A look back at: SaGa Frontier 2

Ah yes, another SaGa game. Another moment of momentary frustration with regards to gameplay, dealing with highly damaging foes, only limited HP, weird stat growths, and scaling gameplay. At least both SaGa Frontier games tried to work well with their Western releases in regards to difficulty, but they are still among the hardest RPG games for the Playstation.

SaGa Frontier 2 may actually be harder than the previous SaGa Frontier. While it can admittingly be easier to learn new skills in battle, via those duel battles, those are a double-edged sword depending on what you duel. And a game over for just one character going down isn't fun. Then there's the dilemma that I've had regarding the SaGa's enemy scaling: should I continue to grind my ass off to ensure my characters are super powerful with great skills learned? Because doing that will end up with the enemies being just as strong, if not stronger. Or should I try to speedrun through areas avoiding encounters, fighting through easier enemies? This of course becomes an issue when it comes to boss time, as those bosses would have tens of thousands of HP and either take forever or result in total party kills.

And then you have the overall nonlinearity of the game with quite a lot of discrepancies. This is something I didn't enjoy. Certain party characters don't show up for lots of scenarios in general, making grinding these characters an afterthought. Only Ginny's party by the end of the Knights scenario was worth grinding in any way. I also noticed that many parts of Gustave's scenario are entirely cutscene-based, and I finished with his scenarios way too quickly. Would it have made the game better to have more playing involved with his scenarios instead of giving characters offscreen deaths all the time? And the idea of fake Gustaves, ugh. The Knights family scenarios are more gameplay-oriented and often make a lot of sense, although the main villain being this "egg" is also a bit silly. So yeah, this is a silly game that will throw you for many, many loops.

Doom Musings: Easter Eggs in maps

Well this has to crop up eventually. Easter eggs. They are often in-jokes or weird references to things that players may never be able to get in games (or get right away). Build Engine games, especially Duke Nukem 3D, are just full of these things. They make the overall game experience feel wacky, especially during normally serious moments. People who find the easter eggs are then quick to immediately go on the internet and post what they found, which then leads to hysteria as all of a sudden everyone wants to find them. Heck, some people probably got fooled by some "fake" easter eggs, like the unlocking of Sonic and Tails in Super Smash Bros Melee which was fake, or unlocking Toad in the same game. Good times.

So Doom's got a few notable easter eggs. The ones that immediately come to mind are the Nine Inch Nails reference in E4M1, the secret maps of Doom II, Commander Keens at the end of MAP32, and of course Romero's head technically being the final boss. One might argue that the map layout of E3M2 could be an easter egg in some way as well. Then you've got the ones in the PWADs, like the Sparkster easter egg in MAP15 of Community Chest 3, a super-hidden Dopefish artwork in Doom The Way Id Did, the secret levels of Doom 2 The Way Id Did in general, the cybie.wad references in Paul Corfiatis wads, and "IT'S A CHEST!" from Community Chest 4's MAP14. Like the IWADs, PWAD easter eggs are often tongue-in-cheek references or tributes to other things that the authors enjoy, which is acceptable.

On a personal note, I like it better when an easter egg does NOT count towards the secret total at all, such as the aforementioned Dopefish in DTWID. They act like "super secrets" essentially, in that they shouldn't count towards the secret total, but offer a lot more effort than a standard find for a secret sector (and if you know me on Doomwiki, I'm all about finding actual secrets).

This post comes about two months after a seemingly offensive easter egg was removed from a Doom mod as well. I won't go into detail, but from what I saw, it's...actually something from Shadow Warrior more or less. The author who put the easter egg in seems to have a fetish for the sort of thing he puts in as well, according to some members (who may or may not be telling truth). Well, more power to him I suppose, I honestly don't care about the backlash it received. In general though, easter eggs shouldn't seem offensive, because you never know when the nitpicking police will lose their cool.

Doom Musings: 5 Hard-to-get Secret Exits (Plus 5 that were too easy to find)

Secret levels. Known for being bonus levels for additional challenges as well as offering lots of potential surprises or bonuses that players may want to experience. So in the course of Doom WADs, there's going to be at least one slot (E1M3, E2M5, E3M6, E4M2, MAP15, MAP31) that would have multiple exits. So what can we expect from this post? How about five notable secret exits where getting to them is hard as compared to five that were just too easy to find? Well here we go.

Hard to get: Industrial Zone (Doom II)

id Software was fairly mixed on their secret exits. The secret levels that were more or less fairly normal definitely didn't have a lot going for them for secret exits from the previous maps, but then they have special levels that they made, such as E3M10 of Wolfenstein 3D, in which they really wanted to immaculately hide them in things that would make player's heads turn. As I mentioned Wolfenstein, that's the secret level that is accessed from Industrial Zone, and they did hide it well. A big concept of this sandbox level will end up being backtracking. What's the deal with that switch above the moat? It opens a location with an invulnerability at the east end, and that opens the path to the secret exit, a location nowhere near it. The obtuse backtracking is what makes this one hard to get.

Too easy to find: The Twilight (Plutonia Experiment)

Of course I come up with another IWAD secret exit that was simply too easy. How to get to the secret exit? Simple, just open a wall near the normal exit teleporter and you're there. Easy peasy. This is a pattern on a majority of the secret exits that are far too easy. However, I should probably mention. MAP31: Cyberden does not have a normal exit, only a secret exit to the slaughterfest of Go 2 It. So you should probably prepare ahead of time if you think it's worth the trip.

Hard to get: Secret (STRAIN)

I've burned into my brain a lot of things involving secrets and exits, but one that always gets me is MAP31 of STRAIN. You need to hit practically every single secret in order to get to MAP32: Super Secret, but you also have to do things in a specific order in order to unlock the middle lift. It's not apparent at all just how you're supposed to do this without looking in an editor. Most players will just stumble around empty corridors for minutes until they see a change.

Too easy to find: Technology Base (Memento Mori)

The only hard thing about getting this secret exit is accessing the half of the map that is only available for co-op. Yes, it's possible and necessary for 100% runs of this map, but once you get that the secret exit is as simple as dropping onto a damaging floor and pressing on a recessed wall. For shame.

Hard to get: Fortuna Bridge and Forgotten Caverns (No End in Sight)

Episode 3 of No End in Sight does something unthinkable. It makes E3M9 more of a normal exit, while making the maps in E3M5 and E3M6 actual secret levels. The secret exits on E3M4: Fortuna Bridge, and E3M5: Forgotten Caverns, basically have you doing most of the legwork through the entire levels, thinking outside the box to get specific secrets that are absolutely necessary. The reward pays off in a rather brutal bonus level in E3M6: Anomaly Retribution.

Too easy to find: The Devil's Coterie (Memento Mori II)

I've known Adam Windsor's level style, and even in this rather big and memorable map from Memento Mori II there wasn't really much effort in hiding the secret exit. It's even worse considering just how it's really next to the normal exit, and all a player needs to do is just open the middle wall and there it is.

Hard to get: Mayhem Mansion (Reverie)

As I've probably said before, I love a level that has an exit available early. This one takes it for a spin by making a normal exit available right from the get go, but having the player work extremely hard just to find the secret exit, in an almost true Eternal Doom fashion. Of course Eternal Doom didn't necessarily have secret exits, so I won't count that, but this was definitely a big switch hunt and a key hunt for just one level exit.

Too easy to find: Bulls on Parade (Alien Vendetta)

It seems that the main trend with the easy secret exits comes from them being from older WADs. Alien Vendetta does the same thing Memento Mori II and Plutonia does, give the secret exit away right next to the normal exit. Granted, you backtrack through several areas just to get to the secret exit, but it's still far too easy.

Hard to get: Babylon's Chimera (Sunder)

This level is already hard enough. You have to go through all of it to reach the normal exit. But where could the secret exit even be? Oh wow, a tiny little button right at the normal exit. And then you must backtrack, find a new teleporter, then find the right spot that has a radiation suit, then run across the lava until you find the elusive secret exit. And of course, you can't escape from the lava once you fall in, so finding the right spot is a challenge in and of itself.

Too easy to find: Doorway to Quake (Requiem)

Ending this with Requiem, another classic. While one secret exit has an innovative way of reaching it via arch-vile jump, the actual secret level itself makes things simple in regards to its own secret exit, opening up yet another wall near the normal exit. Hey, it's at least a nice Quake tribute done well in Vanilla Doom.

A look back at: Orphen: Scion of Sorcery

A BITE...OF LIGHTNING!

This was, by far and away, the most confusing game ever. Not in terms of its in-game stuff, but the whys as to how it was made and just what the heck even was the gameplay and plot. Honestly, I just don't get it. The original premise is alright at the very least, then you choose one of three companions, go through a bunch of cutscenes, have bits of 3D game gameplay not unlike the 3D Zeldas, and then you basically have more cutscenes. The game's battles are incredibly perplexing. For a real time battle system, you'd think that movement is important, but the characters stay in place the whole time. You've got targeting, projectile attacks, sword attacks, shield, and elemental spells. And geez, this just has to be one of those games where the voice acting has to say the spell name every single time. It's so weird. And even moreso that the voices show up for new spells every time you beat a boss. Although that is Metal Gear's Colonel giving the voice there, I will admit that's cool. Orphen is kind of a dick more or less, especially since all he cares for is money and has some...very questionable lines throughout the entire game.

So this plot is strange too. How? Well, you pick a character, go through his/her scenario, then you're back on the sinking ship. Even worse, that stupid monster that was trying to sink the ship is one you have to battle two more times, which was annoying. But what was weird was how the familiar old lady, the familiar witch girl, and the familiar granddaughter were basically in every scenario, but in different roles. Like the old lady is fairly ambiguous, being a flat-out villain in Zeus' scenario while being an exposition fairy more or less in Mar's. That Quaris girl was confusing, being a villain in Sephy's scenario, but somehow is Azell in Zeus' scenario and Mar's mother in Mar's scenario. What the hell? And then you finally realize the truth after finishing the three scenarios as the whole thing was supposedly all acting, all by this one machine that makes these people perpetually act out everything. None of this makes any sense to me and possibly never will.

So while I applaud the game for NOT taking a path strictly from an anime/light novel it's based off of, it frankly had me turning my head way too much.

A look back at: Pokemon Dark Rising

Not often do you have a ROM hack that actually manages to be a full-blown series. Some creators are just that ambitious.

If I were to describe Dark Rising in one word, it would be "overwhelming". It's overwhelming in a lot of senses. You have tons of wild Pokemon in many areas and you'll be spending time catching them. Then the trainers you battle spike in difficulty real quick. It's absolutely crazy that the fourth gym leader would have Lv60+ mons. And it just gets tougher from there. The amount of moves that Pokemon can learn in Dark Rising will try to make things easier, as they have access to such badass moves like X-Scissor, Dark Pulse, Scald, etc. And that's great. But I'll be damned, this sure was tough to go through. I certainly won't miss the difficulty.

And I won't miss the weather effects. My god, there were one too many weather effects in here, usually rain, but the entire central section is nothing but sandstorms, and even a GYM has a sandstorm in it! Both a waste of time in battles and something that just really annoys me overall when I'm trying to find that 1% or 2% encounter of a starter Pokemon. There was a bit of story integration with these, but I really didn't care that much. Oh and speaking of, the entire story is you finding your father while fighting the evil team that worships this Darugis. Spoiler alert, you never find your father at all, and Darugis escapes in the end, basically giving the sequel hook. Even worse when it seems that after beating almost all the evil trainers, in the end nothing really got accomplished that much. The plot could have been so much better.

No walkthrough from me this time, since someone already written it. That takes a load off my shoulders. Sadly there's no post-game content. Also I really wasn't a fan of the region in general, as the Core region is geographically similar to Kanto with bits and pieces of Sevii island tossed around here and there. This was just overwhelming to deal with.

A look back at: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

Yippee for yet another Nippon Ichi strategy RPG with just loads of stuff that trying to understand everything would take an entire month. Who doesn't love Laharl, Etna, and Flonne? Who came here expected Hell and fire to be filled with demonic invasions and stuff, and got light-hearted comedy in the in-betweens and the morality chains that get thrown about? Crazy things abound during and around the plot of Disgaea.

Between the stupidly fantastic racism of the angel race, as well as Flonne being sent to the demon realm just to act as a catalyst, along with King Krichevskoy's son Laharl, all sent by the Seraph Lamington, one of the greatest chessmasters in an RPG. He even determines one of his own angels to be an outright traitor. An angel who even gets the human race involved somehow, messing with the heads of the general and even the lackeys he sent to explore the Netherworld. Hilarity ensues with Laharl's misfortunes, Flonne missing the point entirely with the evildoers, Mid-Boss in general, or Gordon in general. Or those crazy stupid interludes Etna always has.

Lighthearted it may be, tearjerking it is at other times, especially with Chapter 8 which heavily involves a...maternal issue. And the stuff involving Kurtis too. And the endings, if you don't get the good ending that is. Unlike the other Nippon Ichi games I at least tried to do some post-game content this time around as well, after tinkering with loads of things such as the Dark Assembly, mana, levels, weapon skills, all sorts of things. Marjoly from Rhapsody being here was interesting, as was Priere from La Pucelle, but there's no real explanation behind their cameos really, or even moreso how did Priere become an alternate overlord in the first place.

And then the actual gameplay. Think of La Pucelle, but we're also gonna throw in the ability to lift and throw characters (so it beats Phantom Brave there). The color paths aren't really there, but instead the color squares are there and also geo panels which have differing effects. Nothing about miracles, but gimmicks such as damage, invincibility, or no entry or lifting. Makes plenty of battlefields unique, and Nippon Ichi actually took full advantage in some cases in making some of the maps real nasty with the geo panels. There's likely to be loads of grinding, and they also made good on ensuring that the player will be able to grind at will with certain levels. Disgaea sure is crazy fun.

Doom Musings: 5 great starting maps (and 5 that were not good at all)

Welcome to yet another one of these. So let's see, I talked about Icon of Sin maps being awesome and everything as well as several maps that didn't quite make a good impression, so now let's all take a look at the starting levels that did make great impressions and all. Note that it isn't limited to the E1M1 or MAP01 slots, it can pertain to ExM1 slots as well!

Great: Entryway (Doom II)

People, you knew it would show up somehow. Entryway is probably the most played map in any IWAD, perhaps it could be beaten by Hangar depending on how many people played (Ultimate) Doom more, but Entryway still has one of the most recognizable starts. The two zombies on the steps facing away, the green halls, the room with imps in cages, the room with zombies on the blocks, this is all in memory for most players. Even the secrets are not forgotten, that chainsaw behind the start, the courtyard with the shotgun, and the rocket launcher secret. This is also still the most popular deathmatch map. What's not to love?

Not good: Hell Keep (E3M1 of Doom)

There honestly is no beating around the bush. Hell Keep flat out sucks. Your challenge of using only a pistol to fight off imps, then a cacodemon or two, then finding a shotgun over the falling bridge are one thing, then there's the really dumb corridors that are incredibly thin with demons in them. But their AI is easily exploitable in those confines. Then a few more rooms, one with imps, and bam, you exit. That's it? Anyone can make a map better than this.

Great: System Control (TNT: Evilution)

It's important for a first map to leave a good impression, even if it's not the biggest challenge in a megawad. Should a gimmick be introduced first, or a rather enticing prize? That's what System Control does. It's my personal favorite MAP01 in an IWAD because you get a berserk right at the start and can feel great about punching things right from the get-go. And it's not all that challenging, even with all those dumb backtracking moments and stuff.

Not good: Hell Beneath (E4M1 of Doom)

Though a challenge is welcome, one must wonder how far a challenge can go right from a starting level without being unfair. Hell Beneath, at least on Ultra-Violence, has skinned numerous players alive. Especially completionists, who know that there's really not enough ammo to handle everything, especially the four barons of hell that are in the NIN secret. Drained players also had to deal with some annoying teleporter ambushes at times.

Great: Shuttlecraft (Icarus: Alien Vanguard)

The author of this map just so happens to be the author of a controversial map of Evilution, Habitat. Yet he made this and it's actually one of the better maps out there, particularly for this megawad about ships, planets, and simulations. Doses of realism at the start lead to Star Trek-like areas, with alarms blaring, wading through lava, and then that awesome highlight of a mutating chapel. I like what I see, and the level isn't too long or anything terrible either. Good things definitely came out of this author here.

Not good: Pistol Panic (Community Chest)

The first Community Chest really did not age that well. Pistol Panic is a map that tries a gimmick with being only able to use the first few weapon slots. That's...okay I guess? How about you explain why there's all these random voodoo dolls in the level? It makes it slightly challenging to avoid shooting them, but their presence is kinda unwarranted and doesn't make this map feel any better. It's already slow enough with pistol-only combat.

Great: IGNITION! (Hell Revealed II)

For the harder sets, the first map should start with a bang, and boy does IGNITION! do that. Action start, non-linear setup, hard enemies like arch-viles, cacodemons, and mancubi already out here, and even a couple of actually difficult secrets show players what to expect for the rest to come. And the author, Jonas Feragen, implements his style quite well both here and elsewhere in the megawad.

Not good: Into the Gate (Hell Revealed)

The original Hell Revealed is quite bonkers in style. Into the Gate is like IGNITION! in that it shows what's to come horde-wise, although they are quite staggered in approaches. That teleporter near the end is basically the main idea, but wow, you can already anticipate the demons, the zombiemen aren't actually that tough. And the last teleporter closet with imps only opens up as you approach the exit. It's incredibly easy to miss. That cacodemon outside on the window is just silly, and so is this whole level.

Great: Werewolf Moon (Hell Ground)

Combining atmospheric locales with good gameplay is a challenge many mappers face, and Eternal makes this look like cake with the gothic locales of Werewolf Moon. It's ambient at the start, find your way in, then the player's gotta deal with the insides of the area, which are of course under control of the hellspawn. Yet the hellspawn took precious care of the building, not laying any hellish fingerprints over the lavishness of the halls and such. It's wonderful to look at and to play.

Not good: Dropoff (Realm of Chaos)

Then again, when maps make a first impression, sometimes they don't do good in one aspect. Dropoff sucks in the design department, only having some good gameplay but having a lot of gray just about everywhere. There's gray walls, terminals, and a few crates for two rooms and a hallway. It's even worse when you consider the ending sequence can be broken preventing players from ever reaching the exit.