WHAT GAMES ARE YOU PLAYING THESE DAYS

[kode54]

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3. DOAX3 is... erm... very titillating.

im gay

[Gil_Hamilton]

No one cares, kode. Now fix that quote tag, faggot.

[kode54]

Whoops.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Hooray! All better!

[Yuber]

Gil, have you tried out that SOTN hack yet? If so I imagine you'll find the dialogue a bit bland because you seem to dig the super corny stuff more than I do. My problem with the original US dub was that it was absolutely hilarious the first 5 times I listened to it(namely Richter) but I don't really like dialogue to be TOO corny. The JP fan trans to me is kind of that middle ground that is certainly corny sometimes but doesn't go overboard, and although they're redundant I like the 2 extra familiars as well.

I started yet another new game on Luck Mode and it's really only difficult at the very beginning before you're able to grab the jewel knuckles & Mirror armor early right after beating Slogra & Gaibon. Fast weapon, does tons of damage for an early pickup, and doesn't involve cheating/bugs like bypassing Death at the beginning.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Gil, have you tried out that SOTN hack yet? If so I imagine you'll find the dialogue a bit bland because you seem to dig the super corny stuff more than I do.

I have not, and it is SUPPOSED to be melodrama.

My problem with the original US dub was that it was absolutely hilarious the first 5 times I listened to it(namely Richter) but I don't really like dialogue to be TOO corny.

I never found the dub funny, just over-the-top.

I know the thing will forever be villified as an example of terrible localization, but it is a FANTASTIC localization with a poor dub.

And "But enough talk, have at you!" is fuckin' badass.

[Yuber]

I dunno man, I like the fan trans much more, and here's a video of the opening battle which is kind of this trans in a nutshell. It's not quite as melodramatic but there's definitely some of that in there, but imo it doesn't go overboard like the 1997 translation. The video is in 240p with tons of awful emulation-related sound bugs due to the guy who made said video using bad settings, but it'll give you a good idea of the general style of the trans.

I can't comment on its accuracy because I don't know Japanese. From what I've heard of the PSP version's dialogue, Richter sounds like he inhaled helium and it doesn't seem to be any better than the original '97 trans, so the fan translation for me is by far the best option regardless of whether it's accurate or not.

And "But enough talk, have at you!" is fuckin' badass.

Which, in this version after their initial argument is "Which one of our claims is right? I shall give you the answer, along with death's embrace!"

Much more badass with a good bit of corny thrown in there. Can't beat Wakamoto Dracula because his very weird voice just fits that character so perfectly.

[Gil_Hamilton]

The PSP localization is a rewording of the old US localization to take the personality out of it, and the new dub is just lifeless.


The replacement for "But enough talk, have at you!" is definitely translated from the original. I still think it is weak, though corny anime dialog is corny.

[Yuber]

I suppose you are just more into B-movie type melodrama than I am. It's just not my thing which is why I prefer the admittedly more bland but significantly less ridiculous fan translation. My only real(albeit very minor) gripe is that when checking for items I don't have online, many items have completely different names in the fan trans compared to the original '97 release. Checking the stats and such solves that little issue though.

Art of any kind is almost entirely subjective so as far as the trans goes, we'll have to agree to disagree. This fan trans was the first time I actually played through this game all the way through as well so there's probably a little bias on my end. For some odd reason, I wasn't really able to get into SOTN back when it was new, likely because I was absorbed into something else.

I'm not really into anime anymore but when I was watching it, I almost always preferred it subbed so there's also that. In short it seems to be closer to what the artists who created the game originally intended.

edit: This is the SS port but listen to how good Richter sounds in the fake final boss fight. The actor fits the character flawlessly whereas both the PS1 & PSP US actors are atrocious. When he goes into his possessed desperado mode he sounds genuinely intense and crazy.

[Gil_Hamilton]

I suppose you are just more into B-movie type melodrama than I am. It's just not my thing which is why I prefer the admittedly more bland but significantly less ridiculous fan translation.

My understanding is that shit is supposed to be cheesy as hell to japanese audiences. Just a matter of proper cultural reference.

My only real(albeit very minor) gripe is that when checking for items I don't have online, many items have completely different names in the fan trans compared to the original '97 release. Checking the stats and such solves that little issue though.

And that is the part of the localization I never really figured out. They just renamed EVERYTHING at random.

edit: This is the SS port but listen to how good Richter sounds in the fake final boss fight. The actor fits the character flawlessly whereas both the PS1 & PSP US actors are atrocious. When he goes into his possessed desperado mode he sounds genuinely intense and crazy.

Yeah, Richter was the weak link in the original localization, and a very weak link he was.
The relocalization has EVERYONE as the weak link. It is terrible.

[Yuber]

Yeah the PSP VAs being bad is one thing we totally agree on. It's like a really bad anime dub from the early 00s or something. Richter's high ass voice would make sense if he were 19 like he was in Rondo I guess but he's like 24 in SOTN, and Alucard just doesn't have any sort of charm at all. Richter is supposed to sound hyper masculine which they nailed in the JP SOTN and Alucard from what I gather is supposed to sound enigmatic, which they also nailed in the original.

The JP version IS really corny but the voice acting just isn't as hilariously bad as the original English version or the PSP port. Now, Alucard isn't bad in the original release but he can't really touch the cat who voiced him in the JP version and the same goes for, well, everyone else. It's done by pros.

The renaming, such as the Crissagrim to Val Manwe as well as Icebrand to Rahab's Ice Sword for example, are not random and it actually appears that the renamed items often match the names of the same stuff in the GBA & DS CVs. They misspelled Val Manwe as Valmanway in Aria kinda like Rubicante is Lubicant(lol) but the weapon names at least do not seem to be random. Guardians are named Final Guards, Grandfaloon is Legion etc etc. Not gonna boot up my ROM and compare names to stuff in Aria(only other open-ended CV I've finished) but you get my point.

If I had to venture a guess they probably went for more of a literal trans without being too rigidly literal but I'm not sure. At least Belmont isn't Belmondo.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Yeah the PSP VAs being bad is one thing we totally agree on. It's like a really bad anime dub from the early 00s or something. Richter's high ass voice would make sense if he were 19 like he was in Rondo I guess but he's like 24 in SOTN, and Alucard just doesn't have any sort of charm at all. Richter is supposed to sound hyper masculine which they nailed in the JP SOTN and Alucard from what I gather is supposed to sound enigmatic, which they also nailed in the original.

[
I would describe the PSP dub as "boring." Everyone sounds like they are reading off a sheet of paper with no context or emotion. Also, the script was scrubbed of all personality.

The JP version IS really corny but the voice acting just isn't as hilariously bad as the original English version or the PSP port. Now, Alucard isn't bad in the original release but he can't really touch the cat who voiced him in the JP version and the same goes for, well, everyone else. It's done by pros.

I still maintain Richter is the one bad spot in the original english dub, though he is a VERY LARGE bad spot. Alucard sounds suave and commanding, like I'd expect from a vampire(especially a prettyboy vampire). It worked particularly well with his taciturn nature. Robert Belgrade did the character justice.

The succubus was awful too, but... who cares about her?

I do feel Dracula collapses in the more emotional dialog during the final battle, but when doing an angry lord of the night gettin' ready to throw down he is fantastic. Micheal G.(What does the G stand for? No one knows!) knows he's reading a B horror script, and he plays it to the hilt.

This is no smear on Wakamoto-sama, who brings his own flair to the role.



Note that I do not name Richter's english actor. I feel it is unfair, and I am quite sure he is capable of better when not recording in a bathroom with zero prep time.

The renaming, such as the Crissagrim to Val Manwe as well as Icebrand to Rahab's Ice Sword for example, are not random and it actually appears that the renamed items often match the names of the same stuff in the GBA & DS CVs. They misspelled Val Manwe as Valmanway in Aria kinda like Rubicante is Lubicant(lol) but the weapon names at least do not seem to be random. Guardians are named Final Guards, Grandfaloon is Legion etc etc. Not gonna boot up my ROM and compare names to stuff in Aria(only other open-ended CV I've finished) but you get my point.

Sorry, I meant the US localization team renamed things seemingly at random. There's not a lot of logic apparently in why they chose the names they did for many items, and I think several item names and descriptions boiled down to "this is metal as fuck, we should use it somewhere". I find more fault with their list work than I do the actual script, placing me at odds with... darn near everyone else that has something bad to say about Symphony.

If I had to venture a guess they probably went for more of a literal trans without being too rigidly literal but I'm not sure. At least Belmont isn't Belmondo.

In the case of items and enemy names, it is more a case of actually translating the lists instead of just making shit up.





But yeah, having confirmation this is actually a new translation instead of just another edit of the original US localization gives me a reason to fire it up. It is not as if I was not going to play through the game again anyways.

[Yuber]

I certainly wish luck mode were available from the start, because the normal game is too easy unless you're a total beginner who has no idea what to do. Even on luck mode, once you get the diamond knuckles and Mirror Armor you're pretty much good, at least in my view since I always use fast weapons over ones that simply have high attack power. The Basilard or simply your bare hands+a leather sheild seem to be your best bet on luck mode against Slogra & Gaibon since you can hit so much faster than with that lousy short sword.

This is coming from someone who completely sucks at classic CV games, even easier ones like Rondo and Super Castlevania 4. Maria mode in Rondo doesn't really count though because she's so OP.

As an aside, the chakram weapon I mentioned before that Discus Lords drop, especially when dual wielded, act a lot like Maria's doves in Rondo. They each hit twice and their range is great as well.

e: and just a warning, the nose demon and half fairy really are not any different from the regular demon and fairy familiars. They're totally redundant but I get them anyway for completion's sake.

e2: Forgot to mention, the main reason I dig Wakamoto so much is due to the amazing job he did voicing that crazy priest Anderson in Hellsing. That's the best work I've heard him do and if you don't know what I'm talking about I recommend you give the OVA movie series a watch.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Symphony is too easy, full stop. Maybe if you played with a naked Alucard, but even then...


I do know the "bonus" familiars aren't anythind special. Likely why they were dummied out internationally.



Wakamoto's just all-around awesome. He brings an aura to any role he's in, eveneif it is just a pair of wooden cubes.

[Yuber]

Not only is SOTN inherently an easy game even on "hard" mode, but due to my obsessive item farming I always end up insanely overpowered by the end of the game. Farming for God's Garb from Final Guards levels you up really, really fast and it can take a good while for it to drop even with the high luck and Ring of Arcana(which is just called "Rare Ring" in the trans I'm playing.

I suppose fighting Galamoth with crap equips at a low level(no lightning absorb of course) would be the closest thing to a serious challenge in the game aside from very very early on in Luck Mode, but the summon spirit attacks are a good way to take enemies out with your lower stats. Only problem is that the mist makes it very easy to dodge Galamoth's lightning, and if you hit the guy fast enough he flinches which renders him more or less useless.

Still absolutely love the game though, and Aria of Sorrow is a very close second. It's much more focused on magic attacks than SOTN but imo it's just as addictive. Least it has a hard mode from the start and a NG+ as well.

Since I have no experience with the DS CVs aside from testing them out in emulators, do you have a personal favorite among the 3 DS ones? I really don't like how Dawn of Sorrow & PoR degenerated into a generic anime style(at least the portraits and a few of the bosses) as opposed to the more unique styles of SOTN, Aria and a lot of classic CVs, but OoE seems to revert at least somewhat back to a more unique art style.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Not only is SOTN inherently an easy game even on "hard" mode, but due to my obsessive item farming I always end up insanely overpowered by the end of the game. Farming for God's Garb from Final Guards levels you up really, really fast and it can take a good while for it to drop even with the high luck and Ring of Arcana(which is just called "Rare Ring" in the trans I'm playing.

Yeah, I don't do any item farming. Neither my luck nor patience is good enough for it. I just take what I find.

I suppose fighting Galamoth with crap equips at a low level(no lightning absorb of course) would be the closest thing to a serious challenge in the game aside from very very early on in Luck Mode, but the summon spirit attacks are a good way to take enemies out with your lower stats. Only problem is that the mist makes it very easy to dodge Galamoth's lightning, and if you hit the guy fast enough he flinches which renders him more or less useless.

Spirit summoning is for people that can't land a soul steal.

Richter sez: HYDRO STORM!

Since I have no experience with the DS CVs aside from testing them out in emulators, do you have a personal favorite among the 3 DS ones? I really don't like how Dawn of Sorrow & PoR degenerated into a generic anime style(at least the portraits and a few of the bosses) as opposed to the more unique styles of SOTN, Aria and a lot of classic CVs, but OoE seems to revert at least somewhat back to a more unique art style.

Order of Ecclesia, on account of having played it.
There are, effectively, two halves to the game. The first half is somewhat different, and the second half is the traditional "castle raid". It is not pathetically easy, without resorting to the grindy spite that Circle of the Moon carried.

[Yuber]

In that case when I start on the DS CV games, Order of Ecclesia will be my first. Aria is incredibly easy just like SOTN and you're certianly not the only person who has said OoE is a challenging game. Hope it keeps touch controls to a bare minimum or preferably none at all because that's a big time turnoff for me, but as long as it's not real intrusive I'll deal with it. The difficulty has me very interested however and I look forward to giving it a spin.

Off-Topic: I'm sure you've noticed this as well but the DS is a million times better at running high-end 2d games than it is at pure polygonal stuff. I mean Metal Slug 7(despite lack of co-op) has more or less all of the animation from earlier neogeo games(lower res likely plays a big part too) and the CV games as well have some stunning animation. I'm hardware illiterate but the DS seems to be terrible(ie worse than the PS1) at things like elaborate particle effects but as far as pure 2d horsepower goes it's pretty nice. For example FF4 DS's summons don't even look as good as the ones in FF7(much less 8 or 9) which in terms of PS1 games is pretty primitive.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Yeah, there isn't really a huge amount of poly power in the DS.

[Yuber]

Spirit summoning is for people that can't land a soul steal.

Sarcasm aside, early on in Luck mode you don't even have enough mana for soul steal. I'm talking the period right after Death takes your stuff before you fight Slogra & Gaibon. You have such a tiny amount of MP that the 50MP soul steal simply isn't an option. There's also a very annoying guard right in front of the room with the secret elavator that leads to the Diamond Knuckles and Mirror Armor and taking him on with melee attacks probably isn't a good idea at that point unless you have impeccable timing. Summon spirit is your best bet as far as taking that guy out and actually getting a decent weapon, and the entire game is incredibly easy after that since those knuckles are so OP early on.

[Gil_Hamilton]

Okay, fair enough. I don't recall him being THAT hard to jump past, but I may be mistaken.

[Yuber]

He's located in a tight space near a room entrance so you're not really in a position to jump over the guy. You'd be much more likely to die trying to do that rather than just killing him. The Basilard dagger is good if you wanna melee him since those blue guards as well as their stronger palette swaps, Guardians/Final Guards will go into a defensive shell using their shield ability, then open up for a bit so you can hit them. They will sometimes still get an attack off though even in that defensive loop but quick weapons make that much less likely. Medusa heads often divert single spirits so use tetra if you have the MP.

edit: holy water is really effective against those dudes as well

[Gil_Hamilton]

Yeah, there's only two really notable weapon pickups for me in Symphony.
I get the combat knife before fighting Slogra&Gaibon(a well-timed spirit summon will kill a red skeleton on top of the elevator switch, letting you ride up and get it early), and use that until I get the jewel knuckles.

The shield rod is notable too, I suppose, but it feels completely unfair.

[Yuber]

Yeah the Shield Rod+Alucard Shield as well as the Crissagrim/Val Manwe are so stupidly broken that they are basically just cheats. The Alucard Sword is very fast, powerful and kinda cheap as well but I don't feel too guilty using it. The Yasutsuna katana is a rare drop from Werewolves and it acts sort of like the Crissagrim but with much shorter range, higher attack(+60!) and yeah with OP accessories like double rings of Varda on Luck mode you can literally waste Dracula in less than 5 seconds. It's silly.

I'm a big fan of the jump kick Dracula in the face over and over strategy myself. When he starts smacking you with his Xenomorph heads you can either smack the hands around or just go full on defensive mode but yeah, he's easy.

There's also the Mablung sword(or Lemuria Sword in the fan trans) that acts exactly like the shield rod and has fairly decent attack power as well. The lvl 36 Spectral Sword in the reverse chapel drops it as a rare drop.

[Gil_Hamilton]

I found pretty much all the shield rod attack combos to be broken as all hell.

+1 fior goomba-stomping Dracula to undeath.

[odditude]

holy water is really effective against pretty much everything in the game

ftfy.