Usagi-chan's Console Corner

I was on hiatus for a while due to studies, but I am back and I am ready to start getting more games to review. Especially the ones for the PS3, as well as do some commentary and editorials for games that I have played. I want to make this more of a personal blog of my past experiences with the games I have played, and hopefully what parts I write about a certain game, people may get interested in. I have a lot to write about and I really hope I have the time to do so. As for any other news, Nintendo finally decided to bring us Xenoblade to America! I was slightly surprised and I am hopeful that they will add Last Story and Pandora's Tower. Hopefully they will at least give us Last Story. I think this is the beginning of Nintendo finally going out on a whim and go with what the people want. It may not make millions like Mario because of it's over done popularity, but it will be bought by the people who cared, and that is what Nintendo should do more often.
If you have any suggestions please leave a comment and any feedback!
Thanks,
Usagi-chan

Back again with another update since school loves to keep my busy. All done with the Dissidia 012 review, which should be posted soon today or tomorrow. I just recently found out that I have $20 left on a Gamestop credit, which I will use towards the PS3 version of Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny. Both consoles, Wii and PS3 have gotten great feedback. Maybe it could replace Animal Parade as my favorite HM game... As for other things, I may play Atelier Totori. Watching the first 10 min preview gave me a mix of emotions. Some loving the good old beautiful art of the characters and landscape, and some cringing at the name pronunciation and voice acting. Oh well, it's not like people who speak English say Japanese names all day. Sounds about the same as Rorona. Everything else is about the same, waiting for the PS Vita, replaying Ar Tonelico, etc. A little tired, so I will leave it at that~
As always, please feel free to leave comments, feedback, suggestions, and support ^_^
Usagi-chan

Wow, way to finally punch out another review, me. Yes, it has been almost a month since I haven not updated, but that is a) I have school, b) I have little games to review, or c) I am the manifestation of procrastination itself. Yes, Dissidia 012 is on the way. Half actually written. I swear, I will never make it into the Video Game Journalism world. Cheers to those people. Anyway, I've limited my new games list on Tides and Totori. Tides is delayed until the 11th of next month, and 'm pretty sure that Totori is soon. Watched the first ten minutes of Totori, and it looks much better than Rorona, but THEY STILL GOT LAZY WITH THE CUTSCENES.Wait, on second thought, save the cutscene budget for a new Ar Tonelico Game Aterelier Meruru Cutscenes! My life has been abundant with work and nachos, so I will try and make more room for this blog, as I want to be dedicated. I'll probably push in a PS2 game here and there when I have the chance. I really don't want this blog to go dead, so here is to perseverance!
Comment, feedback, and support is always welcome, and feel free to suggest any games!
Usagi-chan

The determination of peace for a world in the clouds

Tales of Symphonia brought me my love of Ar Tonelico. Funny, since both games are made by different companies, played on a totally different game console, but their plots are similar here and there. It probably all started when the 'Tales of Symphonia Animation' would come out for me and my equally TOS-crazed friend ( more into Hetalia now, but still keeps her devotion) would watch. TOS was THE game for my group of friends to play thanks to her, and when the animation came out, it was "important". It was also then that I would find my absolute love for Akiko Shikata when I heard her "Inori No Kanta",Akakakushi", and "Tethe'alla ~Tai No Komodachi~" played during the anime. As I got into her music more, I discovered the hymmnos language. Intrigued by the songs, the language, and the lyrics behind them, I discovered a world full of longing, much like TOS's planet. The songs would convey supreme joy and co-existence and some indescribable sadness and total despair. More and more exploration, I discovered the video games, finding so much effort and work put into the games. The 4,000 year old history, how each part of the world interacted, and the religious importance. It had everything, and all I had to do next was push a disk into a PlayStation system to immerse myself even more.

Ar Tonelico's plot and wonderful language would definitely draw some people in, but it may not be for everyone. There are a few "sexually questionable" scenes here and there and the overall light humor one would find in today's manga/anime, but that doesn't stop the game from being serious. Actually, it's overall tone could be quite dark.

We know Lyner, the world is half dead. Do something, please?

Taking place in the first tower in the region of Sol Ciel (which translated "Shining Sky" in hymmnos) the beginning of the game described the backstory of the planet Ar Ciel. The Grathnode Inferia Incident, probably the most notorious cause for the setting in Ar Tonelico, was an accident where a huge mass of energy was surged throughout the planet, rendering the land unusable and the sky polluted with a giant sea of plasma. It is when the humans decide the planet is no longer inhabitable, they decide to build their lives onto the three towers of Ar Tonelico, which were used prior for technology in harnessing the power of song [magic]. In the first tower, Ar_Tonelico, the reyvateil rebellion plays another big part to the first game's plot, as reyvateil's, a special race able to produce songs, cried out against the unjust treatment from humans. This rebellion was lead by the Mother Virus, Mir. Finally, Mir was sealed and the war ended, but Mir's legacy would keep going as viruses still surging through the tower. It is in the Floating City of Platina that we meet out hero.

Living on the ground is so mainstream.

Lyner Barsett is the Naruto of Ar Tonelico. I'm being serious here. The son of Leard Barsett, the leader of Platina and the "Apostles of Elemia", a faction devoted to protect the city, he is an overall care free guy, but when he speaks, you would think he was a religious leader. The kid knows how to speak the peace. Probably the best first main character of the series. We also come along with other vanguards such as Jack, a mysterious gun man, Kruche, a talented mechanic, Radolf, a leader in the Church of Elemia, and Ayatane, a mysterious swordsman and best friend of Lyner. Of course we can't forget about our reyvateils. Aurica, the maiden candidate in the Church of Elemia, Misha, the Star Singer, and Shurelia, the administrator of the tower. The way Ar Tonelico is designed, you could compare it to a dating sim. Character interaction is extremely important to the game, and your choices affect how fast you finish the game, and if you get the "true" ending.

Yea, you will never be bored in a cosmosphere.

Diving is one of the most interesting parts of AT. This allows you to "dive" or go into the heroine's cosmosphere or mind. This allows the player to create an emotional bond by helping her overcome her worst nightmares and regrets. The more you help, the stronger you and her become. The diving also allows you to unlock various costumes as a fun bonus, and she also creates more song magic. The most important concept of this act is trust, which goes back to the whole theme of Ar Tonelico. Before diving, you must unlock talk topic, little scenes at the inn where you rest, so she is more open to you. The more you talk, the more she trusts you. See how everything connects?

I promise she is much older than what she looks like.

Battle system this time is turn based, but a much toned down one of Ar Tonelico 2's system. You have your three vanguards attacking, and one reyvateil charging her magic. Protecting her is one of the most important aspect of the battle, which is easily done using the protect command when there is a red ring around her. Reyvateils are very weak to any type of attack, and can be killed in one hit, no matter how strong their defense is. That, however, is not a continuing problem that will turn you off from the game. Reyvateils are everything in your party, healing, defense, special upgrades in power, and your fire power. However, this does not mean that you just stand around waiting for her. The Harmonics Gauge is important to level up her song in order for it to be stronger. By attacking and protecting, the higher the gauge will be. In this sense, both he vanguard and the reyvateil depend on each other, thus making the system more balanced. 

In short, just forget the sword, and let her do the singing.

Of course the music in the game really hold the highest recognition, being both beautiful and inspiring. Each hymn has different lyrics and meaning, and a different melody. Even though the translated lyrics may not be in the game, I implore you to look them up, because each one is really beautiful. Of course we have Gust's main singers, Akiko Shikata, Haruka Shimotsuki, Noriko Mitose, and Yuuko Ishibashi singing the hymmns. The art and style of the game is similar to a regular JRPG, but has nice differences since its location is on a GIANT tower. From exploring the lowest fields of the tower, to the highest point in space, each location has a vast range of treasures and enemies waiting for you. The characters are drawn nicely and some cultures are displayed as the character's outfits; Aurica's outfit has a European/Western feel to it, Misha is dressed with priestess-like clothing, and Shurelia has a detailed sci-fi suit.

Add 'Floating Island' to your list of places to visit.

If anything, you should probably get a conceptual theme of the first AT game. Each game (and their respective Harmonics/Opening Songs) relate to the theme of each tower of Ar Ciel. The first game has the theme of "The Power of Songs" and how this power can affect others, bringing both hatred and peace. Ar Tonelico is special in it's own way, having the games tell one whole story, yet being able to be played without play all three.

Colorful characters truly bring the game it's best points.

This is my absolute favorite video game series. It still brings the original JRPG elements, but adds a beautiful and amazing twist for the characters, setting, and over all appeal. If you ever have the time to pick up a game, pick up Ar Tonelico!
Rating-
Story- 10/10

I regret nothing.

Holy Ar Ciel, I finally finished my BlazBlue Review. Some more good news is that I finished Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia. I like the fact that I played the series in backwards order. Kingdom Hearts and Re:Chained is coming along, mostly Re:Chained. Why do such an old game? Well, it would be nice if I reviewed some of the "classics" even if they are overdone, but it gives me a sense of completion, no matter how much KH 1 is ticking me off.

If most of you know, After today, September gets in full gear of the new gaming season. Tons of games will be coming out, which means my credit at Gamestop will be dried out unless I don't trade in something, or my time will be spent at CC Gaming buying whatever. Some games I have on my list to play/review are as followed-
(the ones at the top maybe done sooner as opposed to ones on bottom)
PS3-
- Hyper Demension Neptunia
- Atelier Totori [9/27/11]
-Rune Factory: Ocean Tides [9/27/11]
-Tales of Graces:f [2/7/12]
- Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations [2/7/12]

PSP-
-Final Fantasy Tactics Ogre
- Final Fantasy IV
-Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

PS2-
Whatever I find...

Will I play all of these? Probably not. These are the games that have caught/ caught my attention. If anything I will try to get Totori, Oceans, Neptunia, and Tactics/Legend done. If I don't get a PSP game done, I will try to get my hands on a nice PS2 game at CC. Just another update confirming that school has not killed me (yet). As always, please comment on suggestions and feedback. If this blog interests you or helps you, please subscribe and follow! Thanks!
Usagi-chan

Pull the trigger to the world's demise

Blogger's Note: Yes, I finally managed to get this review done. Late much? Oh, and, if you didn't catch the Ar Tonelico 3 title reference, joke's on you.

BlazBlue is no doubt a JRPG. It has the characters, setting, plot, and owned by those who created Guilty Gear, but it has a few things different about the way you play and how to experience the story in several character view-points. While personally I play the game for the likeable characters and enticing plot, the fighting style is of an arcade game. This is especially nice for those who are tired of the main styles of fighting; turn based and free style. There is a lot to explore in the world of BlazBlue, so let's get started. Rebel One, Action!

Besides my lame joke in the last paragraph based on the fight announcer (and her horrible voice and pronunciation), BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is the first game of the BlazBlue Series. We are placed in a world where it was once ravaged by a great monster. Out of nowhere,six heroes appear to destroy the great beast, and mankind is saved. It is then where Ars Magus, a mix of science and magic used to kill the beast, began to be used. This later made quite the social and economic distinction on who could and couldn't use it, like those in the facility called the Library or NOL, the government. This would later be a problem that lead to the  Ikaruga Civil War, which is also another important event in the world's history. It is until then that an "SS wanted criminal" called Ragna the Bloodedge comes to wreak havoc on the NOL with his mysterious power called the "Azure Grimoire".

6 heroes, 1 beast.

There are many other characters besides our charming gentleman, Ragna. There is a total of 12 characters, each with their own distinct fighting style. This could range from a double pistol user to a vampire with a man-eating cat plushie. Each character also has a specific way to be played as, for example, if you should defend first then attack or run at the enemy head on. Each character also has their own piece of story that all comes together for the main plot, one way or another, they will each cross paths. There are also various endings for each character, so that gives you plenty of hours to play the game.

The most important characters

The battle system is definitely more interesting than any JRPG I've played. It stays true to it's arcade origins, and lets you play in it's own distinctive way. The basis is originally free time but how you create combos and blocks all depend on the right buttons to press, and when to press them at the right time. BlazBlue's system also depends on how you anticipate your opponents attacks. The more complicated the button combo you input, the stronger the attack. Your astral heat gauge is your ticket to creating the most powerful combos and defense, along with your character's ultimate attack. This type of system may take some time to understand for those who never had the chance to play an arcade fighter, but the experience is certainly entertaining and refreshing.

Each astral heat has a special attack for the character

Besides the robust plot and the great battle system, the character designs are drawn beautifully, each with their own distinctive traits and looks. Even the non-playable characters will interest you instead of becoming "background fodder". The music also has some great arrangements and melodies, and characters also have their own theme song/tune. No doubt the creator's put much effort into the creation of each character, and how they contribute to the plot, one way or another. Another cute addition is the "Teach Me! Miss Litchi" episodes that you can unlock. These mini-sodes help understand the plot better and fill in the holes, explained by your characters in their chibi-ized forms. Adorable! The entire game is filled with rich backgrounds and amazing art. Truly a masterpiece!

I would so take this class.

If you haven't gotten to try out the BlazBlue series, I urge you to take it out for a spin. The entire series itself is new and unique to most JRPGs. Plus for those who enjoyed the Guilty Gear Series, it's sure to be a pick up. So, pick up one today, and mess around with the neighborhood Kaka's!

Battle System-9/10
Replay Value-9/10  
Overall- 9.5/10

Characters you will want to come back to

Yes, it has been awhile since I updated, and yes, I have not posted any reviews. 50% has to do with school and 50% also means I'm stuck writing my reviews and I have to still fix them up. I just thought I would do an update out of courtesy because I know how annoying it is to check a blog and they stopped updating for a week- or even worse, a month and you are like "WTF happened to them?". When my TOW review comes? Who knows. I will try and post it later on this week or at least until August ends. I've been getting impatient for Fall to come around too. So, this update won't be long, but I thought I would just make a small heads up. Now to study 50-155 Spanish words. As always, I would appreciate it if you have any game titles or series you would like to suggest, just leave a comment or an email! Thanks!
Usagi-chan