OET (OurEpicTales)

So far, Song Summoner by Square Enix have delivered a wonderful tactics game right in the palm of my hands (i.e., iPhone app).  The play-style reminds me of Final Fantasy Tactics but with the futuristic setting of mono-tone (music-less) robots against music-loving humans.  You play as a hero versed in song and lyrics trying to save your little brother from the clutches of the robots (hey, I have nothing against robots but destroying music isn’t my thing either!).

You just have to love Square Enix’s humor as convert your song list into Tune Troopers. Three things change when you create one: (1) Picture/Model (e.g., Woody, Little Sister, Fantastic Man… no, I’m not making this up!), (2) Type (e.g., Mage, Archer, Soldier, etc.), (3) Color of music (e.g., red, blue, yellow, etc… this will affect how your team work together in bonus damages via “harmonics”), (4) Class (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum… better = stronger, but less deployment; meaning that you’ll spend gold to keep them in your team via “Rewind”) and (5) Stats (e.g., Strength, Accuracy, etc.).  Each song seem to create a different trooper but every trooper can train and rise in Class via “Pearl Points” (think of it as currency to spend on leveling up).

Here’s an example of one I found hilarious:

Wood(Knight) – “His drill looks impressive” (Too bad you never get to see him use “his drill” in-game)

I’ve used the song “All My Life” and this is his initial stats (pretty bad for a Knight in terms of defense and strength).  The joy comes from the surprise of the superbly drawn characters.  It must’ve been the wee hours at work because I could not stop laughing.  Thanks Square Enix!  Keep the antics coming!

Tags: app, iphone, iphone app, rpg, song summoner, square enix, tactics, woody, woody knight
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Here I am up again at the wee hours.  Figuring that I could not possibly doze off in the next half hour or so, I turned to the App store to browse the new additions.  Dragon’s Lair caught my eye instantly and brought warm, fuzzy memories of my childhood years.  With a couple of heated left-over pizza and a glass of tea, I am proud to present this app to the OETers (and children of the 80s alike) and reminisce about the past role playing/story-based games of the past.  If you are still confused about this “Dragon’s Lair” thing, please see the video below before continuing.

If you are a new-comer to the game, you may be put off by the way you “control” the “action”.  It feels very much like watching a cartoon but you have to make the right decision and press the button at the right time or… face death (which happens often than not at the first go).  I’m sure you Guitar Hero/Rock Band fans can appreciate that (even fans of Indigo Prophecy, Parrapa the Rappa, and even the Adventures of Willy Beamish, if you can remember that one).

Why does it bring me a smile?  It brings me back to the time when we thought “virtual reality” and virtual reality goggles will dominate the gaming world in the near-future.  Too bad choose-your-own adventure books have gone out of style, audience-voted movies were a mess, and virtual reality goggles have all but blipped off our radar (remember the Nintendo’s attempt at this with their HUGE virtual reality goggle system? *Ahem* Virtual Boy).

How about the movies-to-game attempt in the 90s?  It seemed like a good concept since CD’s and not floppy or cartridge were thought to be the next step in console gaming.  Anyone who owned the short-lived Sega CD and who played the cine-style games would know the frustration of the limitation of hardware back then (they looked and played awfully in general).  You don’t have to take my word for it (see video below).

Well, the technology that we need to succeed in this venue as well as the cartoon/movie style gaming may be possible today but the target audience may not be the 20-somethings.  Do we need to though?  With games like Dragon Age Origins and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, it seems like they are coming very close to looking realistic (with voice-sync’d characters as realistic as real actors).

While we wait, why not relive the joys of your childhood with Dragon’s Lair and Monkey Island?  Before I go, here’s something for you to enjoy and remember:

Tags: app, daphne, dirk the daring, dragon's lair, game
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