Last-Gen Heroes: Atlus is no "Square"

The Last Generation of gaming saw me log more hours into my DS and PSP than on my Wii and Playstation 3. On the go gaming just made more sense with busy weekends, and a two hour commute each day for five days a week. The ten or so JRPGs I bought for my PS3 and Wii for the most part remain untouched. Of the handful I played, Final Fantasy XIII and Eternal Sonata disappointed me while Costume Quest brought Halloween to life, and the joy of inedible candy into my heart. While I have some gems waiting to be played on my consoles, I needed to not look very far to get my JRPG fix as both the DS and PSP were willing to cater to those needs. Square had a strong presence in that regard but when thinking about the Last Generation of gaming for JRPGs and SRPGs, it's clear that there's one company in particular that has become a force to be reckoned with.

What Final Fantasy VII Taught Me

Recently, I finished Persona 3.  

 It took me some years - almost completing one play through and then booting up an entirely new game with some 80 plus hours later (not counting the 60 plus I previously sank into my first run) - but now it's over.

This time around I enjoyed the game that much more including building up my S-Links (relationships), fusing Persona and of course, that soundtrack by Shoji Meguro.

While I may have almost finished my first playthrough, I never allowed myself to listen to any later tracks on the soundtrack since I had not yet encountered them in the game which of course meant not listening to the Final Boss music.  It's a bit of a code that Bughie J. and I enforced many years ago and a sensible one at that.

And if Final Fantasy VII taught me anything...it's that you need to experience everything as an entire package while playing to build up that great memory you will forever hold dear; and you should always (if a game is good and enjoyable enough) play your games to the end.

Obsessions of the Month (May 2012)!

The Avengers

To be more specific - Loki. Or rather, Tom Hiddleston. A whole blog post followed because I had nothing better to do.


Though I did enjoy the Avengers, so much so that I saw it twice and would see it again if the rumoured Director's Cut makes it to the theatre in August.  So much fun! So much Tom.  Stop judging me.




Persona 3 Portable

Some time ago, I started playing Persona 3 FES. I'm not sure what happened (probably a broken PS3 that did not allow for PS2 games to be played) but I never finished. I got near the end and....yeah. So now, I've been playing P3P and it's even more fantastic than I remember. It's a lot deeper than I recall: all the relationships I've been investing my time into and I'm honestly having fun. I'm probably over hour 60 or 70 at this point but I'm only now feeling it wear on me. It's been a fun journey and I hope for a stellar ending. Also, I'm looking forward to P4: The Golden in the Fall. Wooo!  (Update: I finished it and loved it but those 80 plus hours were draining).




Lego Mini-Figures

At some point, I became obsessed with these things. Perhaps it was in part due to the fabulous work by Mike Stimpson or Powerpig but in my tiny brain, I figured I could re-create some sort of epic story by using lego mini-figures. Um. Yeah, I'm still trying to think of something funny and have come up with diddly-squat. I'll probably just use them to keep on playing inefficiently with my macro lens. So expect some pictures of mini people in the future. Or mini robots. Or mini...minis?

Obsessions of the Week(s): 01/25/09 - 02/21/09

Yamamoto Takeshi



I'm still enjoying Katekyo Hitman Reborn! even though I've taken a slight 'break' from it. I liked him before but he's grown on me more as the series progressed. He's a stupid cutie good guy. Awww, so stoopid.

Rokudo Mukuro



His scary music is just awesomely fitting. He's got the coolest power, I think and does everything with ease even under the worst circumstances. Gotta love that freak. Not pictured, I also am liking Spanner. The lollipop thing he's got works for me.

Persona 3



I don't know why I'm stubborn about trying things I should but 'refuse' to. Sometimes, they're just not worth my time (like the 'Matrix' and an Iphone, Clee) but I took the plunge. This game is fun enough. I'm enjoying being a student but I'm having a hard time trying to balance my potential girlfriends. Of course, it'd figure my first maxed out friendship's with the French Fashion Boy...

Sanada Akihiko-Senpai



Yeah. So, Persona 3 can get a bit frustrating at times. Any game that makes luck a big factor in a boss fight to the point it's annoying, makes me want to throw things... and of course, I found somebody to like. I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying his english voice actor and that's a big factor as to why I like him. It's not the white hair, really.

Ouran High School Host Club



Lork. There are anime in this world I swore to never watch. This was one of them. Then one day, with Hitman Reborn looming near an 'end', I was desperate enough to know what the big deal was. And now, I'm a fan too. It's such a damned ridiculously funny show. It's charming, fresh, a crazy love story - yes but hey, I loved Love Hina so why not? And if I were a customer of the OHSHC, I'd like the cool type...as in the evil type. Love Kyouya! No B., I don't love Honey the kid one! The twins are fun for me too and that should disturb anyone.

Nekozawa and Beezelnef



I also enjoy this odd one, not surprising to anyone. Just look at him! He's crazy and Beezelnef is so evil, he'll put a curse on us all. Ah, fun times.