Last week fellow enthusiast of awesome games Brad Galloway asked his Twitter followers if there were games they loved despite being flawed in some way.  I sprang at the opportunity to switch gears and get all nostalgic for a bit.  Keeping up to date on modern gaming news can be taxing, and sometimes the only cure is to slow down and slip back into the feeling a beloved game of generations past once gave you.  The game I chose to gush about was Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter.  I’ve included a portion of my bit below, but please check out the full article over on Brad’s blog.

Some games, like religious prophets, simply come before their time – before they can be comprehended by the masses. This was the first strike against Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. The game had cutting edge features for the Playstation 2 – features present in today’s modern generation of games: cell-shading, an AP driven battle system, and roguelike mechanics. Capcom took a big chance on Dragon Quarter, and many fans felt that in doing so they created a game that was not definitive of the Breath of Fire series. That was the second strike against Dragon Quarter, ultimately dooming the game to relative obscurity and criticisms. And yet I would list Breath of Fire’s final iteration among my favorite titles on the Playstation 2.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So please head over the Brad’s blog to read the rest as well as excerpts from other gamers.  This article is part one in a series so there is more heartfelt nostalgia to come.  What games, despite not quite achieving perfection, make you remember why you love games?

It’s no secret that I love Monster Hunter.  I love it so much, you guys.  But I also live in America, where Monster Hunter’s popularity is still budding, with a small but devoted fanbase.  And then I have this blog, where I follow the developments of the franchise both domestically and abroad pretty darn closely.  This has allowed me to recognize several mistakes made by those in charge of bringing Monster Hunter to eager fans throughout the past year.  Here they are in all their head-desk glory:

1. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd in the West

This game has been out for over a year in Japan.  It was released first on UMD, then as a PSN download, and finally as a HD port to the Playstation 3.  As of today, there are no signs that Monster Hunter Portable 3rd — in any of its versions — will be making it to the West.  Capcom has publicly stated this is due, at least in part, to Sony needing to update the Western Ad-hoc infrastructure.  There has since been no word.  My guess is both Capcom and Sony are at a standstill.

2. Operation Cherry Blossom

This was a movement started by the crew of the Monster Hunter Podcast.  It encouraged fans to actively make it clear to Capcom USA that they wanted Monster Hunter Portable 3rd to be localized.  I believe the idea came from the hype generated by Operation Rainfall initiated earlier in the year.  The result was impressive, with tons of fans weighing in on the movement’s official thread at Capcom-Unity, spanning 280 pages.  In this regard Operation Cherry Blossom was a success, but Capcom’s failure to respond to the movement was deeply discouraging.  If Capcom wants their fans to convince them there is money in localizing a game, they shouldn’t ignore them when they do precisely that.

3. Monster Hunter Tri G Lacking Online Functionality

This simply baffles me.  If I were the executive in charge of Monster Hunter Tri G’s development, as soon as I discovered there would be no online multiplayer, I would have shut that shit down.  But that didn’t happen.  The game was released and sold gangbusters in Japan — no surprise there.  I will admit that a few creative features were put into the game to take advantage of the 3DS’s hardware, but this doesn’t make up for one of the biggest draws the series has.

4. Console Woes

You don’t need to listen very hard to hear what Monster Hunter fans want — they are very vocal.  In my experiences, western fans have made it very clear that they want a console version of the game — not a portable one.  In Japan, fans are eagerly poised for the announcement of a Vita version — and with two real joysticks I can’t say I blame them.  Neither of these strongly-voiced desires look like they’re set to become a reality, especially given Monster Hunter 4 has already been slated for the 3DS.

5. Competitors Appearing

Like a dog crawling on its belly to steal your hotdog at a picnic, many replicators have attempted to capture a portion of Monster Hunter’s success.  And they are getting better at it.  This year I feel like I saw more games capture a bit of the essence of Monster Hunter than ever before.  I can’t tell you how many people told me to buy Gods Eater Burst, a PSP game with a futuristic appearance and eerily familiar yet over the top combat.  Then there was Hunter Blade, an MMO that doesn’t even hide the fact that it is nearly 100% based on Monster Hunter.  A lot of western fans have begun playing Hunter Blade, having given up on Monster Hunter Frontier ever seeing a western localization.  The moral of this story is: people move to replicators when the original doesn’t give them what they want.  I hope Capcom realizes this before their mighty franchise is picked apart by the wolves.

Looking forward, I hope 2012 will be a better year for Monster Hunter.  I want to see better decisions made about the direction of the series, and I want to see more done to engage the growing fanbase here in the West.  What I don’t want to see more of is my desk, as it speeds towards my head for an immanent collision.  Brb. Nosebleed.  LOL

I can feel it happening again: my obsession to grind beyond the point of reason.  This time the catalyst is my recent re-discovered obsession with Breath of Fire IV.  I am inching towards the final dungeon, which is one of my favorites of any RPG for its sheer difficulty and awesome loot to be had within.  I want to get my team on the right track.

The Breath of Fire games have a unique system which allows you to shape your characters the way you would like by having them train under a master.  Under the tutelage of a master, a character’s stat increases change upon leveling up.  For instance, the very first master in Breath of Fire IV, Rwolf, gives trainees a boost to AP (ability points) and Wisdom at the cost of Power.  Obviously most mages don’t require brute strength, so Rwolf is a great master for magic slingers (early on at least).

My dilemma comes from a tactic I just discovered regarding a particular master named Kryrik.  He’s a seasoned sailor who knows how to tie a mean constrictor knot IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

Can’t tell if weird looking or racist…

Kryrik gives an enormous boost to HP, Power, and Defense at the expense of AP, Agility, and Wisdom.  So the strategy is to get all six possible party members training under him as soon as possible since this is the best way to maximize HP and Defense.  Naturally this is probably fine for your beefcake warriors of the party.  But what of those magic slingers I talked about earlier? Is it worth it to sacrifice their offenses for a gruffer exterior?

Here is where things get interesting.  There are these NPCs scattered throught the world of Breath of Fire called Manillos.  They deal in fish tradery.  In other words, they really want fish.  If you catch some nice fish, you can trade them to these Manillos for rare and unique items.

Lemme see dem fishes

These Manillos are modern business men, despite their appearance (what are they exactly, frogs or something).  Anyway, they want to keep you bringing in the fish as much as you want their rare wares.  For this reason, they’ve developed a point card system (this is a very popular tactic in Japan).  So as you trade for items, you earn points.  After achieving a certain number of points you will fill up a card:

Still with me?  Now there is a second list of items which you can trade your full points cards in for.  Among the rewards are several items which permanently increase certain stats when consumed.  It just so happens that those stats are all the same stats that Kryrik lowers by being your master.  HMMM.

I’ll connect the dots for you in case you zoned out or browsed other tabs between yawning through this post:  By putting all of your team members under Kryrik as a master, they will have the highest possible HP and Defence by the time they reach their level cap of 50.  By abusing the Manillo points card system and fishing your ass off, you can essentially undo the negative effects of Kryril’s tutelage resulting in near perfect characters.

Did I say fishing your ass off? ‘Cause that’s what gon’ happen…

Now, as a clinically-diagnosed RPG perfectionist, do I have the willpower to take what I know and put it out of my mind — just ignore this recipe for perfection and its steep commitment?  Can I, in good conscious, amble through the game enjoying it for what it is, rather than what I can make it?  Queue soul-searching montage!

*Runs up some stairs in sweat pants and hoodie, pounds a glass filled with raw eggs, goes for a nighttime drive, contemplates own transience in front of a pond*

Right.  I’ve taken the normal path before.  It was fun, and I will never forget it.  But now, I must strive for excellence.  I want this save file to reflect how far I’ve come as a gamer since I played Breath of Fire IV over ten years ago.  I will have the best team I’ve ever assembled and we will shake the foundation of the gods under an avalanche of fishes and point cards.

Image credits — an awesome Breath of Fire IV fan site

Last night gave way to an epic leak of 3DS details via tomorrow’s Famitsu magazine.  Despite how ludicrous the rumors sounded, 01Net was right: Nintendo will be releasing the 3DS 2nd slide pad peripheral shown above.  The device appears to use the same connections as the 3DS charging dock.

The first game said to be supported by the dual slide pad feature is none other than hotly rumored Monster Hunter 3G, an updated version of Monster Hunter Tri.  The game will, however, be playable without the slide pad peripheral.  The developers felt that the existence of a second stick would help mimic the experience of playing on the Wii.  You know what else might help?  If I could upload my save data from Tri!  But I know that won’t happen…

Here is the “main monster” for the newest Monster Hunter spin-off:

It looks a bit like a poison version of the Barroth.  You can find a lot more images over at Nintendoeverything.com (1,2,3,).

Other details gathered from the scans include:

• 12 Weapons in total (meaning all the same weapons from Portable 3rd — no new weapons)
• Underwater battles are returning
• Will be playable at TGS
• Scheduled to be released in Japan this year

I also noticed a new area called the “oasis“, possibly for local or online multiplayer.

So now the big question: does Monster Hunter 3G necessitate the purchase of a 3DS?  I am a huge fan of the series and currently do not own a 3DS so this move was clearly targeted to push people like me over the edge.

Sadly I think this marketing move may have had the adverse effect.  Now, I feel fatigued with the repackaging of Monster Hunter Tri (into both Monster Hunter Portable 3rd and now Monster Hunter 3G).  Capcom has made their strategy clear: port the game, modify it slightly, and toss in a few new monsters or bring back the weapons/monsters you (most likely intentionally) omitted.  And it is a successful strategy.  Less work is required and due to the franchise’s popularity, these updated titles can still get away with being sold at full price.  And despite the cult of Monster Hunter in Japan, fans there are starting to see the light (that blog post is titled Monster Hunter: The Beginning of the End, and mirrors a number of my sentiments).

Still, a sick part of me wants a 3DS with that crazy add-on in my hands.  I want to feel two slide pads and dash through the world of Monster Hunter or Animal Crossing or Pokemon.  Maybe Nintendo can win me over and pull me out of my shell, but right now I have a strong sense of non-buyer’s non-remorse.  That’s a thing right?

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD was released in Japan this week. The title is the pioneer of Sony’s PSP Remaster Series, allowing gamers to play on-the-go via their PSP, upload their save data to their PS3 and then continue the game in HD. Rinse and repeat. However, the new technology is causing waves in the Japanese Monster Hunter community.

A number of gamers who purchased the Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD are reporting that their save files are being deleted in the process of transferring it from their PSP to the PS3. This has caused the title’s rating on Amazon to plummet. Some players are reporting losing upwards of 500 hours and giving up on the game entirely.  As a huge fan of the series, I can only imagine how devastating this must feel…

Others are blaming the issue on simple user error, as the process is somewhat complicated.  A Japanese gamer I follow on Twitter elaborated by adding that they had heard some users were accidentally transferring their Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD save file (which was of course blank) to their PSP, overwriting their hard-earned hours.

So here comes the PSA portion of this post.  To anyone who imported Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD and plans on transferring their save file from their PSP version, here is a simple step to mitigate any save file loss:

BACKUP YOUR SAVE FILE.  Back it up everywhere.  Put a copy on your computer, a copy on your PS3, a copy on your thumb drive or portable hard-drive.  For the love of all that is holy, you cannot have too many copies!  This simple step takes hardly any time but can protect your hours of hard work.  From there it should be a simple process of trial and error.  If anyone out there figures it out and has the capabilities, a YouTube tutorial would be a great asset to the community!

Hopefully in the near future Capcom and/or Sony will step forward and provide a little more guidance to their floundering consumers.  I only hope this message reaches all the hunters out there in time, before any more innocent save files are snuffed out of existence.

It’s been nearly a year since Monster Hunter Portable 3rd was released in Japan, leaving fans in the West in a constant speculation frenzy as to when we’ll see the game stateside.  These ravenous mobs have been hammering various message boards and forums across the internet in ceaseless waves, leaving only confusion and foundation-less rumors in their wake.  From the hysteria and pandemonium, a voice of reason has arisen to (if only for a moment) set the record straight.

Yup.  It’s our old friend Christian Svensson (Corporate Officer/Senior Vice-President at Capcom).  He had this to say regarding SCEA and SCEE’s hand in the localization of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd:

They have to make exceptions to approve this sort of project in the West: one that runs on PS3 but doesn’t have trophies or make use of regular PSN for online play… it uses a modification of adhoc party which doesn’t exist in the West.

In short, it requires them to localize and launch SCEJ network services (which is development work and QA/localization and support on their side) that don’t currently exist in either territory and release it from the usual platform requirements for trophies, etc. It’s not trivial on Sony’s part.

And we won’t start the localization process until we know we can bring it out here (as much as I know you guys want it). I know MH fans are frustrated. Trust me, I want to bring more MH games out here too… and games will come, it’s just going to take time.

So, to some degree, my earlier assumptions were correct: the holdup does concern the ad-hoc system structure.  However, it appears the situation is more dire than I had thought.  Initially I imagined it was as simple as assuring the western ad-hoc system could support a massive influx of traffic if the game were released.  Rather, it seems the problem is that we need an updated ad-hoc system.

When Sven mentions that this project entails “development work and QA/localization and support” from Sony, all I hear is “it could take years”.  That kind of mobilization isn’t something that happens overnight, and I doubt this will appear as a priority for Sony in the near future.  After all, this would require them to invest time and money all for (at this time) a 3rd party title…  That would be like your neighbor asking you to get cable so they could steal it.

So those of us waiting for a western release of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd better get comfy, ’cause it could be a long wait.  It could be so long, in fact, that the rumored Nintendo 3DS version (Monster Hunter 3G?!) could be a more likely contender for your foldin’ monies.  Personally, I am just going to try and stay patient and occupy myself with other games until some good news comes our way.

Yesterday after work I dug up my Breath of Fire IV strategy guide in anticipation of downloading the game on the PSN.  I don’t need the guide to beat the game.  In my adolescence this was one of the titles I played on repeat.  It is (pardon the pun) burned into my memory.

Still, there is something intimate when it comes to print guides.  Or perhaps the guide is simply an artifact I associate with the fond memories I have of the game.  Countless hours I consulted it on how to clear a certain puzzle, where I could find a master, how to execute a devastating combo, until it was all second nature.  Yet without fail, each time the game went into my Playstation, I reached for this very guide.

I am a creature of ritual when it comes to what I love, as the guide’s appearance no doubt suggests: the cover is worn around the edges, and my PSP Go is actually covering a big section of it which is missing entirely.  Despite the somewhat ragged appearance, I am proud it is looking this good after 10 years.  Or rather 10 years and one month to the day:

I wonder what “James” is up to today?

For whatever reason, myself at 15 years old decided to use the receipt for the guide as a bookmark.  I was probably just lazy.  But with each use after that, I kept the tradition going, using the guide as a hyperbolic chamber.  Now, I am left with a perfectly preserved receipt from that day on summer vacation in Maine.  I had completely forgotten of my odd tradition until yesterday, when I finally cracked the guide open.

Re-experiencing this part of my past with my current amount of free time is… sobering.  Back in my prime I could play until 4 or 5 AM — the hours quickly generating from a sheer lack of responsibilities.  After last night’s climax of nostalgia, I probably played the game for a half hour before resigning to bed for the 9-5.  Sad.

Still, I am grateful to my past self for (no doubt unintentionally) sowing the seeds for yesterday’s nostalgia rush.  There are those who would argue that time spent on video games is wasted, and on my darker days, I would agree with this statement.  But opening yesterday’s time capsule has shown me that fond memories, regardless of how they were obtained, is evidence of time well spent.

The localization process can be frustrating to fans, especially regarding older titles which many gamers consider classics.  We all want to play these titles in as pure a form as possible, but for a number of reasons translations may be less than desirable or certain parts may be censored entirely.  The latter example is true of Breath of Fire IV, which was recently revealed to be making its way to the Playstation Network by Capcom.

I won’t elaborate on the impact this game had on me as a young gamer, but just know it was very influential.  It dealt with some dark and frightening themes expressed in especially poignant scenes.  It was certainly one of the most mature RPGs I had played in the Playstation era.  As I got older I became aware of instances of censorship with the Western release of the game.  Now, with Breath of Fire IV set to rerelease, this topic is worth discussing again.

First, I want to talk about this guy:

His name is Scias, (pronounced in Japanese as Siasu). Without revealing too much, I can say that there was once a great war which ravaged the world of Breath of Fire IV.  Scias fought in this war ultimately witnessing its end.  Being a soldier in peacetime made life difficult, and Scias resorted to becoming a mercenary willing to do anything for money.  What the English version of the game won’t tell you, is that he also resorted to hitting the bottle.  Can you blame the guy?  I am sure he was dealing with some form of PTSS…  Any mention to such was naturally removed for the Western release, despite any potential damages to his character development.

Some people online claim that Scias’s stuttering in the game is actually the localization studio’s way to cover up a drunken slur, however after researching this extensively, I cannot corroborate these claims.  Even if this were true, I like that Scias has a stutter — it helps paint him as a withdrawn individual who has a difficult time communicating.

In addition to Scias’s favorite hobby, one of his unique abilities was eliminated as well.  The skill called, shikibetsu, or “identify” was entirely done away with.  If you watch the below video you should see why (6:16):

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s an extremely text and menu heavy skill, one which surely would have increased the amount of translating necessary to bring the game to completion.

Several silly scenes clearly considered too sexual in nature were also removed:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ursula pulls down her pants to prove a point to some seamen… heh

Click here to view the embedded video.

The game’s leading ladies take a bath (while discussing each others “size”) and Ryu is tempted to peek

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ryu should keep his hands to himself, lest he lose them

While most of these are little more than comic relief or fan service, I did like the scene in which Ursual proves her mettle to the sailors.  I felt this helped further establish her as a stoic female who in no way needs special treatment.  I also liked to watch the sailors squirm since there is an annoying mini-game they put you through…  I suppose the same could be said for the bath scene in which Ursula nearly kills the game’s protagonist.

From here on out, we’re in spoiler country.  Continue at your own risk!

Finally, one infamous scene was removed for being too violent.  By today’s standards it is arguably quite PG:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I must admit this scene’s deletion was flawless — I am still not sure how they did it.  Fou Lu’s brashness here helps paint him as a true tyrant (although one pushed to extreme measures).  It would have been nice for Western audiences to have witnessed this event, providing more evidence when considering the role of the endless vs. humanity in Breath of Fire IV.

As long as we have cultural and language barriers, localization will be a necessity.  It can be heavy-handed at times, resulting in bitterness among fans.  However, publishers are not without limitations, especially when seeking acceptable ESRB ratings and such.  Ultimately, in the case of Breath of Fire IV, I am happy I was able to experience the game when I did in life, despite its alterations.

My PSP Go has been getting quite the workout lately, and I haven’t for a moment regretted my decision to pick one up.  On the contrary, each announcement of a classic being added to PSN is another excuse to take advantage of the versatility it affords me.  Recently, Christian Svensson (a name appearing on this blog quite frequently: 1,2) announced via the Capcom Unity forum that just such a classic is headed our way: Breath of Fire IV.

My memories of countless hours spent with video games are speckled with few but lucid moments of pure awe.  A handful of these unforgettable moments come from Breath of Fire IV.  It had an aesthetic all its own, a creative dual-storytelling device, and some of the most powerful moments I have ever experienced in any medium.  I don’t mean to sound melodramatic, and frankly I don’t care if I do: this was one hell of a game.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Give this song from the game a listen if you have the time

Now, I will have the opportunity to slap such a beloved title onto a device I carry with me almost everywhere.  At the end of the day I can stretch out on the couch and play it on my television for the full effect.  If I am lucky I can even use a Dualshock 3 controller as well.  This is the ultimate culmination of modern technology and beloved classics.  This is great news.  This is the best news.  August 16th can’t come soon enough.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am embarking upon a new project — one which is lofty, to say the least. I have found a flower girl, un-learned in the ways of the hunt. She knows nothing of the art of tracking, capturing, or even how to properly wield a Great Sword. What better opportunity to show my prowess as a hunter than to train her up from nothing to an exemplary huntress?

Our goal will be to slay every monster in Monster Hunter Tri.  For the sake of others seeking guidance down the lonely path of a true hunter, I will record each session and publish it here.  My teaching, humbly bestowed upon this peasant girl, can perhaps serve as a beacon of light to those faltering in their gait.  Join us, on the eighth of August for the very first show, so that you, too, may become a scholar and a master hunter.