I forgot to mention! I got the Angelic Layer GBA game! Of course silly steph has no GBA but that will be remedied after AX when I order a backlit fuscia GBA. =) I played it a bit on Hank's GBA (nice and shiny platinum!) and Icchan nyoro's! XDDD
In other news... ST4 was short and unfulfilling... is that not a surprise? But the cool thing is having the ST2 girl meet your ST3 girl and you have to choose one over the other.
More babbling (hightlight below)
In Sakura Taisen 4 your Teito girl meets you in your room and your Paris girl knocks on your door. Since Maria was my teito girl, she had to stuff herself in my closet. Glycine begins to talk to you about marriage and how you're her fincee to be. You have the option of telling Glycine that its not true or something else. I just timed out and told her that the answer would have to wait. Midway through the event Maria makes a noise and you have to cover and tell Glycine that its a cat. Maria nyaoo-ing is very unconvincing. ^^; When Glycine leaves Maria gets out of the closet and you have the option to confirm or deny what Glycine said. I told Maria that she was my taisetsu na hito to which she gets happy and leaves. =)
Secondly... because Oogami's Koubu gets burned up in the 2nd boss Yoneda unveils the Shoubu which is a larger Koubu for two people. At which this point you pick a partner (from top 4). The partner you pick gets to sit in the Shoubu with you. ... Kinky... ^^;; But its cool since its you running the Shoubu you and your partner both do the gattai together. So Maria's voice supports Oogamis when he does his special.
Maria's ending is cute too. ^^ And Yoneda retires... I think... which is kinda of sad because it makes you wonder how the rest of the games are going to go if there are any. And what happens to the TeiGeki.
Will Oogami go to New York in ST 5? Or will it be a new character? That's the question and... will there be a ST5? The ST movie had the hints of a HanaGumi in New York. (Imagine... emptire state building, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge! !!!)
*end babbling*
Currently... playing ST3 for Lobelia's ending. I like her theme music. Its nice. =) To be honest out of all the games Sakura Taisen 3 is the best. (With an exception for 2...) There's a wholeness to the game that the other two seem to lack. At the same time ST 3 in the beginning has lots of stop motion movies where your next choice changes the direction of the movie. That ended around chapter 4. It seemed as though Red had all these great ways to present the story but in the end they seemed to forget.
But most definitely... the boss in ST3 was better than the boss in ST2. The last boss in ST2 seemed like such a let down.
Sakura Taisen Marathon (con't)
Red Company likes to torture their fans don't they... out of curiosity after ST3 I wondered what ST4 was since the opening theme and scenes were of EVERY girl you've ever met and could date... Imagine that... 13 girls to run around with in Teito... 13 girls whom you have a history with... plus if you combine the system files of 1, 2, and 3... (well 2 and 3...). Its hell in a handbasket (where did that saying come fron anyways?). Chapter 1 consists of you back at Teito (probably shortly after your arrival from France... where you left said French girl...) and they are all wondering how you have been.
You the player are first off awed by the change from ST 1 to ST 4 believe me... I was gawking at the rendering. XD But more importantly... I was happy to see new character designs which make the characters a little less angular. ^^ Anyways... Yoneda asks you two questions that are key to the rest of the game (1 can be avoided the other can't... believe me... I tried ^^;;) He asks you if you were with anyone in France... you pick one of five... and then he asks you if you remember who you went out on a New Year's date with... who you choose from a picture.
In my case... I told Yoneda that I chose Glycine as Vice-captain and then Maria (of course!). Which you wonder why he asks you such a question. Either way... picking these two characters makes them (like in ST 2) happy as can be and pretty much gives them an edge in the rankings...
But... going on... I expected to hear chimes when I talked to Yoneda and Kaede... which wasn't the case... I kept expecting to hear chimes with Tsabaki too! (Wahhh ST 3 and its non-dateables...)
But the coolest thing... out of the entire game... is the ST3 battle engine with the ST 2 characters. Point based system with the Teito girls. XDDD Wahhhhh! My one point is that the point based system sort of invalidates the Captain's strategies. Since in the old grid based system you sacrifice something to be able to deal more damage, defdend, move faster/farther etc. With the point based system you don't get that kind of deal... instead you sacrifice something to have something else cost less points. Granted that's not a bad thing as Oogami who can switch strategies all the time as captain... but ahhhh its not a bad fault. I'd take the point based system over the grid system any day. =)
Secondly... since I had Glycine and Maria as options in Ch 1 guess who shows up from Paris? Yup... I don't know what is with blondes in this game... or the fact that I chose them... but I know why Glycine appealed to me first... she was very loyal to the Hana-gumi... she reminded me of a High strung, emotional, noble, Maria. (tho not as cool since she wields an axe and not a pair of guns.)
Man... you'd think I'd get tired of this game... but I'm not... I'm seriously fascinated at what happens next... who I can beat... what answers would please girls best... its amazing. Maybe I should try Haruka Naru after this... XD I wonder if they have battles too...
ST Marathon babble end --->
Sakura Taisen owns my soul.
Of course that all changes when I get a GBA (fuscia >D)
In the middle of Sakura Taisen 3, Sakura, Sumire, and Iris appear to give moral support... its such a cool chapter. XDDD Its like old times... (or 2 weeks ago.)
Sakura Taisen is so cool... I love the games... I love the koubu beating up little steam beasts... even the dating sim part is cool.
*_*
Jean-Paul ja nai, watashi wa... Naporeon~! ^__^ b
Hehehehe... Finished Sakura Taisen 2... somehow the end boss wasn't a big of a challenge as say... the evil demon devil thing in ST1... ahhh well... Oogami is now sent of to Pari~.
Oui? ^_~
See more link for thoughts on Maria's ending. ^_^
BTW, what's a good brand for a in-dash car CD player? My mom insists that I know these things she's crazy... on the other hand I can advise her to get one with a cool display. >D
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Maria's ending was uber sweet... and... way cool. They kiss! =DDD And then her expression when she finds out Oogami is sent to Paris. ;_; awwww so sad...
I may go get Sakura's ending in ST2... its a matter of picking people in the play in Ch 9
I still want Maria's ending in ST1. *_*
Going to SF Tues night to sleep in my bed, bring back pillows and stuff. I really didn't plan on staying so long at my parents' house. ^^;;
On chapter 11 of Sakura Taisen 2. =D
Highlights:
+ Got a special bromide in Chapter 10. >D
+ Picked Maria to be the lead in the play in Ch 9.
This results in...
+ going on a date with her... XD score!
+ Chapter 10 consisted of going out with her on New Year's. (sweet!)
+ Maria is #1 ^___^ b
So far... out of all the double/combo specials... Maria and Oogami's is the coolest. Maybe its because its devoid of flowers and posing... and... it has awesome music. And... I did this all from scratch... I didn't select any character to carry over from ST 1. >D
Maybe its me or its just plainly obvious but there were some nice twists to the ST 2 plot line that I liked a lot.
*highlight*
First of all when Reni comes, you find out that Reni is very solitary and very... mercenary. Which in many ways were characteristics that make Reni a person of few words. (Even the way Reni speaks about herself makes you wonder for a few chapters if Reni is really a boy. ^^;;) Either way I was musing sort of on the side that Maria and Reni would get along and relate well. Maria and Reni are the type that are very Kouha (straight forward). Later in the game you get to hear a rather emotional Maria talk about how she could relate to Reni. *Steph does the I knew it dance.* ^^
Secondly... when Oni-ou uses his special attack his stance, the background, and his attack is very similar to Sakura's 2nd special attack with her Tenbu (the 2nd Koubu-mecha). You just wonder if Red did that deliberately... you find out later in Ch 10. ^_~
*end highlight*
Did you know... I love my parent's TV more and more? I discovered the inputs in a panel on the side of the tv near the front. No more having to go via the VCR. =D Sweet.
Yes... Sakura Taisen 3 is next as well as 4. I have summer school 6/24... I'm making pretty good progress...
Mental note: clean vmu card out of of ST2 saves...
Maria is #1 after 2 chapters! ^___^ b (I cheated a bit... I admit... I saved her ass a lot on the battle field, but she's so cooooool! *_*) Kouran is #2 (Not surprising her ranking has gone up and down from 4-2 since chapter 3) and Reni is #3 (all 3 girls are genki) I know for sure Reni's ranking will go down in the next chapter since its Orihime's chapter and there's a tendancy to have character based chapters's character move up in ranking. (Keeping them there is a challenge.)
On a good note "Operation Borrow Kayama's Guitar To Smack Iris" has worked, also not visiting her in the last chapter kinda helped. ^^;; She's #7 and should stay that way. @_@ No offense but... I'm not the kind of person that goes for young characters like Iris (who pretty much glomps you at any chance. x_x)
Playing Sakura Taisen 2... maa Maria suteki na~! *_* She just appears right before the boss in Ch 4. Waiiii~! I rabu j00~! I ended up with Kouran in ST1 but I am going back to get Sakura and Maria in ST1 just because I can... (and Maria was #2 overall with a ranking that high... I have to go back! T_T)
Ahem... ^^;; At parents house... doing work and practicing my driving, etc. I will be in SF on Friday... to pick up mail, harass postal workers for package from Kya and to see about temp work. X_x (mental note: call temp agency to reinstate contract...) I still don't like driving, maybe its just me but I drive the speed limit (or lower sometimes 5 mph in a parking lot like an old lady) maybe its because I have this fear some kid will run out into the street and I'll run them over or something... I'll get over that fear... some day... then I can go drive around and harass people. XD
Btw word of advice: Play Sakura Taisen on a tv that's larger than a x-tra large pizza, play it in stereo, play it in RGB, play it on a 36" tv with super crisp display and satellite speakers with bass. Because... when you get to the Sakura Taisen 2 battles... you appreciate it so much. *_* Hell even Kayama looks good looking fruity with his guitar. XD
I've come to the conclusion that Sakura Taisen is like one of those "who are you best with" games... you pick and choose answers to questions and you score points with a certain type of character. Which means... I will never get Maria unless I cheat and become really kouha. It also means I get Iris glomping me. (Iris glomp on 36" is not fun. o_O)
People I'd like to smack with Kayama's guitar:
Iris (back! back! you!)
Orihime (you are way too picky and judgemental... no cookie for j00)
Saki (you are just dying to see me fail...)