Analyzing a Post-1990 game: Final Fanatsy X

Publishers: Square-Enix
Platforms: PlayStation 2 December 20, 2001
Genre: RPG


Hello again, today I will be analyzing a game of after the 1990s with a game in the 2000s. A game close to my heart, Final Fantasy X (ten). Now before FFX, I didn’t really get into the series; in fact I bought because it on twenty smackaroos, but in the end I was glad I got it, because this game is the crowning achievement of same audio, graphics, and gaming in general. And it was the game that got me into the series. 

The game truly is a remarkable game, this was not the first 3-d Final Fantasy, no that honor goes to Final Fantasy seven, but it was a the first game in the series to have a fully voiced acted. The sound effect really captures the scope of the game, and it shows far the game has come on it when it comes to Audio in games, from the growls of the monsters, to swipe of the sword, and to the sound of the magic effects.

 FFX gameplay

The graphics is no slouch either, as seen above and that isn’t even the best part as the game is full of beautiful FMV (Full Motion Video) that debuted in FF 7 but even more refined thanks to Square’s in-house team and the power of the PS2. Which shows their talent for CGI, as they well animated and is full of emotion.

FFX CGI 

The Music is fully scored, another first for the series and was composed by the always excellent Nobuo Uematsu, who has composed for the other games in the series. Adding to that Masashi Hamauzu, who has some of the recent FF games (FF 13, FF13-2, and Lighting Returns)

 

 

Analyzing a Pre-1990 game: Ghosts'n Goblins

Publisher: Capcom Platform: Arcade and NES (Nintendo Entertainment system) Release Date: 9/19/1985 (Arcade) 1986 (NES) Genre: Platform A lot of games from this era are before my time, but one is near and dear, with a little indigestion to my heart, Capcom’s Ghosts’n Goblins. I spent my young days after school dying, and dying, dying on my NES with a bit masochistic glee, and to my surprise I found out people also enjoyed being owned by a game, just on the first level (Crazy, I know). Well this weekend, I decided to indulge myself in that pain I used to know and love.

As I played the first level, I’ve chosen to examine the Ghost n Gobins on the virtual console on the Wii, one, because I no longer have the NES, and two, the virtual console is a good representation on the original arcade version. As common for arcade games in the 80’s the game composed of bleeps and bloops, also the same song was looped over and over again, until you changed levels then again at 3.0 MHz there wasn’t much you could do with technology at the time. The graphics like the sound was simple, I was met a graveyard level, full of black, with main character (Arthur) and pixelated members of the unholy.

The music was composed by Ayako Mori, who was also responsible for soundtracks in later Capcom games, Resident Evil 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3. The bleeps are Arthur throwing his lances, the bloops are enemies dying and Arthur collecting prizes. There are no sounds for jumping, and no sounds for mimicking voices, just blips and bloops. Despite it’s lack of sound, Ghost’n Goblins is one of the most beloved games of all time.