Common Game Elements - Part One

I've been thinking about how there are certain elements in video games that reoccur very frequently. And since I love to analyze, I decided to make a new post type titled, "Common Game Elements". Now while I say game elements, for the most part I mean RPGs, although some of these elements transcend genres and I will make an effort to include as many different kinds of games as possible.

For part one, I decided to pick at something that was overused to overkill. So without further ado, let us delve into today's topic:

"The protagonist/hero is a sword wielder"

Exactly what is says: the main character, female or male (usually male), is always some sort of swordsman. This rule isn't absolute, but it is very prevalent, especially among RPGs.

Examples:

Official Dissidia artwork
showcases Firion as a swordsman

• Firion (FFII) - Comes equipped with a sword and paladin-like stats. Shown with a sword in artwork.
• Cecil (FFIV) - Dark Knight, then Paladin and both use swords.
• Bartz (FFV) - In artwork he is shown caring a sword.
• Terra (FFVI) - Uses swords among other weapons.
• Cloud (FFVII) - Uses the massive and iconic Buster Sword.
• Squall (FFVIII) - Uses a gun-blade, which is more blade than gun.
• Vaan (FFXII) - Comes equipped with a sword and with sword-abilities unlocked.
• Lightning (FFXIII) - Uses a gun-blade, which is again, more blade than gun.
• Marche (FFTA) - Begins his journey in the sword wielding solider class.
• Luso (FFTA2) - Like his predecessor, begins as a solider that equips swords.
• Ryu (Breath of Fire) - Uses mostly swords.
• Max (Shining Force) - Is a swordsman.
• Bowie (Shining Force II) - Uses swords only.
• Hero/Lazlo (Suikoden IV) - wields twin blades.
• Alph (Lumionous Arc) - equips swords only.
• Roland (Luminous Arc 2) - once again a sword wielder.
• Link (The Legend of Zelda) - his primary weapon is a sword.
• Chrno (Chrono Trigger) - Uses only swords.
• Issac (Golden Sun) - Uses only swords.
• Alex (Lunar: Silver Star Story) -  Uses only swords.
• Hero (Dragon Quest VIII) - Uses swords among other weapons
• Hero (Secret of Mana) - Uses a sword among other weapons. The sword, however, is given special significance.
• Laharl (Disgaea) - Comes with a sword equipped and has high sword proficiency.
• Sora (Kingdom Hearts) - Uses the sword-like, Keyblade.
• Eliwood (Fire Emblem) -  Uses light swords.
• Maxim (Lufia 2) - A swordsman.
• Nier (Nier) - Uses swords.
• Jeanne (Jeanne D'Arc) - Uses swords.
• Ein (Riveria: The Promised Land) - Uses a sword like weapon.
• Sonic (Sonic and the Black Knight) - Even Sonic gets a sword in this game!
• Raguna (Rune Factory) - Uses a sword when fighting monsters.
• Prince (Prince of Persia) - All incarnations wield a sword.
• Shiren (Shiren the Wanderer) - Uses swords, shown with a sword in artwork.
• Yuri (Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates) - Comes with a sword equipped.



Iconic character Link is usually
pictured with a sword in hand
even though he also uses bows or
boomerangs.

• Sagi (Baten Kaitos Origins) - Uses swords.

There are even more examples, but I think everyone gets the idea. As one can see this is pretty prevalent, and there are but a few examples where the hero/protagonist isn't using a sword. Most of these come from outside RPGs, but there are some RPGs that don't follow this rule as well.

Exceptions:

• Yuna (FFX-2) - Uses twin guns
• Zidane (FFIX) - Uses daggers
• Aya (Parasite Eve) - Uses guns.
• Issac (Lost Magic) - Uses magic and has a wand.
• Mario (Super Mario Bros.) - Jumps on things.
• Neku (The World Ends With You) - Uses his psychic powers.
• Kyrie (Sands of Destruction) - Uses knives.
• Layle (Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers) - Uses his gravity power
• Drake (Uncharted) - Uses guns.
• Johnathan (Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin) - Uses a whip.
• Annie (Atelier Annie: Alchemist of Serra Island) - Equips staffs.
• Klein (Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana) - Uses a cane/staff.

Aya Brea from Parasite Eve
uses firearms rather than
swords.

Most of the RPG exceptions are unique in that a certain game play mechanic makes it important for the main character to use magic or something similar (Issac, Annie, Klein, Layle, Neku). For others, guns fit the setting better than swords (Aya, Drake). And sometimes, instead of giving the protagonist a big bad blade, the developers settle for a smaller version and make their hero a thief (Zidane, Kyrie). The only odd balls in the bunch are Yuna from FFX-2, who uses twin guns that seem out of place in the game's fantasy settings and Jonathan (and other Castlevania protagonists), who uses a whip.

So what the hell does this mean? Why did I bother to compile a list of sword-users and non-users? For one, to show just how rampant this occurrence really is. For another, to show that the idea archetype, the hero, is still, by-and-far, the same character: a cool sword wielding dude (sometimes dudette). A muscular swordsman/woman oozes coolness and badassery. Why would anyone want to play as a wimpy mage? Yes, at the heart of it is the stereotype that magic users, because they use either words or natural forces and not their own physical strength, are wimpy and in need of protection. God forbidden the character we were forced to play and in turn relate to was a weak character.

Of course, as the list in the exceptions shows, this is being challenged, albeit not enough to give us a more proportional representation of protagonist that are not sword wielders, or even physical fighters, but nevertheless, there are some unique protagonists that do offer a different route than the usual sword wielding hero.

There are also games going a different route, the customization route, which put the choice in the hands of the player. So all in all, there has been some growth and diversification in video games and I hope this trend continues so that not only are we getting a variety of character classes as the lead, but also a variety of leading personality types. Like they say, "variety is the spice of life."

~Joanna

Impression: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 6

The heart of the Outo arc, volume six, is one of my favourite volumes of Tsubasa.

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Summary

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Sakura wakes up a bit late, but she is still excited about helping Fai with their new cafe, Cat's Eye. Meanwhile, Syaoran and Kurogane go looking for information about the special Oni. They are told that the information they seek can be found in a bar called Clover that opens at night.

As such, when night comes, Kurogane and Fai set out to find Clover, while Sakura and Syaoran stay behind to run the cafe. On their way to the bar, Kurogane and Fai run into some Oni. The resulting battle causes Fai to hurt himself when he runs out of darts, while Kurogane's sword breaks from the power of his attack. Nevertheless, the two make it to the bar Clover. At Cat's Eye, though, things aren't much better. A strange boy comes into the shop and challenges Syaoran. Their fighting causes some damage to the cafe, but before the boy, called Ryuo, can create even more ruckus, a friend of his steps in and he realizes how inappropriate the location of their fight was. Ryuo apologizes to Syaoran and helps him get the cafe back into working order. The two become friends and promise to fight again. The others enjoy Fai's baked goodies.

Once in the bar, Fai and Kurogane ask about the special Oni. The bartender tells them they will have to wait for the song to finish because it is the singer who has the information they seek. After the song ends, the singer introduces herself as Oruha and tells them about a special Oni that takes the shape of a beautiful young man.

When Fai and Kurogane come back to the cafe, Fai shows off all the alcohol he got from Caldina, the bartender. The group celebrates and everyone gets very drunk except Kurogane. Fai and Sakura pretend they are cats, while Syaoran asks Kurogane to train him. When the latter accepts, Syaoran, drunk, takes a kitchen utensil and treats it as a sword while talking to a chair believing it is Kurogane. Furious with this nonsense, Kurogane tells everything to go to sleep.

The next morning Fai has a bad hangover and gets up late. Surprisingly, Sakura is perfectly fine and opened the cafe by herself. Meanwhile the puppy duo goes to pick up some swords. Syaoran returns later in the evening all worn out. The next day goes about the same, except this time, Kurogane notices Syaoran is blind in one eye. He notes that Syaoran responds quicker on his right side because he is blind, and therefore gives him a blind fold and tells him to come home with it on.

On his way home, however, Syaoran is attacked by Oni. Thankfully, Ryuo takes off the blind fold just as Syaoran was about to be hit. The two of them have a little chat and continue back to the cafe. On their way, however, they come across two Oni hunters fighting an abnormal Oni. Behind the Oni is a man and he summons more Oni. Syaoran seems to recognize the man and likewise the man calls out to Syaoran. Because the Oni have multiplied too much, Ryuo takes the stunned Syaoran and the two of them make a run for it.

Once they reach the cafe, Ryou barges in and tells everyone they saw the special Oni. Syaoran, confused, recollects how he met Seishiro, the man who summoned the Oni. Turns out Seishiro taught Syaoran how to fight. Syaoran concludes that this Seishiro knew him, yet he does not understand why he is here in Outo. As such, Syaoran tells his shocked friends that the man may have been the one who taught him how to fight. This proclamation brings a close to volume six.

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My Thoughts

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Volume six, the heart of the Outo arc, is definitely one of my favourite volumes. I really enjoyed the more fun and almost slice-of-life mood in this volume. The drinking party scenes, in particular, were a real nice treat. As well as the moments between Fai and Kurogane, which began to hint at something beneath Fai's smile.

Due to the nature of this volume, plot development was rather slow until the final chapter, yet character development really picked up. Bits, foreshadowing more to come, about Kurogane and Fai littered this volume (examples include Fai's yearning for someone to take him away like in the song, Kurogane's speech to Syaoran about cutting what you were not ready to cut, etc). Even side character Ryuo got a bit of development and his friendship with Syaoran was adorable. Syoaran did get character development, but it was nothing new: his determination is once again high lighted as well as his generally nice and gentle persona, which becomes even more pronounced when he talks with Ryuo. Sakura's general personification as an energetic girl is solidified in this volume as well.

For Clamp fans, this volume is filled to the brim with cameos. From major ones like Ryou (RG Vega) to little Easter eggs like Hikaru (Angelic Layer). I'm not too familiar with all of Clamp's work, but with the ones I am familiar, it's always nice to see them again.

As for art, volume six has one of my Tsubasa favourite covers. I love birds and Syaoran is one of my favourite characters. The fact that he is also holding a scale and looks so serious are pluses in my books. For chapitre covers, all were really nice, but Chapitre 40's cover really stands out. Chapitre 40 features the gang from the Hanshin Republic and what looks like a glimpse into what's happening there after Syaoran and company left. I really love when mangaka use chapter covers to tell the readers what is happening with characters that have left the main stage. I'm always curious, thinking, "I wonder how so-and-so is doing", so when the mangaka takes the time to give us a glimpse, it really is a treat.

 ~Joanna

My Gaming Freebies and Merchandise

I've been really lazy about keeping up to date with all my nice pre-order bonus or freebies, so this post is basically a show case of all my game-related merchandise that I haven't gotten around to showing up till now. It's nothing fancy, mostly freebies and a few minor things that I've actually bought.

Club Nintendo 2009 Gold Member Award: Calendar

This is the calendar I got in December 2009 for reaching Gold status on Club Nintendo. These pictures were taken a while back and I've been meaning to upload them onto this blog...but I just never got around to it. Basically it's a little stand with cards that feature a Nintendo franchise and a calendar at the bottom. You switch the cards every month. If you flip the card over, you can see a calendar layout (bottom right - February) for each month. I usually just leave the one with the picture out since it looks nicer. As an additional bonus, Nintendo also gave me a mini mario calendar (top right).

Mario Candy Cases

One of the few game-related things I've actually bought. These two are separate candy cases. The mushroom case has little cherry sours shaped as mushrooms inside, while the Question Block case has little coin candies inside. Both are pretty neat and I bought both on whim. Club Nintendo calendar in the background for added effect! xD

SoulSilver Preorder Bonus: Lugia Figurine

The pre-order bonus for SoulSilver. I love the angle of the shot. It actually took me a while to get a decent angle because Lugia's neck is a bit too curved and it's hard to see the whole figurine from a side view. The figurine isn't the best quality, but it was free so I can't complain.

Dragon Quest IX GameStop Event: DQIX Pamphlet

This doesn't seem worthwhile to even mention, but I was actually surprised by the quality of this pamphlet. The cover is dusty, with the title being glossy. Inside has nice art and is very colourful. Being so well made, I could not resist taking this with me and showing it off on the blog.

Dragon Quest IX GameStop Event Prize: Slime Shirt

The second prize at the GameStop DQIX event. There were four of them and I was lucky enough to win one. I wear it with pride! =D As a side note, this event made my brother want his own copy of DQIX! One more convert!! >:)

~Joanna

Currently Playing: Impressions

It's time for another Currently playing update~

1.Pokemon SoulSilver

I'm almost at the end of the game. All I need to do is beat Red. Unfortunately Red's Pokemon are all in the 80s range, while my party is currently at level 60. So right now I'm trying to gain more levels before I stand a chance again Red. After I beat Red, I'll be going after all the legendaries. :3

I'm so happy that S/G/C finally got remade. Johto is my favourite region (love the pokemon and the geography). Commemorative photos are cute~ But that photographer, Cameron, he's EVERYWHERE! :O (Kind of creepy if you think about it. lol.)

Also, the Pokewalker is a neat little addition, as are the pokemon following you. I wish those would make a come back in the next Pokemon games, but from screens, it looks like Pokemon Black/White are dropping these features. :( Well at least I can have my cute little Misdreavus following me in this game. :3

Which reminds me, it's crazy difficult to get a dusk stone in SoulSilver. :/ I think I'm going to have to trade one over from Diamond at this rate...

2. Narcissu

Just finished this not too long ago. I still open the game and use the music mode to listen to all the beautiful tracks. It's a really great visual novel. Of course, I know most people find VNs too slow, but I adore them. :3

SPOILERS!!!!

The ending was sad, but given the way the story was set up, it could not haven been any other way. I think the ending was beautiful. I'm glad they ended it that way. If Setsumi was somehow miraculous saved, it would have cheapened the story. I'm still wondering what happened to the main character after Setsumi died. It's implied he didn't follow her into the sea because he developed those photos, but I'm assuming he died at a later date? I wonder what his choice was...

Spoilers End!!!!

3. Shining Force II

Still making progress through this. It's such a big game, but I'm loving it. Camelot needs to develop another SRPG now! My only complaint is all the females are either mages or archers, where is my obligatory female paladin?! :( I miss Mae from the first game...


Like all old school SRPGs, the story is almost none-existent, but with how fun the battles are, it does not really matter. Plus the major NPCs are really fun~ :3

4. Knights in the Nightmare

I'm so close to the end, I just know it! I just finished with a the preparations (merging weapons, increasing weapon levels, and dividing the EXP between units), so now I just have to actually start scene 47. It's going to be a pain in the ass since the Boss has lots of HP. Dx

SPOILERS!!!

So I was wrong, Melissa did make a comeback. I was thinking I finally beat the game when I beat Zolgonark, but then in came Melissa, absorbing his power and became this new level of evil. God, I am really not looking forward to Scene 47. I really hope this is the final end game boss, because if there is another one with more HP...I'm going to need 3 hours! Story is starting to piece together, but Asgard still hasn't made their move, at least there is nothing indicating they have. :/ Guess I'll have to wait and see what the ending is....

SPOILERS END!!

Mini Updates:

-Still at the Sea of Time in Golden Sun: The Lost Age. I will hopefully resume playing this soon. I've got to finish this before the holiday season when Dark Dawn is finally available. :D

-Finished the Savannah area for LittleBigPlanet.

~Joanna

Review Format Change

After thinking about it, I have decided to go ahead with the review format change. Now instead of a grade, I will only list pros and cons, and a general verdict at the end of the review. This way each reader will decide for themselves whether this game is an A, B, C or D.

I will be slowly going back and altering all previous reviews to fit this new format. :)

~Joanna