Games Beaten 2016

[Sarge]

Definitely give the arcade version of Strider 2 a shot as well. I think there were a few things cut from the PSX version. I think I used Zinc to emulate it.

[laurenhiya21]

Definitely give the arcade version of Strider 2 a shot as well. I think there were a few things cut from the PSX version. I think I used Zinc to emulate it.

Oh, I didn't know that... I'll have try it out sometime then (well, assuming that it's not too difficult to emulate an arcade game haha)

[Sarge]

Shouldn't be too hard to set up these days. I think there's also support in MAME, but I'm not sure how solid the emulation is.

[Exhuminator]

Laurenhiya21:

http://fantasyanime.com/emuhelp/emuhelp_mame.htm

https://tinyurl.com/huwhefm

[laurenhiya21]

Laurenhiya21:

http://fantasyanime.com/emuhelp/emuhelp_mame.htm

https://tinyurl.com/huwhefm

Thanks! It took a little fiddling around, but I got it to work. Also I beat it already lol. I think I used fewer credits too

Really I didn't see many differences between the Arcade and PS1 versions. It loads a bit faster, and I had a bit of an easier time jumping and doing the savage slash (which I didn't even know I could do before ) but not much else from what I could tell. Well, not much else in the Arcade version's favour anyway. The PS1 has a bunch of difficulty options plus an unlockable character and stage.

Still had a good time with it though!

[prfsnl_gmr]

Really I didn't see many differences between the Arcade and PS1 versions.

You shouldn't. Other than the PS1's unlockables, they are practically identical, and I think that the arcade version runs on slightly modified PS1 hardware.

[Exhuminator]

Still had a good time with it though!

I figured you'd have no problems. Glad it worked out for you.

I remember when I bought Strider 2 for PS1 back when it released. Myself and many others put the Strider 2 disc in our PS1s only to discover we were playing Strider 1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strider_2#Home_version

[Sarge]

Very interesting. I'd always read that the PSX version was inferior, but apparently not inferior enough to matter much. (Thanks, NextGen magazine! And while I'm griping at print mags, thanks Game Informer for convincing me to not pick up Shantae! Jerks.)

Yeah, the arcade version does run on modified PSX hardware. Slightly better, if memory serves. I kinda wish I'd picked up the PSX version back in the day now... (Thanks again, NextGen magazine!)

I'm reminded of another game I have that pulled the label snafu: Age of Wonders. The first game was labeled the second and vice versa.

[laurenhiya21]

Really I didn't see many differences between the Arcade and PS1 versions.

You shouldn't. Other than the PS1's unlockables, they are practically identical, and I think that the arcade version runs on slightly modified PS1 hardware.

Well I guess that explains it then I was really trying hard to see if I could see anything different haha

Still had a good time with it though!

I remember when I bought Strider 2 for PS1 back when it released. Myself and many others put the Strider 2 disc in our PS1s only to discover we were playing Strider 1.

Man I wish I had the game when it came out to discover the mistake like that. Now that sort of thing doesn't happen too often.

[PartridgeSenpai]

Tales of Graces f : Lineages & Legacies (PS3)

This is the expansion content added to the PS3 port of Tales of Graces. Granted, we never got the Wii original, but it's still an expansion. It adds an extra 10 hours to the game, and wraps up some fairly relevant story questions brought up in the post-credits video of the original game.

Gameplay wise, it's 4 or so totally new dungeons, and then 4 old dungeons but with new monsters. A whole new bit of story to see (ten whole hours of it), and a myriad of skits to go with it as well. As far as the intensity of the story compared to the main game, it's not quite the same level, but the writing is still good. It's just not going for those same emotional punches. I did nearly tear up once or twice (which is nothing compared to the bawling I was doing after seeing the ending of the main game (happy tears though)), I found myself laughing far more often in this story just because of how great the character chemistry is with the (sort of) new character they added to the old main party, and their topics of conversation in skits tend to be more lighthearted. I really enjoyed it.

There's also the introduction of the Accel system, which REALLY changes up combat. It's more or less every character getting their own, personal overlimit meter, in addition to the one you already have that's party wide. Granted, the "Eleth Gauge" isn't so much like Vesperia's Overlimit system, but the Accel system is much closer to that. Plus, each character gets their own personalized, unique effects from their Accel gauge, so that's another neat feature. Another curiosity you unlock near the middle/end of the expansion is the ability for characters to turn into other characters by using a certain craftable item at a certain NPC. It more or less gives that character a "costume" of another character. Want a party full of just the main character? You can have that now (but it'll take a while to get enough stuff to craft that).

Verdict: Recommended if you really liked the main game. Granted, it's not a standalone expansion and you need to beat the game first to unlock it, but I'd say it's definitely worth playing if you enjoyed the main game enough to play through to the end.