Kirishawnie Marisa (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
slimequest) wrote2010-06-25 09:30 pm
slimequest) wrote2010-06-25 09:30 pm
Entry tags:
Living the life
There are some games that attain that kind of timeless quality which extends beyond the limitations of the hardware available at the time. They aren't really good candidates for remakes, because in updating the graphics, sound, or any other aspect of what made the game what it was, something special would be lost. That something is a unique quality that makes the game, because not in spite of, but because of those limitations and stylistic choices of the time period, the game attains greatness.
Live A Live is that kind of game. Being a Super Famicom RPG by Squaresoft, there are certainly aspects of it that make it similar to others of its time. But I honestly do think this game is special. It stands out in the sea of somewhat-recently translated SNES RPGs by being genuinely unique, and with its surprising ability to draw the player in emotionally.
But enough about that, let's talk about the game itself! I've mentioned this game before, but after beating it (and being completely blown away by it in the process), I'm going to ramble on even more about it now.
First of all, this game never came out in English anywhere, so if you're interested in playing along, head over to Aeon Genesis' page and download the 2.00 patch. One really neat thing about this particular patch is that it gives each scenario its own unique font, which is something that isn't even in the original Japanese version! It adds a touch more character to chapters that are already brimming with it, and luckily none of them are too fancy to interfere with reading. (Fear not, patch-fearing people, as I've included a link to a prepatched rom down at the bottom of all this.)
Anyway, Live A Live consists of seven different chapters, which take place in less-than-conventional RPG settings:
Caveman! Pogo's Prehistoric chapter takes place in a world even before spoken language, so there's basically no dialogue. Via gestures and body language you get the gist of what's going on easily enough, though. Struggle for your daily survival! A very "RPG-like" scenario with lots of battles. Also includes gratuitous nudity, gloriously pixelated 16-bit nudity.
Kung-fu! The Inheritance chapter takes place in Ancient China. An aging martial arts master must pick a pupil to pass his skills onto, with plenty of action-packed fights in between. An compelling scenario that gives the player choices with interesting outcomes. Super bonus note: apparently Yasunori Mitsuda himself does some of the voice samples in this chapter! That's one talented guy.
Mecha! Akira's Near-Future chapter is basically ~ANIME~! He looks like a Yugioh character who's thrust into a giant robot plot. There's even a theme song! (Be sure to sing along) Oh, and did I mention that you get to read people's minds and collect underwear? Along with Pogo's, this is the most "RPG-like" chapter, if you're looking for something more "grounded".
Ninja! Oboro's stealthy chapter has him sneaking through a giant castle. Using Tactical Espiona... uhh, NINJA SKILLS, he'll make his way to fulfill his job. Will he kill all 100 people living inside, or none at all? Basically, a 16-bit MGS RPG. This chapter is very open-ended with a lot of hidden surprises, so one screwup might lead to another good thing happening.
Sci-Fi! Cube's Future chapter has almost no combat, and is plot-heavy, involving a creepy science fiction mystery aboard a space ship. You can die in this chapter, though, so don't think you can get by without saving! A nice change of pace if you want a break from battling in other chapters.
Wrestling! Masaru's present-day chapter plays almost like a fighting game, you pick opponents from a selection screen and battle it out until you're the champ. You learn the skills of your opponents and can use them against others, kind of like bizarro Street Fighter Megaman. A very short chapter, after a few battles you'll see the credits... but those battles can be tough.
Cowboy! Sundown's Wild West chapter is more of a timed puzzle than anything: defend a town from a gang of bandits! Put aside your differences with your rival temporarily, and team up with the townspeople to find everyday items to use as traps! Depending on how you do, you could face just one enemy or a whole screenful. Obligatory western movie names and mariachi band included.
There are two additional scenarios after you complete the main seven. The eighth one introduces a new protagonist to play as with his own chapter, and the final chapter brings all the characters together. I won't say too much about either, because they're worth being surprised by.
This all sounds fun, with the unconventional RPG settings and all, but the merits of the game itself don't end there. I honestly think Live A Live has the best story of any SNES game I've played; this aspect in particular feels ahead of its time. There are some truly frightening, moving, and suspenseful moments, all of which are delivered with tiny 16-bit sprites and zero voice acting. It's really quite remarkable. The whole "you'll laugh, you'll cry" adage has never been more true with this game. Each chapter has at least something that will surprise you and evoke some kind of emotion. The game seems to be aware of the fact that RPGs up until then had mostly predictible, cliched plots (many of which were invented in this era to begin with), and it uses that presupposition to turn things around in a way that you least suspect.
Graphics-wise, I could best describe them, at least the map sprites, as FFV-like. A bit more detail than FFIV's but smaller than FFVI's. The battle sprites are another story, as the characters are rather large for SNES sprites, and the enemies are HUGE and very detailed. This makes the battles all the more interesting, and gives the characters a lot more personality, even if it's just their super-cool battle moves.
Speaking of which, the game's battle system is something of an action/strategy RPG mix. Your characters move around on a grid, but each action/movement takes "time", so if you wander around, your enemies will get opportunities to act. Some attacks have a charge time that can be interrupted, others act right away, and each move has a certain range to it. Each character has a unique set of moves that they learn as they level up, but some (like Masaru and the Kung-Fu pupil) can learn them in other ways.
It's actually easier to just jump in and try it. It's one of the more "fun" RPG battle systems for 16-bit games that I've seen due to all the action involved. Most chapters give you a decent amount of battles to get used to it, but if you happen to play Cube's first, I'd suggest making use of the minigame that shows up in it to practice. Facing the final boss of the chapter as your first battle would be... pretty bad.
The music in this game is mind-blowingly incredible. Yoko Shimomura has done a lot of great game soundtracks in her time, but Live A Live's really stands out, perhaps due to the limitations of the SNES. There are some downright infectious songs that will stay with you for a long time after hearing them. Each chapter has its own battle theme and unique songs, which is still something rarely seen in RPGs even now. Just as the change in locale and variations in gameplay keep the chapters fresh from one to the other, the variety of music gives each one its own unique flavor.
So altogether, this creates what I consider to be a "must-play" out of the lost Super Famicom era. It's frustrating because I can't say too much about the really good aspects of the game as that would ruin it! But I actually believe that, while a lot of SNES RPGs might only appeal to those that already have a devoted taste for them, Live A Live has a quality that transcends that. I think it has the ability to "wow" people even today, and has such a massive amount of creativity and uniqueness injected into it that it makes most games of today pale in comparison in that regard. Yeah, it's THAT good.
A couple of tips: What the main character has equipped upon completing their chapter will stay with them into the final chapter, so be sure and gear them up as best you can. There are some usable items that don't do much when equipped as an accessory, but that's one way to carry them into the last scenario (like the medicine box in Oboro's chapter).
Also, be sure and level up everyone in Pogo's chapter as soon as you get them on the party. Some of the moves learned there will be a big help against the final boss.
Here's the prepatched rom ready to play. Give it a shot, I think it'll surprise you!
Bonus links:
Soundtrack
Arranged and remixed tracks! Some by Yoko Shimomura herself, plus vocal versions of the Buriki Daioh song! (This IS as badass as it sounds)
[Let me know if any of those links aren't working]
Live A Live is that kind of game. Being a Super Famicom RPG by Squaresoft, there are certainly aspects of it that make it similar to others of its time. But I honestly do think this game is special. It stands out in the sea of somewhat-recently translated SNES RPGs by being genuinely unique, and with its surprising ability to draw the player in emotionally.
But enough about that, let's talk about the game itself! I've mentioned this game before, but after beating it (and being completely blown away by it in the process), I'm going to ramble on even more about it now.
First of all, this game never came out in English anywhere, so if you're interested in playing along, head over to Aeon Genesis' page and download the 2.00 patch. One really neat thing about this particular patch is that it gives each scenario its own unique font, which is something that isn't even in the original Japanese version! It adds a touch more character to chapters that are already brimming with it, and luckily none of them are too fancy to interfere with reading. (Fear not, patch-fearing people, as I've included a link to a prepatched rom down at the bottom of all this.)
Anyway, Live A Live consists of seven different chapters, which take place in less-than-conventional RPG settings:
Caveman! Pogo's Prehistoric chapter takes place in a world even before spoken language, so there's basically no dialogue. Via gestures and body language you get the gist of what's going on easily enough, though. Struggle for your daily survival! A very "RPG-like" scenario with lots of battles. Also includes gratuitous nudity, gloriously pixelated 16-bit nudity.
Kung-fu! The Inheritance chapter takes place in Ancient China. An aging martial arts master must pick a pupil to pass his skills onto, with plenty of action-packed fights in between. An compelling scenario that gives the player choices with interesting outcomes. Super bonus note: apparently Yasunori Mitsuda himself does some of the voice samples in this chapter! That's one talented guy.
Mecha! Akira's Near-Future chapter is basically ~ANIME~! He looks like a Yugioh character who's thrust into a giant robot plot. There's even a theme song! (Be sure to sing along) Oh, and did I mention that you get to read people's minds and collect underwear? Along with Pogo's, this is the most "RPG-like" chapter, if you're looking for something more "grounded".
Ninja! Oboro's stealthy chapter has him sneaking through a giant castle. Using Tactical Espiona... uhh, NINJA SKILLS, he'll make his way to fulfill his job. Will he kill all 100 people living inside, or none at all? Basically, a 16-bit MGS RPG. This chapter is very open-ended with a lot of hidden surprises, so one screwup might lead to another good thing happening.
Sci-Fi! Cube's Future chapter has almost no combat, and is plot-heavy, involving a creepy science fiction mystery aboard a space ship. You can die in this chapter, though, so don't think you can get by without saving! A nice change of pace if you want a break from battling in other chapters.
Wrestling! Masaru's present-day chapter plays almost like a fighting game, you pick opponents from a selection screen and battle it out until you're the champ. You learn the skills of your opponents and can use them against others, kind of like bizarro Street Fighter Megaman. A very short chapter, after a few battles you'll see the credits... but those battles can be tough.
Cowboy! Sundown's Wild West chapter is more of a timed puzzle than anything: defend a town from a gang of bandits! Put aside your differences with your rival temporarily, and team up with the townspeople to find everyday items to use as traps! Depending on how you do, you could face just one enemy or a whole screenful. Obligatory western movie names and mariachi band included.
There are two additional scenarios after you complete the main seven. The eighth one introduces a new protagonist to play as with his own chapter, and the final chapter brings all the characters together. I won't say too much about either, because they're worth being surprised by.
This all sounds fun, with the unconventional RPG settings and all, but the merits of the game itself don't end there. I honestly think Live A Live has the best story of any SNES game I've played; this aspect in particular feels ahead of its time. There are some truly frightening, moving, and suspenseful moments, all of which are delivered with tiny 16-bit sprites and zero voice acting. It's really quite remarkable. The whole "you'll laugh, you'll cry" adage has never been more true with this game. Each chapter has at least something that will surprise you and evoke some kind of emotion. The game seems to be aware of the fact that RPGs up until then had mostly predictible, cliched plots (many of which were invented in this era to begin with), and it uses that presupposition to turn things around in a way that you least suspect.
Graphics-wise, I could best describe them, at least the map sprites, as FFV-like. A bit more detail than FFIV's but smaller than FFVI's. The battle sprites are another story, as the characters are rather large for SNES sprites, and the enemies are HUGE and very detailed. This makes the battles all the more interesting, and gives the characters a lot more personality, even if it's just their super-cool battle moves.
Speaking of which, the game's battle system is something of an action/strategy RPG mix. Your characters move around on a grid, but each action/movement takes "time", so if you wander around, your enemies will get opportunities to act. Some attacks have a charge time that can be interrupted, others act right away, and each move has a certain range to it. Each character has a unique set of moves that they learn as they level up, but some (like Masaru and the Kung-Fu pupil) can learn them in other ways.
It's actually easier to just jump in and try it. It's one of the more "fun" RPG battle systems for 16-bit games that I've seen due to all the action involved. Most chapters give you a decent amount of battles to get used to it, but if you happen to play Cube's first, I'd suggest making use of the minigame that shows up in it to practice. Facing the final boss of the chapter as your first battle would be... pretty bad.
The music in this game is mind-blowingly incredible. Yoko Shimomura has done a lot of great game soundtracks in her time, but Live A Live's really stands out, perhaps due to the limitations of the SNES. There are some downright infectious songs that will stay with you for a long time after hearing them. Each chapter has its own battle theme and unique songs, which is still something rarely seen in RPGs even now. Just as the change in locale and variations in gameplay keep the chapters fresh from one to the other, the variety of music gives each one its own unique flavor.
So altogether, this creates what I consider to be a "must-play" out of the lost Super Famicom era. It's frustrating because I can't say too much about the really good aspects of the game as that would ruin it! But I actually believe that, while a lot of SNES RPGs might only appeal to those that already have a devoted taste for them, Live A Live has a quality that transcends that. I think it has the ability to "wow" people even today, and has such a massive amount of creativity and uniqueness injected into it that it makes most games of today pale in comparison in that regard. Yeah, it's THAT good.
A couple of tips: What the main character has equipped upon completing their chapter will stay with them into the final chapter, so be sure and gear them up as best you can. There are some usable items that don't do much when equipped as an accessory, but that's one way to carry them into the last scenario (like the medicine box in Oboro's chapter).
Also, be sure and level up everyone in Pogo's chapter as soon as you get them on the party. Some of the moves learned there will be a big help against the final boss.
Here's the prepatched rom ready to play. Give it a shot, I think it'll surprise you!
Bonus links:
Soundtrack
Arranged and remixed tracks! Some by Yoko Shimomura herself, plus vocal versions of the Buriki Daioh song! (This IS as badass as it sounds)
[Let me know if any of those links aren't working]