Fire Emblem Fandom

Sword of Seals Conclusion

2011-05-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

I finished this probably a month ago and forgot to update about it. Which means I forgot most of the details. Oh well...

Overall, I rather liked this game. It was shorter than I expected (despite how long it took me to complete), and I didn't realize when it was over because they didn't call the last chapter "endgame." I get confused easily. heh

Here's the list of supports, all of which came with me to the endgame:
A: Roy/Lilina; Chad/Lugh; Klein/Clarine; Alan/Lance
B: Chad/Ray; Lugh/Ray
C: Hugh/Niime; Miledy/Zeiss

I also brought along Rutger, Dieck, & Ellen.

I didn't realize I could have promoted Ellen until the final chapter. Oops. Rutger took down everyone, and the Chad/Ray/Lugh trio was pretty fantastic. (NO ONE touched Lugh.)

I don't get why Roy didn't promote prior to the endgame. I didn't really use him, until I had to battle Zephiel. All my mages did the hard work.

And there are a lot of mages in this game. I basically used them all.

PoR Conclusion & Other things

2011-05-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

I've neglected this blog a little in favor of tumblr, as there are many, many other fans there are we gush over FE basically all the time. It's good to "know" people who get it. I've created a tumblr just for my friends at Tellius (found here) so that's where I spend a lot of time at the moment.

This blog will probably only be game conclusion summaries, then, and other wordy things I feel like rambling about. (But probably just the conclusions.)

And speaking of which, I just finished yet around round of PoR! (Hey I was stuck at home for three days this week. I seriously did this in a week.)

I really only wanted to play for Ike/Soren A-support, so I could maybe see Soren's memory scene at the end of RD. So I played normal mode, which seems super easy now. And Ike was my #1 unit, which annoys me because it's such a cop-out. haha

The top 10, with rank & kill count:
1. Ike, Lord, 20 (93)
2. Soren, Sage, 18 (88)
3. Oscar, Paladin, 16 (81)
4. Stefan, Swordmaster, 20 (80)
5. Rolf, Sniper, 17 (78)

6. Jill, Wyvern Lord, 16 (67)
7. Shinon, Sniper, 14 (55)
8. Tanith, Falcon Knight, 20 (38)
9. Tauroneo, General, 20 (20)
10. Tormod, Sage, 6 (17)

I should have let Soren beat more people in the endgame. But come on, Ike didn't even have his weapon equipped for four chapters. How did this even happen?

Oh, and I love that Tormod made the top ten.

Aside from those level-20s listed, I also maxed Sothe's experience. hahaha. He wasn't so bad, once he could actually inflict damage.

Those not listed above included in the endgame were:
Nasir (lev 19)
Rhys, Bishop, 13
Marcia, Falcon Knight, 4
Elincia (lev 4)
Naesala

I only brought along Marcia & Elincia so they could do the triangle attack with Tanith, and then I forgot to give Marcia a sword. Oops.

The list of A-supports: Ike/Soren; Oscar/Tanith; Tormod/Sothe; Jill/Mist; Rhys/Ulki.
I was working on Rolf/Tauroneo as well, but they only got to B. So sad.

Onto Radiant Dawn!

Sacred Stones conclusion x2

2011-04-11T09:03:00.001-07:00

I didn't give Sacred Stones enough credit when I first played it. This game is really, really good. I don't know what I was thinking. I want to play it again.

There are so many good characters in this game. I had my select few and promoted them like crazy (as I previously mentioned). Franz was unstoppable. No one ever hit Lute. Buddied her up with Ross, who was equally epic. Ewan was a summoner, for goodness sake.

And I also went a little crazy with supports (all A-rank):
Eirika/Innes
Franz/Forde
Ewan/Saleh
Ross/Lute
Neimi/Colm

I was trying for Ephriam & L'Arachel as well, but that didn't quite happen (they were only at C).

I accidentally killed Saleh in the endgame, which I didn't think was possible, and at that point Ephriam had already critically hit the demon king (what?) so it was stupid to reset. The only guy that died the entire game. Sorry, Ewan.

Oh, and summoners are cool. They can summon a little phantom that enemies go after instead of real characters, which gives me potentially one less enemy attack. That certainly came in handy near the end. And Ewan gains experience every time he summons, too. Bonus!

I really need to be finishing Sword of Seals now, though. I feel like I've been playing that one forever.

Demon King

2011-04-08T11:25:00.001-07:00

What the heck. I just defeated the demon king in two hits.

Well three, technically.

Ephraim hit once. Critical hit the second time. Left him with 13 HP.

Innes finished him off.

I don't know if I feel victorious or cheated.

More on this conclusion later.

SS Promotion

2011-04-07T07:29:00.001-07:00

For some reason, I wasn't completely sold on Sacred Stones the first time I played it. My excuse is that I was still somewhat new to the Fire Emblem GBA world, and I didn't quite understand its tricks and secrets. Plus I played Ephriam's route which, I later learned, is the more difficult of the two. I went with Erikia's instead this time, though more for variations reasons than anything else.

I am obsessed with promoting people. It's unnatural. I wait until they achieve level 20, and then give them the boost. Sometimes twice, if I can. This is made easier by playing every skirmish. So Ewan, for example, had promoted from pupil before even playing a chapter. That's how you play this game.

So my list of promoted units include:

Joshua: Swordmaster
Forde: Paladin
Franz: Great Knight
Cormag: Wyvern Knight
Artur: Bishop
Vanessa: Falcoknight
Ewan: Summoner
Ross: Warrior
Lute: Sage
Neimi: Ranger
Colm: Rogue

When I stumbled upon the second secret shop, I didn't even have a reason to buy any promotion items. I've just about promoted everyone I can.

This game is awesome.

SoS ch. 21: Sword of Seals

2011-03-27T12:05:00.001-07:00

I have no words for my frustration with this chapter. Only this.

I've finally come to accept the fact that not everyone will survive, but if one of those blasted wyvern knights kills one of my mages I simply cannot continue. My mages are so good.

Alan & Lance are rocking the field, though. As you can tell.

Blazing Sword x2

2011-02-12T16:35:00.001-08:00

The Blazing Sword endgame is so much more fun when you've actually leveled people up.

Of the crew I brought along to the endgame, it was only the Lords (and Nils) that weren't maxed:
Lyn: Lev 12
Eliwood: Lev 10
Hector: Lev 11
Nils: Lev 18

Everyone else reached level 20:
Oswin: General
Louise: Sniper
Pent: Sage
Canas: Druid
Hawkeye: Berserker
Karel: Swordmaster
Athos: Archsage

A-supports: Hector/Lyn; Eliwood/Ninian; Pent/Louise; Guy/Matthew

My absolute favorite was Canas, followed closely by Oswin. I knew I could send them anywhere on their own and they'd be all right. By the end, though, I was using Canas and Pent mainly for their staff skills. Those resurrected bosses are a pain.

Hector is all kinds of awesome.

Family Connections

2011-02-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

Things I learned in the past ten minutes, thanks to the Fire Emblem wiki:

Pent & Louise have children. (Klein and Clarine.)

Niime is mother to Canas, who is father to Hugh. Canas might also be Nino's uncle.

And I really shouldn't be playing Blazing Sword and Sword of Seals at the same time, because I keep on mixing up who is in which game.

But really, I was researching my two new favorite mages: Canas and Pent.

Pent rocks from day one. When he's recruited in the desert, he can easily take on everyone without question. You just have to continue using him so his skills don't get rusty.

But Canas? He's okay at first, but once you level him up nothing can stop him. I got him up to level 20 and then used the class promotion item (too lazy to look up what it's called) and I currently have him at a level 12 druid. He does, like, 24 damage at once. (And hits twice.) Somehow I never recruited him during my first play-through of Blazing Sword, but it totally makes up for him now. He's one of few I can send off on his own and know he'll be okay—because no one can hit him. Way to go, Canas. You're coming to the endgame with me.

RD Conclusion x5

2011-01-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

Okay okay, I'm obsessed with this game.

The top five:
5. Rolf - 99
4. Ike - 103
3. Shinon - 108
2. Nephenee - 114

I'm not surprised that he ended up first, I'm more surprised that there were others that didn't. Namely, Brom or Nephenee. Seriously, those two rocked at the end.

Brom ended up at #6, and Leonardo was a total surprise at #8. (Soren was wedged between them.)

I don't think I've ever had so many people with maxed experienced. The list includes:

Ike - Lv 20 Vanguard - Ragnell
Soren - Lv 20 Arch Sage - Rexcalibur
Shinon - Lv 20 Marksman - Double Bow
Nephenee - Lv 20 Sentinel - Silver Greatlance
Brom - Lv 20 Marshall - Urvan
Rolf - Lv 20 Marksman - Silencer
Haar - Lv 20 Dragonlord - Silver Poleax

Shinon and Brom almost had maxed stats as well. Too bad I didn't have more Ashera Icons in my inventory, as they were both lacking in the luck department.

As for the rest of you slackers...
Pelleas - Lv 16 Arch Sage - Fenrir
Gatrie - Lv 16 Marshall - Silver Greatlance
Rhys - Lv 14 Saint - Ellight
Micaiah - Lv 11 Light Priestess - Thani
Sothe - Lev 9 Whisper - Peshkatz
Sankaki - Lv 9 Empress - Cymbeline
Naesala - Lv 33
Ena - Lv 25
And I kind of killed Kurth during the Ashera battle.

A-supports: Ike/Soren; Shinon/Gatrie; Brom/Nephenee; Rolf/Rhys; Boyd/Mist; Micaiah/Sothe

I like including their weapons in the list, because I select them so very carefully. I bought the Silver Greatlances and Poleax long before the endgame stated, because I knew I'd want them. I don't think I've ever used a Silver Poleax before. It's so awesome.

During the level with all the dragons, I kept Rolf & Shinon buddied up and they passed the Double Bow between them. Then I almost forgot to give Shinon his weapon back for the next level. heh

Supports make everything easier. I send Shinon and Gatrie one way (no one hits them), and Brom and Nephenee the other (likewise). Brom might be one of my new favorite characters.

And hey! This is the first time I didn't kill off Meg. If she had been leveled up a bit more I would have supported her with Brom, but I knew before I reached the tower that she just wouldn't work. She's not so bad once leveled up, though.

Blazing Sword Supports

2010-12-30T12:46:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or are they creepy?

I'm in my second play-through of this title (Hector's story! woo!), and figured I'd actually support some people.

Eliwood and Ninian are following each other around because my little fangirl heart needs them to have A-support. In the C-support conversation, Eliwood asks if she can do a "special dance" for him. Whoa. Too early for that, buddy.

Priscilla and Raven's C-support has kicked in as well, and she reminds him of the time in their childhood that he promised she'd be his bride. Um, lady? He's your brother. She claims it's just a silly child's game, but then proceeds to call herself a child. Um, ew. He's your brother.

Weird things happen when you're involved in a war, I guess.

Fan Recruitment

2010-12-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

It seems the only thing my teenage cousin and I have conversations about is video games. it's our one bonding topic. So we were discussing games, and I obviously mentioned that Fire Emblem was one my favorites ever.

"Really?" He says. "I've been meaning to play that."
"Well! I'll let you borrow my copy of Path of Radiance."

This is a big deal for me; loaning out PoR. But anyway. He glanced at the case and said, "Oh! That's where Ike comes from." (As he's one of the group that only knows him from Brawl.) "What about Marth and Roy?" He asked.

Which is funny, because they're all FE titles, and yet he's never played any of them. I guess the style is rather distinct. I, of course, explained which games they originated from, and then boasted that I am currently playing Roy's Japanese-only game with an English hack. There is no limit to my fandom.

I suppose we'll be discussing PoR over Christmas dinner, assuming his busy college schedule has provided him time to play it yet. These are the things I look forward to. I only hope he's as excited over it as I am.

SoS ch. 14: Arcadia

2010-11-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

...I obviously spoke too soon.

THIS SAND STORM IS AWFUL. In my typical OCD-way, I refused to let any of my characters die. But heck, that's just impossible here. We're traveling through a desert, which means it's a waste to use anyone on a horse because they don't really move. (Sorry, Alan.) Which means I'm left with a lot of mages, though luckily mine aren't so bad. But Cecilia and Sophia couldn't survive, and I got tired of resetting the game for them. Actually, I got tired of resetting in general, considering I've been muttering to myself about this level for well over a week. (A week seems to be my limit until I just give in.)

So, yeah, I'm pretty sure this chapter is the barrier between "this game isn't so bad" to "why do all my characters suck?". I'm not even using Marcus anymore, because he does so little damage. I don't know what happened to him.

At the moment, my guys with maxed experience are Chad, Lugh, and Rutgar. Lilina is getting there, too. Random much? I love the little guys. I'm working on Ray next.

Sword of Seals strategy

2010-11-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Here's my issue with Sword of Seals: It makes strategy far too easy.

In most levels, there's one logical path that your guys can take. And everyone's bunched up on this path trying to get through. My system is pretty flawless, actually. I stick Alan and Lance in the front, they get beat up a little, and in the next move they retreat to let the other guys take over. I do this in practically every chapter.

Per the norm with me, my little guys are ridiculously leveled up. I send Chad and Lugh, who now have A-support, off on their own. No one hits them and they defeat everyone. I'm not even worried about those guys anymore. Plus, they both have maxed experience.

I recall from Blazing Sword a similar thing going on. So I know that at some point, things are going to get crazy difficult out of nowhere. I may be approaching that point. I'm waiting for it. I need more of a challenge in this game.

PoR Conclusion, hard mode

2010-11-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

After my several play-throughs of this game, I decided it was finally time to go at it in hard mode.

I wouldn't call it hard, but it was certainly increasingly challenging. Stronger enemies—and more of them—and experience points not as easily gained. You know you've played a game too many times when you say at any random level, "hey that enemy wasn't there before!"

But I rather like hard mode. Works the brain cells a little more.

The obligatory endgame roster includes: Ike; Ena; Elincia; Boyd; Ulki; Shinon; Rolf; Oscar; Tanith; Rhys; Haar; Astrid; Titania; Stefan.
Honestly, Ulki, Shinon, and Titania just weren't that good to warrant a spot in the endgame. But I kept them around for finishing off enemies and the like. Besides, Boyd & Ulki had A-support so it certainly helped Boyd out to have his buddy around.
And I kind of accidentally killed off Haar in the end. But what can you do?

And can we discuss how I have to battle Ashnard twice in hard mode? yeah. Even with Ike maxed he only did nine damage. Good thing I had a couple physic staves; Rhys kept himself busy at the end. I also didn't know Ashnard moves from his post about nine turns in, which was unfortunate for Rolf the first time around :(

And the top five: (with number of wins)
5. Ike (95)
4. Oscar (99)
3. Rolf (110)
2. Titania (127)
1. Boyd (143)
I like me some Greil Mercenaries.

I'm actually surprised that Astrid isn't in there. Once I had her leveled up and promoted, she was unstoppable. Equipped her with an axe and gave her the Provoke skill and she tore down everyone. I think she came in at #7. Only she and Ike had maxed exp, though Rolf was five points from it himself. I kept on willing more enemies to appear at the endgame just so I could properly max him out. Oh well.

But yeah, Boyd was awesome. He was MVP for more than half of the game, I'm not even kidding. I used to think Boyd pretty useless and I tend to not use him that much, but I guess I just proved that he's totally worth training.

Hard mode = success.

Why I Love Rolf, #1,542

2010-11-13T13:56:00.001-08:00

Rolf with the Double Bow, courtesy of Path of Radiance:

THAT THING IS BIGGER THAN HE IS.

And yet, he still manages to critical hit and active deadeye all the time. Take that, Daein.

Also: I ordered a custom Rolf plushie from the same person who made my Shinon one. I mean, come on... he needs a buddy, right?

Mercenary Dreams

2010-11-11T07:51:00.001-08:00

And here's yet another dream involving our favorite mercenaries:

I actually don't remember the beginning part of it, but for some reason the Greil Mercenaries are battling against Crimea (!). Oscar and I sneak into the palace to sabotage their plans, and are wary because no one is in sight. The group decides to take advantage of this and steal some of their equipment. We're walking down a corridor lined with offices; Oscar doesn't venture far from me. There's an open door in which I know must be Kieran's office, because his red armor is hanging up inside. I know there's a javelin in there I want to swipe, but Oscar silently refuses by quickly passing by the door.

It is a little strange, I realize, for us to be up against the Crimean knights. And the fact that Kieran is obviously not wearing his armor. But the group isn't fazed by it. We continue down the corridor, silently, willing ourselves to remain unnoticed.

Re-recuriting Shinon

2010-10-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

I'm about to cross over into Daein, but there's a certain lovable bastard I have to recruit first. Being in hard mode, this is slightly more difficult than unusual. The first time around would have been fine if Ike hadn't missed him. Idiot.

With each attempt, I stuck someone different in his path just to view the conversations. Conclusions? His interaction with Boyd is one of the most bastardly things he's ever said. And he's probably in love with Titania. (But come on, aren't they all, secretly?)

Boyd: Shinon! I couldn't care less who you decided to work for... Heck, I'd hoped you were dead! But even so, Daein? You couldn't find anything better than this? What were you thinking?
Shinon: Haven't changed a bit, have you? You're still a mouthy piece of work. Listen up! Daein's a great place to work right now. The pay's great, and strength at arms is the only thing that determines class standing. You want to join me?
Boyd: Don't be ridiculous!
Shinon: Well then, only one thing to do. Out of the goodness of my heart, I'll teach you how adults fight. And as far as payment goes... I'll take your life. How's that sound?
Boyd: Keep talking, Shinon! I'm gonna beat the obnoxious clean out of you.

Titania: Shinon! You're with Daein, of all things?
Shinon: Long time, no see, Captain. You know, we didn't always see eye to eye, but... I never once minded taking orders from you.
Titania: To tell the truth, I really didn't mind having to listen to your endless complaints and insults, either. Hold nothing back. Let's pay each other... the proper respect.
Shinon: Yes, I think that's best. So in the end, we finally agree on something, eh?

Astrid

2010-10-25T10:34:00.001-07:00

Astrid doesn't get enough credit. By the time she shows up I already have an awesome archer (that is, Rolf), and I know Shinon's coming back, so I never bothered to use her. But I wanted her to hang out with Gatrie, so I had her around on the field.

At first she's pretty useless, but she levels up quickly thanks to her Paragon skill. With ever enemy she defeats, she gained a level. In one chapter alone, I had her go up probably six levels. And once she can use a killer bow, no one stands a chance. I'll probably be promoting her to Paladin tonight. That would kind of be awesome.

And by the way, support conversations haven't popped up between her and Gatrie yet. What the heck.

Best Game Ever

2010-10-15T08:07:00.001-07:00

As I was driving home last night, listening to some Radiant Dawn tunes I had burned onto a CD, it occured to me that this game is, in fact, my favorite game ever.

It kind of doesn't make sense, since I consider the Zelda games my favorite series. So in theory, one of those should be my favorite. But despite my addition to Twilight Princess, I can stop myself in the middle of a game and go to sleep. With Radiant Dawn, I've had many moments in which I say, "Oh crap, when did it get to be 2am?"

For the longest time I couldn't determine whether I liked Radiant Dawn or Path of Radiance better, with one being the other's sequel, but because I played RD first I'm always going to be drawn to it. It's been about a month since my last completion of the game, and my hands are already itching to break out the disc again.

So what is it about this game, anyway? Plot, certainly. The age-old tale of knights and dragons and the like. But also the characters. The Greil Mercenaries are the ones that bring me back to this series. I know more than I should admit about this band of imaginary people: how they met, who loves/hates one another, and things they don't even know about themselves. They're just so well-developed.

And with the strategy-based RPG, it's never the same game twice. Since experienced is granted per character, not by group, you can really focus on making individual people stronger. And it's the ones you least expect that, if trained properly, knock everyone else out of the water. While Titania and Ike are naturally awesome, people like Soren and Edward—who are weaker at first—can far surpass them once they're leveled up.

It requires the brainpower for planning and strategy. You have to decide early on who you're going to train, because there are so many characters and they can't all gain adequate experience points. I have my standards, of course, despite my attempt to train someone else. Edward gets priority in the beginning of the game, and I always end up maxing out Rolf and Shinon (I love snipers). And even though he doesn't appear until later in the game, Stefan almost always gets a spot at the end. One of these days I'll give someone else a chance. But it's so hard when you're emotionally attached to your favorites.

Hector

2010-09-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

I kind of fell in love with Hector during Blazing Sword. He's currently #4 in my Fire Emblem Top Five, which is impressive considering the other four are from the Tellius series (yeah. We see where my priorities lie).

So when I learned, in Sword of Seals, that he had been captured by the enemy, I scoffed at them. Who do they think they are, anyway, to think they can defeat the great Hector?

HE DIES! This isn't really a spoiler, since it happens in chapter three. I spent so much time with him in Blazing Sword; he was probably better than everyone else toward the end. So who are these guys that were able to defeat him? So disappointing. I was rather liking his bushy blue beard.

Also, I've been stuck on chapter four of Sword of Seals for a week, because it's a little impossible. Well, "impossible" if you want all your characters to survive, which I do. Come on, Roy. I know you can do this.

Emulator Victory

2010-09-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Wellll it seems I finally figured out how to use my emulator. Took me long enough, right?

Visual Boy Advance isn't as bad as I originally thought. I discovered an option to increase the screen size, so I'm not working with a super-tiny window. AND I found a way to hook up my wiimote via bluetooth, so I don't have to use the awkward keyboard controls. It's like playing a real game now!

So I started Sword of Seals, again, and was actually able to save my progress (I apparently deleted the save file last time... whoops). I can officially begin my journey with Roy. SO EXCITED.

A fellow fan also sent me some links for other translated FE games, which I definitely have to check out. Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776? I'm in geek heaven.

Pelleas

2010-09-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

For the first time, I was able to refuse Pelleas's request to kill him. After that incident, he became so much cooler.

Firstly, he avoided his mother more. I really can't stand Almedha, despite all her past hardships. Grow a spine and get over it. But during the endgame, you didn't see them together as much. You know she hated him going on the battlefield, and he did it anyway.

Speaking of the battlefield: I love playing as a dark mage. He has the coolest tomes in the world: they're all swirling pools of blackness. I purposely brought him with me on the endgame just so I could get him leveled up. Dark magic arc sage? YES. It's disappointing that he's not playable sooner, though.

It's bad enough that he's a dark sage—he's also incredibly emo. His support conversations?
C: I'm all right. I'll serve any way I can. I'd at least like to see some good come of my life.
B: Certainly. Let's combine forces. Perhaps by banding together, we'll actually save lives in the long run.
(Full convos here.) Even his theme song makes me want to cry.

I teamed him up with Tibarn. It was kind of awesome. Though I'm surprised they were able to strengthen their support, considering Pelleas was hanging out in the back with his long-distance magic and Tibarn was flying around everywhere on his own. But I dare you to give me a more amusing pair—the timid, depressed sage and the powerful hawk king. Come on. It's awesome.

He's definitely one of my new favorite characters.

RD Conclusion x4

2010-09-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have finally learned what "clear data" is, so even though this is my fourth time completing the game it's really only the second play-through. Because that's what the system thinks.

Regardless, it was really fun trying new things. Like playing as Pelleas (LOVE HIM. More on that in another post, later). I also recruited Sephiran at the end, which explained so much of the back story. It was all pretty awesome.

My top five: [name - level - weapon]
5. Sothe - Whisper/14 - Steel Dagger*
4. Ike - Vanguard/20 - Ragnell
3. Haar - Dragonlord/20 - Tomahawk
2. Shinon - Marksman/20 - Double Bow

And number one...

EDWARD! I'm not even kidding, I had been working on him since chapter one. I wanted him in my top five, though I never expected him to be first. Edward, you rock. He was equipped with Alondite for the end.

*Sothe totally could have used something better, but I accidentally left the good stuff with Volke. Whoops.

And the rest of my endgame roster:
Rolf - Marksman/20 - Silencer
Rhys - Saint/20 - Purge (long-distance light magic!)
Titania - Gold Knight/17 - Urvan (I always give her Urvan. Sentimental reasons.)
Michiah - Light Priestess/7 - Thani
Sanaki - Empress/4 - Rexflame (coolest fire tome ever.)
Pelleas - Arc Sage/2 - Fenrir (long-distance dark magic!)
Nailah
Tibarn
Caineghis
Kurthnaga
Ena
And my heron, Rafiel.

I'm a little surprised that Rolf didn't make the top five, though. I was convinced that my sniper-in-training would be better than his master.

As you know from my previous post, Rhys was completely maxed out. I'm still proud of myself over that. Though my maxed-exp people were pretty close—most were just missing a couple points on two of the abilities. Also, having Yune bless two people with long-distance magic is pretty much the best idea ever. Pelleas was never near anyone.

As mentioned before, Sephiran joined me at the end, and I equipped him with SS light and dark magic (they happened to be in my inventory). While he can't do any damage on Ashera, since the weapons aren't Yune-blessed, he was still pretty handy to get rid of those nasty little spirits that kept on popping up. I didn't take everyone at the end, either. I probably only had about half come with me to Ashera, because I couldn't trust the rest not to get killed.

I seriously need to talk with someone who has experienced this "alternate" Sephiran ending. There's just so much that I understand better about everything.

Character Max: Rhys

2010-09-11T20:39:00.001-07:00

I've finally achieved my first character max. And who knew it would be my darling Rhys?

Rhys is AWESOME.

And yes, I did have Yune bless Purge for the endgame. Best idea ever, or what?

I finished RD again but I'll write up that conclusion later. I'm more proud of this at the moment.

Shinon Plushie

2010-09-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

I HAVE A SHINON.

He comes with a little bow & arrow set, too. I'm a little in love with him. How can you not love that adorably grumpy expression?

He's handmade, and the girl did an awesome job. I fully respect her plushie-making skills. Of course, now I want another. I think I need Rolf, too. But I have to save my pennies first, because he definitely wasn't cheap.

Totally worth it, though.

River Crossing

2010-08-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here in Radiant Dawn, having the Greil Mercenaries cross the river toward the Dawn Brigade. This should be a piece of cake, right?

I'm sending Haar over to Jill in attempt to recruit her. There are a lot of enemies over there. They all attack him, but there's little damage. Haven't reached Jill yet, though.

Zihark approaches us, chats with Ike, and is nearly beaten. Not quite, though. Next turn, Mordecai can chat with him. I recruit him. What? I never knew you could recruit Zihark in this chapter. I may have just screwed over the Dawn Brigade, though, because they kind of need him later on.

Approaching the enemy, and Leonardo goes after Zihark with a longbow. I scoff at him. HE CRITICAL HITS. $%#*! Leonardo with a longbow? How come he never does that when I play that side? I turned the game off in frustration because I'm in denial that Zihark just got beat by Leonardo.

Epic fail.

Rolf's Mother

2010-08-20T12:56:00.001-07:00

In RD part III, chapter 2, there's a house from where you can receive a Seraph Robe if you don't visit with one of the three brothers. This time I did visit with one of them, because I learned there was a new base conversation if I did.

I figured the woman was someone from their past, someone they preferred to avoid, because when Boyd or Oscar visit they're very quick to get out of there. I visited with Rolf, and the woman was very vague yet friendly. At that moment, I knew she was his mother.

There's a little soap opera-type convo later, with Boyd arguing with her. This is why I love the three of them—they bicker like, well, brothers, and yet they'll do another for one another. Boyd wanted so bad to protect his little brother from this women who abandoned them years before. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

Come on, how can you not have a weak spot for Rolf? Especially after that?

Fire Emblem meme!

2010-08-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Someone actually created a Fire Emblem meme. The world is awesome.

01. The first character I fell in love with:
Ranulf. Kitty-cat man is awesome.

02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:
Edward. I wasn't crazy about him during my first play-through, but he rocked when promoting to trueblade.

03. The character everyone else loves that I don't:
Mia. She annoys me, and there are several other swordsmen I'd rather use.

04. The character I love that everyone else hates:
Erk. Or at least, I've heard of others disliking Erk. But because I use long-ranged people often, he was definitely in the top five when I finished that game.

05. The character I used to love but don't any longer:
Sothe. I'm kind of over him.

06. The character I would shag anytime:
Shinon. Clearly.

07. The character I'd want to be like:
Tanith. She's so cool and controlled.

08. The character I'd slap:
Almedha. Shut up shut up shut up.

09. A pairing that I love:
Haar/Jill. They bicker like an old married couple. It's adorable.

10. A pairing that I hate:
Ephraim/Eirika. Let's put the "twincest" thing aside for a moment. They're so obnoxious with each other, even as siblings. I'd slap them both, too.

11. Favorite character:
Did you not see #6?

12. My five favorite characters:
Shinon; Stefan; Rolf; Hector; Haar.

13. My five least favorite characters:
Fiona; Mia; Aran; Serra; Caeda (okay that list was hard.)

14. Which character I am most like:
Rhys. I'd obviously be the priest. And woozy over all that blood.

15. My deep, dark fandom secret:
When I daydream about myself in the Tellius world, I'm usually one of the Branded.

20th Anniversary artbook

2010-08-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

I'm debating on investing in the Fire Emblem 20th Anniversary art book. It looks really pretty, despite it being entirely in Japanese, and it cost more than any other book I've ever invested in. But it has artwork for all the Fire Emblem titles, which justifies the cost. Right?

I'd totally jump on it without question if it were in English. Or if I knew for sure it had RD artwork of the Greil Mercenaries. Oh, why do they always get shafted?

Unrelated: As we know, I have yet to attempt PoR on hard mode, because I'm a wuss. But for reasons I don't understand, when I load the data into RD to start a new game, this is how it pulls up. I certainly won't complain if RD thinks I'm better than I really am, but I can't quite figure out why it won't pull properly.

(Yes I am in the middle of three other games right now, but I just feel empty without a FE title in progress.)

PoR Conclusion x3

2010-07-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Once again, we conclude the genius that is Path of Radiance. For someone who tried to do things differently, I sure did fail. I mean, sure, the conclusion was overwhemlingly successful, but the majority of my finale roster included the same people as my previous run-throughs. Aside from the required Ike & Ena, we have:

Titania^*
Oscar*
Tanith
Volke
Bastian
Rolf^*
Rhys^*
Shinon*
Mist
Jill
Haar
Stefan^
Giffca

key:
* = used in both previous play-throughs;
^ = maxed exp.

Though if you noticed, Shinon is not maxed, as he has been through every Tellius game I've ever played (pretty much). I didn't promote him fast enough before he left this time, so he was seriously lacking when he came back. And by that time Rolf had already surpassed him, so... yeah. Though in retrospect, I can't figure out why neither of them acquired deadeye.

Can I tell you how excited I am that I maxed Rhys? He's a frail priest and all, but he sure does rock when given a weapon. Purge FTW. (He was also the first maxed out, and rather early, which is how I was able to promote Mist at all [come on, what's the point of using someone during the game that can't gain anymore exp?].)

I never really used Bastian before, as Soren usually rocked by that point, but I hadn't been working on Soren too much so I switched mages. Which is fine by me, because he buddied up with Volke rather nicely. By the way, lethality? AMAZING.

A supports:
Volke/Bastian
Jill/Haar
Neither of which I've done before in PoR. Oscar & Tanith's C-support kicked in too late in the game, though I tried really hard to work on that relationship. And forget about Jill & Mist. The A-support never popped up. I've already decided to A-support Soren & Stefan during my next round of RD, by the way. We'll see if I can. (Oh, why can't we play in the desert earlier in the game?)

Next time I'm playing on hard. I think I'm prepared for it.

PoR Promotions

2010-07-20T12:52:00.001-07:00

I previously read somewhere that when Soren promotes from Mage to Sage, you should always give him staves because his strength sucks. I'm trying to do things different this time around, to see what happens, so I decided to give him knives this time. What a stupid idea. He's utterly useless with a knife and it was kind of a waste of a promotion.

Next note: I've completely maxed Rhys on experience and I'm not really near the end of the game yet. But he's just so great with a weapon (Light magic 24 damage x2!). I guess I should give him a break and actually start using Mist. She's always hanging around the board, but Rhys can reach everyone so much better with the physic staff. (Thanks, Volke, for stealing so many of these throughout the game.)

Surprise character this time around: Jill. I hadn't planned on training her, but it just happened that way. I now understand why everyone says she rocks so much, and she's nowhere near her full potential. I was trying to get her to A support with Mist before they reached Shiharam, but no such luck. Regardless, it forced me to keep her on the board and I generally used her to finish guys off, so bonus points for her.

Snipers: At the moment, Rolf is level 14 and Shinon is level 8. hahaha. That's what you get, Shinon, for disappearing the majority of the game. And as much as I love him, Rolf does end up being the better archer. No one can touch him. When they battled Ena, both using a laguz bow, Rolf's damage was something like 32 and Shinon's was 8. I don't even know.

Recruiting Mist & Rolf

2010-07-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've complained of this chapter before. I giggle like a little fangirl seeing Mist & Rolf on the board, because I love using them. Rolf winds up being MVP because everyone else does the hard work and he finishes them off. And I absolutely love when his first shot, ever, is a critical hit. Yeah, who taught you how to shoot?

But as always, I get overconfident on this level. Judging by the last post about this level, I sent Titania on the beach to ward off the pirates. This time, I sent up Boyd, Ilyana, & Mia. I don't know why, but I don't love Mia. And my Boyd isn't as strong as he could be.

Oh, and Marcia? I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't talk to her before finishing the chapter. Nothing, it seems. I thought for sure she'd track down Ike like the crazy stalker she is, but she never shows up. I thought about leveling her up this time around, but I guess not anymore. Besides, there are others I'd like to work on. I really want to see what Volke is capable of, besides stealing from people (which certainly comes in handy. I never have to buy heal staves).

Backtracking: There's one base conversation between Ike & Rolf that I hadn't figured out until now. Rolf is acting kind of weird, being a pouty little boy, but acting like everything is fine. I just now realized that this happens right after Shinon & Gatrie leave, which obviously means Rolf is sad over his teacher departing. I don't know why I never noticed it before. Poof little Rolf.

Sword of Seals rom

2010-06-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

Attempting to play the Sword of Seals translation on the DS was kind of a failure. While it ran just fine, the translation hack didn't work. So unless I want to play in Japanese... I'm going to have to track down a good emulator. This would ordinarily be no problem, except for the fact I'm on a Mac.

VisualBoyAdvance seems to be the name for a good emulator, but their Mac version is kind of old and buggy. Besides, the screen is ridiculously tiny on my system. See?

The controls are really awkward, too, and I can't change them. I'm contemplating booting up the ol' PC, which I'd rather not do because that's yet another laptop sitting on my desk. I guess I'm going to have to find another emulator, or suck it up.

I did get to play chapter one, though. Good ol' Marcus; I love a familiar face.

Shadow Dragon conclusion

2010-06-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

I feel I didn't really give this game the attention it deserved (being Fire Emblem and all) but... there was something lacking in it. Many things lacking, really. Bulleted points:

Storyline. Before each chapter, a little bit of something was explained. But I couldn't follow why I was going through these motions, and thus the entire storyline was lost to me. Sure, Marth had to battle people and get his kingdom back, but it didn't go beyond that. They tried to implement various other things to get to the finale, but it really seemed like they just added it for the sake of adding something.

Characters. Like I've said before, I cared very little for them. Perhaps because there were too many. When I sat through the credits and the ending bios of what everyone did after the war, I didn't even know who half of them were. I stick with my main character and his knights and a couple archers. I get comfortable with them.

The ending. Oh hey look, Marth and Caeda are the only ones who can attack the final boss without getting killed. Okay I can't completely say that; Gordin may have been able to with his super-special royal bow but he got stuck in a locked room. But after I defeated the boss, that was it. I expected more, someone else coming out of nowhere (much like Blazing Sword) but it didn't. I beat him, and happily ever after. And then Caeda reveals her love for Marth even though they didn't communicate the entirety of the game. I don't even.

At the same time, though, there were some things I rather liked.

Gameplay. Well obviously, since it's Fire Emblem. But I like the duel screen; it saves me time checking character stats and all that.

Graphics. Look at screenshots and character sprites from the original. This one is much prettier. Okay that's shallow, but it's true.

Marth. Fine. He was whiny and feminine in the beginning, but I became attached to him by the end. Which kind of contradicts my complaints about lack of character development, but when you stick by the same guy throughout the entire game you kind of have to grow attached. And Cain & Abel as well. They were always good to me.

The "cons" do outweight the "pros", but I wouldn't necessarily call it a bad game. I just wouldn't recommend it as the first Fire Emblem game one should play. (*cough*PathofRadiance*cough*)

Speaking of Path of Radiance, it's been a whole two months since I've last played through it so I believe it's approaching time to start again. Although I did just receive my DS flash card, so I should get on Sword of Seals first...

SD ch. 23: Dark Pontifix

2010-06-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

In the words of Tormod... I botched this one.

Here, we have at least three guys posing as Gharnef, who can only be defeated used Starlight, a special C-level magic. Which would be all great & good... if I had a mage that could use C-level magic. I hadn't been using Merric because he kind of rocked from the start, so I didn't think I had to work on leveling him up. But he's the only one close enough to use Starlight, and he can't right now. So I'm trying to work myself around this level without getting in Gharnef's path, which is pretty much impossible. As there are three (four?) of him.

There are a few people that can be attacked by him and not get killed (Marth is at least dodging shots), but when I lose more than one person in a turn I simply cannot go on. If I can just get past Gharnef and toward the top of the palace, then everything will be much easier. At the same time, there's a door up there, and I only have Rickard to open it, since I killed Julian (I don't know when or why I didn't reset).

In short, I kind of screwed up, and now I'm getting frustrated.

SoS Translation

2010-06-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

DS Flash card, slot 1: $46.50.
EZ-Flash card, slot 2: $21.50.

Conclusion: I spent $68 just to play the English translation of Sword of Seals on my DS.

You bet it's worth it.

(I don't have the slot 2 card yet, as I didn't know I needed it, but at some point I'll start playing this game. The rom is already loaded onto my flash card. YAY)

ME Main Character

2010-06-04T12:51:00.001-07:00

Change makes me antsy. That's why I love this series so much—it's basically the same thing, but with different characters. You know you should train the weak guy and he'll be awesome. You also know who's going to be an exp vacuum. And, let's face it, the main character kind of rocks, no matter which one you're playing.

Needless to say, I was a little wary about this whole "my unit" thing for Mystery of the Emblem. From what I understand, the main character (the Ike, Ephiram, Eliwood, whatever) is someone you create yourself. So even if it is, supposedly, a direct sequel of Shadow Dragon, Marth isn't the main character. It's someone you create; they have a customizable class, gender, history, etc. This seemed a little weird at first.

But the more I thought about it, the more I thought of how cool it would be. I mean, come on, we can all [essentially] put ourselves in the game. If I want my main character to be a black-haired, female marksman, why the heck not? I probably can. Never mind the fact I can't shoot an arrow in real life. Who cares? I can, in the Fire Emblem world.

This game is being released in Japan next month. Haven't heard anything regarding the US release, but it can't be too far behind. You'd think.

Character Attachment

2010-06-01T12:07:00.001-07:00

Know what bothers me about Shadow Dragon? I really don't care about the characters.

I guess I can't completely say that. I am rather attached to Caeda, Cain, Abel, and Gordin. I use them all the time. And I guess Marth. Though Marth hardly talks. Yeah he's starting to open up a bit, since I got back to Altea. But there's little communication between characters so it's difficult for me to become attached.

Oh, and Julian! Because you always need a thief.

I do rather like the ballisticians, though. Jake and... I forget the other. I use mostly Jake.

Thing is, there are so many opportunities for recruitment that it doesn't matter if someone, erm, "departs" early. Lose your healer? No matter, there are two others in tow. A paladin? Heck, the majority of the characters ride a horse.

Though I do like the opportunity to switch classes, though it tends to confuse me. I changed a bishop (or something) into a dracoknight [but, um, he died] and a fighter into a dark mage. And that archer that looks sad all the time? (I'm too lazy to look up his name.) He's now a mercenary.

Obviously not my favorite Fire Emblem title to date, but hey. Something keeps me playing. Perhaps I'm getting attached to Marth after all.

Shadow Dragon intro

2010-05-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this game yet. Mainly because I don't know what's going on. Yeah, Marth's running away from... something... and keeps on getting into fight with people. So... what?

The gameplay is really awkward, and the way it's set up feels like I should be rushing through it. I do like the duel-screen thing, though. But there are some things I haven't figured out how to do, if I can, including checking info about equipped weapons. Like, yeah, it's great I acquired the hammer, but how am I supposed to know who can wield it?

Okay okay, I won't knock it too much right now, seeing I'm on chapter three right now. But one more thing... why is everyone the same color? What happened to good guys in blue/bad guys in red? Why is everyone yellow? That's not confusing at all...

New Fire Emblem game

2010-05-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

OH YES.

READ THE ARTICLE.

Okay enough shouting.

I'm sitting at my desk at work and literally fist-pumped the air when I read the news. It's a remake of FE3, ie, Mystery of the Emblem. SO EXCITED. (Okay I lied about the shouting.)

I'm not exactly sure when it'll be released; all I know is it's this year. Which seems rather... soon. Not that I'm complaining. If I get new Fire Emblem and Zelda in the same year, I might just explode from happiness. (Not that I'm completely convinced the latter will actually happen this year.)

Ironic that I started playing Shadow Dragon last night. Isn't it?

Radiant Dawn Endgame, x3

2010-05-23T19:45:00.001-07:00

Why yes, this is the third time I've completed this game in five months... (Though I think I need to take a break from it now. At least a month or so.)

Well. Endgame roster: Ike*, Micaiah, Rhys, Titania*, Soren*, Nailah, Tibarn, Shinon*, Caineghis, Rolf*, Stefan*, Kurthnaga, Sanaki, Renning, Sothe, Ena, Rafiel.

(Asterisks indicated maxed exp.)

It recently occurred to me, though I kind of always knew this, that I don't have to use everyone. So even though I'm forced to bring along Sothe, Sanaki, and the dragons, I didn't necessarily have to use them. Sorry guys. You're a liability.

By the Ashera battle, I was only using (of the list above) Ike through Kurth. And Kurth was only there to rescue Michiah the majority of the time, because Ashera kept on killing her. Of course, she eventually killed Kurth. Whoops.

I've never used Renning before. He's not bad. He starts as a Gold Knight level, like, 16 or something. So I've figured out he's a good selection at the end if you haven't leveled your other knights properly. I could have taken Oscar along and it would have been the same thing. But hey. He's cool.

Poor Soren got stuck as a healer during the last battle. But I didn't properly promote him beforehand, and forgot to buy an Arms Scroll to boost his weapon level, so he was stuck with Arcwind instead of Rexcalibur. He obviously got there eventually, but not fast enough for it to be Yune-blessed. Oh well. I certainly needed the healers, after all. (Good ol' Rhys; he was working so hard.)

Oh, and I obviously did reset just to include Stefan. I mean, come on. Someone had to use Alondite. Though the Vague Katti is better, anyway... curious. And I gave Titania Urvan, because it was only right.

I get way too emotionally attached to this stuff.

I won't even get into what I want to do "next time" because, like I said, I've got to take a break from this. And play Shadow Dragon. Perhaps try my hand at Sacred Stones again...

Stefan

2010-05-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

Current addiction: This guy.

I don't know why. I haven't used this character in about a week, since I started the Radiant Dawn finale. And I kind of want to go back and start over (I've only completed part one, after all) and use him. Because I love watching him fight.

He should be pretty awesome, since I did the data transfer and he was level 20 trueblade in my PoR game. (Remember? I stopped using him because he couldn't gain any more experience?) I don't remember checking his stats. I was too excited to find him in the desert that I didn't bother. He just went at it.

And he's rather mysterious. Randomly appearing in the desert? Trying to recruit Soren into his colony? Weird man. But it's the mystery that makes me love him, the tortured soul that just wants his people to be accepted. He couldn't care less about anyone, beorc or laguz, but goes out of his way to help a fellow branded.

Yep. Definitely tempted to restart that endgame. Last time I played through the endgame he & Shinon achieved A-support, which made my little fangirl heart happy. Would they ever actually interact? No. Would I kick Gatrie to the curb and have Stefan replace him? You bet. (Come on, the visual. Just look at these two.)

Ahem.

No, really, Stefan is an excellent swordmaster. That's why I really love him. Really.

Blazing Sword Conclusion

2010-05-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

After I complained about the final chapter of this game, I completed it that day. It was only the undead bosses that freaked me out; the rest of the ending wasn't terrible in comparison. Except I kind of killed Marcus. Though he's one of those characters that is "seriously wounded," not actually dies, so I don't feel as bad. You did well. Thanks for sticking with me, buddy.

My final roster included: Eliwood; Hector; Lyn; Nils; Athos; Pent; Louise; Erk; Marcus; Hawkeye; Vaida; Renault.

I actually expected Hawkeye to die during the end, not Marcus, so it was a pleasant surprise when he didn't. I was also grateful that Nils dodged every magic attack thrown at him. Both final battles, Nergal and the dragon, were pretty much done by Eliwood and Athos. Pent's physic staff came in handy there. Especially when he traded it with Erk in the same turn. (Thank you, Erk, for your hammerne.)

And the obligatory list of A-supports:
Eliwood/Hector
Lyn/Kent
Guy/Matthew
Pent/Louise, though this is default.

Ever since I saw him on the board I wondered how I recruited Jaffar, but it came to me too late—probably should have spoken to him with Nino after recruiting her. Next time. And what happened to Lucius? I tried talking to him with Lyn after he appeared again, but he didn't join me. I have to look this up.

This is, easily, my second favorite FE story thus far. I'm actually trying to find an English translation of its sequel, since it wasn't released in the US. But I know they're out there. If I'm scouring the internet for the sake of playing a game... you know it was good.

I love these guys.

BS: Final Chapter

2010-05-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

Holy crap why is this so hard?

Maybe because I am, essentially, battling bosses. I'll admit, when Nergal showed me who I was up against, I freaked out and said, out loud, "Whaaaat?" I instantly recognized Ursula and Linus (or Lloyd, I mix them up) and did not want to see them again.

I'm still trying to determine the best team, though. As much as I love Guy, he's kind of crap against bosses. Ditto Wil. Marcus is supposed to be my tank, but he was butchered. I have a nice little collection of light runes, though, so they buy me some time. Still. This is going to be impossible if Athos is the only one who can do anything... though even he isn't indestructible. Yikes.

Come on, guys. I have Shadow Dragon in my queue.

BS ch. 27 & 28

2010-05-11T12:22:00.001-07:00

It took me the better part of a week to get through chapter 27. I've approached the Shrine of Seals, Linus is hanging out waiting for me to advance, and halfway through the chapter Vaida shows up with her slew of wyvern riders. And I was doing pretty okay, for the most part, until she appeared.

Why didn't I know that you could recruit Vaida??

Funny thing is, I had to reset a couple times due to her team killing off Merlinus. But I really needed him there, as I was seriously short on weapons and there was actually an armory present. But I couldn't keep him there. Instead, I had Heath going back and forth between the armory and random characters, stocking them up. It was pretty amusing, really. Instant wyvern delivery service.

And then I was going to stick Eliwood on Vaida, and he was able to talk to her. Well shoot.

Unfortunately I had to sacrifice Wallace, but at that point I just wanted to get through the chapter already. Sorry, Wallace. You did well that chapter.

I went through chapter 28 in about ten minutes, though. Entering the lava cave, and you can only take five people. My roster was Eliwood; Hector; Pent; Louise; Erk. UNSTOPPABLE. I don't think any of them got hit throughout the chapter at all. And Eliwood has just been promoted to Knight Lord, which means he's on a horse. I didn't think he could get any more awesome.

Well he could; he could be Hector. I'm going to max that guy out.

One good thing about chapter 27: Both Lyn/Kent and Guy/Matthew have achieved A support. Awesome. But why can't Matthew change classes? I wanted to promote him. Sad.

Marksman

2010-05-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Reason #10,542* I love marksmen:

57. TIMES TWO. Shinon, marry me.
(Also note how I didn't crop Gatrie from the screenshot. teehee)

And actually, Leonardo as marskman isn't doing too shabby, either. This is the first time I didn't kill him in chapter 13, and promoted him beforehand. Leonardo + deadeye = love.

Oh yeah, did I mention that deadeye is my most favorite skill ever?

*I probably don't have 10,541 other reasons, but sure enough I could make a list. But don't tempt me.

Strategy Guide

2010-05-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

I just bid on a Radiant Dawn strategy guide. Not because I actually desire a guide for strategical purposes, but because I want [potentially] large photos of certain characters. And since I can't preview the interior, they better be in there.

Okay really, I just want it for Rolf. Is that weird? But I can find aboslutely no hi-res official artwork of him online. Anywhere. And I love his RD artwork. Shinon's is pretty hot, too.

Speaking of which, during my ebay searching, I stumbled upon a disturbing number of Japanese comics pairing my beloved Shinon with various other male companions. Why hello, mental scarring. Besides, we all know he would never tolerate being paired with Ike. Ever.

I mean, ever. Really.

But yeah. Strategy guide. I'm excited.

BS ch. 26: Battle before Dawn

2010-05-03T11:33:00.001-07:00

I may have been able to complete this level already if it wasn't for Ursula. Seriously, since when does Bolting do so much damage?

Here I am, attempting to rescue Zephiel, even though he's doing just fine protecting himself (does this remind anyone of when I had to "protect" Pent? Yeah). But I move around the castle, careful not to get in Ursula's path, and suddenly her face appears out of nowhere and blasts someone to his death. I've lost Marcus (twice), Isadora, and Heath this way. Aren't you guys suppose to not die on me? It always seems that her might is exactly the amount of health I have remaining. That's just not cool.

But man, I could watch Jaffar battle enemies all day. Apparently his weapon is a sword, but it's totally a knife. Or two of them. He needs to become a playable character now.

BS ch. 25: Pale Flower of Darkness

2010-04-28T11:18:00.001-07:00

This is the first time I've had to restart a chapter numerous times in this particular game. Our team has reached the Black Fang fortress, and while there aren't that many enemies to battle I've just become careless and overconfident. I mean, honestly, how the heck do I manage to kill off Marcus?

Guy & Matthew are becoming pretty unstoppable. Guy's been promoted to swordmaster, Matthew's close to promotion himself (assassin, I assume?) and they're at a comfortable B support. They're my favorite duo thus far.

I always tend to have characters that do just fine on their own as well. I left Marcus to a horde of wyrven riders and he was all right (Erk was hanging around there, anyway, so he may have needed a little healing). Oh yeah, and since Erk can now use staves, I've kind of left my healers behind. Sorry, girls, but I have no use for someone who can't defend himself.

Back to this chapter: I did reach the boss first time around, but if Kenneth hadn't critically hit whoever was attacking him, I would have been all right. Since then, I've attempted this at least four times to get back up there. It'll happen. Give me some time.

RD ch. 13: Blood Contract

2010-04-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is probably the most terrifying chapter in any of the FE games I've played. Dawn Brigade v. Laguz Alliance. Yeah right. And they know it, too. They know Ike stands there at the bottom of the castle, waiting for his team to advance.

To begin with, the Dawn Brigade isn't really strong enough to battle all those laguz. Yeah, I've gotten better with promoting them rather quickly, and I do have Zihark and Jill to cover for me, but I still wince when those tigers approach anyone. So I'm sitting here, content that they're doing all right, and out of nowhere... holy crap, Greil Mercenaries. Best plan of action? RUN.

I know how good they are. I trained them. Seriously, any one of them alone could kill off the entire Dawn Brigade in one blow. Except maybe Mist. Maybe.

Someone always takes one for the team this chapter. Fiona and Meg have thus departed, because they protected my front line. This is the first time I've saved Leonardo, though; in previous play-throughs he had to be sacrificed. He better have survived. I just promoted him to marksman (haha yeah, and you know what? He's still not that good. But his outfit is really pretty, and he can attack from three squares away. That's why I love a marksman).

Random thought from the previous chapter: Zihark will not hurt Ranulf. I thought maybe he wouldn't battle anyone on Greil's side, being former allies and all that, but he had no problem trying to take down Ike. When I moved Ranulf to attack, he wouldn't retaliate. And it took the entirety of the next day to realize why... Zihark has a soft spot for laguz, thanks to personal history. Then I felt really bad for using the one guy he wouldn't hurt. But I should have known—remember how to recruit him in PoR? Stick a laguz in his path. Oh, Zihark. You may be the deadliest trueblade I've ever had, but you still won't hurt the kitty. It's probably the same with the other laguz, too, though I haven't tried.

My Imaginary Friends

2010-04-24T06:36:00.001-07:00

We obviously get attached to those game characters we see often. And I tend to talk to them. Like, more often than I do real people. So last night I wrote down the things I shouted to my imaginary friends, and I've come to realize just how much of a geek I am.

"Dammit, Boyd!"
(When missing a hit and nearly killing himself.)

"Shinon, honestly."
(When not critical hitting with a killer bow.)

"Idiot."
(Any enemy going after any of my awesome characters.)

"Hey, Gatrie! What's up?"
(Sometimes, Shinon wanders away from him, but they always end up in the same spot. <3 A support.)

"That was both awesome and terrifying."
(Ike v. Zihark: Zihark does astra, twice, but misses half the time.)

"You just got beat by Mist."
(Okay well Zihark had 2 HP left, but still. Mist?)

RD: Death Quotes

2010-04-23T06:41:00.001-07:00

I'm sure, at some point, I've killed off everyone in this game. You know how it is—you get overconfident, stick someone in the front lines, and whoops enemy didn't miss him that time. While I don't particularly enjoy reading death quotes on screen, there are a few that don't make me feel so bad... or make me feel worse (oh, Rolf).

Zihark: I guess this...is the end... of the line...for me... Thank you. I'll...be waiting...

Haar: Ah, my friend... I know I was a burden... But now...you too...are free... Finally... Commander Shiharam...!

Rolf: ...So this is what fate...had in store for me... I'm so cold... I still had...a lot...to learn. Oscar... B-Boyd... Shinon...

Mia: Why can't I stop the bleeding...? And I never...even met my... white-clad archrival...

Tormod: Uh-oh... I botched that one.

Shinon: Ugh... This is...such a crock... What a...boring way to die. Co...Commander...Greil... I... I... I'm...

Soren: ...Ugh... What a terrible place...to die...
Ike: Soren, retreat!
Soren: But, Ike...
Ike: Aren't you supposed to be my strategist? Use your head! I need your help.
Soren: ...I see. As you command...
(If I recall correctly, Soren actually smiles at the end of this.)

Blazing Sword Updates

2010-04-22T13:39:00.001-07:00

It occurred to me today (though this happened yesterday) that I killed off Legault when I should have recruited him. And I guess I knew this at the time, but I was so close to the end of the chapter and I already have a successful thief, so I couldn't be bothered doing it over. I hope he's not crazy awesome. Is he?

I've had a couple C supports kick in, finally:
Guy/Matthew
Eliwood/Hector
Lyn/Kent

I had a small stash of auto-promote goodies (hero crest, et al) so I spent the majority of today's lunch hour promoting and preparing for battle. Wil, Sain, Guy, & Erk have all received their respective promotions.

I have a habit of not rotating characters in chapters, so I'm using the same people over & over again. Though this does help to boost experience (During the last PoR play-through, I stopped using Stefan because I'd completely maxed him out and figured I should give someone else a chance... haha). So my roster always includes: Eliwood; Hector; Lyn; Kent; Guy; Matthew; Erk; Serra; Wil; Marcus. Sain if I have the room. All these guys just rock. There's no one I don't like. Hector's animations are the best. I believed Lyn when she scolded that he'd hurt someone [like an ally] during battle.

This all started because I was angsty over killing Legault. But hey. I have so many characters I'm not using, and Matthew is kind of my favorite thief ever at the moment, so I doubt I would have used him, anyway. Right?

Fangirl-isms

2010-04-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Never cross a rabid fangirl.

1. I now have a 12x18 map of Tellius in my office. I have one co-worker who understands its significance, though she hasn't played PoR/RD yet. (But let's be honest, Tellius looks a lot like the lands in Blazing Sword, though I can't recall the continent's name.)

2. My father was watching some nature show and I was half-paying attention, thus I honestly believed the narrator said "laguz" when she really said "lagoon." (I can't be judged for this, though. You'd do the same thing.)

3. The girl who's commissioning my Shinon plushie PMed me asking what color his eyes are (apparently fan-artists can't decide whether they're blue or green). I didn't have to check twice to know they're green, though I still tracked down some official art (not so much to double check, but... hey... he's my favorite for a reason).

4. I have acquired enough points on my credit card rewards to receive Shadow Dragon for free. This means I will now own all the English-languge FE titles, which is just how it should be. (I have to end this with something in parenthesis because every other point has them, and this entry is just chocked full of fun side comments.)

RD ch. 3: River Crossing

2010-04-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Firstly: I love when Ranulf "drops by" Zelgius and they banter before battling.

Ranulf: Sorry to drop by... unannounced.
*smirk*

Sure, he doesn't have the same sarcastic spark he did in PoR, but he's still a pretty awesome cat. And visually appealing to boot.

Secondly: The battle plan is for the hawk tribe to drop the mercenaries off at their point of battle. So the scene begins with them dropping Ike, Soren, and Titania.

Does anyone else see how strange this is? I know the hawk tribe is amazing and all, but how can someone possibly carry Titania and her horse? Just the thought of it keeps me giggling through the entire chapter.

Ike: Shinon wouldn't tell me he smelled smoke if I was on fire.

Pet Peeves 1

2010-04-14T11:53:00.001-07:00

1) Battling on a ship.

Perhaps it's the claustrophobia kicking in, or because I don't trust my pegasus knights enough to fly over water for fear of being bombarded by the enemy. (Curse you, enemy archers.) But I can't move anywhere. I just sit around and wait for the enemy to approach and hope they don't all go after the same person.

I don't care which game it is. I sit there and sweat when the chapter takes place on a ship. Probably my least favorite chapter ever is in PoR when they're fighting off the raven pirates. There aren't even that many of them. But they're everywhere...

2) Bowguns.

When the enemy has them equipped, the damage is crazy. There are few people that can successfully attack someone using a bowgun. And when I have them, they usually suck. What good is using my prized archers close-range with an Mt of, like, nine?

Only once I didn't completely hate the bowgun. I gave Rolf the birdfoe skill (I know, I know, it's a waste on an archer, but I just had to know). Not even kidding, the damage was, like, 49 x2. With a bowgun. It was hysterical.

3) Support converstion failures.

I know certain people can have support conversations. I have them literally following each other around to activate it, and what happens? Not only does the support not kick in, they somehow acquire support with someone who was nowhere near them.

I had Shinon & Rolf buddying up on everything when he returned in PoR. They only got to C support. Gatrie wasn't even near Shinon during any of the battles and they got up to A support. That's not what I wanted. How obnoxious.

The same is happening with Lyn & Kent at the moment. If anyone followed me around as much as Lyn does Kent, I'd be creeped out. So where's their support? I want them to support each other, dammit.

Muarim

2010-04-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Since doing the data transfer from Path of Radiance into my new game of Radiant Dawn, I hadn't seen any major change. Some additional conversations, recognition between people that had fought in the Mad King's War. But Muarim? Now is when I noticed a change in status.

(First number is standard RD base; second from data transer)
strengh: 18 - 36
magic: 3 - 6
skill: 14 - 28
speed: 11 - 22
luck: 12
defense: 15 - 30
resistence: 9 - 18

Thank you, data transfer. It's unfortunate that I know he'll be disappearing for a good chunk of the game.

I don't recall using him this often in prior play-throughs, but for some reason I absolutely had to have him in my last game of PoR. Probably just for the A-support with Zihark. But aren't they supposed to have an automatic bond now, or something? I should figure out how this works.

Okay so I was just putzing through character bios in RD (because I'm stalling before Micaiah's lone venture into the woods) and realized that Muarim has Mist's profile. Now, I know I sometimes confuse men for women in these games (they're just so pretty), but that's just not possible. Go check it out. Coding fail.

PoR Conclusion

2010-04-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

It really is amazing how quickly things conclude when you actually took the time to train your characters.

Last time I went through the PoR endgame, it took close to a week. I was so concerned with training everyone that I didn't have any super-strong characters, and it was nearly impossible. But I was smart this time. There were people I never even used because I was busy leveling everyone up and working on support relationships.

Endgame roster: (asterisk indicates maxed out exp)
Ike*
Soren*
Titania
Oscar*
Boyd
Rolf
Shinon*
Stefan*
Zihark
Muarim
Tanith
Nasir
Haar
Rhys

Support relationships:
Ike/Oscar (A)
Zihark/Muarim (A)
Shinon/Gatrie (A) [okay didn't use Gatrie in the end, because he kept on dying]
Soren/Stefan (B)
And a bunch of random C supports.

And I called in Giffca, who I never used before, who was seriously amazing. Why hadn't I ever used him before? Basically, the only people who did any damage to Ashnard at all were Ike, Giffca, and Nasir. Everyone else was just hanging out. I accidentally killed Tanith but it was so close to the end that I couldn't start over. Sad, though; I rather like her.

Excited to do the data transfer to Radiant Dawn. Curious to see how/if the gameplay changes. (I'm not using this as an excuse to play this game for the third time in four months, not at all.)

I can never get enough of the last video with Ike & Elincia. Come on. Who doesn't want them hooking up after that conversation? What better than a Queen and her hired mercenary?

PoR ch. 27: Moment of Fate

2010-04-05T12:48:00.001-07:00

The castle scene before Ike battles the Black Knight. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've attempted this chapter, because I lost count.

Actually, I did complete it first time around, but Ike had to retreat during his duel because, well, I would have killed him off. And then I just felt pathetic. But I pretty much have a system now to get around the castle. Ike & Soren up the stairs; Zihark, Muarim, Titania to the left; Oscar, Boyd, Rolf, Shinon to the right. Mist & Volke hang out in the back for healing and stealing. haha

Why yes, I can recite my formation without looking at the screen. Perhaps it's time to get past this chapter.

Admittedly, Ike & Mist aren't leveled up nearly as much as they should be to successfully do this (without me biting my nails). Actually, I never use Mist so she's only a level 4 cleric... which means she has to retreat rather early during the Black Knight battle. But I've equipped Ike with a bunch of elixers so there may be hope.

BUT IT'S DONE. I can hardly believe it. Ike activated aether twice and he basically had it. Of course, the fact that the Black Knight missed twice of the three times he swung certainly helped as well.

That's right, after all this time, it's done in three moves. Mist never even left. That totally makes it worth it.

Now I have to wonder... has he really been defeated? Or will he magically reappear in Radiant Dawn? I can't see how that story line would work without him...

Way to go Ike, level 14 lord.

Guy

2010-04-02T11:04:00.001-07:00

Well, he was a pain to recruit.

First time around, Marcus killed him off. Second time, he killed Eliwood. I figured out that the only person I could logically put in his path is Lowen, as neither could manage to kill the other. It was close, but Guy was still alive. Barely.

He was doing all right during his first chapter with me, except that one time he missed a shot. Which I don't understand with a killing edge. But hey. He'll come in handy later. I already see myself teaming him up with Matthew, so one can steal while the other critical hits everyone. It'll work out.

A side note: What's with the vendors in this game thus far? All I can buy is, like, a vulnerary. Glad I went out of my way for that.

Three Brothers Triangle Attack

2010-04-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

As expected, I was finally able to beat Naesala using the three brothers' triangle attack. What I didn't expect was the way in which it happened.

As we know, to use the triangle attack the three have to be around the enemy within attacking distance. In this case, they have to be two squares away from my selected bird foe, as they're using bows.

Oscar had taken his place to Naesala's right. Rolf hadn't moved yet, because I planned for him to get the critical hit. I moved Boyd into place at Naesala's left, and the triangle attack activated. Wait, what? Here is my lame MS Paint version of the formation that worked:

It wasn't until the following day, when contemplating yet again why that worked, that it occurred to me Rolf was equipped with the longbow. So theoretically, even though they weren't officially in the proper formation, Rolf was within striking distance.

Boyd critical hit, then Rolf critical hit with the laguz bow, and he was done.

Fantastic! I can beat anyone like this!

In other archer news: I'm in line to order a Shinon plushie from eERIechan on DeviantART. THIS EXCITES ME SO MUCH you have no idea. He'll be fully equipped with bow & arrows, too. squee!

BS: Part 1

2010-03-30T11:09:00.001-07:00

When I started playing this one, I anticipated it to be crazy difficult. At least, that's what I had been told. Maybe it's because I've played through other FE titles, um, four times? I think? But I didn't find it difficult in the slightest.

I figure it was created for a beginner, as it was the first English-language Fire Emblem title to be released. It constantly prompted me as to what I should do, and offered little bits of advice concerning things I already know.

Lundgren was a bit of a pain to defeat, considering I had all of, say, four characters that could penetrate armor. Dorcas did most of the work with the hammer (love the hammer). At that point, Erk finished him off. I love finishing people off with the least likely character. Seriously, Erk's MT was 4. Or something ridiculous like that.

I'm thinking the supports won't kick in until later in the game, as I had Lyn & Kent constantly follow one another and nothing popped up. Since Sacred Stones, I've had a thing for supporting the heroine with her knight. A-level support must happen between them. I will make it.

There's no one thus far that I've deemed as completely useless, so that's a bonus. I still fear putting pegasus knights in the path of anyone, though.

PoR ch. 19: Entrusted

2010-03-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

This chapter is a PAIN IN THE NECK.

So now I get to battle Naesala, and he's pretty much indestructible so he kills everyone. I've reset the chapter at least five time today. I've got to stop putting Boyd in his path. Though his HP is insane, that blasted raven kills him with two blows. At least I have Shinon back, so he can battle some birds for me.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll actually get through it.

I viewed the second of the "three brothers" base conversation, and I had hoped to do the triangle attack on Naesala but he always situates himself in a place where I can't get all three brothers around him (like, near a cliff). I could totally beat him in that formation. But my point in bringing that up is to further prove how lovably clueless Ike is.

Rolf: We have a secret man...
Boyd: Shhh!
[They all depart]
Ike: Secret man... Mandolin? Manicotti?

I'd like to know what secret manicotti is, Ike. Though if Oscar is the one preparing it...

Anywho. OH! Has anyone ever seen Boyd do colossus with a bow? FANTASTIC. I wish I could find a video. He flips the bow & arrow nunchuck-style before shooting. It's now my second favorite move ever. Behind deadeye, that is. Naturally.

FE Dreams

2010-03-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

I should know by now not to play anything right before going to sleep, but... oh heck, it's so amusing when fictional characters show up in my dreams.

I'm searching for Shinon and am, presumably, on base, as I frantically enter a room where Gatrie and Ike are sitting.
"What's the problem, little lady?" Gatrie asks.
"Shinon! I can't find Shinon!"
"What do you need him for?" he asks, grinning, unbuttoning his trousers.
Ike pretty much does nothing but stare at me, but Gatrie gets up and chases me around the room. He catches me, but I'm strong enough to keep him pushed away at arm's length.

Later, a bunch of us are on a beach. We're not too far out in the ocean, but Rolf panics and swims toward me. I assume a seated position in the water and he holds onto me, sitting on my lap, face buried in my neck. He's really embarrassed by his fear of the water, and begs me not to tell anyone.
"Come on," I say, ruffling his hair. "You know you're my second favorite boy."
His body relaxes a little. "Who's the first?"
I pause, wonder why I said second. I can't think of anyone. "Well... no one. Let's get to shore."

Hearts

2010-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

I just played Hearts (Windows version) with Ike, Shinon, & Gatrie (right, like they'd ever invite Ike into their game).

Ike totally lost, though I was close with 98 points. Shinon won. Obviously. If this were more true to canon, though, Gatrie would have lost because he'd be too busy flirting with me.

Am I right?

Man, I should totally be working right now. But it's 4:30. Pah.

Recycled Characters

2010-03-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

It took me far too long to realize that my paladins in Blazing Sword are in red and green... much like my paladins (of sort) in Path of Radiance. Curious how I'm playing both of them right now.

Dear Intelligent Systems... what? Now I'm going to forever believe that Oscar & Kieran are recycled versions of Sain & Kent. At least visually. Sain reminds me more of Gatrie than anything else, personality-wise, which just further proves my theory of recycled characters. Also: the moment I saw Nils I thought he was Rolf with blue hair. Look it up.

My brain also mixes up the plethora of spikey red-haired boys, including Roy, Wil, Ewan, and Eliwood. Yet Tormod is in the clear. I confuse Tormod for no one, because he's my favorite fire mage ever.

PoR ch. 9: Gallia

2010-03-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

My mother walked into the room as I laughed at Mordecai & Ike's conversation, and I couldn't explain just why I enjoy their back-and-forth so much.

"Your hair is blue. You must be Ike."

I remembered this damn beach from the last time I played, and I've been waiting for that moment Boyd & Rolf bickered because Rolf can't possibly know how to use a weapon. So I love it because he gets to join in on the fun, but I hate this level because it took me forever last time. Not that it's all that difficult, but I simply had to visit those houses in the northwest portion of the map, thus putting me in the path of a few venin weapons.

I've been really trying not to stick Titania on her own and plow through everyone, but she does it so well. So what if I stick her on the beach to gather some goodies on her own, while everyone else actually works? She did just reveal to Ike how much she loves the ocean, after all. Why not defeat some pirates & visit some locals while you're at it?

Well I get to try this level again tomorrow night, as I accidentally killed Ilyana. It's kind of mean to let her go after I just recruited her.

Shinon

2010-03-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

If Shinon were a real person, I'd probably want nothing to do with him. He's a drunk, a racist, and there's only a small spark of compassion within him. That he doesn't want anyone knowing. Which is probably why I love him.

And the fact he rocks from his first appearance certainly helps as well.

Despite his inability to attack close-range the majority of the time, I still stick him in the enemy's path. They crowd around him, he misses all their attacks, and then my allies can ambush the enemy. (See, I would rock at tactician. Move over, Soren.) Well heck, I have a soft spot for anyone with a bow to begin with. Shinon. Rolf. Innes. Wil. They're always the first characters I level up because I use them so often.

But Shinon? He's awesome from beginning to end, and that includes his disappearance in PoR. I can still max out his exp points even if he's missing a good chunk of the game.

Rolf: Look, look, Uncle Shinon! Doesn't it look like a bow now?
Shinon: I guess you could...categorize it as a bow. Maybe. If you closed your eyes.

Can we also discuss how he doesn't say anything about being called "uncle"? He secretly loves it.

(ps, I have no idea where this fan art came from, but I'd love to find out. I have it tacked to my bulletin board at work.)

Also, I've been known to watch only the first 1:10 of this scene. Oh, if I had only played PoR first, I would have understood it all when this occurred in RD.

RD: Endgame

2010-03-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

The endgame of Radiant Dawn annoys me for one reason—after all that work, you really can't use anyone. If you don't take pretty much all the laguz kings, you're as good as dead (or impossible, at least).

Let's remember that you absolutely must bring these people, despite the fact I'd rather not tote along numbers 2 and 6.
1. Ike
2. Michaiah
3. Sothe
4. Sanaki
5. Kurth
6.Ena

The first time around I played on "easy," so it wasn't absolutely terrible. I completed this probably three months ago so my character selection may not be completely accurate (I think I used the last two, at least, though I wonder why I have no healer).
7. Haar
8. Shinon
9. Zihark
10. Nephenee
11. Nolan
12. Boyd
13. Marcia
14. Skrimir
15. Naesala
16. Rolf
My aboslutely unstoppable people were #7-10. Nolan rocked a little more toward the end. In retrospect, I have absolutely no idea how I did it. None. If I had to do it again with this team, I would have failed miserably.

Second time around (on "normal"), I had:
7. Shinon
8. Nailah
9. Soren
10. Tibarn
11. Oscar
12. Titania
13. Stefan
14. Zihark
15. Edward
16. Rhys
Strongest units were #7-10, but I wouldn't necessary call them "unstoppable." I don't know why I didn't bring Haar. Or why I had three trueblades (Actually, Edward promoted to Trueblade during the endgame, which just made him rock that much more). But I did manage to max out Shinon, Oscar, Titania, & Ike in experience points, which is more than I can say last time (I think it was only Shinon the first time around. No, I'm not in love with him, not at all).

This, however, was nearly impossible against Dheginsea. The only people who could do any damage without killing themselves were Tibarn and Ike, and the latter only did 12 MT damage each time. Reyson and Rhys were seriously busy during that level, constantly singing and healing so Ike can go at it again. That only took me a week to figure out.

Next time? Bring more laguz kings. But my point of all this? You work so hard through the entire game to level people up, and you have to take the laguz at the end and pretty much ditch everyone else. I would have loved to tote along Rolf and Boyd as well second time around, but there's not nearly enough room. I'd really like to swap out Ena and Kurth for people I actually like using. Oh well.

RD: Game Music

2010-03-22T06:12:00.001-07:00

(Excerpt from an entry on geekblog.)

One must have the full spectrum of nerditude to fully appreciate an essential aspect of the culture—video game music.

A game can be decent. But once you add the music, it can become awesome. And if both the game and the music are awesome, well... you now understand how Radiant Dawn is currently my second favorite game ever. For me to listen to something and picture an orchestra performing it (geek requirement #3: band nerd), you know it's good stuff. I invite you to check out the track listing for Radiant Dawn, found in its entirety here (I love this website), specifically the following tracks:
2: Echos of Daybreak (flute solo!)
5: Echos of Hope
20: Waves of Discord
62: Oliver's Fall (Harpsichord!)
64: Caineghis, King of Lions

Yes, I would totally see a performance of this music if it were to ever happen.

Blazing Sword intro

2010-03-19T07:21:00.001-07:00

Well this is going to be fun.

I'm on chapter four and have already restart it twice. (As we know, you simply cannot continue once you kill a character off. Restarting is the only option.) I kind of dread the beginning of a tale, because people have virtually no HP and can be knocked out by one enemy. But I, naturally, am enjoying it thus far. I now understand the insane fandom around Sain.

I'm not sure how I got through Sacred Stones, though, with my limited knowledge concerning terrain. Though the how-to prompts in Blazing Sword annoy me, it gives me a few pointers. And no, I still haven't quite gotten the hang of the weapon triangle. It's not that difficult:
Axe beats lance
Lance beats sword
Sword beats axe
(Yes I looked that up.)
I wouldn't be surprised to eventually find said triangle hanging on my office wall. Seeing I really only play my DS during lunch hour, of course.

A Little Obsessed

2010-03-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

At this point in time, I have three other places that I ramble about myself online in blog form. But I think everyone that visits those sites is tired of me discussing this game.

To say Fire Emblem is a "favorite" is a bit of an understatement. I get emotionally attached to characters and contemplate battle strategies when I'm not playing. Out of nowhere, whether it be at my desk or on the train, I'll say (or think, if I'm in public), "That would work!" or mutter to myself about my poor choice of weaponry. It's a game I have to ramble about, to figure out what went wrong and what I can do next time to dominate.

There will always be a "next time."

At the moment, I have completed the following:
Sacred Stones
Path of Radiance
Radiant Dawn (x2)

I have just begun Blazing Sword, even if it's not called that in the game, but I'll use that name for simplicity purposes. I don't yet own Shadow Dragon, but will soon have enough points from my credit card rewards program to obtain it. Win!

You'd probably laugh at me if I told you that this is only my second favorite series, and point out the fact that I don't have a Legend of Zelda blog. But trust me. Nothing tops the Zelda addiction. Fire Emblem, though, I desperately need to discuss.

I know. It's pretty bad.