![\"final-fantasy-origins\"](\"http:\/\/danielprimed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/final-fantasy-origins.jpg\" "\\"final-fantasy-origins\\"")
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When it comes to 3D games, my preferred genre of choice is action\/adventure, and for 2D games, it’d have to be the platformer. Platformer is a little too broad a definition as the games within this genre often encompass action, puzzle and role playing elements – it’s more or less the 8\/16bit equivalent of the action adventure. Super Mario Bros<\/em>, Shinobi<\/em>, Castlevania<\/em> are all justified examples of games straddling between genre conventions. On the whole, I guess you could say that I’m an enthusiast of the action\/adventure genre of any make up.<\/p>\n I’ve always been interested in RPGs, but less conventionally so than the typical RPG player. My brother is a good example of that type of player, so my tastes are roughly derived of titles that occasionally interest me from his side of the collection. This makes for a seemingly diverse, perhaps sporadic interest in the genre, with my favourite games including Lufia 2<\/em><\/a>, Final Fantasy Tactics<\/em>, Fire Emblem<\/em> and Golden Sun<\/em>.<\/p>\n On second thoughts, are these titles honestly less conventional? Maybe it’s just due to our natural assertion of the typical RPG being a JRPG, where the titles listed -although Japanese made- are less traditional in that sense. Lufia<\/em> is less well known\/niche-y, FF:Tactics<\/em> and Fire Emblem<\/em> are Strategy RPGs with a European thematic, and Golden Sun<\/em> is a more modern distillation of the genre with a strong adventuring influence.<\/p>\n This conclusion may suggest that I’m less interested in the JRPG in itself, which is probably a fair assumption. JRPGs are very iterative, with only modest modifications between each installment, or so it can be argued. I’m no doubt interested in this genre from an observer’s point of view, but am hardly a player with a rich JRPG history. I love Metal Gear not Final Fantasy dammit! <\/em><\/p>\n I will admit that on several occasions I unsuccessfully tried to break into the conventional JRPG mold with attempts given at Final Fantasy VII<\/em> and Final Fantasy IX<\/em> (twice on the latter actually), unfortunately my interested ensued rather quickly. Maybe I should’ve tried the real JRPG touchstones of the day like Phantasy Star<\/em> and Dragon Ques<\/em>t, I’m not sure.<\/p>\n Whatever the case, I have finally rebooted my foray into the traditional JRPG genre, beginning with Final Fantasy Origins<\/em> on the PSone (it contains the first two games). In fact, if you’ve been following me on Twitter (and please don’t, the service is clearly works only for pretentious fags*) then you’ll know that I’ve completed Final Fantasy<\/em><\/a> and am already a good portion through the Final Fantasy II<\/em><\/a> adventure. Yay for steadfast progress.<\/p>\n Although there isn’t much benefit in playing the games sequentially, I’ve decided to play them this way in a kind of marathon format. It seems only trendy nowadays for people to diminish their old-game-shame list with a hasty marathon, it’s only fitting for a blog as trendy as this one. Zing!<\/em> With the progress I’m making, I can probably catch up on the complete series before the next 20 second chunk of video for Final Fantasy XIII<\/em> is released.<\/p>\n As expected I’ll be writing up my thoughts for consumption soon. I usually have a steady string of new posts, sitting on the side lines waiting to be uploaded to DanielPrimed, but I haven’t been in the writing mood the past few days and am left more or less high and dry. Obviously I want to write about this marathon which I’ve been on for the past 2-3 weeks, I’ve finally finished reading the Metal Gear Solid<\/a><\/em> novel<\/a> too and will be sharing my thoughts as well as a dot point comparison of nuances between book, game and lore. I’m probably going to can my Syphon Filter: LS<\/em> writing<\/a> and instead wrap a few great ideas into a deeply personal critique of the series in relation to early 90s action cinema and my childhood. I do want to analyze the Aussie bloke; Dane Bishop in Logan’s Shadow<\/em> though as he’s a particularly interesting character. That’s a bit of a teaser, I guess. Been prepping a lot of Chinese articles for my Chinese blog lately, including a 2000 character gaming manifesto which I’m very proud of. Look forward to hitting my groove again while I pray some of this university homework would disappear.<\/p>\n Getting back on track, if you have any advice for tackling the series, or any of the games in particular then please make me aware via the comments.<\/p>\n