Lunar Shards

Wow, so this month started off bad for me. Caught the flu so it’s wrecked quite a planning and play time.

Final Fantasy XIII
Platform: PS3
Started: 2010
Status: Complete

Sonic Generations
Platform: Playstation 3
Started: November 5, 2011
Status: Completed

Overall this is one of the best Sonic games I’ve played since the Dreamcast. The final boss was a bit annoying but eventually got it. The music is amazing though I wish they would release it officially in the US.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope International
Platform: Playstation 3
Started:
Status: Ongoing

Argh… I haven’t been able to concentrate on this. I think it’s the camera angle and feel of the game. It feels off for some reason.

Z.H.P.
Platform: Playstation Portable
Started: 2010
Status: Completed

Tongue in cheek style humor and insane combinations. Who ever came up with this game really went all out with the references and humor. Funny thing is I only came back to it after finding out several of my favorite anime character outfits were available in the US version. Right now I’m running around as Holo from Spice and Wolf.

Tetris
Platform: Playstation 3
Started:
Status: N/A

I’m amazed I was able to play this game as far as I did. I was able to complete Marathon mode which requires you to clear every level’s target number of clears. At 15, the game moves so damn fast it was hard to keep up at times. Then again it’s not as bad as the radical mode i eventually unlocked… omg… that mode is nuts. The pieces start center, against the bottom of the screen and you only have a second or two to move it before it locks in place.

Sonic Generations
Platform: Playstation 3
Started: November 5, 2011
Status: Ongoing

Wow… I never expected this game to be this damn good! It’s Sonic in a way that he hasn’t been in years. The original Sonic feels like he should and the modern Sonic isn’t making me scream because of stupid issues like falling through the world. So Far I’ve beaten the first boss and unlocked the newer levels. I’m going to make it a point to complete all modern sonic levels first then go through them to rescue your friends using the original one for laughs.

Atelier Totori
Platform: PS3
Started: October 26, 2011
Status: Ongoing

The grind has changed a bit now since I’ve now unlocked the Adventurer’s License. I’ve gone ahead and downloaded all the DLC for the game including the music packs that were offered. The music packs give you the ability to change the music in both your workshop as well as Rorona’s using music from the entire series. When I mean entire series, I mean as far back as Atelier Marie as well as side games including Mana Khameia and Atelier Iris. The DLCs also give you new NPCs to play with. So far I’ve only taken Ceci along. I want to take Cory along too but that may not be available for a while.

Fate/Extra
Platform: PSP
Started: November 1st, 2011
Status: Ongoing

I’ve gotten further into the game, completing the first round of the battles. The game can be a bit unfair in terms of figuring out enemy attack patterns. I’m sure there are some, I just haven’t had time to write down all the permutations down. I’ve taken a liking to Saber Nero and I’m kinda regretting not adopting her when Volks USA had her up for pre-order. That being said the Saber Alter version they had also drew my attention. I’m probably going to aim for Rin’s route for my first play through. I like her design in this one plus she’s one of my favorite characters in the series.

Minecraft
Platform: PC
Started: N/A
Status: N/A

Did even more work in Minecraft. I’m going to be converting the dungeon under the town, tentatively named Hinamizawa… Yeah I know…, into a geofront. On top of that the excess cobblestone is being used to construct the wall around the entire town and the additional areas for surface expansion. My friends are working on their towns too. I’ve since cleaned up the tower walls to something other then cobblestone. The only thing I haven’t changed has been the floor of the stations which is on my list of things to do but I need more smooth stone. If you want to see what our map is like check out: http://www.lunarshards.com/minecraft/map/index.html.

That was my first reaction upon playing Sonic Generations. The last console based Sonic Game I played/owned was Sonic Adventures 2 for the Dreamcast. I dabbled with the DS ones via rental but didn’t exactly enjoy them that much. There hasn’t been much really entertain me since that period. Sure the was Episode 4 but it felt very sluggish compared to most sonic games. The weight of Sonic was too much in that one.

So when Sonic Generations came out, I was surprised by it. It marries the beloved 2D gameplay from the Genesis era with the 3D gameplay of the Sonic Adventures ones. Gone are the unnecessary side characters you had to play to unlock the rest of the game, no its all Sonic this time around. Not just one type, but two. The game starts out by playing through Green Hill Act 1 using Sonic from the Genesis era. The level itself I’m pretty damn sure is a 3D side scroll version of the original Act 1-1 from the Sega Genesis game. It was enough so that I knew where I was going and where a good deal of the hidden paths where. Then to play the world in its 3D behind the back mode was awesome!

The game plays on the tropes that made up the last several console releases on top of the originals. References to the various games are made during the cutscenes as well as poking fun at it’s worst ones. Sure enough Genesis era Sonic is a silent protagonist which makes it more amusing since everything is pantomimed.

The music for the game is by far one of the best I’ve heard for the series. It features both the original tunes from the Genesis era as well as remixed versions for use during the modern sonic acts. The sound even distorts when travelling at high speeds while as modern Sonic. If I find this soundtrack on iTunes, I’m soo getting it!

I originally got the Playstation 3 version of the game however I may consider getting the PC version of the game as well. The PS3 version is pretty good already but after seeing the graphics and frame rates of the PC version, I’ll consider it for a future steam sale purchase.

It’s been a long time since Sonic has had a good console game!