Okay, listen up folks..

[benwayshouse]

..well, my summer's going to be a pretty slow one if I don't give myself something to do. I have a fifty dollar check that I want to cash, but I don't want to spend it like I would on anything.. I just can't decide what to do with it. Warped Tour tickets? Possibly. Some new manga or CDs? Possibly. But see, most manga and some CDs just lack longevity, I won't get through the summer on $50 worth of music or $50 worth of manga volumes. So, why not turn to a new game?

But it can't be just any game. I want it to have that.. 'staying' power, or, to put it in more understandable terms, I want a game that's perfectly capable of touching you, of.. changing you. I want a game like this because I watched my friend play through the final bosses in Twilight Princess on his Wii. Through just the few areas he traveled through, and the visual experience I was presented, I'm convinced that Twilight Princess fits my needs perfectly. It's very easy to tell that it'll be a winner.

And this is where I come to you guys. I want another game to go with Twilight Princess, but I don't know where to go for something like that. I can't think of anything, but I want to get two. If all else fails, I'll get Final Fantasy XII, but I don't want to resort to that unless A) I'm not recommended a better game, or B) I can't afford said game *and* Twilight Princess. So, shoot away.. well, before that, read these conditions:

• It has to be less than $50. Judging from some deals on Half.com, I can get TP for about $38, so look around there for the games you mention if you wanna help me further.
  
• It can be on PS1, PS2, PSP, DS, GBA, GameCube, Dreamcast, Xbox, or Xbox 360, as those are the ones I have easiest access to. N64 and PC are also manageable.
  
• It can be any kind of game, but RPGs are preferred. For a list of my RPGs, see below.
  
• Xenosaga is out of the question - you know I like it. I have all the games, naturally.
  
• EXPLAIN YOURSELF. This game of yours will hopefully become one of my favorite games, and if you're recommending it, just saying 'it's good, you've got to try it' won't do it justice and you know it. Recommend a game that affected you in some way emotionally, that's what I'm looking for.
  
• If all else fails, you *can* pressure me to finish some of those games below. Don't hesitate to ask if I haven't finished them, chances are I haven't. ;D
  

THAT RPG LIST I WAS TALKING ABOUT

• Final Fantasy 6, 8-10, Tactics, Tactics Advance (Pretty much liked, with the exception of 10)
  
• Xenosaga Episodes I-III & Xenogears (LOVED ACROSS THE BOARD)
  
• Kingdom Hearts (Meh.. it's alright)
  
• Disgaea (Really fun! And funny!)
  
• Atelier Iris 2 (More meh.. not Nippon Ichi's best)
  
• Phantom Brave (Not as funny as Disgaea, but much more charming for it's more serious {but still pretty lighthearted} tone)
  
• La Pucelle Tactics (see above)
  
• Grandia I & II (first.. never got into it, THE SECOND WAS MAJOR WIN)
  
• Star Ocean III (it was okay I guess)
  
• Wild ARMs 3 (didn't like, other games in this series not recommended)
  
• Skies of Arcadia Legends (I really like it, games like this wouldn't hurt a bit)
  
• Dark Cloud 2 (one of two games I can't say I've played that I own)
  
• Contact (it's not too bad, could be better)
  
• Paper Mario (Fun, I liked it a lot)
  
• Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (Better than Paper Mario IMO)
  
• MegaMan X Command Mission (never really liked it)
  
• Guild Wars Prophecies and Factions (Great, but I'd prefer not to spend money on an MMO, even if there aren't monthly fees..)
  
• At least one version of all the generations of Pokemon (just don't worry about that, haha)
  
• Tales of Symphonia (Really fun, I had a blast playing it)
  

And that's that. Think it through, everyone - if I ever needed your honest opinions more than ever, it's now.

[Pilgrim John]

Two words: Guitar Hero.
Oh wait, GH isn't $50...

OK then, let's suggest something else: Okami. It's a game built on Zelda-like adventure and exploration, but with caligraphy and ancient Japanese folklore. It even has an oil-painting look and feel to the graphics. I have yet to actually get the game myself, as I'm trying to beat many other games before I go out and get it. But, it seems like it'd be a pretty good summer game.

[fatherlorris]

zer0 said:

Two words: Guitar Hero.
Oh wait, GH isn't $50...

There is always Frets on fire.

[benwayshouse]

zer0 said:

Two words: Guitar Hero.
Oh wait, GH isn't $50...

I knew something like this would come up.. I really should post my IGN collection page. In any case, I have both Guitar Hero games, I've been playing them more than I usually do.

OK then, let's suggest something else: Okami. It's a game built on Zelda-like adventure and exploration, but with caligraphy and ancient Japanese folklore. It even has an oil-painting look and feel to the graphics. I have yet to actually get the game myself, as I'm trying to beat many other games before I go out and get it. But, it seems like it'd be a pretty good summer game.

That is something I've wanted to try. All of my friends who have played it told me that it's epic win, but I have yet to see if I actually agree with them or not. They're probably right though.

[Richard-RN]

I for one didn't think Okami was that outstanding. Great art, great story and great dialogue...but MAN did I despise the combat system. Twilight Princess blows it out of the water IMO, though Okami is VERY long for an action game, bordering on 40 hours.

[Pilgrim John]

richardrn said:

I for one didn't think Okami was that outstanding. Great art, great story and great dialogue...but MAN did I despise the combat system. Twilight Princess blows it out of the water IMO, though Okami is VERY long for an action game, bordering on 40 hours.

It's more of an adventure game than an action game.

[Richard-RN]

That arguement is moot. You are REQUIRED to fight in the game to progress and to gain abilities, so I will continue to classify it as action/adventure, as I do Zelda. Zelda is an action/adventure game, but unlike Okami it excels in both genres.

EDIT: Oh, I see that above I referred to it as an "action" game. My mistake. It is an action/adventure to be sure.

[Pilgrim John]

richardrn said:

That arguement is moot. You are REQUIRED to fight in the game to progress and to gain abilities, so I will continue to classify it as action/adventure, as I do Zelda. Zelda is an action/adventure game, but unlike Okami it excels in both genres.

EDIT: Oh, I see that above I referred to it as an "action" game. My mistake. It is an action/adventure to be sure.

No, dude. You are REQUIRED to fight enemies in an action game, where in Zelda and Okami, you don't have to kill everything in the room, unless required by the current situation (i.e., kill-all-the-enemies-to-open-the-door).
As a matter of fact, ask anyone who's worked on Zelda, and they'll tell you that it is 90% adventure game, and 10% mix of different genres. (The 10% is usually made up of multiple minigames, popularized since A Link to the Past.)
So yes, Zelda is officially documented as an "adventure" game since it mostly emphasizes exploration over violence or intense action.

[benwayshouse]

richardrn said:

I for one didn't think Okami was that outstanding. Great art, great story and great dialogue...but MAN did I despise the combat system. Twilight Princess blows it out of the water IMO, though Okami is VERY long for an action game, bordering on 40 hours.

How long is Twilight Princess then, if I may ask? We just got it (my brother and I split the effort in beating the Wind Waker and we got Twilight Princess on Friday), and I'm about 5 hours in and I only *just* finished the first dungeon.

[Pilgrim John]

segahead said:

richardrn said:

I for one didn't think Okami was that outstanding. Great art, great story and great dialogue...but MAN did I despise the combat system. Twilight Princess blows it out of the water IMO, though Okami is VERY long for an action game, bordering on 40 hours.

How long is Twilight Princess then, if I may ask? We just got it (my brother and I split the effort in beating the Wind Waker and we got Twilight Princess on Friday), and I'm about 5 hours in and I only *just* finished the first dungeon.

It's about 20-25 hours long. Not nearly as lengthy as Okami.
That is, if you don't want to complete any sidequests, which would probably crank it up to 30+ hours.

[benwayshouse]

Really? I've heard it was about 50 hours, knowing what you were doing everywhere.

[Pilgrim John]

segahead said:

Really? I've heard it was about 50 hours, knowing what you were doing everywhere.

That's about as long as it took my sister to beat it.

[Richard-RN]

Pilgrim, I think I know the damn game consider I HAVE PLAYED IT. It is ACTION/ADVENTURE as you have to FIGHT in order to get upgrades (not like Zelda where you find them along the adventure, though some are done in this way). I think its silly that you are arguing with me considering I have beaten the game and you have yet to play it...So I am telling you right now, Okami requires the player to fight for upgrades whereas Zelda does not (except in certain instances that you outlined above). I don't have to go around in Zelda killing guys for Rupees (there are always plenty) whereas in Okami, I DID. Okami is much more action oriented, but sadly the battle system pales compared to Zelda.