Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=643https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3078Gameplay: When we left our heroes they had just slain a giant head statue boss, what awaits them? The king with both a 'Pass' to the outside world (apparently the town is a concentration camp where its citizens have no freedom?) and a moon symbol. And although I, as the player, know not what it does I take it gladly. Time to get back on the trail of that dastardly Peach Mountain Gang. No further than a few zones outside of town I reach the Wise Old Man's house which is promptly blown up. Hey, isn't that Impact's Shell in the rubble? (These characters are from a series, I have never been able to beat the SNES version of Mystical Ninja). Then the most amazing thing in video game history happens, a giant robot beams my characters up and I watch a 'Power Rangers' style suit up sequence accompanied by Japanese vocals. I can tell you from experience, this never EVER gets old. Which brings me to something I failed to mention. The music all the while has been a mere 16-bit, but it packs a powerful punch for its time, both setting up the mood and the surreal Japanese world the game takes place in. This music has a major influence on Boss fights and I have rarely seen material to match its caliber since. But on to the boss battle. I am at the 2/3rds view of a continuous road with robot goons and buildings which I can knock down for fuel. The better I do on this warm-up, the more health my robot will have in the oncoming fight. And the boss fights are especially fun due to the arsenal of attacks both the opposing robot and my robot have at their command. I can use a light punch, hard punch, nose missile, chain pipe grab (and reel in), kick, kick combo, punch combo, punch kick finisher, super fist, and the ever popular charged beam. Oh, and block, but it is for wimps. As the sumo robot flies around, I must have a 'rock-paper-scissors'-like battle, if he does such and such, I counter it with such and such. Still, it does simulate a giant robot battle much better than most games. Once he is destroy we all rejoice and continue on our journey. This game rocks! Design: Unique design elements include but are not limited to... Ground-breaking 16-bit music One of the first heavily Japanese influenced style Giant robot battles and pre-battles add duel fighting system in the game (though the game decides which one you need to be using). Distinct power-up modes and weapons skills associated with each different character. Similar design elements found in Platformer/Adventure games... Heart based health that can be raised with certain items Simple coin currency system Hit-based combat Free flowing staged based layoutThu, 06 Mar 2008 01:59:09 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3078&iddiary=5867https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3078Summary: Like the title of this game suggests, it stars a 'mystical ninja' named Goemon. It starts when the Peach Mountain Gang attacks Neo-Japan in order to turn one of its islands into the world's largest stage. Goemon teams up with his pal, Ebisumaru, to foil their plans. Along their way they run into some old friends, Yae and Sazuke, who join forces. In the end they are successful in ending the reign of tyranny brought forth by the 'gang.' But all the women are outraged by killing their sexiest idol. The End. Oh ya, and you have a giant robot that works on Boardway. Gameplay: First off, I've played this game through multiple times since its release back in 1998 so pardon my bias. This game begins with an Anime style opening with Japanese non-sense singing and English subtitles which is enough to make anyone laugh that understands the subculture (especially me). Then the first cinematic rolls and introduces Goemon and his bone-brained sidekick, Ebisumaru, as they are thrown out of clothing store. People attack, they must defeat them, yadda yadda yadda. Though cinematics were new in games made around this time, Mystical Ninja breaks the common sterile dialogue of its predecessors (but it is still limited). This game follows the common Zelda series make-up.I need things to fight the big baddy, to get those things I need equipment, and this equipment is found throughout the game. For no apparent reason everyone in the town is telling me about the expert pipesmith living at the top of Mt. Fuji, guess I'll venture up there. Oh noes, enemies! Floating dragon heads and dolls with weapons adds to the Japanese theme of the game (don't make me explain why). The first challenge of the mountain got me acquainted with the controls due to the necessity of changing the camera angle to avoid boulders (drat, infinite boulders, my only weakness). After some old school platformer jumping I reach the top of the mountain and the pipesmith quickly crafts me a chain pipe with which I can attack enemies at a range or pass gaps with metal boxes on the other side. After experimenting with the ranged pipe and the funny Japanese sounds the characters make, I jump off the mountain (a simpler time, no fall damage). If you ever miss the dialogue queues put in by the game designers, like myself, you can get explicit tips from the fortune teller for some of the games currency. Actually I lied, I knew what to do but I love this game's Japanese flare. On to Edo Castle where a siege is going on. This game is heavily key oriented. I would go to one room to get a key, then another room to get a key, which in turns brings forth another room to get a key. This game is fun and entertaining enough to get away with something like this. Each room has a distinct feel to it; it breaks continuous theme but it keeps the play spicy (besides, who cared about game theme in the late 90s?). I eventually made it to the face boss where the game requires me to play jump rope while hitting moving targets. I pass with little difficulty. And I only have a few moves thus far. Will this game get any better? YES!Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:13:23 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3078&iddiary=5810https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2835Gameplay: For the sake of my interest in writing this I'm going to skip straight to traveling to get the third colossus cause I found those elements to be far more impressive than the second boss. Anyway, not much story-wise since the first boss, just do what the entity in the sky says, which is go to the beach with the platform in the sky, or something along those lines. I really don't know why he has to tell me when I can just follow the light of my sword, especially when the developers have already decided that this game is going to have few story elements in it. None the less, this journey is a far more impress one, taking my character across immense bridges and deep canyons, all the way out to a lake/sea place. And just like the 'God' said, there is indeed a giant platform suspended by flimsy columns; but this is no time to turn back. As you run up this sloped ridge you catch a glimpse of the vast world you have yet to completely explore, as far as games go the scenery was truly awe-inspiring. Only one complex back jump and some shimmying gets me promptly to the third colossus. This one is MUCH taller than the other ones thus far and is equipped with a giant sword. If you want to know the intensity of this fight, just listen to the colossus strike the sword into the ground mere feet away from you. Figuring out the first line of defense is hard for this guy, because while it is quite obvious you need to climb up his sword, there is a barrier bracelet-like thing on his forearm. This could be enough to make many people run to Gamefaqs (although as I came to find out, there were much worse gimmick based bosses), but not I. There is a conveniently placed rock plateau in the center of this suspended arena which when you stand on it he will swing his sword onto it thus breaking his armor (a reminder that this a puzzle game). Then up his sword, onto his shoulder, and up his head. Stab stab, flung off, rinse and repeat. Epic fight and epic death. Watching these huge colossi tumble to the ground is often times bittersweet. Though I enjoy progressing, it seems like you have taken something irreclaimable from the land. But it is just a video game... and yet appears to be so much more. I enjoyed every bit of it, even with the lack of goons. Design: Here are what I believe to be the most relevant design elements... 1. Since story is vague SotC draws on the 'rescue the princess' dynamic often seen in earlier consoles, before story was a tool in constructing games. 2. Large-than-life-esque, by making the main character look seemingly helpless against the colossi makes defeating one all the more precious, this is one of the two elements that I think made this game. 3. The other element that made this game was the camera-work and scenery. Since it would have been boring if it was just a series of boss this beautifully done scenery acts as a filler, and oh how filling it is. This is what most game critics note as its breakthrough design element. 4. Sound effects: probably the most unappreciated element in this game. This would have been only half the game if it didn't have the proper 'woosh' when your on the bird colossus or the correct ker-splash when the lake monster colossus makes a hearty dive. This adds to the Large-than-life-esque. 5. Music: probably the most over appreciated element in this game. Though it is epic and fitting for this game I felt like it wasn't as impressive as other, even worse games I have played. Adequate job none the less. 6. Simple camera and cinematic camera: it gives the functionality of a joystick controlled camera with the blur effect of a battle-scene cinematographer (this game was the 'original gangster' camera designer in my opinion, Gears of War can suck it). 7. Puzzle with an action illusion: self-explanatory, really. Though this game is comprised of various boss fights they all focus around figuring out the proper course of action to combat them, mind over matter. One of thee finest games I have ever played, bravo.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:12:42 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2835&iddiary=5388https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2835Summary: The story behind this game is a little vague, just what you'd expect from the makers of Ico. Your some young kid who ventures out to a banished land to revive some dead chick, who he probably loves. A nondescript 'God' tells your character must kill the Colossi scattered across the land in order to revive the chick, but at the cost of being corrupted. In the end, people from your village chase you, you become a corrupt demon, then turn into a baby and live with the chick... as a baby. The End. Gameplay: Before I say anything else, in this game I started off with a trusty steed. SotC 1, Ocarina of Time 0. The god has just given me the green light on colossus number one. In most games you get a map with an X to mark the spot; instead, whenever my character's sword is held up in the sunlight it shines in the direction of the colossus I was sent to kill. Riding through the wasteland really makes this world seem endless, in fact this game has the best sudo 3D cardinality to my knowledge. But even with all the places I could go there is only one that I wanted to go to, where the first colossus was. Unfortunately, the distance to the first colossus didn't give me as much scenery as I wanted to see. I quickly scaled the cliff, if I wasn't so used to gaming controls it may have taken a while, even though the game does display the buttons that are necessary to get past the current obstacle on the cliff. Camera angles are superb and very smooth to provide a cinematic style. When I first reached the top of the cliff I was stunned by the sheer size of the colossus as the camera tilted upward of an appropriate size comparison. Being the veteran gamer that I am I charged in, albeit stupid (my sister was extremely cautious with approaching them when she first showed me the game, which is what I believe was the desired effect of encountering one of these golems). The god tells you to climb it and stab it in its weak spot, so I obey. I can clearly see the main green spot on its head, but I couldn't find a place to get up him. After a few 360s around the golem I noticed a patch of grass on his left or right back leg with a green crack, which is synonymous with a weak point. Stab stab, and down he goes... well, almost. While he is kneeling I quickly take advantage of its other patch of grass. After being flung off once, I realize what the tiny circle gauge is for; thanks for the heads up 'God/developers.' No harm though, health regenerates. I didn't really like that cause at any time all I have to do is lay low for a while when I get injured. But this isn't an action game at heart, it is a puzzle game. I get back on and stab on his head for a few times, then rinse and repeat. Watching one of those giants come down fills most players with a great deal of self-accomplishment (one of its major selling points in my opinion). One down, 15 to go.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:29:32 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2835&iddiary=5324https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2437Gameplay: Further into story mode they introduce factories, ports, and airports which greatly expands the emergent behavior of the game. The first few levels serve as a buffer so that new players can learn the attributes of the different units without having to worry about which units to produce. You commonly started out with a standard force with no factories on the map. Now that the story and gameplay have really picked up I'm completely hooked. The map creator is extremely well made and easy to use. I really enjoy the sound effects too, bullet shot every time you put down another tile. The main objective that kept me going, personally, was the rank at the end of levels and trying to get the highest score possible ('S' rank). Online play is great, in the past Advanced Wars games they had multiplayer functions, but you would have to find another person with a game and Gameboy. With online play I was able to verse real people with leads to harder battles and more rewarding victories (due to the difficulty). Unfortunately, a lot of the unsuccessful changes to this game series were to facilitate the online feature. Design: Though the emergent game play was innovative of its original release (back with the original Nintendo), it surely has grown stale for many players. With only four new units and a different CO system, there is a lot to be desired. But when you buy a sequel you know what you are getting into. The story content was the only major improvement, which is the main focus of their advertising scheme. Another good element is the level design, each different mission gives you the sense of different gameplay, even though the emergent behavior restricts you to a very finite set of inputs. I love the war tone too, the last few games have been very 'happily ever after-esque.' The game focuses around a demented professor testing the human element, by making clone armies and recording your raggy tag armies heart pulse and vitals. It is the classic case of civilization v. anarchy and for most people it is an awesome premise. The cutscenes may not be very well made but mostly the whole idea is text based anyway, they play both before a mission and after, providing a narrative reward structure. And for those who don't like storyboards, the other reward system is unlocking new COs and your score at the end of a successful mission. Try to get all 'S' ranks! I know I am. Great standard design that has proven good in the past, why change it?Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:35:09 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2437&iddiary=4861https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2437Summary: In this game you are a survivor of a horrible apocalyptic meteor-struck Earth. You are rescued by a Commander and join his ranks to find other survivors. Along the way your group faces many challenges such as starvation and demoralization by The Creeper (a disease). The main gameplay focus around the control of your army, taking advantage of cities, factories, docks, airports, and various terrain in order to destroy the opposing army or capturing their main base. The main objective of the story changes, but the level objects usually do not. Gameplay: I've always love these games ever since my neighbor introduced me to the series with Advanced Wars 2. Like many of its predecessors, Days of Ruin focuses on a turn-based emergence game where you control an army (much like a variant free-form chess). The story was where this game made some big improvements of the earlier games. In the past, relevant characters were limited only to commanding officers, and the story was all the armies hate each other, then they find a common enemy and try to destroy that enemy. Days of Ruin includes a whole cast of characters and a story based around 'the human condition.' While playing I always wanted to find out what would happen after the next big battle; I'd relate this experience to reading a good book. But it does have its disappointments. The music was not as intense as the other two games; half the fun used to be using your Super CO Power to get a turn of total destruction and awesome music. They also got rid out the CO bar in this game too. Instead of gaining special charge from killing enemies or taking damage to get your CO Power, you must put your CO in a unit and have that unit and all within the 'CO Zone' kill enemies. Halfway filled bar increases you CO Zone by 1, and a full bar increases it by 2 and allows you to use your CO Power. If that unit with the CO dies you lose all the special charge and must start again; making it much more difficult to pull it off. And in addition to making CO Power harder to get, they also dramatically decreased their usefulness. I found that with making these changes this game became less fun to play (but perhaps more balanced for when you play other people online, this is probably what this change was intended for). So far, those have been my main complaints. It seems like most of the changes I find annoying where implemented for balances the new online play feature.Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:35:28 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2437&iddiary=4628https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2112Gameplay: The next area is the Kero Sewers. It isn't a very imaginative area, with the most interesting part of it being its maze-like quality. To get through it entirely I had to make it past a bunch of rats and fish to reach a button to drain the water. At the end you are confronted by Bellow who Mallow was warned about by his grandfather. He looks like a fat deformed troll dog and it obsessed with tasting my characters, the gimmick for the fight was that he could eat one character (you only have two at this point) temporarily and spray them with poison that inflicts different ailments. After Bellow is defeated a short humorous cutscene is played where Mario and Mallow try to shut the flood gates and are unsuccessful and swept away by the current. Mini-game TIME! Another Mario trademark is their mini-games, and this waterfall challenge is no exception. You get to navigate tunnels and springs that send you elsewhere on the waterfall as you collect items and coins. If you go in tunnels you get to watch a "It's a Small World"-esque cutscene and possibly get items. When it is all done you can pay to be teleported to the top and start the mini-game again for additional coins and prizes. The game starts to pick up right about now, Mallow is informed that he is adopted and joins you to find his real parents, a doll is possessed by Geno who was sent from the heavens to retrieve the Seven Stars, and Mapletown is being showered with poisonous arrows. Geno goes commando and tries to stop Bowyer, the evil entity that is attacking Mapletown. In order to get there you have to follow Geno in the right direction or you get lost in the woods, this can be quite annoying. For some reason there are Donkey Kong clones in the forest that can almost one-hit you at this point in the game which also made this area a colossal nuisance. I finished with one of my favorite boss fights, Bowyer. He can mute a character from casting and shut off whole branches of moves: A = Attack, X = Items, Y = Spells. The best part is Bowyer truly looks psychotic. Great art. Design: The artwork of this game is its best feature, vibrant and imaginative; all the characters feel alive. And if the artwork wasn't enough to bring the characters to life the quirky japanese story line and music really adds to cutscenes. Booster's Tower is one such point in the game, Booster is trying to marry the princess and is doing all sorts of crazy stuff to stop you (i.e. hiding behind paints, throwing bombs off a train, and having his Sniffits search curtains to find Mario). Nintendo even has Mario be mute, he never says anything except affirmative and non-affirmative grunts; to communicate he reenacts events or has other people talk for him. Another thing Nintendo retained from previous Mario games are the characters such as Peach, Toad, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, fireballs, goombas, spineys, koopa troops. As for the gameplay it is extremely basic, you have attack, item use, defend, run away, and spells. The only way to upgrade is weapon, armor, and gaining levels. Standard stuff. Once again, the saving grace is the artwork and quirkiness, your weapons can range from a giant turtle shell all the way to a frying pan. Spells include having a mecho-koopa stomp enemies or a smiley-faced star ground pound the field. Perhaps it simplicity is part of its charm and appeal. While the main story has much to offer players that designers offer unique side-quests that can yield spectacular items. The currency system is two fold: normal coins and frog coins. The normal coins are unlimited where as the frog coins are almost finite (save for a casino). Using normal coins you can buy normal goods but with the special frog coins you can get really ridiculous items that make the game way easier than it already is. All and all if you want a colorful single-player RPG that doesn't really challenge this may be a good pick. Great art, great story, classic Nintendo.Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:16:48 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2112&iddiary=4307https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2112Summary: This game begins with Bowser kidnapping the princess, which is the premise of most Mario games. However, it takes a twist after you save Peach when a giant sword falls from the sky and takes over Bowser's castle. You then set out to save the Princess who has disappeared again. As you progress you learn about the Seven Stars and Smithy, the main antagonist. You enlist Mallow, Geno, Peach (once you find her) and even Bowser to help return the Seven Stars and reclaim Bowser's Castle. Other than that the rest of the story elements aren't important, yet very entertaining. Gameplay: The first part of the game is the introduction with Bowser's Castle and learning the controls. There are two main differences that I noticed right off the bat compared to other RPGs of its era, bonus timing and button pressing with attacking, defense, and spells/special moves in addition to the free roaming monsters. Take the Final Fantasy series, for example, battles would occur randomly while in dungeons which became frustrating since there was nothing you could do to prevent them. Also, when in battle the only thing you had control over was which moves to utilize. While this made fighting the first boss significantly easier (less challenging) it was more fun than only selecting 'Attack' over and over again. One of my favorite parts of this game was the music for battles (I'm a big fan of 16-bit music) and the various areas. The further I got the more I noticed how much this game managed to retain of previous Mario games: items and coins could be gathered from boxes (some are even hidden), familiar characters (toads, frog people, bloopers, cheep cheeps, spineys, laktus, etc.), and classic moves and weapons such as 'Fireball' and Mallets. This game also avoided some classic Mario flaws. In previous Mario games I had only to jump on bosses to kill them, with the only differences being with the speed they could move or the distance they could jump. Crocko (one of the first bosses) steals items from you and can throw them back at you to damage you, the pogostick boss could summon minions and shoot fire, the arrow boss can disable your various button layout. This brought a little taste of strategy to the Mario RPG, which I find key in these types of games. Vivid characters and even some character development made this game all the more fun to play. Mallow, a cloud person, joins you to bring his Grandpa some Frog Juice only to find out that he is not actually his grandson once you arrive there. So far I've just obtained the first star.Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:33:45 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2112&iddiary=4063https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1813GAMEPLAY: After progressing through a simple dungeon layout I reached a witch who teleports Dyluck, the man Purim is searching for, and proceed to fight a giant tiger that she summons. The great thing about boss fights in this game is thinking of the best strategy. However without spells this weapon combat is still lacking. Once again the 16-bit boss music was superb, they just don't make it like they used to. After about 5 deaths to this boss my friend and I proceeded to get a whip weapon and a boomerang ore from the witch. Perhaps the most interesting thing was the reason she was helping Thanatos. She explains that there is no more 'herb' in the forest and Thanatos was willing to get her some for helping him. Secret of Mana lack of plot is made up for by making dialogue ridiculous. After the witch's herb speech she turned me towards the Water Palace. Surprise, another boss. I hope you saved and bought items immediately after the Tiger boss or you will most likely get frustrated and stop playing for a while. The Water Palace lizard boss can eat you, but while he is chewing on one of your players the lizard is vulnerable to charged weapons since he has no ability to interrupt your attack animation. After beating this boss I finally got spells and was fulfilled with the battle system. Only the sprite and princess can cast spells. The sprites are offensive (which makes up for his lack of physical prowess) and the princesses are defenses (which makes her extremely overpowered since she has both healing spells and very good weapon strength). DESIGN: Overall this game is appropriately one of the greatest SNES games of all time. First of all, the battle system is simple yet variable enough for it to be engaging. Energy, charging weapons, different weapons, spells, teammates are all pieces of the battle system that make battles very interesting and fun. Weapons are the only thing that changes as you get stronger, the more you upgrade your weapons the cooler they look. It is always nice to see your characters become more powerful and have their appearance reflect that. Level schemes are simplistic and become more maze-like as you progress. The only puzzles require puzzles, spell casting, or using weapons (swords and axes for cutting grass and rocks, and whips for jumping across ravines) which can be boring. Music and sound effects are key elements that make this game great. Even though all the music is simplistic 16-bit productions they are all very important to the ambiance of the game. Boss fights are perhaps the most fun piece of this game. Since they can have more than one attack and/or different 'phases' these fights challenge the player to decide how to combat these different aspects and appropriately allocate you mana for spells and items for recovery. Two big turn-offs for this game are the plot and the game resets. There is close to no plot and only cursory character development. Evil guys want to do evil things to the Tree of Mana. Save the cheerleader, save the world type stuff. Talking to characters is only used to point your characters in the right directions, they have no emotions and no goals except for the rare occurrence of a key character. Also if your party 'wipes' then you can't just reset the room you were in. The game simply resets if you all die. Saving frequently is a must due to the games difficulty. Exploration is another excellent element of the game play. Once you get your dragon that enables you to explore any area on the map you can try to find secret areas for greater rewards such as weapon ore, gold, or items. These areas add that extra bit of whimsy that make an old school RPG a classic. All and all there are plenty of elements that make this game entertaining from start to finish if you can put up with 16-bit games. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:10:12.)Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:31:54 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1813&iddiary=3752https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1813Summary: The game starts by introducing the overarching history of Thanatos, some Lich King of the past who was sealed away before destroying the Tree of Mana by a warrior who wielded the Sword of Mana. Then begins an intro with the main character, Randi (in the game the name is ambiguous since you get to choose it), who is paying on a tree bridge above a waterfall. Randi falls to discover the Sword of Mana and pulls it out. This causes hordes of monsters to attack to village as they are no longer protected by the sword. After you are exiled from your village you soon encounter the two other playable characters, Purin, a princess in search of her friend Dyluck, and Popoi, a sprite who follows you for what seems like no reason at all. All along the way you vanquish minions of The Empire or Thanatos. Then you finally destroy Thanatos, save the world, and return the Sword of Mana. Oh ya, and the Purin becomes a tree... it's complicated. Gameplay: Typical of games in its time, you begin by fighting easy mobs to help you get into the swing of the game. Fortunately, this is not drawn out any more than it needs to be, and you are soon inside the first town. Typical uninteresting 'clone' NPCs greet you and direct you to the 'elder' where you see brief dialog before a pit envelopes you. Surprise! Ten minutes into the game and you're already fighting a boss and, while challenging, is easy to defeat since you are given infinite resurrections. The only problem is for the next hour you only can rely on weapon based combat since you have not made a pact with any of the elementals and thus have no spells. Enemies are free roaming within their given area, and respawn upon returning to their area. To attack them you can just bash the A button. But wait, under your character's health is a bar that has a percent inside it. One swing reduces you 100% weapon damage to 0%. It is better to swing then back up you while your 'energy' recharges than to run in swinging. When an enemy is hit by a weapon they will recoil for a second during which you can hit them and they will still receive damage and continue to be stunned, if you are doing this your weapon damage will be at 0% thus accomplishing nothing. This is where your companions come in handy, they can continue to hit the enemy for damage while it is stunned (you can cycle between the three main characters or have a second player control one). Enemies are invincible while performing their recovery animation which can cause the game to appear laggy or 'broken' at times, learning the best time to attack is key. The other way to lose energy is to run, this is usually not an issue in combat since your energy recovers fairly fast. For the first hour or so these are the only things at your disposal. After accumulating experience by fighting enemies my characters have 'leveled' and are more powerful. You can check out your stats, but in reality you can only directly impact two of them. Attack power, depending on which weapon you equip, and defense, depending on which armor you buy and equip. Unlike most RPGs you don't buy your weapons, you upgrade them with ore and money. Ore you get through events and bosses and money you get from normal monsters and treasure chests. The more you upgrade you weapons, the higher weapon rank each character can achieve. Higher weapon ranks enable you to 'charge' your weapon. While 'charging' your movement is slowed 50%. With each completed charge bar, unleashing you weapon will do more damage. Learning to balancing time consuming 'charging' and normal 100% hits becomes the main challenge of the game. The other challenge at this early stage is staying alive. You have no healing spells and can only carry 4 of each item. This causes the game to become very frustrating. One team 'wipe' will reset the game, making saving an addiction. Without spells and few chargeable weapons this combat is fun but lacking. By far the most memorable aspect thus far is the music played in the dwarven town. My friend and I would find ourselves going out of the way to go back to the dwarven town to save and buy items rather than using a closer town. Some of the best 16-bit music in any game of its era.Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:47:30 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1813&iddiary=3612