Seraphim & Cherubim (Day 247)

There are 14 different anime series included in Super Robot Wars J, as well as characters original to Banpresto. I'm on mission 17 and have come across characters from all of the featured series, although no one from Full Metal Panic has yet joined my roster. Still, when Sousuke, Kurz, and Mao popped up in dialogue, it was really cool to see. It makes me realize how much more fun games in this series would be if I was familiar with the anime series the characters came from. According to Wikipedia, these are the anime featured in Super Robot Wars J.

• Blue Comet SPT Layzner

This is an anime from the mid 80s that I've never heard of. For an older anime, the art style is not too bad, but the robots involved are a tad vanilla compared to some of the other over the top options. The titular robot Layzer is pretty solid, but I haven't been using it much at all and it's definitely not going to be in my final roster. Baybull and Buldy are two other robots from this series that I consider support units. They're useful, but I have other units that serve the same purpose. I don't really have much interest in watching this series.

• Brain Powerd

I've never heard of this one either, but it distinguishes itself from other mecha anime with its organic element. The robots are called Antibodies or Brains--I'm not really sure which because the in-game text is somewhat inconsistent about it. I like the art style and I'm planning on using all four of the robots included from this series piloted by Hime, Yuu, Lasse, and Nanga. I think I'd probably like to watch this one because it seems interesting and it's also pretty integral to the plot of the game.

• Dancouga - Super Beast Machine God

This is one of those 80s robot anime where multiple smaller mechs combine to create one giant one. I'm not sure if they can separate in the game itself because I haven't been using it. I'm not as big a fan of the robots from the really old anime for some reason. I'd say it's because they're cheesy but let's be honest--how can giant robots not be cheesy? Maybe it's an acquired taste. Still, I don't have much interest in checking this one out.

• Full Metal Panic

I have seen this one! I liked it a lot and it's really cool to see these familiar characters in the game. Unfortunately I don't have any Arm Slaves on my side just yet, but it was super cool to see Chidori, Sousuke, Kurz, Mao, and Tessa. One of these days I'm going to watch Fumoffu and The Second Raid. 

• Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu

I never watched this although I'm not completely against doing so. Evidently it has almost nothing to do with giant robots, but that's fine, I guess. I do like the characters--but I wonder what Super Robot Wars J could include from this anime. Hmm.

• Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Even though G Gundam was on Toonami a lot, I never really watched it. Even though it's from the 90s it seems like it has a really 80s art style which typically turns me off. I still might give it a shot one day if I really get into the Gundam series.

• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

I like the art style of this one a lot better than G Gundam--makes sense, since this series is from 2002. Still, I've never watched it before and I think I'd like to. It's 50 episodes long though, so it's quite the investment. I'm using three Gundams from this series: Kira's Strike Gundam, Mu's Skygrasper, and Cagalli's Skygrasper. Evidently the Archangel ship is from this series as well and I didn't know that. I'm using it as well, mostly because you have to.

• Hades Project Zeorymer

Evidently there was only an OVA for this series, meaning it only spanned four episodes. It's pretty old (1988-1990) but the Zeorymer itself looks really awesome. It might be worth checking out since it wouldn't be much of an investment to do so. I'm definitely going to be using Zeorymer, but I just now recruited it into my roster.

• Martian Successor Nadesico

I'm definitely going to try this series. It's only 26 episodes and I'm using just about every robot featured. The Nadesico itself is the primary warship for the first half of the game, with Gundam SEED's Archangel functioning as your secondary ship. I'm using all five Aestivalis pilots--Akito, Hikaru, Izumi, Ryoko, and Akatsuki--as well as the crew of the Nadesico itself. All of the characters seem really fun.

• Mazinger and Mazinkaiser

Apparently there's a huge number of Mazinger anime series dating all the way back to 1972. I'm not all that interested in it, but considering just how old the series is, Mazinger itself is not too bad. Maybe one day, but I'm not using Mazinger in game, at least not on this playthrough. He tends to show up in a lot of these games, so we'll see what happens.

• Robot Romance Trilogy (Chodenji Robo Combattler V and Chodenji Machine Voltes V)

Both of these series are extremely old so I'm not sure how interested I am in watching them, especially considering the fact they both have a lot of episodes. Combattler has a devastating yo-yo attack of all things. I'm comfortable with giant robots being silly, but yo-yos aren't high on my list of cool robot attacks. I'm also not using either of these robots in my roster.

• Tekkaman Blade

Apparently the Radam aliens that are attacking the Earth in Super Robot Wars J come from this series. I don't think it's even technically a series about giant robots. The protagonist is capable of transforming into Tekkaman Blade, a being that resembles a mech but may not actually be one. I'm not terribly interested in this series, but if I get really bored I might try it out eventually. I am actually using Blade because he has powerful long range abilities that no one else really has. 

Out of that list, I'm going to try Brain Powerd, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Martian Successor Nadesico, and maybe Hades Project Zeorymer. I can't promise I'll finish them but I'm going to watch at least one spisode from each. I should write about my impressions soon.

The Focus (Day 246)

I'm really enjoying playing Super Robot Wars J. I think I've decided beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm at the very least going to attempt to complete the first three Super Robot Wars games since fan translations exist for all of them. I'm sure the gameplay is pretty barebones compared to what I'm used to, but that's fine. I think it'll be interesting to have the perspective on the series. I'm also thinking about sampling a few of the anime series involved, although I don't necessarily know where to start. I'll need to do some research on that front.

I've even considered trying a playthrough of one of the games in Japanese. There are script translations available online. I think if I could consult a guide regularly it wouldn't be all that confusing since I'm so familiar with the series. It's hard to say, though. I'd like to try it at the very least. It would be really cool to play the PS2 remake of the Original Generation games since the graphics were upgraded pretty significantly. 

I haven't given up on Dragon Quest but I am taking a bit of a break from it. My current plan is to resume Dragon Quest III once I'm finished with Super Robot Wars J but my plans are never set in stone.I'm currently feeling a little enamored with giant robots so my attention might have to be directed elsewhere for a time. But that's fine. I've been making really good gaming progress so far this year so I have no reason to feel guilty--although feeling guilty about not playing enough games is a pretty troubling fact if you think about it. Eh, whatever makes me happy, I guess.

If I had to choose an anime to watch based on characters included in Super Robot Wars J, it might be Brain Powered. I know close to nothing about it, but the mech design is interesting and they're fun to use in the game. They teleport around and have very strong defensive abilities. I also like the character design of Hime and Yuu. Gundam Seed also looks like it could be interesting. If I were to sample some giant robot anime I think I'd be remiss if I didn't watch some Gundam series. Because I"m such an anime neophyte, I've really only seen Gundam Wing, a series that evidently gets a lot of flak from the more dedicated fans out there.

Sobriquet (Day 245)

It's 9 PM and I'm planning on staying up all night. I don't have a specific plan for what I'm going to be doing tomorrow, but it's clear that I need to be productive in some way. I still haven't gotten any calls back about jobs so it might serve me well to be proactive and make some calls myself. I have a good telephone voice and I know how to express myself--to sell myself, even. Beyond that, there are other opportunities to apply for positions online, which in all honesty I should be doing right now. I just woke up a few hours ago and I still feel like I'm not completely awake.

I don't feel great. I'm disappointed in myself because I can't get myself to stay motivated. My optimism so easily slips away. I don't know how to hold onto it. I'm not giving in to despair but I'm not taking action either. If I take the time to sit and consider my situation, I think I would be wildly depressed. I don't want that, because it would just be worse than the situation I'm in now. I'm in a lot of debt and I'm not in the best state of mind. I cover everything up--I bottle everything up and try to be as happy as I can in the moment. But it's not going to last. Not for very much longer.

I have the tools I need to accomplish my goals but I still find myself lagging behind. I felt helpless and confused before but now that I'm being given assistance I'm still hesitant to actually try to achieve my goals. Is it just laziness or fear of failure? I think large chunks of both factor into this. I need to sit down and make a list of the things I need to do--and then do them. I need to just get them done. I'm overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done so I just do nothing. . .but I have to stop that. I should start now, immediately. But I won't. I'm going to put it off. I could stop myself from procrastinating but I. . .don't want to. I'm not even that ashamed of that.

I'm capable of acknowledging how foolish I am but I have a hard time feeling guilty about it. I'm constantly in denial. It's the way I've learned to cope, to even exist. I'm making excuses, even to myself. I have to find a way to change that, but success isn't just going to fall into my lap. It's a troubling problem. So I'm going to make a promise to myself. As soon as the sun comes up or maybe even a little before that, I'm going to concentrate all my efforts into being productive. I'm going to start putting in some more online applications and once an appropriate amount of time has passed, I'll start making some calls. If I have nothing else to do, I'll wash some clothes and clean up around the house. 

Salmagundi (Day 244)

Super Robot Wars J

I am really excited about this game! As I mentioned in my entry yesterday, I'm a huge fan of the Original Generation games on the Game Boy Advance. Evidently, a fan translation existed for yet another GBA entry called Super Robot Wars J. It's more of a traditional entry into the series featuring mecha from several different anime series although it does include quite a few original characters as well. This is awesome because it allows me to try out a game with a more traditional style with gameplay that I'm intimately familiar with.

The graphics, art, and animations are all very similar to Original Generation, although it's clear when certain characters have inherited the art style from the anime they came from--some of which were clearly originally aired in the 80s. Anime series like Tekkaman Blade, Mazinger, Brain Powerd, Gundam Seed, and Full Metal Panic feature prominently in this game, most of which I've never seen or even heard of. I've heard of Gundam Seed and I've actually watched Full Metal Panic. Whenever I run into a mech from that series I'm definitely going to use it because I thought it was a pretty great anime.

Just like Original Generation, Super Robot Wars J is incredibly dialogue-heavy. Even though it's a glorified crossover of different anime series, Banpresto chooses not to skimp on the plot as they weave different stories into a complicated tangle. Each character's individual lore plays a part in the overall storyline in really interesting ways. I can only assume I'd find it more compelling if I'd watched more of the anime series in question--which, honestly, is something I might consider doing. I've always been a fan of giant robots but never watched much anime at all. My love of this series might motivate me to do something about that, although I can already tell by some of the character and mech designs that I most likely wouldn't be a big fan of a few of them.

Super Robot Wars J features very similar gameplay to Original Generation and to be honest, it's been so long since I've played it that it would be difficult for me to pinpoint all the subtle differences. What I can say is that it's much more common for robots to feature multiple pilots. You're prompted to select between two protagonists at the very beginning of the game. In Original Generation you chose between the young hothead Rysuei and the older level-healed Kyosuke, whose Alteisen mech is a personal favorite of mine. This time around you choose between a male and female protagonist and you even get to choose your mech between three different unique choices with differing strengths and weaknesses. The coolest part of this is that you get to name not only the unit itself, but all of its weapons. I appreciate it when games feature customization aspects like this.

The game is a blast to play but the fun I'm having is bittersweet because I realize there are precious few Super Robot Wars titles in English for me to enjoy. The first three Super Robot Wars titles are available but of course their gameplay is rather dated in comparison. Maybe I'll just have to watch a few of these anime series and pretend.

Cloud-hidden, Whereabouts Unknown (Day 243)

For several years now, I've been fascinated by the Super Robot Wars series. Like Front Mission, it's a strategy RPG series in which you take control of mecha units. However, Front Mission is deadly serious, political, and although it deals primarily with piloting giant robots, it's as realistic as could be reasonably expected. Super Robot Wars is more like watching a mecha anime from the 80s, although that doesn't make the storyline any less valid. At least in the case of the two Original Generation titles for Game Boy Advance, the plot and characters are actually really fascinating--if not incredibly campy. With upbeat, memorable music and over the top graphics and animation, Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation (as well as its sequel) left quite an impression on me and made me wish that more of the series was available in America.

Unfortunately, there is a pretty big problem with releasing titles from this series outside of Japan. The two Original Generation games were at most mildly successful, but in the end that has very little to do with why more titles from the series aren't available here. The traditional formula for a Super Robot Wars title is that of a crossover. There are games like Marvel vs. Capcom that are available in America but the fact that only two major companies are involved cuts down on the complexity of localization. In the case of Super Robot Wars, the average game includes characters and mecha from dozens of different anime series, some of which have been dubbed or subbed officially into English--but even so, securing the rights for all these titles so that a game in the series could be released in America would most likely be an absolute nightmare. All this for a title that in all likelihood would only appeal to a very niche audience.

It's not difficult to understand why Atlus hasn't chosen to attempt localizing more games from the series here, but it's pretty sad all the same. I absolutely adore the gameplay. It's somewhat similar to Fire Emblem, except each unit the player controls is a robot of some kind, most of which have one pilot--but some of them have many pilots, all of which have a set of abilities at their disposal. Pilots level up and learn new skills and gain statistics that affect their combat performance. The robots can be upgraded in a number of ways with cash as well and outfitted with special parts that augment their performance.

I loved Original Generation and its sequel and I'm really grateful Atlus chose to release them here. In fact, I'd love if Banpresto decided to put out more titles with all original characters--not because I'm opposed to the crossover concept but because I'd like to see more official English translations! Super Robot Wars games tend to have an extremely high amount of text, so I imagine localization is challenging. This is also why there aren't many fan translations available out there, although there are a few. Thanks to Aeon Genesis, fan translations exist for the first three Super Robot Wars titles on Game Boy, NES, and SNES respectively. I haven't played them, but I think I might one day just for the sake of completion. Their gameplay is most likely a lot more basic, but I think I could still have fun with them.

They've also translated Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden and I have played a few hours of it. It's actually quite good, but the fact that it is the second game of a series is disheartening to me. As silly as it might seem, I do care about the plot in these games. I can only hope someone decides to translate Super Robot Wars Alpha, but considering the aforementioned massive text in all of these games, I'm not going to hold my breath.

Variations on a Theme (Day 242)

Hello! I am deep into Dragon Quest III and I plan to play a whole lot more of it tonight. I've spent most of today so far playing League of Legends with a couple of friends--because that's how I like to enjoy my weekends. Or y'know, any day of the week. A novelty mode called URF (Ultra Rapid Fire) has been recently added to the game, supposedly only for a week. It is an insane mode where every champion starts the game with 80% cooldown reduction. What this means is that every champion can use their skills much much more frequently than usual, which sometimes leads to unanticipated results.

Champions with healing spells are almost impossible to kill because they can cast them over and over without stopping. Particularly strong was Sona, who has now been globally banned from the mode for being too strong. Alistar is however probably just as strong, if not moreso because of his incredibly strong CC. He is almost impossible to kill due to constant healing and his ability to knock enemies up and away. Although his damage output is relatively low, he is able to lay down enough disruption to whittle enemies down before they can even react. Another abuse case is Brand. If he can ignite an opponent with one of his fire spells, he can repeatedly throw his Fireball at that opponent to stun. The cooldown is short enough and the stun long enough that he can repeat this infinitely until the opponent dies--or an ally interrupts him.

Granted, the mode is not intended to be taken seriously and in fact it was introduced on April Fools Day--but it's not always a fun ride. If pitted against champions like Nidalee, Urgot, Hecarim, or the aforementioned Alistar, it can be difficult to actually have a good time. Like most modes introduced to the League of Legends community, a certain metagame is eventually decided upon. This is true even for novelty modes, as the popularity of ARAM (All Random All Mid) will attest. When the mode first debuted it was more about experimenting with different champions to see what crazy things they can do. It has now devolved into picking whatever champs are generally considered strongest and facerolling the opposing team if they do not comply with these standards.

It's not a problem with the League of Legends community necessarily. This kind of thing happens with any competitive gaming community that is large enough. Eventually the highest priority becomes winning--not just having fun. It makes me wonder what Riot Games could do with a single player or co-op game set in the League of Legends universe. I would definitely play it since I think they have a massive and colorful cast of characters to draw on. Personally, I would absolutely love an action RPG/dungeon crawler style of game in the vein of Diablo III but with League of Legends characters. Skills would have to be embellished to diversify the gameplay but I think it would be 100% doable.

% (Day 241)

Dragon Quest III

Unlike the first two titles of the series, Dragon Quest III sports a fancy job system. Unlike Final Fantasy, your party composition isn't determined at the very beginning of the game. Although you are allowed to choose the name and gender of the protagonist, their class is preset as Hero, a powerful class unobtainable through other methods. Other classes are acquired by recruiting companions from the local tavern. These companions can be recruited at any time but they always start at level 1. What I like about this is the fact that it allows me to experiment with different party compositions without restarting the game.

The available classes do share similarities with the original Final Fantasy game. They are Warrior, Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Thief, Jester, and Dealer. The obvious analogues for these classes are Fighter, Monk/Black Belt, Black Mage, White Mage, and Thief, with no obvious analogues for Jester and Dealer. Jesters, translated as Goof-Offs in the NES original are an oddball class that behaves unpredictably. However, they have the ability to promote into a Sage, a class normally only available for those that have access to a Zen Book at level 20. Dealers remind me of Merchants from The 4 Heroes of Light or Bravely Default in that they allow you to gain more money in battle.

Like Final Fantasy, Warriors can equip a wide variety of expensive weapons and armor. Fighters, which are very similar to Monks, equip very inexpensive gear and fight well unarmed. Mages specialize in offensive magic while Clerics typically use supportive magic. The composition I'm using, however, is Hero/Fighter/Thief/Dealer. I thought it might be interesting to use the Hero as the primary healer since she'll eventually have access to all of the major healing spells. Offensive magic seems unnecessary when physical attacks do so much damage. At least that was the case in Dragon Quest II where the protagonist dealt out far more damage per turn than his two allies.

The Thief has access to some utility skills that can locate towns and treasures, but they also get sky-high Agility. This is interesting because Agility is important to your characters' defensive statistics. As a result my Thief is by far my most durable party member while also occasionally stealing things from monsters after combat. Combined with the Dealer's ability to find extra gold, my income is pretty impressive. So far, the Hero has been more than an adequate healer to deal with any challenges I might face--but this could easily change. 

I'm finding Dragon Quest III more immediately engaging than II. I'm really getting into it already. I'm going to try to stick with this party composition until it really becomes a problem. If that happens, I'll just go grab a Cleric and even a Mage if need be. I do have a bit of a problem with my party members not being at even levels, but I'm sure I could find a workaround to that. I might even kill off the Hero if I need to.

I decided to make my Hero female as a change of pace. It's interesting how some NPCs will react to you.

Why is everyone so surprised?