Episode 4: La Pucelle Tactics – Behold Our Kitty and Crossbones Flag and Despair!

La Pucelle Tactics
Platform: PS2, ported to PS3
Japanese Release Date:  January 31, 2002
U.S. Release Date: May 4, 2004
Difficulty: Easy aside from sudden level spikes
Current Amazon Price: $31.99
Current Playstation Network Price: $9.99

 Podcast: Download,  iTunes,  Listen on PodOmatic

Terra’s Review

Behold Our Kitty and Crossbones flag and despair. MEOW

The Good:

• A story that’s more complex and in depth than “Go, characters! Wander the world on your way to defeating the big boss."

• Humor that underlies the series and keeps even the darkest moments on the storyline from getting too serious and depressing.

• All of the main characters have well-defined personalities and they all get development and their time to shine during the game.

• Getting to see the roots of the battle system and slightly twisted sense of humor that the Disgaea series builds on and continues to fine tune.

The Bad:

•   Dull level grinding without much choice or variety in maps and battles.

•   Slightly too convenient pairing off of the main characters.

•   Minimal healing items.

 The Ugly:

•  
  

You don’t want to know what’s on the other side of that wall

The Lowdown: La Pucelle is a solid game with a storyline that moves briskly and characters that will keep players engaged and entertained.

   Podcast Credits:

        J. Arthur Keenes Band --"Videogame Theme." Creative Commons.
La Pucelle Arranged Soundtrack

Episode 3: Phantasy Star II — Retro RPG Russian Roulette

Phantasy Star II

Platform: Sega Genesis

Japanese Release Date:  March 21, 1989

U.S. Release Date: March 1990 (before the original Final Fantasy!)

Difficulty: Freaking Hard 
Current Amazon Price: Sonic Ultimate Genesis: $14.96 for PS3 & Xbox 360

Current iTunes App Price: $2.99

Podcast: Download,  iTunes,  Listen on PodOmatic

Lightning's Review:

 Epic box art! Ummm...I didn't know Rolf was 70!

The Good

• Do you think games these days are too easy? Then look no further! According to my not-so-comprehensive internet research, this game has been cited as one of the hardest RPGs ever to grace the planet. I do not disagree with this assessment. When you win a tough battle or find your way through a labyrinth of hell, you will feel that you have accomplished something, dammit.    

• For reasons that I do not completely understand, the battles are oddly addictive. They require a good amount of strategy regarding choosing the right party members and knowing which attacks will be effective in particular situations. Don’t let its outward simplicity fool you!

The Bad

• For such a challenging game, the final boss is lame-o. However, the boss before right before that is a huge douchebag, which makes me scratch my head a little. I fully admit to flipping the TV screen off when Dark Force was defeated. 

• I put the game’s difficulty as a good; on the flip side, it can also be a bad thing. The battles can be hard, and you need some badass cartography skills to get through the long, meandering dungeons. Or GameFAQs. Even the great guides at GameFAQs, however, can be of little help at times.  

The Ugly

• ‘80s shoulder pads! Monsters called Rabbitguts! (It’s as gross as it sounds.) A translation where you sometimes have no idea who is saying what! All of this and more awaits you! 

 

No verdant plains in the background, folks! Or lush forests! Just…Tron. 

     The Lowdown: Not for the faint of heart. If this is your first RPG, then this may scare   you off forever. However, if you like retro RPGs and are up for a challenge, then I say go for it. Winning this game is something you can BRAG ABOUT. 

     Podcast Credits:

     J. Arthur Keenes Band --"Videogame Theme." Creative Commons.