still more than two weeks before sign-ups close, so feel free to join!

Well, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 145: To Bomb or not to Bomb

One of the biggest decisions I always have trouble with when I play Fallout 3 is to either blow up Megaton, or keep it safe.  Normally I go for saving the city, but I always wonder what if I were to be mean and blow it all up.  My moral compass is just so strong that I can't do it.  I guess the descriptions online will suffice.

Anyway, I didn't get around to playing Final Fantasy IX today; because I was playing Fallout 3 and Dissidia Duodecim Final Fantasy.  I am having a slow time of Fallout 3, because I have about 30 pounds of extra weight I'm carrying.  I want to sell some of it, but the store isn't open yet.  And I can do things before it opens to help reduce the amount.  I have a lot of scrap metal I can give to Walter now that I finished fixing the leaking pipes.

And in Duodecim, I began journeying as Vaan.  I learned that I shouldn't go up against the Kuja Maniken after I have already fought 4 battles in a 5-battle chain.  I will lose, every time.  I like battling as Vaan way more than Lightning.  Maybe because I have spent hundreds of hours playing as Vaan in Final Fantasy XII, compared to the tens as Lightning.  Anyway, I really like how it's giving a different viewpoint as well as the one I'm fighting as.  And how some of the characters are on a different side than in the first game is neat as well.  Especially with Cloud and Terra.  Well, maybe Terra, I don't know about her.

The new monthly competition in Osu! has started.  I have gone through all 6 maps for osu!mania, and I am currently in 12th Place after only one full run of the maps.  And I didn't know about this until a couple days ago, but there is a leader board for those who gained the most points on maps.  And I am on it!  I currently rank #708 in highest score.  I am still practicing for the tournament, but I have taken a little break on the tournament maps for right now.  I don't want to become bored with them.

Tomorrow I am going to make another attempt at playing Final Fantasy IX.  But since the osu! World Cup is having matches tomorrow (Top 8), I will be watching that as well.  And with that, we have come to the end of another entry.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 144: Duodecim initial thoughts

The only gaming I did today was when I was waiting today.  Waiting for the newspapers to show up.  Waiting for someone to come to the office so I could get my check.  Just waiting.  And the game I played while I was doing all this waiting was Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.  This entry will about my thoughts on what I've played so far.

I like how there's a World Map.  I don't like having to play as Lightning.  I like the Assist thing they added to the game.  I don't like how Kain is a stupid jerk face and attacked Bartz.  I like how I don't get punished for going after every treasure chest.

And that's pretty much it.  I am stuck at the battle against Kain.  He's so tough, and Lightning is so weak.  Why couldn't I play as someone else instead of stupid Lightning.  Just because she's the mascot of the franchise right now, I shouldn't be forced to play as her in every game.

In other news, I am seriously considering pre-ordering Lightning Returns.  And the HD version of Final Fantasy X/X-2.  Yes, I have already have the PS2 versions of X and X-2, but it would still be nice to have this new version.  I want to finally experience the Dark Aeons and Final Mission and stuff the North American audience didn't get to see.  And getting Lightning Returns just makes sense because I have the first two games.  Why not complete the collection?

I have a wireless mouse now for my computer.  I will be getting used to it in preparation for the Osu! tournament.  And it will take a lot of getting used to.  It's smaller than my old mouse.  But I have a few weeks yet before the tournament, so there's plenty of time.  And if it doesn't work out, I always have my other mouse.

Well, that's all for this entry.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Days 142 and 143: Slumber

I had planned on post an entry yesterday, but I fell asleep.  I guess all the weirdness in my sleep pattern finally caught up with me, and conked out on the couch by the fire.  And then when I woke up, it was 7am and I just said that I'd just post one this evening to make up for it.

So, yesterday I worked some more on Tomb Raider, I am at Midas Palace right now.  I have one of the lead bars needed to progress to the next area.  I hate this area, because I always get lost.  I remember back when I first reached this area, I found it so funny to stand up on Midas' hand, and be turned to gold.  The sad thing is, I thought that first time it happened that I was meant to stand on the hand.  And I learned quickly that I was not supposed to do that.

I also sent a message to the Osu! tournament organizer about my recent rank improvement.  And I am clear to compete in the Beginner Tournament despite having a rank that would qualify me in the Advanced Tournament.  This is great, because I'd have no chance at all if I had to compete at the Advanced level.  I haven't had any training sessions with my training partner at all this week.  And now that there are 4 players competing in the Beginner Tournament, there's going to be more pressure in playing well.  Anyway, the deadline for signing up is still December 8, 2013; so there's a chance to have even more people join.

Now for today.  Today I started yet another Fallout 3 Game file.  I am horrible with keeping up a single file of Bethesda games.  They are just so good at the beginning when I am making my character how I want it to be, but then actually going forth into the world with the character is not something I feel like doing.  So, I need to be committed with my choices and finish the main story of this game.

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, I had to go online and look up information on Wild Artefact locations, because I couldn't advance.  But now I have gotten a different timeline for Academia.  And then I mastered all of the Brain Blast questions...with some help.  The questions were mostly easy for me to answer.  I didn't like the "Red or Black" and "Odd or Even" questions.  And how was I supposed to know about some obscure person in a time that I haven't learned about.  I think the game was expecting you to do these things multiple times to get all of the correct answers.  Well, I had no time for that, and so I looked online for the answers to some of them.

I cleared another stage of the chapter in Dissidia Final Fantasy after Cosmos "dies".  It took some luck (well, a lot of luck), but I am now at the stage where there is an boss enemy and the insignia.  It's the boss that comes after Kefka.  I haven't scanned the area yet to see how it is.  But I do know that there are three enemies blocking me from even advancing two squares.

Well, that's all for this double day entry.  So, for the coming day(s), enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 141: It's Zi-dawn, not Zi-day-ne.

Today I played a bit of Dissidia Final Fantasy.  While I was at Grandma's, I worked on completing Zidane's Odyssey.  And I am now almost finished with it.  Zidane is one of my favorite characters among all of the characters I've come across in video games.  And his portion of this game is very nice.

I also reached Nipton in Fallout: New Vegas, and I am now Level 6.  I was so surprised when I saw people hanging on the crosses.  Now, I am on the road to Novak.  I recently was in a gun fight with a few gang members, and I managed to deal with them with a single shotgun.  My only problem right now is that I have too much stuff.  I am carrying 302 pounds of stuff, and I can only hold 200.

Finally, I managed to complete the Coliseum portion of Tomb Raider.  It took nearly 40 minutes.  Now, I am at the area where the statue of King Midas is.

Well, that's all for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 140: I Mojave good day!

The one game I played today was Fallout: New Vegas.  And I was starting to have bad memories flash in my mind while playing.  You see, I grew up in Arizona.  And gila monsters were a common sight when I was little.  I was so afraid of them.  Though they are slow and I was never bitten by one, I never really got over it.  Moving to Ohio allowed me to bury this fear.

But now there are creatures in the game that remind me of those days.  And on top of that, they are much bigger, and chase me at high speeds.  Surprisingly, killing the monsters in the game doesn't help.  The only reason I don't just run away from them in the game is because I get experience points.  Doing that in real life won't work, because they are a protected species.

Oh well.  I will just have to deal with it.

It has been suggested to do away with the tournament I am in for Osu!.  Someone said that it would be boring if there is only two people entered.  Registration for the tournament ends on December 8, 2013, and someone is already suggesting to get rid of my category!  So, I responded, saying that instead of trying to get rid of it, the person should use their pull to help advertise and get more people to join.  So far, there hasn't been any response from that person.  But just so you know, the person who suggested it was just another contestant in the tournament (Expert League).

It's people like that show I can't stand.  They think that just because they are so good at something, then other people shouldn't even be given a chance to do it as well.  So what if there are only two people in my category.  That person is probably just afraid of losing against one of the nearly 80 players in his league, that he wants more prizes to be given out for his league.

The prizes are something I haven't mentioned yet.  Well, the winner of the Beginner League gets one month of supporter status, which is so cool!  Faster beatmap downloading times and a special tag for the user.  And for the Expert League, the person who comes in last place gets supporter status as well.

Anyway, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 139: Raiding Again

I have made it to the Coliseum in Tomb Raider.  I am almost to the point in the game where I have always become bored with the game and just stopped playing.  But I haven't gotten to the part yet, and I hope I can power through it and finish the game.  I don't even know how long this game is.

Anyway, I had to stop playing because I change the brightness of my screen I have connected to the PS2.  Before I continue playing, I will switch it over to one of the other TVs in the house.  We have nine television sets in the house, but only four get used on a somewhat regular basis.  One of the things you deal with when you live in a house that at one time had five people living in it, and now only two people live there.

In other news, I think I will have to get a new mouse for my computer.  Especially if I am going to have as good a chance at competing in any Osu! tournaments.  My mouse has been acting as if it's not connected all the time, and sometimes will stop scrolling and stuff.  When I play, it will drop the track and make me lose the combo.  I have tried pressing the button harder, thinking that may help, but it isn't.

If I am going to get a new mouse, I will have to do it soon.  That way it will give me enough time to get used to it before the tournament.

Well, that's about it for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 138: Raiding Tombs

I began playing Tomb Raider today.  It is just how I remembered playing it back when I bought it.  It was one of the first games that I bought myself.  I've had it for so long, and yet I never finished it.  Back then, I didn't see the appeal to it, and I found it to be boring.  Now, I still don't see what's so great about it.  Maybe it's just that you are playing as a woman?  Probably.

Anyway, I have gotten through the first two areas.  I know, it's not much, but it's a start.  I didn't want to get bored of the game and not finish it again, so I am pacing myself.  A level or two each day should fine.

And then throughout the day I practiced for the Osu! tournament.  I am slowly getting better at the maps.  If I can just raise the consistency with my scores, I will have a good chance to win.  The advantage I have right now is that I rarely play with mods on.  Yeah, my scores are naturally lower because I don't make the maps more difficult, but most people always play with mods, and then that's the only way they can play.  They find normal play difficult, because everything is always super fast.  My training partner tends to play maps with double speed.  That's good for him overall, but the tournament doesn't allow mods.  That's where I'll excel.

The tournament itself has seen a lot of people applying to participate.  So far, there are 2 in Beginner League, 1 in Intermediate, 8 in Advanced, and 65 in Expert.  I still perform the newest maps to help get more performance points.  Though I technically don't have to, I may ask to be moved up to the Intermediate League because of my ranking.  However, that could prove to be bad, because it means I have to learn 15 new maps.  Maybe I won't.

Well, that's all for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 137: Another Day Off

I didn't get home from working until 2:30pm, and then after that I was asleep until after 7pm.  I didn't get any gaming done today.

However, I am planning on starting Tomb Raider tomorrow.  It is a game that I haven't ever finished, despite owning the game nearly ten years.

And that's about it for today.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 136: Fallout: New Vegas - Initial thoughts

Okay, so I started playing Fallout: New Vegas today.  It's okay so far.  I had to get rid of my save file of Ni No Kuni in order to start it, but I didn't feel bad because I hadn't played it in months.  Anyway, it is very orange.  I had to change the color of the status stuff on the bottom of the screen in order to make the game seem less orange.  I like the story so far.  I haven't met any children in the game, which was something you have thrown at you in Fallout 3.  And at the price I paid for it, it was a good deal.

I had another osu! training session today.  I am getting better.  Not much better, but better.  After that was over, I went and played some of the newest maps that were added just for fun.  And since they didn't have a lot of plays on them, I earned performance points and raised my rank.  So now, instead of #307,224, I am now ranked #207,211.  And it was because of a few songs.  I fully expect to lose what performance points I have when the songs I earned them on get played more.  I just wasn't expecting there to be a jump of this size.

The plan for tomorrow is to bring either my DS or PSP with me to work just in case I have nothing to do and have to wait for stuff.  Then once I get home, I will probably play something on a console.  Then in the evening, it will be more osu! tournament training.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 135: Counting Down...

After this entry, there will only be 49 days left in the year.  This also means that I only have 49 days to finish the challenge, or get as close to completion as possible.  Either way, it also means that this blog will be finished in 49 days.  And that's probably worse than not completing the challenge.

Anyway...

Today I continued the main storyline of Fallout 3.  I am now on my way to Rivet City, which is someplace I have never been to in my previous attempts at playing this game.

And I also completed a few more missions in Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core.  I haven't continued its main story in a few days now.

And finally, I had my first training session with a fellow participant in the Osu! Challengers Beginners League Tournament.  I learned that even if there are only two people in the Beginner's League, I will still have my work cut out for me if I am going to win.  During our training, I lost every time I think.  I may have won once.  I will have to keep practicing if I am going to win.

Well, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 134: They don't match! Go Fish!

Okay, let's say you buy a video game.  On your home, you are looking at the case and the manual (if it comes with a manual - stupid green initiative) and you are imagining the main character.  How he battles, walks, interacts with others.  But most importantly, the way he talks.  You finally get the game home and you turn it on.  The main character opens his mouth, and it is NOTHING like how you imagined it.

Well, that is how it is with me and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.  Zack's voice is nothing like how I imagined it.  I was expecting a deeper voice with some power to it.  And I got a boyish voice instead.  If I hadn't been sitting down, I probably would have fallen from the shock of disappointment.

Oh well, I guess I have to live with it.  I can't return a video game because the main character's voice doesn't match the way he looks.

I am entering an osu!standard tournament!  Here's a link with the information:

Osu! Challengers Tournament

Anyway, we really need more people to apply for participation, especially in the Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels.  There's also an Expert level, and there have been 26 entrants to sign up.  The level I am in (Beginner) only has two entrants, me and someone else.  So, please, sign up and play Osu! with us.

And with that, we have come to the end of this entry.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 133: A little bit of a lot

This will be a quick post because I didn't really play enough of any one game to go into a lot of detail about anything.

I played Fallout 3, but then the game randomly was sent back to the Home Screen.

I began Terra's story in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.  I am not sure I like the game, but I do like the mini game that reminds me of Fortune Street.

In Crisis Core, Zack fought a bunch of enemies from Wutai.

Oh, and I got my half-million GTA$ that they were giving out to every online player in October.

That's pretty much it.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 132: Connecting the Device

First, I will update you on the recent matches at the Osu! World Cup.

• Korea - 4 vs. Norway - 0
• Sweden - 4 vs. Phillipines - 3
• Latvia - 4 vs. New Zealand - 0
• Germany - 4 vs. Australia - 0
• China - 3 vs. Austria - 4
• Taiwan - 4 vs. Hong Kong - 0
• Japan - 4 vs. United Kingdom - 0
• Korea - 4 vs. France - 1
• Norway - 4 vs. Chile - 1
• Austria - 4 vs. Phillipines - 0
• Argentina - 4 vs. Singapore - 0
• Thailand - 4 vs. Netherlands - 1
• Hong Kong - 4 vs. Venezuela - 0
• Russia - 4 vs. Estonia - 0
• United States - 4 vs. Latvia - 1
• Brazil - 4 vs. Bulgaria - 0
• Poland - 4 vs. Finland - 0

I am really good at guessing who is going to win the matches.  So far, I have earned 1,950 points out of 2,500 in the little side game that goes along with the actual matches.  There were a few technical problems today that delayed some matches, and two were even postponed.  Anyway, if everything gets taken care of with the program, I expect another full day of matches to keep me entertained.

While I was waiting for the matches to start, I would play Dissidia Final Fantasy.  I managed to finish Cecil's, Tidus's, and Firion's Odysseys.  Rather than move on to one of the other characters' Odysseys, I felt brave and began to challenge the next stage of the game.  This is when Cosmos "dies" and the world becomes filled with darkness, and it is up to the heroes to save it (I think).  I mean, it doesn't seem like it was saved because there is a sequel.  But anyway, I chose to do Chapter 1 with Tidus.  His character is one I feel most comfortable with using in the battles compared to Firion, Cecil, and Cloud.

I finally figured out how to connect my PSP with PSN, so now I can download games for the PSP.  But you can be assured that I won't be buying any games for it.  Because then it adds even more to the list.  Speaking of which, my copy of Fallout: New Vegas should be here in the next few days.

Well, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 131: I hate you, Cecil! That's why I never finished your game!

My PSP arrived today in the mail.  And the first game I am playing with it is Dissidia: Final Fantasy.  I tried them all to make sure they work, but Dissidia is the one I was looking forward to playing the most after reading the manuals.  I have already finished the Cloud's bit of the story.  The difficulty was only 1-Star, and since I am new to the game I figured I'd start out simple.  And I didn't have any problems with it.  Even the battle against Sephiroth was easy.

And then I moved on to Cecil's story.  Though it is also a 1-Star difficulty, it feels like 6-Stars.  I have had nothing but difficult battles.  I gave up after fighting fake Sephiroth.  I tried over and over, which was really bad, because it lowers my Story Points for the level each time I retry.  In the end, I gave up and took a Destiny Point deduction, which totally killed the mood.  So I ended up not saving and have to do all of Cecil's story over, I think.  If you had been within 100 feet of my house, you probably would have heard me yelling something along the lines of "Cecil, I hate you!  You suck!  You're the reason I never finished Final Fantasy IV!  No one likes you!" or "Sephiroth you jerk!  Stop hitting me, you stupid meanie!  You are the reason why I never finished Final Fantasy VII!  I hope you die!"  You know, normal rage phrases like that.

As for the other games, I have played them all enough to get to the first Save Point.  Crisis Core seems fun, as does Dissidia 012 (and why wouldn't it).  Birth by Sleep I am not sure about.  That one will have to wait until I get further along in Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix before I take more of an interest right now.

In other gaming news, the Osu! World Cup started today.  I managed to watch every match except the first one, which was Taiwan against Indonesia.  Here's a rundown of the results so far:

Taiwan - 4 vs. Indonesia - 1

Poland - 4 vs. Russia - 0

Finland - 4 vs. Estonia - 0

Germany - 4 vs. Brazil - 1

United Kingdom - 4 vs. Belgium - 1

Argentina - 2 vs. Netherlands - 4

Indonesia - 4 vs. Venezuela - 0

Japan - 4 vs. Canada - 1

So far, there has been one upset; and that was where Argentina lost to the Netherlands.  As for the little betting game the game has going on, I currently have 600 of 800 points possible.  The United States doesn't play until tomorrow afternoon, and I am looking forward to watching the watch.  Until that time comes, I will be playing Dissidia and watching the other matches.  Well, that's all from me.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 130: What's the point if the player isn't here?

Because I am feeling really sore from work today, I will be copying and pasting a portion of my personal life blog here in this gaming blog.  It is on the subject of the PSP games I ordered.  But first, I will mention that I played a few more of the repetitive games in Atari Anthology.  I marked them off, and not the total is 49 games on the list that have been completed.

Anyway, here's the bulk of my day in the gaming I do.

So, I guess you can say that I called it. I received the PSP games today, but not the actual PSP. And not because it couldn't fit in the mailbox or something like that. No, it was sent to Proctorville, Ohio. I guess the seller put the wrong zip code on it, or wrote it so badly that the sorting machine sent it to the 45669 pile instead of the 45660 pile. Luckily, there is no Conaway Road or anything remotely close to it in Proctorville, Ohio. If there had been, I think I would be out $90 and some lucky person would have a slightly used PSP and copy of Birth by Sleep.

I was so worried that I called the Proctorville post office this afternoon. The postmaster there noticed it and said that it was on it's way and that he even noticed the package today. This made me feel so relieved. Now my PSP is back in Columbus being sorted once again. I really hope that this was simply a glitch with the postal service's sorting machine and not something caused by the seller. I won't hesitate to leave a less-than-perfect feedback if the seller used illegible handwriting.

So, I read the manuals of the two Dissidia games and Crisis Core instead of getting to play them today. They seem like a lot of fun in the manuals. I think I may break and watch more gameplay of it on YouTube. It really sucks having them in my possession and not be able to do anything with them.

Oh well. If I'm lucky, the PSP will be here tomorrow and I will have something else to play.

Well, that's all from me for today.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 129: Old School

I played about a dozen games on Atari Anthology today.  And since they were repetitive, I marked them off the list.  This brings the total of completed games to forty-two.  That's 13.2% of the list completed.

And then I also played Final Fantasy XIII-2 as well.  The story is still pretty confusing for me.  All the bouncing back and forth between the times isn't making it easy for me to know what's actually going on.  All I know is that Noel and Serah are Level 32 everything, and I have used the same three monsters for most of the game.  I use Cait Sith for healing, the electric bomb for magic, and a machine-creature for physical attacking.  I have probably 25-30 other monsters I can use, but those three are my favorites.  Among my horde of monsters are three differently-colored chocobos.  I have Yellow, Purple, and Green.

As for where I am at story-wise, I gained access to the big computer building in 200 A.F.  I had to then leave the place because I need something that is located in some other time.  And that is something I don't like.  If I need something for a particular time, then it should be in the time I'm at.

Another thing, not specifically related to the game, but rather the whole time-traveling aspect in general.  If you are time traveling, why would you be going to different locations?  My thoughts on this would be if I wanted to go back in time to when the Great Wall was being built, I would have to first take the time machine to China, and then use the time machine to go back in time.  I couldn't just go and use it here in Ohio and somehow end up in China.  If I did use it in Ohio, I would go back to the time when the Great Wall was being built, but I'd be in Ohio.  And in order to see it, I'd have to go from Ohio to China, and that would take a long time.

To bring this back to Final Fantasy XIII-2, Noel and Serah shouldn't be able to go to different places by using the time thing.  They are going to places located all over Pulse and Cocoon, in different times.  It should one or the other.  A time gate in New Bodhum should only let you go to other times in New Bodhum, you shouldn't have access to Paddra or Yashcas Massif.

Well, I should stop ranting.  And so, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 128: Locking the doors.

Today's main game was  Kingdom Hearts.  I completed a few areas today.  First, I finished Olympus Coliseum.  After that, I went Deep Jungle or whatever the Tarzan level is called and locked that place all nice and good.  And then I locked up Traverse Town.  Sora, Donald, and Goofy are at Level 20-ish.  I think Donald is at Level 19.  Anyway, the group has learned the Red Trinity.  And I am finding puppies left and right.  Which is really good, because no one should lock puppies up in treasure chests.  That's just cruel.

I earned a couple more trophies for the game as well.

Other than that, I have been having the normal trouble of choosing what else to play.  I mean Kingdom Hearts is a good game and all, but it can get boring after a while.  As much as I want to say focus on one at a time and play until I finish it, I know that I will just burn myself out of playing the game altogether if I do that.  So, I have been trying to decide what to play as well as Kingdom Hearts.  I think it is time for another Atari Anthology day to get a bunch of quick games out of the way.

Yeah, that can be the plan.  Anyway, that's all for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 127: Episode I done!

I completed the first bit of stuff at Wonderland in Kingdom Hearts today.  Again, I was pleased at the music and the new color scheme of the boss.  I then earned a couple trophies on PSN, one for locking the door, and another for completing the Gummi Ship route.  I also started over at Olympus Coliseum and fought in the games.  I defeated Cloud as well.  I saved after the battle, so I am ready to take on Cerberus whenever I start playing again.

And some big news.  I finally finished Xenosaga Episode I!  It only took one attempt today.  I made sure that everything that could be useful to the party was used on the party.  Defend stuff, Quick, all of it.  The party survived two Dark Omen attacks!  When I saw that Sophie Peithos was down to only 2,700 HP, that was when I went up a gear from holding back and playing defensive to going all out and not caring who got hurt in the process.

And then the final cutscenes!  Oh, all of the feels right there!  I was like, KOS-MOS is seriously going to sacrifice herself?!  And then I remembered that wasn't going to happen because she is in the second game.  But still, the feels!

My PSP stuff is all on its way.  I should start receiving everything by the end of the week.  I am excited to see how a PSP works.  Well, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 126: 5-Star Rating

I was up until almost 5am this morning playing Final Fantasy XIII.  But it was all worth it.  I finally finished the game!  After having the game longer than owning a PS3, I finally did it!  Before I even ordered the PS3, I bought the last copy Wal-Mart had of the game.  It, along with Catherine, were the main reasons I bought the PS3.  Besides, I couldn't justify buying PS3 games if I had no intention of actually getting a PS3 at some point.

Anyway, I beat the game.  Using Snow, Hope, and Fang, I managed to get a 5-Star Rating on the final battle and earn the Superstar trophy.  And now, it is officially marked off of the list.

I worked some more on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.  As much as I played, I didn't get a lot accomplished.  I mainly just traveled around because I wasn't able to fast travel to where I needed to go.

And now I am working on Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix.  I am about to leave Traverse Town with Donald and Goofy, and make my way to worlds unknown.  Well, I know what worlds there are, but at this moment Sora doesn't.  Anyway, I like the new battle music.  And how the boss looks so different compared to the one in the original game.

Well, I am off to play some more.  After having stayed up all that time yesterday, I am not tired at all right now.  I will be up awhile.  If you're online, you're more than welcome to hit me up and chat.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 125: Gran Pulse Style

I didn't do a whole lot of gaming until about an hour ago.  I played a few minutes of Pokémon White here and there throughout the day, but nothing like a massive amount in one sitting.  Right now I am at the Desert Resort.  I caught a few new Pokémon, including a Scraggy and Sigilyph.  My Servine will be evolving soon.  It is my main attacker here in the desert.  And Sandile is leveling up nicely, having been equipped with the Exp. Share.

Right now though, I have Final Fantasy XIII on Pause.  I started playing it again on a whim this evening.  I wanted to try and complete the Titan's Trials.  And I did!  My final battle was against 4 Verdelet and a summoned Tonberry.  I had to try a few times in order to win, but I actually won!  Now I am on my way to the Cie'th Stones I haven't completed on the World Map in order to get the experience points needed to take on the final stages of the game.  I want to be ready for Orphan.

I feel really good about the game right now.  As if I will finish it soon.

And I guess I should inform you that I did it once again.  I bought another video game.  Actually, two video games.  And a PSP.  The games I purchased were Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and Dissidia Duodecim Final Fantasy.  I have been working hard with my online work, so I think I will be able to cover the costs.

Well, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 124: Month 4 Review

I totally forgot that yesterday was the end of the month.  I forgot to go back and look at what I did over the past month.  So, I will do that now.

Okay, so last month I finished three games.  And two of them were games I had never played before!  And they were quite long!

Now if only I could finish the game that has been mocking me for so long.

In current game playing news, I completed the third Gym in Pokémon White.  Now, my character is in the construction site/desert thing full of Sandiles.  I went and caught one, because I figured I might need a Ground type in my party for the next Gym.  The only thing I know about the Gym is that it gives out the Bolt Badge.  I assume it is an Electric-type Gym, in which case Ground types will be best.  Especially since my party contains two flying types (Pidove and Woobat).

Anyway, that's all from me for now.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎