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I feel kind of funny writing this. See, I started writing this article about six months ago, when I purchased a 4th Gen iTouch. At the time I was just getting dipping into that iOS had to offer and was not impressed. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing I was interested in outside of a few touch-centric titles (Angry Birds). My iTouch was used to stream podcasts, listen to audiobooks, and a few other choice utilities (organize grocery lists, alarm clock). I found myself disliking long-winded discussions about iPhone/iTouch gaming, and would skip entire podcasts if I felt they focused too much on the platform. Oh how things have changed.
I'm still not sure when it first started, but I found myself downloading random games, sampling them and (more often than not) deleting them, trying to find a happy medium between the style of game played and the offered controls. I felt like a velociraptor in Jurassic Park, attacking parts of the electrified fence to find a weak spot. Okay, that was a bad analogy. How about: I was trying to find my niche. That is better. Now to business.
The word is that I'm getting an iTunes card for my approaching B-day, which I want to spend entirely on games. The plan is to sift through the Games section of the App Store, buying those that catch my eye. I'll test when possible, and give precedence to those that are on sale (saving the names of those I'll have to pass up due to price). What I hope to have is a nice bunch of games to play along with a goodly amount of games to purchase later. I already have about $8 in Apple bucks, so I'll be able to get a few games if I so wish.
Now in the past week I've already picked two games (although I only paid for one). The first is Zenonia 3by Gamevil, an excellent Secret of Mana-type game with a ton of content (four character classes, items to combine, multiple quests, a multi-floor dungeon called the Execution Room, skill trees, and more). There were two versions, paid and free, so naturally I got the free. So far the game is excellent, and the amount of stuff to do is staggering considering the price of the game (.99 cents and free). I cannot recommend this game enough to lovers of the genre.
The second game is Aralon - Sword and Shadow by Crescent Moon Games, an Oblivion-style third-person action/RPG. Naturally with these types of games (as with all touch-screen games, I reckon) there is a question about the usability of the controls, but in this case it is all for naught. The controls are fine (though they would be better on an iPad), and more than enough to get one through the game (or at least the hour that I played). I have to be honest, while there are other Oblivion-style games on the App Store, this one was on sale for .99 cents (down from $4.99).
I've still got a couple bucks (and more coming) so I'll follow the breadcrumb-trail of App Store and Youtube links to find some great games.
[UPDATE] Apparently a bunch of companies in the App Store are having a Labor Day sale, so I'll check those out either tonight or tomorrow. Also, Aralon is back up to $4.99.
I really love the first Final Fantasy game for many reasons. First, it was my gateway drug into RPG games (not my first, but the first I liked). Second, it was the only Final Fantasy game for a long time (and this still stands) that doesn't succumb to the annoying number scheme (Final Fantasy III/6) or doesn't have an alternative pronunciation (Final Fantasy X-2/Ex-Two). Finally, while it has seen many upgrades and rewrites over the years, yet most of them managed to add something worthwhile to the mix. Because of these facts, Final Fantasy I is one of the few games (outside of the PS2 GTA games and the first Mario trilogy) that I've bought more than three times over the past twenty-one years. As you can see, I really do love this game.
Naturally, it didn't take long for me to find this game once I got an iTouch. I was extremely pleased to learn that this game was based on the 20th Anniversary Edition on the PSP (the only version of the game I never purchased), so I was stoked to try it out. What didn't please me, however, was the fact that the game was $8.99. This may not seem like a big deal (I did pay $29.99 for both FF Origins and Dawn of Souls), but considering that some of the best RPGs on the system are either free or less than $2.99, it seemed hard to swallow. Plus, I've already bought this game at least five times in the past. Luckily for me the game went on sale shortly after, so I snapped it up for only $3.99.
In short, the game is great, and entirely worth the $3.99 I paid. The visuals are great, the sound is great, and there is even a transparent D-pad with a single button that controls movement, interactions and running, and also manages to not get in the way too much. Menus can be reached by simply stopping movement for a moment and tapping the tiny stat box that pops up. A little strange, but not game breaking (or even altering, really).
However, there are a few niggles here, a few things that have the potential to annoy some of you out there in RFG Land. First, some of the controls. Remember the D-pad and single button I mentioned earlier? Those work great. What doesn't work great, however, is the touch control in the battle screens. That's right, no D-pad. To battle, you have to touch an icon, then touch an enemy. Doesn't sound bad does it? It does slow things down quite a bit, though, but in an old-school RPG like this it could sound a death knell. Fortunately, since this version is the easy-type, there isn't that much extra leveling involved (your Black Belts will hit multiple times right away instead of level 9, for example). This brings about my second complain. While I will never say I had fun buying 99 heals and 99 pures before the Marsh Cave, I would still have liked to have the option to choose either hard or easy. Lastly, I really hate the fact that exiting the game via the iPhone/iTouch's Home button resets the damn game! Luckily, I never lost a save because of it, but considering that many of my gaming sessions take place in the bathroom (at work), the ability to exit the game, listen to a podcast for a bit, then re-enter would have been nice (always assuming you are using a iPhone or iTouch v4).
In conclusion, I'd like to say that the game, despite my gripes, is still excellent, and if you never got to experience the visual glory of the PSP version, is a great way get do just that. While the price will make most iPhone/iTouch users narrow their eyes a little, it's still priced better than Final Fantasy III or Tactics!
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This is bombatomba's Blog.
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So I'm an odd ball. So I am usually the last to post on a blog/forum. So I only post about weird games on weird platforms. So I have a strange relationship with commas and parenthesis. So what? Hey, at least you don't have to car pool with me to work, right? So have a heart, eat a blueberry, and don't forget to drop the empties in the box on the way out. I get deposit on those. |
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