Makai Toushi SaGa

Bom... Este post demorou a fazer!!! (11 anos, segundo o último post onde anunciei que ia falar sobre o SaGa) Posso assegurar que foram anos árduos de investigação...! cof cof  -_-;

Então cá vamos a um pequeno enquadramento histórico, numa altura em que eu tinha acabado de nascer, e já o Japão estava a trabalhar para mim:

Depois do sucesso do Final Fantasy para a NES em 1987, a Square decidiu criar o primeiro rpg para a Game Boy, um jogo portátil que as pessoas pudessem jogar durante as viagens, e cujos tempos de batalha fossem compatíveis com a duração da sua viagem trabalho/casa.

E, assim, em 1989, tinha eu 3 anos, foi lançado o Makai Toushi Saga! 

Segundo as minhas rápidas investigações, uma tradução literal do nome seria Hell Tower:

魔 (ma = Demon) 

界 (kai = wordl) 

As duas juntas dão hell ou world spirits

塔士(toushi = tower) 

Claro que a Square da América deve ter levado as mãos aos céus só de imaginar as igrejas a falarem do terrível jogo Hell Tower que veio do oriente!! Credo! 

Por isso, talvez tenham aproveitado o sucesso do Final Fantasy, que tinha saído na América apenas há 5 meses, e decidiram criar o que seria conhecido por mim como o "Paradoxo Final Fantasy" (inventei agora o nome), e chamar a este jogo The Final Fantasy Legend! Ta-da!

Mas não é tudo! Para além de terem nomes semelhantes na América e serem da mesma empresa, também têm o mesmo compositor: a música do primeiro SaGa foi composta pelo Nobuo Uematsu, sendo alguns dos seus temas reutilizados para os jogos posteriores, como por exemplo o tema da batalha e o prólogo, que foi remixado para os dois SaGa seguintes. Também a música "Heartful Tears" (também conhecida "Wipe Your Tears Away") tornou-se emblemática para a franquia e foi arranjada para 5 jogos posteriores! blá blá blá  ver wikipedia para mais info....

Não sei se desde o Phantasy Star que saiu em 1988 na América, houve mais lançamentos de RPGs... Mas o SaGa está certamente nos primeiros da história! 

 

Agora vamos às minhas memórias!

Bem... posso dizer que gostei imenso... e o final é muito interessante e quebra um pouco a 4ª parede... é um jogo em que temos que subir a uma torre enorme, na qual os andares parecem portas para mundos paralelos, até que conseguimos chegar ao topo e depararmo-nos com o ultimo Boss, o Criador! O início foi difícil, mas assim que comecei a ganhar experiência comecei a safar-me melhor.

É, já não me recordo de quase nada... é como se fosse um sonho na minha cabeça, e é por isso que um dia hei-de jogar a versão que saiu em 2002 para a WonderSwan Color, que parece fantástica!

Vejam só:
 

Entretanto saíram imensos jogos da franquia que parecem super interessantes, e estão na minha lista de jogos (quase infinita) a jogar.

Espero um dia ter mais a contar sobre SaGa!

Até lá!

(que final anticlimático, é como se o próprio Criador tivesse apagado as minhas memórias só para me fazer subir à torre do inferno outra vez... hmm)  

PS - Posto isto, decidi começar a registar as minhas aventuras em jogos aqui neste blog, para não me esquecer delas e lhes dar o mérito que merecem!

This happens all the time...

Golden Axe World

Golden Axe World

The world of Golden Axe gives us the following races: humans, dwarfs and giants (aka titans). Golden Axe RODA introduces centaurs who have the magic to resemble real people when they are not in combat or, on the other hand have spells to gain horse body like power to battle.

Also, there are three known Woodlands. Firewood (the kingdom of princess Tyris=Flare), Southwood (the kingdom we save in the first game) and Winwood (the kingdom of Flare’s descendants).

And that’s pretty much it.

Golden Axe World (according to all information gathered with the various games, including spin-offs)

Other games reveal there are gods, specifically gods from Norse mythology (e.g. Thor, god of Thunder). The US game “Beast Battle” tries to differentiate old dwarf warriors from little young dwarf thieves by calling the latter ‘gnomes’, because while the first ones resembles Tolkien Dwarfs the others resemble goblins who like to steal bottles of magic power and food. Same race or not, according to the original character Arcade manual they both are ‘dwarfs’. One solution for this pothole is that “dwarfs” may refer to small people (in human perspective), being either real dwarfs or gnomes (or even humans like nowadays), although I’m still convinced their race may be one and the same.

In the beginning there were 3 countries, the kingdoms of Altorulia, Nendoria and Firewood. Then, those kingdoms were invaded and destroyed by the Death=Adder. Eventually, the prince of Altorulia defeated that giant (he was the second hero to do that).

When the assembled royalty join a pact to unite their lands under Tyris=Flare (princess of Firewood), to ensure future peace they created “Southwood”, the United Kingdom. In the English manuals of Golden Axe 1 domestic versions and in the US game “Best Rider” Southwood is called “Yuria”. Although the 3 countries seem to have disappeared (or lessen their powers) in favor to Southwood, there are many lords spread in many of its lands.

Tyris who was the person chosen to represent that pact didn’t became queen of that new founded country, choosing to continue in the anonymity with her Amazon sisters.  People from the former three kingdoms had to choose their new King. That’s why both princess of Firewood and, probably, prince of Altorulia are still princes in GA1. In “legend of Golden Axe” there’s still a region/town in Southwood called Firewood, which must be where that old kingdom was/is. Eventually Tyris descendants will rule a kingdom called “Winwood”, although no one knows if Southwood was divided, renamed, or if “Winwood” is the old kingdom of Firewood with a new rulers (Tyris’ descendants).

That king (the king of Southwood) and his daughter (the Southwood princess) will be the ones saved by Ax=Battler, Gilius=Thunderhead and Tyris=Flare in the first Golden Axe game 10 years after the united country has been created.

Golden Axe

Golden Axe (ゴールデンアックス, go^ruden akkusu) foi um dos primeiros jogos que tive no PC. Mas após todos estes anos, o que é que eu sei sobre ele?.... Nada. Aqui é para se escrever em inglês, não era?

Golden Axe is an high fantasy arcade game trilogy where the main villain is called Death=Adder. The first game was released in 1989 simply called Golden Axe; the second game, Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death=Adder was released in 1992 and the last one Golden Axe: The Duel in 1994. Well, these were the genuine titles. The others I will talk about latter.




Golden Axe
==========
Ax Battler (アックス=バトラー, akkusu batora^) "The Barbarian"
To reach the Castle of  Southwood Kingdom he must traverse the "village of turtle" (Turtle Village) and "path of monster" (the ~Fiend's Path~).

Tyris=Flare (ティリス=フレア, teirisu furea) "The Amazon"
Her full name is Tyris Firewood Flare (ティリス・ファイアーウッド・フレイヤー, teirisu faia^uddo fureiya^) and she is the princess of Firewood (ファイアウッド). Ten years(?) ago Death Adder killed Tyris parents (while he killed the King of Firewood in his own castle, Lt. Bitter killed the Queen outside when she was escaping his her daughter Tyris). She then was adopted by the Amazons but inherits the royal blood of the destroyed Firewood kingdom. At the time of "The Duel" the new kingdom is called Winwood.
Tyris now she joins Ax Batter and Gilius to save the kingdom of Southwood (サウスウッド, sausuuddo) against Death Adder.

Gilius Thunderhead (ギリウス=サンダーヘッド, giriusu sanda^heddo)


Death=Adder
A descendant of the giants that were relegated to the darkness in the old days. Regained the power of darkness to get "Golden Axe", the weapon made by gods. He used the magic power of Golden Axe to destroy the previously flourished Firewood kingdom. He now have imprisoned the king and princess of the Southwood kingdom. Former South Wood Castle became the residence of the Death=Adder and now has become his natural fortress.


The Revenge of Death・Adder
==========================
Sternblade/Stern (スタンブレード, sutanbure^do)
A young man with a suppressed combative spirit who uses a sword to defeat the enemy!
Seven decades after the game, the old Stern Blade adopts the next game's main character and tought him the swordsmanship as well as cast fire elemental forces. Latter Stern dies saving another child from fire, leaving his sword and last name with Kain.

Dora (ドーラ, do^ra)
A female Centaur tribe fighter who has an extremely powerful killing technique.

Goah (ゴア, goa)
A Giants tribe warrior who engages in battle with Gilius on his back.

Little Trix (リトル・トリックス, ritoru torikkusu)

With a three-pronged fork weapon, he moves in an agile manner to destroy the opposing forces.

Gilius Thunderhead (ギリウス=サンダーヘッド, giriusu sanda^heddo) *Not Playable*
The legendary axeman  that helped to defeat Death Adder will now sacrifice himself to defeat Death Adder and, according to "The Duel" manual, he used the Golden Axe against the villain to kill him. It is the only famous warrior alive from the previous game and, after beating the game, is also dead.



The Duel
========
According to the Arcade's flyer, this story happens 80 years after the last game. Now, every previous hero had died, however some of the descents are present in this game. For instance, Gilius died 80 years ago, at the end of the last game. Tyris died probably from old age long before the last game and Stern died trying to save a child when he was about 88* years old. Both Gilius and Tyris left descendants, where Rockhead is his great-grandson and Milan is probably her great-great-granddaughter.

Kain Blade (カイン・ブレード, kain bure^do)
The main character. Orphaned by the war and found by a famous warrior [it doesn't sat who but obviously is Stern Blade from RODA], Kain Blade learned the art of swordsmanship from an early age. When the very old Stern Blade died attempting to save another child from fire, Kain could not accept the way his master died. Kain's whole life had been devoted to perfecting his combat skills; death by other than combat was unimaginable.

Milan Flare (ミラン・フレアー, miran furea^)
The princess of the kingdom of Winwood, and descendant of Tyris Flare, who helped defeat Death Adder long ago [in GA1]. She is also the protector of the kingdom and relies on wind magic to battle her adversaries.

Gillius Rockhead (ギリウス・ロックヘッド, giriusu rokkuheddo)
Comes from a family of distinguished fighters. His great-grandfather, Gilius Thunderhead, is the legendary axeman who with the mystical Golden Axe helped slay Death Adder. It's not easy living in the shadow of such an ancestor, but Gillius, too, has perfected axe-battling and has become a renowned warrior.

Notes: It is interesting to note some mistakes/retcons. Gilus Thunderhead and Tyris Flare are now spelled Gillus and Tiris respectively. The manual tells us that Gilius defeated Death Adder with the mystical axe. However, in the last game Gillius used his own axe, sacrificing himself in the processes.

* Approximate age: The math is simple. If Stern Blade has the same age of Kain Blade and supposing he find the kid and tough him until the age of 8, then the result will be 88.


Differences between the original Japanese and overseas releases:
- The kingdom of Southwood is called Yulia
- Ax Batter is called Tarik in SMS version and Best Battle


Sources:
Tyris ending script and credits (PC Engine): http://www.geocities.jp/bgrtype/gsl/pce/goldenaxe/gax.html

Dark Chronicle

For my Summer vacation of this year, I decided to play Dark Chronicle (ダーククロニクル Dāku Kuronikuru) for PS2.

This game is being very interesting and has a great soundtrack!

I'm somewhere on the middle of it, and the story so far it's great!

So, I was googling and found this awsome "ask Max and Monica" website, in which your questions get an awsome response with draws!

Check it out:
http://askmaxmonica.tumblr.com/

Danbo from Yostuba&!

This is Danbo from Yotsuba&!
It's made of card from a cookie package. 
His left side of the head is still open to put some lights inside.

Fuuka from Yotsuba&!

This is Fuuka from the awsome manga Yotsuba&!
This figure was made of white clay.
Unfortunatley the figure did not evolve much more than this, because the parts were falling apart...
But lately I discovered that this is not the correct material to do figures like this, 'cos it's very heavy and dificult to mold (very hard indeed)...
I recently bought Super Sculpey from Amazon, which, they say, it's the very best material to do this stuff! So, I'm anxious to try it out.