A View From The Road: Play It Again, Sam

[Onyx Oblivion]

*giant snip*
I still love the game though, and it has absolutely stellar moments.

What were you opinions on the combat system? Because personally, I really like the elements system, and the stamina system. But despised the "field color" stuff. And hated the way learning characters' skills were linked to the number "stars" you had. But I really liked the way you could find frames for dialog boxes. Small things like that go a long way.

And the bumbling guards were the best bumbling guards ever...Solt and Peppor, iirc.

Although, I really missed Trigger's multiple time periods, compared to cross's two worlds.

 

[Fightgarr]

Thank you for the Chrono Cross reference. I feel the game is severely under-appreciated. Dragon God is an insanely good song.

 

[SaintWaldo]

Playing WoW with music on tends to interfere with the recording of humorous nerd rage. Just sayin'.

 

[Nothankyou]

Funk you missed Dancing Mad, how could you miss Dancing Mad?

And lest we forget, You Are Not Alone

Okay admittedly that's not boss music but it's still memorable.

I completely agree with you there.
In fact, all of FFIX's music was phenomenal.

 

[allonbacuth]

Yes...Very Yes.

 

[Scrythe]

Spoiler: How DARE you not mention Mystic Quest's battle theme

 

[ccesarano]

I've actually had this complaint about modern game music in general. Very rarely do I find songs that I actually notice in games, though that's for a few reasons. One of the main causes is simply that modern game music is going for the tone-setting Hollywood style. There's a ton of brass and horns, but none of it forms a catchy melody. There's also the fact that it doesn't play as loudly as it used to. Once upon a time the only audio for a game WAS the music (coupled with a few sound effects), whereas now there's dialogue that is essential to the experience, story and even knowing what your objective is. As a result the volume is reduced so you don't hear it as much.

Still, it's not just the old JRPG's that had some noteworthy stuff (also, Uematsu hit the top of his game with FF6. Let's face it, the main theme + the opera + the battle music + Dancing Mad + bits of other good stuff like the Phantom Train = just another reason it's the best in the series). Sure, I'll always remember EarthBound's final boss music [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANhKF_pOv6Y], which was a fitting twist of sound considering the sudden seriousness of the final stage (y'know, having to remove your brains from your bodies and effectively go on a suicide mission...that somehow turned out to not be one).

I will always remember stuff like the old Mega Man tunes alive [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYUsyLC6dOk].

If music could sound like that again, I'd be a happy piggy.

 

[benbenthegamerman]

On the topic of WoW music, i start to get a little teary eyed EVERY SINGLE DAMN TIME i hear "Lament of the Highbourne."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXhx40DcU6Y

For those who don't play WoW, the story is that a young Elven general was murdered during battle, and raised by her murderer to fight he former allys against her will. She eventually broke free, and this song is the story of that.

 

[Fortesque]

OMG! I used to like you because you had a cool name... But how can you not like One Winged Angel. I have had the Metal version from Advent Children as my ringtone for ages. Well that and Still More Fighting, the FFVII Boss music.

 

[John Funk]

*giant snip*
I still love the game though, and it has absolutely stellar moments.

What were you opinions on the combat system? Because personally, I really like the elements system, and the stamina system. But despised the "field color" stuff. And hated the way learning characters' skills were linked to the number "stars" you had. But I really liked the way you could find frames for dialog boxes. Small things like that go a long way.

And the bumbling guards were the best bumbling guards ever...Solt and Peppor, iirc.

Although, I really missed Trigger's multiple time periods, compared to cross's two worlds.

The field color was annoying, but I thought the Stamina and Elements were pretty cool (though I made the mistake of having a party that consisted of Lynx, Harle and Grobyc when I fought Miguel - that was pretty painful). There's something like it in Super Robot Wars Endless Frontier, which is kind of cool.

Still, it's not just the old JRPG's that had some noteworthy stuff (also, Uematsu hit the top of his game with FF6. Let's face it, the main theme + the opera + the battle music + Dancing Mad + bits of other good stuff like the Phantom Train = just another reason it's the best in the series). Sure, I'll always remember EarthBound's final boss music [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANhKF_pOv6Y], which was a fitting twist of sound considering the sudden seriousness of the final stage (y'know, having to remove your brains from your bodies and effectively go on a suicide mission...that somehow turned out to not be one).

FF6 may be his overall strongest score, but I maintain that the single best piece he's ever done has been FFX's Ending Theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZDLrxMXQqo&fmt=18]. The fully orchestrated "Hymn of the Faith" leading into "To Zanarkand" is just heartwrenchingly beautiful.

OMG! I used to like you because you had a cool name... But how can you not like One Winged Angel. I have had the Metal version from Advent Children as my ringtone for ages. Well that and Still More Fighting, the FFVII Boss music.

It's all right, I just don't think it's as OMG AWESOMEEEEE as people hype it up to be, and it's frankly overplayed. I'm "Eh" on FF7 as is - I think it's a good game, just hardly the best of all time. So my feelings about OWA kind of mirror that.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

*giant snip*
I still love the game though, and it has absolutely stellar moments.

What were you opinions on the combat system? Because personally, I really like the elements system, and the stamina system. But despised the "field color" stuff. And hated the way learning characters' skills were linked to the number "stars" you had. But I really liked the way you could find frames for dialog boxes. Small things like that go a long way.

And the bumbling guards were the best bumbling guards ever...Solt and Peppor, iirc.

Although, I really missed Trigger's multiple time periods, compared to cross's two worlds.

The field color was annoying, but I thought the Stamina and Elements were pretty cool (though I made the mistake of having a party that consisted of Lynx, Harle and Grobyc when I fought Miguel - that was pretty painful). There's something like it in Super Robot Wars Endless Frontier, which is kind of cool.

*goes to get SRWEF*

I'll be back, with a game even remotely similar to CC!

 

[John Funk]

*giant snip*
I still love the game though, and it has absolutely stellar moments.

What were you opinions on the combat system? Because personally, I really like the elements system, and the stamina system. But despised the "field color" stuff. And hated the way learning characters' skills were linked to the number "stars" you had. But I really liked the way you could find frames for dialog boxes. Small things like that go a long way.

And the bumbling guards were the best bumbling guards ever...Solt and Peppor, iirc.

Although, I really missed Trigger's multiple time periods, compared to cross's two worlds.

The field color was annoying, but I thought the Stamina and Elements were pretty cool (though I made the mistake of having a party that consisted of Lynx, Harle and Grobyc when I fought Miguel - that was pretty painful). There's something like it in Super Robot Wars Endless Frontier, which is kind of cool.

*goes to get SRWEF*

I'll be back, with a game even remotely similar to CC!

It's been a while since I played SRWEF, but its system was similar, yeah. You had a max amount of action points (say, 100), and different abilities cost different amounts of AP. So your attacks might cost 20-15 AP apiece, with a spell costing 10, and you could chain 5 attacks together in one turn (or until you ran out of AP, whichever came first).

I'm not 100% sure but I think that's how it worked. There weren't any Elements or anything like that though.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

snip

It's been a while since I played SRWEF, but its system was similar, yeah. You had a max amount of action points (say, 100), and different abilities cost different amounts of AP. So your attacks might cost 20-15 AP apiece, with a spell costing 10, and you could chain 5 attacks together in one turn (or until you ran out of AP, whichever came first).

I'm not 100% sure but I think that's how it worked. There weren't any Elements or anything like that though.

OH. if you want a system like that, but taken to a Final Fantasy Tactics grid combat version, try Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth for the PS1/DS.

You can move/attack/move/etc again, as long as you had the AP. Don't use all of your AP, or you'll get your next turn later on.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

'Master Porky's Theme' and the minor variants for henchmen from Mother 3 immediately come to mind, it's heavy drumline offering the sense that something heavier than your very depleted supplies are going to offer, so you better buckle in, cupcake. You know, hearing the soundtrack shift to those tones that could be in the background of a frantic Hollywood chase scene where something giant is bearing down our unlucky heroes. First the tones of it rearing up, then the music to play during the wide camera shot of how its looking right at you oh jeezus ruuuuuuun!, to just the sheer extent you get early on that something bad is about to go down, and you honestly don't know if you're ready or not.

 

[Ravek]

I will always remember stuff like the Dark World Theme from A Link to the Past [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYUsyLC6dOk]

Oh yeah! Now I almost need to play it again.

 

[Salmagundi]

Battle music is fast, which requires more notes and effort, more time by an orchestrator and more rehearsal time for the recording orchestra. Also, western composers tend to use bigger orchestras and less synth. In a nutshell, battle music is more expensive to produce

 

[zamble]

I agree that JRPG music is really good, sometimes I remember CT music out of the blue, nd remember the battle musci to be awesome - even thogh they changed it in the US version, at the time I hear the Japanese battle song and it was better.
Also, I missed Funk point out the "Lavos Theme", whenever I think abou CT songs tha'ts the one that comes to mind. And Frog's theme, too.

 

[Omnific One]

Weird, I can't stand most JRPG music, but I love WRPG music. Fallout 3's one battle theme is insane...so is a lot of the music from ME, ME2, Guild Wars, Oblivion, and Dragon Age.