Plays Well With Others: Legend of Xanadu

[kazekirifx]

The sequel is great, but the original is horrid. Falcom really F'ed up on this one. Games should not be a chore to play.

[grahf]

I disagree.
------------------------------------

I think I might join you guys in playing this. I still have my save on my Ten No Koe... I think. If so I think I'm probably close to the end of level 2.

[NecroPhile]

The sequel is great, but the original is horrid. Falcom really F'ed up on this one. Games should not be a chore to play.

Which part is a chore - not knowing what to do due to the language barrier, the fetch questing, or something else?  In any case, I heartily disagree.  The language barrier isn't Falcom's fault, and it isn't much of a problem with a walkthrough anyhow; and the fetch questing isn't really tedious, at least not when compared to the pointless grinding that's necessary in most similar games.

[CrackTiger]

The sequel is great, but the original is horrid. Falcom really F'ed up on this one. Games should not be a chore to play.

The appeal of many of the most popular games of today is doing chores.

[nat]

Give me Xanadu's fetch questing any day over endless, monotonous grinding.

[incrediblehark]

jeez NecroPhile you're tearing through the game! I am still playing but haven't been able to lately. Colossus its not too late to get in on the action! blueraven's walkthrough will get you caught up to most of us, I'm trying to play without any help though. And kazekirifx i disagree with you, I think LOX 1 is actually a pretty fun game, the music and cutscenes are excellent, if i could understand a little more of the story I'd probably enjoy the game even more.

[NecroPhile]

I'm curious how much time you guys are putting into this.  Are you just busy with other stuff and haven't played much, or are you sinking in hours and hours and getting nowhere?

[incrediblehark]

I have been busy which resulted in my attempt at a video walkthrough a turbofail. but I'm getting back into the game.

[blueraven]

Give me Xanadu's fetch questing any day over endless, monotonous grinding.

Well said.

[NecroPhile]

Bye-bye, level seven.  Hello, level eight. 

[blueraven]

I'd bet you wont get past level 8, but you've already proven incredibly determined. Great job!

Have you been drinking Jolt Cola?

[kazekirifx]

Which part is a chore - not knowing what to do due to the language barrier, the fetch questing, or something else?

The fetch questing.

I didn't know much Japanese when I started, but actually, I had several huge gaps between playing this game, and consequentially when I finally forced myself to finish it was after I'd completed my Japanese major and lived in Japan for a year. My experience was that it sucked whether you understand it or not.

I'm a HUUUUUGE Falcom fan, but I just can't like this game. It's god awful. Falcom, as great as they are, have made quite a few missteps, and this is one of them. And you can't say I didn't give it a chance, because I finished it, and it is looong. Too long. To be fair, it does have its good moments in some of the dungeons and sidescrolling parts, but those parts are too far in between. I'd take levelling over fetch questing anyway. Especially since levelling is pretty fun in this game.

Luckily, Falcom made necessary improvements in the second, and I love it. (Might have been nice if they'd kept the sidescrolling stages instead of just bosses though.) I just finished my third run through the game over my lifetime. Something about it just keeps me coming back. First one? I'm glad to have it over with, and I'd prefer not to revisit it.

We'll have to disagree on this one, but I still have a hard time believing that anyone who claims to like this one isn't forcing it a bit. If it really is just my preference, I'm glad to hear it though. Yay Falcom.

I'm curious how much time you guys are putting into this.  Are you just busy with other stuff and haven't played much, or are you sinking in hours and hours and getting nowhere?

I think this quote alone illustrates what's wrong with the game. In my case, it was all of the above.

[NecroPhile]

I'd take levelling over fetch questing anyway. Especially since levelling is pretty fun in this game.

So crashing through enemies willy nilly is fun, but doing it on the way to and from picking something up is horrible?  Does not compute.... [insert snide comment about agreeing to disagree, but you're full of bananas here]

I think this quote alone illustrates what's wrong with the game. In my case, it was all of the above.

Ummm, it's not possible to both.

[kazekirifx]

So crashing through enemies willy nilly is fun, but doing it on the way to and from picking something up is horrible?  Does not compute.... insert snide comment about agreeing to disagree, but you're full of bananas here

Yes! Because when you've already leveled up as much as you can with the enemies between the stuff you need to pick up/deliver, then you can only smash through enemies without even improving your equipment, and I don't find that to be as much fun. (I agree that smashing through enemies in this Legend of Xanadu IS fun, but you can have too much of a good thing when the game is this long.) Also, I spent quite a bit of time wandering since I tried not to use the FAQ unless I got stuck hopelessly. Some parts were not easy to figure out even understanding the text. Besides, in my earliest days of playing, the FAQ had not even been written yet.

Ummm, it's not possible to both.

I know what you mean, but in my case it kind of was both. Like I mentioned earlier, it was over a period of about 7 or 8 years from when I first started the quest and finally finished the same run of the game (having the file saved long-term on my Tennokoe Bank over the years). There were about 3-4 chunks of days/weeks over the years when I was actively playing, and sinking time in and getting nowhere. Most of the time that passed was when I had the game and system in storage and was too busy with life to play though, of course. I was so happy when I finished it, not only because the ending is pretty satisfying, but because I could say that I had finished it (after having finished the second one many years earlier) and would never have to play the game again!!!

[SPOILER?] Actually, there are a few times I've enjoyed replaying just the sidescrolling stages after finishing the game, so I guess I HAVE played the game a few times again after finishing it. The music and sidescrolling stage graphics are quite good and enjoyable, after all.

I have to admit the game has some very good point - excellent even, but I still have very negative memories of drudging through the quest. I can be a bit hard on Falcom I guess, since I love them so much. (I'm buying a Vita as soon as Ys or the remake of LoH Zero no Kiseki comes out!)

[esteban]

  Cook enjoyed reading kazekirifx's responses to necro!

[NecroPhile]

I'd bet you wont get past level 8, but you've already proven incredibly determined.

Screw you, Thomas!  The eighth world went down over the weekend and I'm most of the way through the ninth (up to the side scrolling part).

[nat]

Will Necromancer be the only one from the "Plays Well" crew to finish the game?

Stay tuned...

[incrediblehark]

He'll finish the game then we'll get a bunch of people who voted and haven't discussed a word suddenly appear. "Yeah i beat it too *shifty eyes*."  I'm definitely not going to finish before NecroPhile but I'm still determined to beat the game.

[esteban]

He'll finish the game then we'll get a bunch of people who voted and haven't discussed a word suddenly appear. "Yeah i beat it too *shifty eyes*."  I'm definitely not going to finish before NecroPhile but I'm still determined to beat the game.

I'll beat this game at some point this year (2012). I promise.

[NecroPhile]

Will Necromancer be the only one from the "Plays Well" crew to finish the game?

Plays well with myself, eh?  Nothing new there.

[grahf]

When does the next game start? I think we should probably choose some games to vote on that are short, easy, or both. Just to get a bigger crowd to join in.

I'm going to finish this one as well, but free time is hindering my progress.

[NecroPhile]

I'm still planning on finishing this puppy, but my Duo shit the bed and it's gonna be a while.  Time to catch up, you weenies!

[Sadler]

After taking a massive break from this game, I finally got my shit together and fired it up last night. Still haven't beat the first level, but made plenty of progress. Got the slime, got Theo's book, gave Theo back his book, now apparently I need to head into the cave again, then presumably I get the ship event. Feels good playing this game again, it's pretty fun when stuff happens!

I saw some comments asking about how much time people are spending on this game. Well, I didn't play it for probably 2 or 3 months, but I've sunk maybe around 5 hours into the first level. In my defense, the first hour+ was lost when I found out I couldn't save without clearing out my save memory. I also didn't have the benefit of the walk through until I started replaying last night. Super handy! Hopefully I'll get on to area 2 tonight!

Anyone else still playing?

[blueraven]

In case folks were wondering, yes, I will finish the tutorial as soon as work slows down a bit.

[PUSH RUN BUTTON!]

Neo Metal Fantasy?

[Sadler]

Are you giving up?! I'm still playing this, though very slowly.

[PUSH RUN BUTTON!]

I'm with you Sadler, just have been following the progress of the walkthrough. Thank you blueraven!

[incrediblehark]

haven't finished it yet, been busy with work, actually just got on the forums today for the first time in a while. but I packed away all but 4 of my systems (kept the pce out) so I should have no excuse not to play

[blueraven]

No worries guys, I'll put level three up in the next few days.

[NecroPhile]

The Duo came home to roost last Friday, so I'm back in the LoX saddle.  I've finished off the tenth level and am working my way through the eleventh - I'm coming for you, Tower of Power!

[blueraven]

[NecroPhile]

The side-scrolling boss was a real bitch, but I managed to polish off the eleventh area and through the first six (one row) of the tower.

[NecroPhile]

Mission complete!  On to LoX II. 

[roflmao]

Mission complete!  On to LoX II. 

Awesome!

[Keranu]

Mission complete!  On to LoX II. 

Congratulations! LoX II is going to be a walk in the park after finishing that beast of a prequel!

[gbapalyer]

i would like to play legend of xanadu 1 right after i finished emerald dragon.

will i be able to save in the game, if the only file in my back up memory is from emerald dragon? or does the game need a complete blank ram?
what do these colorful crystals in the games start menue mean? does the game show the amount of time it was played at the save file screen?

[NecroPhile]

will i be able to save in the game, if the only file in my back up memory is from emerald dragon? or does the game need a complete blank ram?

From here: Emerald Dragon makes one file that uses 4 units of memory and then 1 to 5 other files that take up 274 units (each or combined?), but I don't know what LoX eats up.  In my case, I couldn't start Emerald Dragon without making room, but I had both LoX and LoX 2 saves; I deleted both, but there might've been enough room available if I'd deleted just LoX 2.

what do these colorful crystals in the games start menue mean?

Those are the save slots.

does the game show the amount of time it was played at the save file screen?

Nope.

[gbapalyer]

@necromancer: do these colorful orbs in the main menue mean anything, like new game, continue and so on?

[NecroPhile]

@necromancer: do these colorful orbs in the main menue mean anything, like new game, continue and so on?

You mean the ones that you can rotate through after selecting one of the three options from the title screen?  I think those three options are start a new game, quick start a new game (no opening sequence), and continue - followed by the orbs, which are the three save slots.

[gbapalyer]

ah i see. thanks. will try this game as soon as i finished emerald dragon. your guess for the main menue is correct. i can read hiragana and katakana.^^