Congratulations to Arslan Ash, our 2019 Evo champion! This really felt like a storybook ending! He came into the Tekken scene not too long ago dominating and beating up some of the worlds best Tekken players. To see him fight through visa issues to consistently beat the Tekken GOAT Knee was really something to witness!
Announcements
After that nail-biting grand finals, we got some more good ass Tekken news! It looks like 4 more characters have been announced along with some additional features. Namco has revealed the returning Zafina and a completely new character Leroy Smith!
Not a fan of Zafina from a competitive standpoint with her awkward style. Gonna have to hit the lab hard with this one. Her redesign is excellent though! I think it will definitely help bring more popularity to the character.
When Leroy was first revealed going Ip Man on the post–I could only see his clothes and I automatically assumed it was Wang Jinrei. I was then immediately confused once his face was revealed like “Who is this guy?”
Smooth!
I love his design and I wonder if he will share any of Wang’s moves as I hear they have similar fighting styles. Wang was one of the characters I was hoping would make a return. I am excited to drop into practice mode and see what he is all about.
I love what Namco is doing with Tekken. Keep killing it with the content!
[…] too long ago I made a post of my love for Final Fantasy VIII. Now look at what we…
Can’t wait to get packing!
Oh this looks great. I can’t wait to try the game out!! 🎮
[…] the same time. In a way, it reminds me of Overcooked a bit–only without the kitchen! My previous post…
Not too long ago I made a post of my love for Final Fantasy VIII. Now look at what we have here! Square Enix has announced Final Fantasy VIII Remastered for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam! While it is not a complete remake of the original, it’ll be a complete re-polish. I’ll take it! Remember how fuzzy all of the character faces were in the original?
Words can’t express how happy this rerelease makes me! I look forward to playing this again….later this year! Square Enix did hear us after all!
[…] too long ago I made a post of my love for Final Fantasy VIII. Now look at what we…
Can’t wait to get packing!
Oh this looks great. I can’t wait to try the game out!! 🎮
[…] the same time. In a way, it reminds me of Overcooked a bit–only without the kitchen! My previous post…
The featured game “Get Packed” for Stadia has caught my eye! I hate moving! Then again, who really enjoys the process of moving?
It looks like all you will have to do is pack your moving truck! But there seems to be a ton of hazards you will have to deal with at the same time. In a way, it reminds me of Overcooked a bit–only without the kitchen! My previous post was about accessible co-op games you could play with a s/o or friend, so I wanted to talk about this one quickly.
It looks like it will be released next year 2020 for the Stadia. I’ll be keeping an eye out on this one.
Looking like some more couch co-op fun!
Google has just released some details about its streaming service Stadia. Stadia is set to release some time in November. You will need to preorder The Founders Edition for $129 to get in on the early fun.
Full details here!
[…] too long ago I made a post of my love for Final Fantasy VIII. Now look at what we…
Can’t wait to get packing!
Oh this looks great. I can’t wait to try the game out!! 🎮
[…] the same time. In a way, it reminds me of Overcooked a bit–only without the kitchen! My previous post…
I wanted to make this quick list for the people looking for a game to play with their wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend. It always took me a little time to find a solid game me and the wife could sit down with. We needed something simple, but good. The games below can all be picked up relatively quick and shouldn’t be too overwhelming.
Salt and Sanctuary
A Way Out
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris
Overcooked/Overcooked 2
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Salt and Sanctuary
The Sodden Knight versus You!
This is probably the hardest game on the list, but let me explain! Salt and Sanctuary is hard, but that is also the beauty of it. Salt and Sanctuary has a simple control scheme and a look that compliments it. Attacking, jumping, blocking, and dodging is all easy to do, it’s just when to do it. Enemies and bosses are strong and even cheap, and you’ll probably be losing a lot of salt. With Salt and Sanctuary’s leveling and upgrading system, you will feel very rewarded when you start running through the enemies you had a bit of trouble with.
You’ll explore a dangerous world of powerful enemies, bosses, and platforming–all on the same screen! I recommend you have your s/o start as a mage and focus on that build. They’ll be pretty over powered halfway through the game. This will also give them an easier time.
Salt and Sanctuary can be picked up for just $17.99!
To play on the couch together, Salt and Sanctuary takes a little bit of work–but is fairly easy to set up.
A Way Out
A Way Out is made exclusively for two people–and it is quite the ride! A Way Out is a third person story driven title where you’ll play as protagonist Leo Caruso and Vincent Moretti. You will have a blast using teamwork to escape prison, chase down enemies, and even interrogate fools! The game holds your hand when it comes to interacting with NPCs or simple actions with on screen button prompts. It’ll make the s/o have an easier time. The wife and I had a lot of fun with this one.
You’ll have a good time blasting your way through the Temple of Osiris. Temple of Osiris supports up to 4 players locally! You and your partner(s) will work together to tackle Osiris’ puzzles, hordes, and bosses. You’ll collect treasure, weapons, and accessories on your adventure that will keep your party strong and motivated to push deeper into Osiris’ temple.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is just $19.99
The Overcooked series will have you and your friends yelling at each other in a frantic kitchen with orders that need to be served! You and your friends will need to keep up with the demand of customer orders or risk losing the kitchen. The orders come up randomly and the faster you do them–the bigger the tip! The tips add to your total score, miss an order and you’ll lose some points! Each kitchen has a target score you need to reach in order to unlock the next kitchen. It’s that simple!
These are not just any kitchens though! While you’re trying to keep up with customer demand–you will also have to deal with stage obstacles that are there to make your life miserable! Leave a tomato on the table and a rat may just come along and take it.
You can play locally up to 4 players! It’s cute design, mixed with simple controls–anyone can pick this up!
Overcooked is free with a Playstation Plus subscription!
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime will have you and friends traveling to different worlds blasting away at the forces of the Anti-Love. You and your team will have to fend off Anti-Love forces, all the while trying not to wreck your ship as you navigate it through tight corridors. The space ship is equipped with stations that need to be manned in order to defend your ship. Each station can be equipped with gems that will give it extra firepower or defense. Lovers can support up to 4 players couch cooperatively! The game is challenging, but also simple–anyone can just pick it up and play!
Final Fantasy VIII was released in 1999 and still my favorite game of all time. Despite the flaws of the game’s story I fell in love with it. I quickly grew attached to the characters, music, and just the overall world of Final Fantasy VIII. Spoiler Warning!
A good friend of mine let me borrow the game after he was done with it and the monster was created. I had no idea what I was in for!
As a young kid, I had a hard time understanding role-playing games. Final Fantasy VIII was the game that stuck with me and started my love for the series and the role-playing genre. Honestly, I didn’t even fully understand FFVIII’s unique junction system until probably my second or third playthrough.
The junction system allows you to equip magic to your stats in order to boost them. You didn’t equip equipment or accessories to boost stats–it was magic that you could draw from enemies or the various draw points across the world. A big flaw was the fact that magic was a consumable–100 max you could hold. If you decide to use magic that you have junctioned to a stat like strength–your strength stat would go down. So if you enjoyed using magic, you would have to constantly draw or refine magic.
While the system was unique, it was also pretty exploitable. To make a long story short, you can make a very strong party very early on and run through the games enemies with ease.
The consensus seems to be a mixed bag about this system. I never minded it.
My favorite Final Fantasy character!
Squall Leonhart, my favorite Final Fantasy character and the main protagonist! He is often quiet, cold, and stuck in his own head–an introvert. I was really quiet and shy as a kid, so the character was very relatable to me. Squall wasn’t shy though, so what was going on in his head?
Squall was an orphan, whose mother died soon after he was born. Squall never knew his father, but that is a big part of the story.
To summarize, Squall’s coldness was a result of being separated from his beloved “Sis” at a really young age. A sister figure he grew quite fond of at his orphanage. This loss hit him hard and had quite an impact on his life. That emptiness, loss, and dependence was something he never wanted to experience again. He never wanted to get close to anyone as he was afraid of losing them. These are all things anyone going through life can relate to at some point or another. He did not want to have to deal with those emotions–this event struck deep.
All throughout his journey he is faced with many challenges and has to make some tough choices. It is these challenges, choices, events and the support of his comrades that really make the character. Should he follow his orders or do the right thing? Should he keep his heart closed or risk getting hurt again?
Am I that untrusting…? Maybe I’m this way because I’m scared. Nothing lasts in this world. It feels great to have friends who believe in you, and adults you can rely on. That’s why it’s so dangerous, especially if you become used to it. Someday you’re bound to lose everything. Everyone around you will be gone. Then what are you left with? Nothing. Nobody… It’s so miserable. And it’s inevitable. It’s so hard to recover from something like that. I never ever want to deal with that again. I can’t. Even if it means being alone…
Squall’s thoughts
The Love Story
Squall meeting Rinoa for the first time Classic scene from Final Fantasy VIII
Who isn’t down for a good love story? Final Fantasy VIII eventually introduces you Rinoa Heartilly. One of the reasons I love the game is the chemistry between Squall and Rinoa. I always enjoyed the scenes of these two together, and how funny it was watching the rest of the casts obvious attempts to hook them up.
She plays a big part in Squall’s character development. Rinoa is openly loving and not afraid to speak her mind. This dynamic plays as a counter to Squall’s cold and quiet behavior. Do opposites really attract?
“I don’t want the future. I want the present to stand still. I just want to stay here with you…”
Rinoa
Awesome Moments
Final Fantasy VIII has so many awesome moments. If you have never played FFVIII, do yourself a favor! The game is really alive with its roster of characters to love–all with their own story or background. The open world feels complete and whole with NPCs, things to do, and side quests. If you add all of these elements with the story, you get a world you can easily get lost in. The awesome soundtrack is there to compliment whatever is happening on screen.
Is he dead? This moment gives me the chills….
Characters
The party is here!
What an awesome cast of characters! I love all of these characters and how much they compliment each other.
I would get so hyped every time Laguna’s theme would play once we had an enemy encounter. Laguna, one of our main characters–along with Kiros and Ward is an awesome trio. From Laguna having to toss his friends off of a cliff, and their constant banter with each other–this squad was so entertaining! Laguna could battle thousands of monsters, but humorously have so much trouble mustering up the courage to talk to Julia.
Irvine Kinneas was a “ladies man” and his flirty attempts to win over the outgoing and ball of energy Selphie Tilmitt.
Zell Dincht was loud, flashy, and impulsive. How did him and Squall ever stay in the same room together!?
I like to think the confident Quistis Trepe is the one who keeps our main cast in order. I feel like she was the mother of the group.
Remake
Now here comes my jealousy of Final Fantasy VII–the face of the series. If I’m being honest, I was tired of all of the Final Fantasy VII spin offs we got! I mean that game even got a movie!
I was not a fan of Square remaking games in the past, but that could have been my FFVIII bias talking. With the releases of Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, and Crisis Core I was asking, “Where is the love for Final Fantasy VIII? Why do they keep making more FFVII games?”
Now that the Final Fantasy VII remake is really in development and footage is being released–I have to admit, the remake looks amazing! I can now imagine a FFVIII remake in my head and it looks glorious!
There have been a lot of cries for a FFVIII remake, but they seem to have fallen on deaf ears. I’m giving Square Enix the benefit of the doubt here, as they can’t seem to find the source code. I’m sure they have their hands full with the FFVII remake, but not even a mention of FFVIII’s 20th anniversary! Remaking FFVIII would be a huge undertaking at this point. Maybe Square Enix doesn’t want to get our hopes up yet, as they don’t even know themselves if they want to tackle Final Fantasy VIII.
Here’s to hope!
Conclusion
I wanted to revisit Final Fantasy VIII and just quickly share some things I love about the game. Yes, the game has it’s flaws. I’m not mad at the criticism of it’s junction system. What is more strange to me about the game is that most of the whole main cast does not remember they’re all from the same orphanage. This is written in the game as memory loss due to the use of the Guardian Forces. Irvine being the only one to remember, but does not bring it up until near the end of the game. I find this all a bit silly! Even still, I am able to look past all of this though.
From the cast of characters, awesome moments, and fast battle system. I can still get lost in the world of FFVIII today! I still get goosebumps when I hear it’s awesome soundtrack.
Is it all just nostalgia? I can’t put it into words at the moment.
I wish…everything could be settled without resorting to violence… and there would be no need for battles. Like you’ve been preaching, it would be wonderful if things could be settled by discussion. The only problem with that is that it takes too much time. Especially if the others are not willing to listen. So I believe that fighting is inevitable at times. It’s really sad. That’s all I have to say. I hope you understand someday. I think the world needs both people like you and people like us.
[…] too long ago I made a post of my love for Final Fantasy VIII. Now look at what we…
Can’t wait to get packing!
Oh this looks great. I can’t wait to try the game out!! 🎮
[…] the same time. In a way, it reminds me of Overcooked a bit–only without the kitchen! My previous post…
Life is hard. One of the main reasons I wanted to start this blog. I needed a place to express myself and jot down all the ideas that I have running through my head. Honestly, I don’t even know where to start! This is a place for me to express my journey.
Here you’ll find my love for creating random things in Adobe, taking pictures (although I’m not really good at it), gaming, music, and battle rap.
I also cannot forget about flying my drone! My wife bought me a Phantom 3 last Christmas and now she may even regret it! I’m always dragging her around to find a good place to fly and shoot. I don’t know what it is, but the feeling I get just flying is unexplainable. I have the silliest grin on my face when it’s in the air!
You’ll probably see me blogging and posting about all of the above!
[…] too long ago I made a post of my love for Final Fantasy VIII. Now look at what we…