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It's been long since I last updated this blog... Let's discuss about Legend of Mana!

Game Introduction
Legend of Mana (聖剣伝説 レジェンド·オブ·マナ Seiken Densetsu Rejendo obu Mana) is the first Mana game not part of the main series.
It is an Action RPG developed and published by then named Square (now SquareEnix) for the original Playstation gaming console. Released in America on June 06, 2000 after the very popular Secret of Mana for the SNES, Legend of Mana is actually the fourth game in the Mana series.

Gameplay

Legend of Mana features a unique "Land Make" system in which the player chooses plots of land to organize various locations within the game. The game world is divided into an isometric series of empty square plots of ground from which there are 36 possible in total. Depending on the Artifact (AF) which is placed on the plot, a different Land is generated on it. Each area placed on the map contains at least one quest within it, which upon completion rewards the player a new Artifact, and the process is repeated. Lands can be revisited, which is sometimes necessary to initiate more quests. Each Land has a certain level of strength in each Spirit of Mana on a points scale of zero (no presence) to three (strong presence). A high number of points on one square can add points to adjacent squares. The spirits—excluding Shade andWisp—each represent a day on which the coordinating element becomes more powerful. Also, placing locations in given places affects the spirit rating of that particular area. Within each Land, players can explore numerous locations including towns, dungeons, and ruins. Many locations have non-player characters (NPCs) for interaction such as progressing the story or buying equipment. Other areas feature enemies and bosses with which the player can battle.

Legend of Mana features several role-playing elements as well. The main character and sidekicks each have their own set of numerical attributes including HP, MP, strength, and luck. These stats grow whenever the player gains a level, after meeting a set experience point requirement. By defeating enemies in battle, the player can collect experience point crystals that spill out. The main character can equip a variety of weapons, armors, and accessories. Weapons grant the player the ability to perform abilities in combat. Referred to as "STs" (Special Techs) in the game, these are the powerful attacks of the main characters and NPC sidekicks that can be used once the special move meter is filled. Each weapon has a set number of special attacks to learn, ranging from single-target to area to the full field. The player is able to customize his or her attack repotia by assigning them to certain buttons.

Legend of Mana offers the option for the player to have two sidekicks—characters which are controlled either by the game's AI or by another player using the second controller. These sidekicks serve the purpose of making the game multiplayer to a degree by helping the main character while in battle, and also indirectly enhance the gaming experience if a human player takes control over the sidekick. Sidekicks consist of support characters, demi-humans, pets, and golems. The support characters include the Jumi Elazul and the merchant Niccolo. Demi-humans are monsters that have the ability to speak, and appear in certain areas, willing to join the player on his or her quest. Pets and golems can also accompany the protagonist, but cannot be controlled by a second player. Using a memory card, it is possible for two players to play together simultaneously using their main characters, but there are some limitations to this. The game also has an arena for two people to fight against each other in.

After certain quests are completed, Legend of Mana gives the player the option to delve into optional gameplay aspects centered around the hero or heroine's house. While weapons, armor, and accessories may be bought from stores, the player also has the option of forging or improving them using raw materials found throughout the game. Temporing occurs when any of the game's items is combined with the equipment, cumulatively raising or lowering its power or adding special effects. In the backyard of the players house is a small orchard, where the player is able to give some seeds to the orchard keeper, Trent, to grow fruit. What grows depends on the number of seeds previously given to him, the Mana levels of the Home Land and the kinds of seeds given him. The player can also unlock the monster corral, which can be used to raise pets via feeding them, letting them graze, or taking them out adventuring. They gain levels only if they are taken out with the hero, or if they are left to graze. They can also be raised using the Sony PocketStation, a peripheral only released in Japan. Finally, workshops can be used to create instruments and build golems. Instruments are created using elemental coins and armor, whilst utilizing the Mana power of a specific region. Different types of instruments, as well as different tunes, can be made depending on materials, as well as the melody and harmony gameplay mechanics of the workshop. Golems are built using weapons and armor as parts. The golem's attacks are determined by logic blocks, which are created in an urn in the workshop. It is done by combining two items, and the blocks are placed in a grid. All of the blocks must fit in, and for the golem to use attacks, the attack's respective logic blocks must be in the grid.

(Much thanks to http://mana.wikia.com/wiki/Legend_of_Mana for the info)


Official Trailer


Bye for now! ^^
Hello there, everyone! ^^ I know it's been a loong time since I last updated my blog... but here's something for an update! I'm going to introduce... Taigong Wang from Warriors Orochi 2, created by Koei and W Omega Force! :D

Taigong Wang (太公望, Taikōbō) first appears in the first chapter of Shu, in the little opening movie. He can be seen throwing down his weapon's bait (his weapon is a fishing rod) at a fleeing Da Ji down below. He can be seen telling her that she has to return to the mystic realm because she joined Orochi of her own free will. Da Ji will sarcastically reply she was not going to return to that "stuffy old place", then she will run off and vanish into thin air.

Personality wise he seems to be egoistic considering some of his lines in the game. He admits to Zuo Ci in an after battle conversation that he does not understand humans very well and that factor is making it harder for him to anticipate Da Ji's plans. Despite his cockiness he is shown as a good-hearted man when he was wondering about how to eradicate evil in Odani Castle. He is also like to use some risky tactics which are also very effective if they succeed, such as his plan to let Da Ji and Himiko escaped with Kiyomori to gather all of Orochi supporters and deal with all of them at once.

In history, his real name is Jiang Ziya, with information on him viewable here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiang_Ziya He is said to have many names, like Taigong Wang and Jiang Taigong, just to name a few.

Here are Taigong Wang's weapons:

Level 1: Bamboo Rod (Base Attack: 9)

Level 2: Steel Rod (Base Attack: 18)

Level 3: Thunder Rod (Base Attack: 36)

Level 4: Lightning Rod (Base Attack: 72)

Watch out for the next post! ^_^ :D

Hi again. :) I've been really bored lately with like nothing to do, so I've decided to update my blog with a new promised post on... Lena! Her Japanese name is actually Rena, but I'll leave at that. First of all, her background.

(Taken from Fire Emblem Wiki: Lena)
Lena first appeared in Chapter 3 of Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi as a Medonian Priestess. At some point earlier, she was forced into a marriage with Prince Michalis, but managed to run away. However, she was captured by the Devil Mountain Bandits.

It was later on that she was rescued by the thief Julian, who betrayed the Devil Bandits for Lena's sake. As time goes by, she and Julian go closer towards each other and even fell in love at a certain point. She comes to join Marth in Book 1 (of Monsho no Nazo, a remake of first game) because she seeks to possess the Warp Staff. She was also training another character, Mallesia. After the events of Book 1 ended, Lena moved to Macedonia, where she set up a monastery for orphans.


In Book 2 (of Monsho no Nazo, as a sequel), she was abducted by Gharnef and was forced to use her power to resurrect Medeus (the Dark Dragon), until she was again rescued by Julian. After Book 2, Lena, Julian, Minerva, and Maria work in the orphanage helping the children who lost their parents during the war.


P.S. (Now, FE3's Book 1 & FE11 is actually a remake of FE1 and FE3's Book 2 is a sequel to FE1.)

Now, for her stat info. Lena can be either good or bad, depending on how lucky you are. She is considered to have started a a recurring character archetype, namely a low-level Priest or or usually Cleric who joins early in the game and must be recruited. In FE11, because of its special Class Change function, her class can be changed to a Paladin, Pegasus/Falco Knight, Dracoknight, Archer/Sniper, Myrmidon/Swordmaster or a Mage/Sage.

Her are her growth rates:


In FE1

  • HP: 0%
  • Strength: 0%
  • Skill: 0%
  • Weapon Level: 30%
  • Speed: 20%
  • Luck: 40%
  • Defense: 0%
  • Resistance: 0%
(Hmm... not very good, I see)

In FE3 Book 1
  • HP: 10%
  • Strength: 20%
  • Skill: 40%
  • Speed: 20%
  • Luck: 70%
  • Weapon Level: 40%
  • Defense: 10%
  • Resistance: 3%
(Slightly better, but still weak)

In FE3 Book 2
  • HP: 10%
  • Strength: 10%
  • Skill: 10%
  • Speed: 20%
  • Luck: 40%
  • Weapon Level: 30%
  • Defense: 10%
  • Resistance: 3%
(Weaker in Book 2 because Medeus sapped her of most of her power in Book 2)

In FE11 (When she's a Cleric. To see her other class growths, go to SerenesForest)
  • HP: 15%
  • Strength: 0%
  • Magic: 25% (35% when she promotes to Bishop)
  • Skill: 25%(30% when she promotes to Bishop)
  • Speed: 20%
  • Luck: 60%
  • Defense: 0%
  • Resistance: 50%(40% when she promotes to Bishop)
Right. That's about it. To see her promotion gains, go to SerenesForest>FE3>Promotion Gains or SerenesForest>FE11>Promotion Gains.

Some pictures of her:

Okay, I managed to play the newest Fire Emblem (a remake of the first game and Book 1 of the third game), and here are screenshots of my gameplay. Enjoy! ^_^

1) Blizzard with Merric

2) Starlight with Merric

3) Starlight with Lena

4) That horrible spell, Imhullu (known as Maph in Japanese version)

5) Tiki (Chiki) the Divine Dragon!

6) Bantu (Banutu) the Fire Dragon

7) Barst (Barts) pulling off a critical with the Hand Axe

Well, that's it. Watch out for the next post (I'll do a write-up on Lena)! :)
Hi there! In this post, I'll be posting some images of me playing Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu! It's a really good game, even if it is old. Anyway, enjoy!
(Please comment as well...)

1) Celice's Critical

2) Azel dodging Volcanon


3) Tiltyu using Tron


4) Julia (Translated version of Yuria) using Narga


5) Julius (Translated version of Yurius) using Loputousou


Well, that's it. Watch out for the next post! :)
FE9 & FE10 respectively:
Hi again! (Been really lazy these few days, thus not being able to post anything new) In this post, we shall talk about Ike from FE9 and FE10! First, his background.
Ike is the main character of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, released in 2005 for the Nintendo GameCube. He is the first and only main character not of noble birth. His seiyuu is Michihiko Hagi, and his voice actor is Jason Adkins. Ah and yes, Ike is famed for his skill Aether. For more information, go to Fire Emblem Wiki or SerenesForest.

In Path of Radiance

Ike is the son of Greil, leader of the Greil Mercenaries, and takes leadership when his father is killed by the Black Knight. For the most part of the game, he is in the service of Princess Elincia. Ike is rather naive in the beginning of the game, but grows into a brave character later on. He has little memory of his life in Gallia as a young kid, and prior to joining the Greil Mercenaries, shows that he does not know what Laguz are. He is a nice and brave character, and is very protective of his friends and family. His motivation is to avenge his father's death, but he seeks no reward in aiding Crimea's liberation and helping Elincia to claim the throne as queen, except for the usual payment as being a mercenary. Although he has no desire to become a noble, he accepts the title as Lord so he can lead the Crimea Liberation Army after his triumph over Oliver.
Ike begins the game as the newest member of the Greil Mercenaries. The other members look down on him as a rookie, such as Boyd and Shinon. After learning about Daein's invasion, Greil makes Ike work harder to prepare him for the task of leadership. Following Greil's death, Ike takes over leadership of the Greil Mercenaries, to Gatrie and Shinon's disdain. After Shinon telling Titania that he would not serve Ike, Titania gets mad at Shinon due to her affection towards the now departed Greil. Gatrie leaves alongside Shinon because he feels his skills deserve a better challenge, but he rejoins Ike at Astrid's urging in Chapter 13 because of his love for the mercenary group. After remaining in Gallia until Chapter 9, realizing that Caineghis is unable to help him, Ike leaves and is escorted to Port Toha by a squad of Laguz including Ranulf, Lethe and Mordecai. Ike then leaves and travels around the continent in order to help Elincia reclaim Crimea. Along the way, he meets and recruits many allies.
Eventually, near the end of the game, he acquires the Divine Blade Ragnell and duels the Black Knight with the assistance of his sister Mist. Although it does not matter whether or not the player is truly able to defeat the Black Knight, the castle in which the duel takes place collapses after five turns pass, and the Black Knight is declared dead (cannonically, Ike slays the Black Knight).

Ultimately, Ike reconquers Crimea with the help of his allies.

In Radiant Dawn
Ike, the hero of the Mad King's War, returns in Radiant Dawn, as the main character of Part III. He starts as a Hero class, and wields the sword Ettard, but later reacquires the divine blade Ragnell, which he had previously used while dueling with the Black Knight in Path of Radiance, but subsequently turned it over to Begnion when Sanaki declared it a sacred treasure. In Part IV of Radiant Dawn, Ike becomes a Vanguard with the blessing of the goddess Yune and finally avenges his father's death and this time defeats the Black Knight in a truly one-on-one duel. Upon the Black Knight's defeat, Ike then takes possession of Alondite, the Black Knight's personal blade and Ragnell's counterpart, which, though it has no weapon level in Path of Radiance (and thereby is exclusive to the Black Knight), is now an SS sword and can be given to other units. It is revealed that he witnessed Greil killing Elena due to the medallion's chaos energy, but his memory is sealed by Sephiran to prevent the painful truth. Once the goddess Ashera is defeated and all the countries are made stable, Ike travels to another land (possibly Hatari) and leaves the continent of Tellius behind forever. He suffers from poor resistance and luck, but his strength, skill, and HP are all high. His magic is also low, but this is no longer an issue for physical units due to the fact that magic swords no longer use magic to calculate damage. Once he is promoted into a Vanguard, Ike can wield axes, including his father Greil's axe, the SS-ranked Urvan, given to you by Caineghis in an Info Conversation in the Final Chapter. He Defeats Ashera, and Leaves Tellius, depending on the support level, Soren or Ranulf go with him, if they have an 'A' Rank. Ironically either Soren or Ranulf (if you A rank support with Ike) are both able to outlive Ike's lifespan as he is Beorc. Soren can out live Ike because he is Branded & Ranulf can out live Ike because he is Laguz. Ike's departure leads to fan speculation regarding a third game in the Tellius Series.

Now, for his stat growths. Ike is a pretty good character, especially in Path of Radiance. 'Nuff said. Here are his growth rates:

In Path of Radiance

  • HP: 75%
  • Strength: 50%
  • Magic: 20%
  • Skill: 50%
  • Speed: 55%
  • Luck: 35%
  • Defense: 40%
  • Resistance: 40%

Promotion Gains:

Ranger --> Lord

  • HP: +4
  • Strength: +3
  • Magic: +2
  • Skill: +2
  • Speed: +2
  • Defense: +3
  • Resistance: +2
  • Con: +1
  • Mov: +1
  • Cap: +5

In Radiant Dawn

  • HP: 65%
  • Strength: 55%
  • Magic: 10%
  • Skill: 60%
  • Speed: 35%
  • Luck: 30%
  • Defense: 40%
  • Resistance: 15%

Promotion Gains:

Hero --> Vanguard

(Like all other male physical 2nd-tier units)

  • HP: +4
  • Strength: +2
  • Magic: +4
  • Skill: +2
  • Speed: +2
  • Defense: +2
  • Resistance: +4
  • Con: +0
  • Movement: +0
  • Axe Mastery Level A
That's all for this post. Do watch out for the next one! :)
Here are some random screenshots I took. Please view and comment! :)L'Arachel VS. Lyon

Sophia Overkill

Roy VS. Idoun

Athos OHKOs Dragon

Saul using Aureola

Watch out for the next post! XD
Hi once again! In this post, we shall discuss about this myrmidon from FE8, Marisa! First of all, her background. 
Marisa is a member of Gerik's Mercenaries. An aloof and detached beauty, she is a master of the blade, earning fame as the "Crimson Flash" because of her great Speed. She seeks to surpass her father, who was also a great Swordmaster. She is usually clumsy at everything out outside of fighting, as revealed to the player in a support conversation with Gerik. It is also shown that she secretly loves Gerik, as her supports with her friendly rival Tethys reveal.
Now for her stats. Marisa might not have the greatest Strength, and isn't as good as Fir, but her Skill, Speed and Luck are extremely good. She also has moderately good Resistance. She has moderate Defense, which is easily taken care of by buying Dragonshields for her.
Here are her growth rates:
  • HP: 75%
  • Strength: 30%
  • Skill: 55%
  • Speed: 60%
  • Luck: 50%
  • Defense: 15%
  • Resistance: 25%
  • Affinity:  Ice
Promotion Gains:
  • Promotes with Hero Crest
  • Swordmaster
  • HP: +4
  • Strength: +2
  • Skill: +1
  • Speed: +0
  • Defense: +2
  • Resistance: +1
  • Con: +1
  • Mov: +2
  •  Sword Mastery Level +40 Weapon EXP
  • Assassin
  • HP: +2
  • Strength: +1
  • Skill: +1
  • Speed: +1
  • Defense: +2
  • Resistance: +1
  • Con: +1
  • Mov: +1
                                                               
Watch out for the next post! XD
Hi! In this post, we shall discuss about the ugly old hag from FE6, Niime! First of all, her background. Niime is the mother of Canas from FE7, and the grandmother of Hugh from FE6. She is known as the 'Hermit of the Mountains'. She has done much research on the dragons of the Scouring and previously had a romantic relationship with a very important member of the Elimine church, Yodel. She joins automatically at the start of chapter 19B or 20A in FE6. Niime is mentioned in a support between Pent and Canas in FE7.
Here's Niime and Yodel's C- Rank Support Conversation:

Niime
: Well... Long time no see.
Yodel: Yes... You seem to be doing well.
Niime: Heh... You've certainly gained more than a few years.
Yodel: Ah, yes, how embarrassing. You seem to be as young and beautiful as ever.
Niime: ...Is that an insult?
Yodel: Of course not. ...It has truly been a long time. How many years has it been?
Niime: Forty...no, fifty years? It's been a long time...
Yodel: Yes... Indeed.
Niime: ...Now, I think I understand how you felt that time.
Yodel: Yes... I too understand your argument.
Niime: But that was a long time ago...it's a time that's gone forever. Our paths split on that day. They'll never cross again...
Yodel: ......

Now for her stats. Niime practically sucks. Yep, she might join at a decent level (18) and have quite okay stats, but her growth rates are hair- raisingly shocking. Ever heard of the phrase, "The older you turn, the more useless you become."? Not many old people are like that; onlya minor few. Niime is definitely one of them. Ray and Sophia should have surpassed her by now. If not, what the heck do you think you are doing?!

Here are her growth rates:
  • HP: 25%
  • Magic: 15%
  • Skill: 15%
  • Speed: 15%
  • Luck: 5%
  • Defense: 5%
  • Resistance: 20%
  • Affinity:  Anima
                                                    
Watch out for the next post! :)
 
Hi all! In this post, we shall discuss the Children of Destiny, Ninian and Nils! First of all, their background. 
(Info. from Fire Emblem Wiki)
Ninian is a quiet, sweet, and polite dancer and the older sister of Nils, a teenage bard.
Ninian and Nils' lineage was half-human, but also half-dragon, their father speculated to be, ironically, the antagonist Nergal, and their mother an ice dragon knownas Aenir, kidnapped during the Scouring. Nergal decide to search for her, but left explicit instructions to the infant Ninian and Nils to return to pass through the Dragon's Gate after a period of time, should he not return. Ninian and Nils waited, but Nergal never returned, and they passed through the Dragon's Gate in their dragon forms, losing most of their memories, excluding some including their missing mother, which Ninian kept as a silver ring known as Ninis' Grace as a memento. They eventually settled in Paradise, but longed for Elibe, their birthplace. Thus, when they received an oppurtunity to return through the Dragon's Gate and back to the human realm, they quickly cooperated and passed through the Gate, losing most of their quintessence and being forced to revert to their human forms.
Now, for their stats. Ninian and Nils are dubbed the best Dancer/ Bard in the Fire Emblem games. This is because they have an interesting background and have very good growth rates, with the exception of their Strength and Skill, like all other Dancers and Bards. They have great HP, Speed, Luck and Resistance and have moderately good Defense. As an addition, they can use certain special Dance Rings. Here are the special Dance Rings and what they do:
  • Ninis' Grace- Raises an ally's Defense and Resistance by 10 for one turn
  • Filla's Might- Raises an ally's Attack by 10 for one turn
  • Thor's Ire- Raises an ally's Critical by 10 for one turn
  • Set's Litany- Raises an ally's Avoid by 10 for one turn
Here are their stat growths:
  • HP: 85%
  • Strength: 5%
  • Skill: 5%
  • Speed: 70%
  • Luck: 80%
  • Defense: 30%
  • Resistance: 70%
  • Affinity:  Ice
Here are some images showing them in action:
    

And... THIS IS NINIAN'S POWER!!!
    
Watch out for the next post! :D