Grazza

Yeah, there is a reasonable supply of Liquid Metal Slimes and Metal King Slimes in the post game areas. However, half the time I just used the EXP from the battles (again, it's reasonably generous). Yes indeed, I have. This is the reason I wanted to make sure you understood the importance of the Spear and Axe skills from the beginning. I actually went back and played it a 2nd time just to prepare for the post-game content. I might even play it a 3rd time!

True. I think it still works best if you have an actual object. However, what I tried to do with my snow pics was have a stream or lane lead into the picture.

A lot, to be honest. This is what there is:

Yeah, and to be honest, from what little I know I side with Paul McCartney. However, my point is that hate is not healthy, nor is wishing people harm.

Whoo hoo! Well done Patch! A lovely turn of phrase! I loved reading your progress and your review, and your captions were hilarious. Sounds like that boss you were having trouble with really was just a blip, as you played brilliantly (going by the battle record and final boss). Thanks so much for going to all the effort, with the screenshots as well. As I'm the one who "bigged this up", I really hope you thought it was worth playing. (Hope you enjoy it too, Epic fail.) Incredibly well-balanced post-game bosses. They are about as difficult as RPG battles can be whilst still being fair.

Too right. People should be careful not to hate people, as you're just lowering yourself. I will forever be impressed by Russell Brand saying something similar to this when it was popular to hate Jade Goody. Yes, you can disagree with something, but do not fall into the trap of becoming a bully yourself. Anyway, I really enjoy this show. It's a superb 120 minutes viewing on a Sunday and, to be honest, it really cheers up my January and February! Felt a bit gutted for Sinitta tonight, as I don't think she should have been asked to do that lift.

Dragon Quest VIII is actually the game that made me think about buffs. I played the entire Final Fantasy XII without using any at all!

Well done, Patch! Everyone says that team is the best, but trust me to need another solution! Have you given the prize to Angelo?

Don't give up, Patch! It's just psychological. You smashed the mid-game boss, and that was probably the most difficult one compared to the general level you'd be at that point. Just remember, always make sure you have Insulate in effect (for the applicable boss fights), because fire/ice attacks hit everyone and they hurt. It's the most important buff. If you make that's someone's priority, and make someone else's priority to heal all the time, you should be able to take it in your stride.

Yes, because the patent said you could take control at any time.

Sega used to publish charming (but not kiddie) games like Landstalker, Skies of Arcadia and OutRun. Now I just think of them as "violence or Sonic". Exactly. I'm sure it's all caused by the American rating system. When they say "Mature" they obviously mean "Only suitable for mature people", but people take it to mean the game is mature (or that it makes you mature playing it!) To me, maturity is closely linked to wisdom, so I'd say mature games I've played are Landstalker, Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks, because they've all made me think. This is the sad thing about games nowadays. I want to play the best, but I won't if it includes gratuitous violence. People kept saying how good Bayonetta was, but then I read some of things that were in it, and there's no way I'd play it. I just don't agree with it. LOL! Funny and true. Although that said, I've not seen much sexual content in games and I think there could be a lot more (in RPGs, for example). As long as you didn't buy the game for that and it wasn't vulgar, it likely wouldn't be gratuitous. The Sega guy is right that the market for violent games is on other consoles. It's just a shame that that's considered the adult market.

I love these, Kirkatronics, they really evoke something.

10. Phoenix Wright - I didn't think I'd be into this, but I gave it a go, and it's a reminder of how important atmosphere and characters are. It's not an action game, but (arguably because of this) the static backdrops allow more immersion. Great music too. 9. Skies of Arcadia - One of the last RPGs that had that "Sega" atmosphere. Great gameplay, and I loved the belly dancer! 8. OutRun 2006 - If someone asked me for my ideal graphics, music and handling in a driving game, it would be this. 7. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - I liked the restraint (there was no blood), I like the way it championed linear gameplay through one giant building and, I have to be honest, I really, really loved the sexy belly dancers! 6. Metroid Prime - It took me ages to "get" (didn't complete it and love it until 2009), but it's not all hype - it really is a great game. Metroid Prime is a great example of keeping the gameplay exciting and intense within a tight, well-designed gameworld, but always with a sense of exploration too. 5. Shadow of the Colossus - Technically brilliant, successful in creating the atmosphere it wanted and (in fighting the giants) featured a worthy new gameplay hook that was genuinely innovative without being gimmicky. 4. Super Mario Sunshine - This just did it for me. It controls like a dream and the tropical themes transported me there. 3. Zelda: Majora's Mask - One of the earliest games of the Noughties, but still one of the best. Similar atmosphere to Ocarina of Time - less flawless, but with even more interesting gameplay. What more could you ask for? 2. Dragon Quest VIII - Brilliant graphics and gameplay and a stunning soundtrack. A perfect RPG. 1. Zelda: the Wind Waker - A masterclass of artistic and technical brilliance. I could have had F-Zero GX, Twilight Princess, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath or many others in the Top 10 (I've probably forgotten some too). There were loads of great games.

I thought that was a really good episode, probably Russell T Davies' best 2-part "season finale" for a few years (Season 2's was the last great one, I think), as there was comparatively little that was jarring or unbelievable - the Doctor jumping from the spaceship to the room being the exception. Loved the "Carry On" reference with him rolling down the stairs on wheels! It was exciting and funny, and it all worked out the way I wanted with the Master (can't help liking the rogue!) and the Time Lords. That said, I'm really not nitpicking, but the ending was way too protracted, with him saying so many goodbyes. If you look at how swiftly Christopher Eccleston regenerated, this was a bit silly. A great episode though, I'll be generous and give it a 9/10 (might have been a 10 if they'd snipped the ending).

Ganondorf is better because he was part of a series when it was at its best (Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker). Mace Windu, on the other hand, is part of a series of films that are in no way iconic in their own right. Samuel L Jackson is great in Jackie Brown though. That's an excellent film.

Yes, I don't think I've even tried the d-pad. I'm really surprised you're not keen on it, as it seemed to work perfectly from the first moment to me (official Nintendo GameCube pad, for the record). That said, I always used to play the Megadrive game with an actual joystick, so maybe that's why I'm used to it. I didn't play it last night, but I've done the Tower of Mir. Wow, that was harder than I remembered! Although a lot of it is mind over matter - you just need to keep calm, because the puzzles are easier than they seem and there aren't a lot of keys to find. That said, some of the timed gates are incredibly hard. I don't remember that either. Sounds like a good topic actually...

I'm not sure I've got the right idea with this thread (these are photos of art, not necessarily artistic photos themselves), but I hope you like these sand sculptures, which visited Great Yarmouth in 2006:

I only had time to do the puzzles in Mercator last night, but I flew through them! Awesome! Especially if you've got an analogue stick to play it with. Seriously, I'm constantly surprised how well the graphics and music hold up. Not only that, the controls feel totally fluid and responsive. The isometric perspective seems to have helped its ageing very well, as it sort of feels like a 3D game, with all the detail of a 2D game. I find it better than A Link to the Past (and I played and loved both at the time). In fact, I'd say it's probably the best game of the 16-bit era!

Oops, I knew I should have used the "Check if this has already been posted" option. You'll get me into trouble with darksnowman! To answer your question in that thread, I too remember reading in a magazine that Madame Yard's Ballet School was "exactly what you thought it was". Having a dirty mind, I thought it was a brothel, but you may be right about the burlesque. I'll tell you if Dita Von Teese pops up (out)! I got to Mercator last night, and the dungeons have been longer and more complex than I remembered. One thing I really like is the bosses are various types of knight/swordsmen. I'm so used to the dramatic, environment-specific bosses of Zelda, it makes a nice change.

First of all, King V, love is the most important thing of all. I'm grateful I can't identify with the broken home, but you have my full sympathy and I'm sending you some heterosexual love down the internet right now... there, did you get it? I don't think I can help much, as I don't think I truly understand the problem, but there are three things I can say: 1) Sometimes you just need to accept that people were what they were (depending on how serious it was). I've probably made enough mistakes in my life to give me countless sleepless nights, but you just have to move on. If it's more serious than that, ask your GP to recommend a psychiatrist - there's no shame in it (I say ask your GP, so you don't get ripped off). 2) It can help a great deal to learn to be assertive. This way, you neither bottle things up nor get aggressive and lose your temper. When someone wrongs you, just state your case, but always, always be polite and calm. Easier said than done, but it's the only way. 3) This is what I say to anyone who feels down in the dumps. Look forward to all the great things there are in life. I get so flippin' excited at the thought of all the new technology there'll be in the future, and all the things I could achieve personally, it keeps me happy more often than not. Chin up.

Yeah, but look on the bright side. It's just as charming on the Wii, controls just as well (even better, I think) and even has the inner artwork from the manual. Feels like having a Mega Drive again.

I got that feeling too (that they may be bad). As I understand it, the Doctor is the only truly "good" Time Lord and the Master is a rogue, but in general they're ruthless (I believe they've forced the Doctor to regenerate in the past, as a punishment?) It's hard to believe they wouldn't be angry at the Doctor for what he did in The Waters of Mars. As for the episode, I really didn't like the silly, pseudo-serious stuff in the first half (eg. the way the Master kept saying "meat, gravy" etc). However, I quite liked it when the Master got his verve back and fixed the machine in a few seconds. I used to be a huge fan of Russell T Davies' episodes, but generally, Doctor Who has become far too overblown and epic. I think they've largely forgotten about the fun. Let's hope we get some more great, one-off 45 minute episodes like Blink, Love & Monsters and The Girl in the Fireplace, because that's Doctor Who at its best - just a quick, witty, satirical bit of fun.

(I thought it was 15th anniversary, but it was actually 1993!) On the night of Christmas Day 1993, I slotted the Landstalker cartridge into my lovely Megadrive. Last night (Christmas Day 2009), I began playing my downloaded Wii version! My first impression was that the music and atmosphere are still brilliant and full of charm. You enter the strange island through a cave with a warning on the wall. There's something I love about this - the idea that you are going into a mysterious land, and you may not be welcome. I did the first two dungeons, and I must say, the gameplay holds up amazingly. I had read some reviews of the Wii version saying that the isometric viewpoint doesn't hold up well because a) it's hard to control with a d-pad and b) it can be confusing knowing which way to jump; however, I really do not find this to be the case. I used to play Landstalker with a Megadrive joystick, which was fine, but it controls better than ever with a GameCube pad. Secondly, the isometric viewpoint is not problematic if you watch which way the platforms move. I'm loving it!