BlazBlue, spiritual successor to Guilty Gear

[Kuukai]

I think we need to nickname you "Sandpaper Hands."

[Kyero Fox]

I think they were poorly made, because they rubbed off easy.

[Kuukai]

If it was an official Dualshock 3 I would doubt it...

[Red Frost]

Jin's Astral Heat is a 720 motion (2 circles) and you can't do it while standing still because he'll jump or do a unwanted move. So you have to do a non jump cancel move to buffer the 720, like his taunt for example. You do the taunt, do part of the motion while he's in the taunt, do the rest of the motion before the taunt ends and press D as soon as it ends. This method also works with Tager who has a 720 as one of his supers.

I don't know why I didn't see this earlier... and now... well... I could stand to hug you. That trick is a GOD SEND. I just did Noel's Astral Heat (on a training dummy, but still). YOU-ARE-AWESOME! <3

Generally I think your dominant thumb would be better for intricate and complex movements, including but not limited to tapping a direction twice really fast, and performing dp, dp, half circle backward, up+forward, down. Your non-dominant thumb is better suited to well-timed but less complicated button-punching every once in a relative while. And I know the d-pad has analog sensitivity, but my problem is absolutely that my left thumb is dumb and unwieldy and doesn't like eighth-second maneuvers. I think it's mainly one muscle too, since I have far greater success with one direction over the other... And I know it's kind of a freaky paradigm, I didn't realize until very recently that this was even an issue...

My hands are a little funky, truth be told. Sometimes my left wrist jams when I'm moving it, and I can bend some of my fingers in and out at the same time... that and my ring finger (the one between the pinky and middle finger) won't move up very well... so it looks like it's seriously effed up when I try to raise it by itself.
What's a creepy paradigm?

LOL my Control has no more markings on it from using it so much.

Oh damn, I have a controller like that somewhere... not sure which system it is, though... think it might be one of the SNES ones. XD;; But damn, new? Takes me years to do that kind've damage. Oh, but I broke the down button on my GBA from pressing down too much/hardly/long/all of the above. So now I practically have to squeeze the GBA with the down button to make my Pokemon guy walk down or Kirby crouch.

[_Tri-edge_]

So how long is this game's story? since I'm not really a fan of still image cutscenes with text bars, and seeing those for hours won't enlighten my morale so much about getting this game.

[Kuukai]

What's a creepy paradigm?

I meant that I understand it might be disorienting to imagine a right-handed controller. I blame Miyamoto.

So how long is this game's story? since I'm not really a fan of still image cutscenes with text bars, and seeing those for hours won't enlighten my morale so much about getting this game.

Umm, no one's going to stand there with a gun to your head making you play story mode. The only reward for playing still-image-heavy story mode is, uh, more still images and more story mode, and exactly one mid-level trophy/achievement that you can get about a quarter of the way through.

In my opinion it's quite fun, though, and I wish it would go on forever. Getting 100% takes a while, since there are parallel arcs and almost every game over screen counts toward completion. They added a bunch of improvements over Guilty Gear's story mode, though, including the ability to save (with like 8 slots, which is more than enough to handle the path splits), and I think the auto-next feature is new too. It's not just text, it has full voice-acting, and even if you buy it there I'm pretty sure it comes with and option for full English... (That's what the Japanese trailer says, at least.)

I've really lost track of how long it is, especially because I tend to wander away from singleplayer things every now and then, but getting 100% for a character usually takes a couple hours, so I dunno, at least 20-something hours? Like I said, I don't quite understand why that would be a negative, unless you do like story and CG...

[Red Frost]

What's a creepy paradigm?

I meant that I understand it might be disorienting to imagine a right-handed controller. I blame Miyamoto.

I know, idn't it? I mean you could try holding the controller upside down, but that's just seriously effed up. OH WAIT, I forgot you can do that on The World Ends With You. XD I mean... you basically just switch the D-pad with the 4 buttons on the right to control how you move the character in the top screen, and even then it's not really as complex as "moving" a character... though it can be a bit tricky pulling off the right combos. I guess it's not really meant to make moving the above character easier but the way you use the Stylus, since you'd want to use your dominant hand for that.

Also, who's Miyamoto? I'm assuming he has something to do with the invention of the D-pad or something of the like. I always thought it was some guy who worked at Nintendo who did it... he worked on Metroid too. Can't remember any names.

Really should go play Story Mode sometime. <<;; I've been busy doodling, sleeping, and trying to beat Persona 3 (finally...). Should play someone else sometime too... but it's hard when you live home with your dad and don't have 2 controllers. I might have to bring the game over to grandma's and watch my uncles try to figure it out. XD

[Kuukai]

I do wholeheartedly recommend the story!

I know, idn't it? I mean you could try holding the controller upside down, but that's just seriously effed up. OH WAIT, I forgot you can do that on The World Ends With You. XD I mean... you basically just switch the D-pad with the 4 buttons on the right to control how you move the character in the top screen, and even then it's not really as complex as "moving" a character... though it can be a bit tricky pulling off the right combos. I guess it's not really meant to make moving the above character easier but the way you use the Stylus, since you'd want to use your dominant hand for that.

So, I'm confused... You're saying that on second thought World Ends With You is still backwards? I kinda liked the idea behind the N64 controller. If the C-buttons had been a true d-pad it would have been designed for anyone to use. Lots of games had designs that involved you holding it different ways. That really wasn't explored again until the Wii...

Also, who's Miyamoto? I'm assuming he has something to do with the invention of the D-pad or something of the like. I always thought it was some guy who worked at Nintendo who did it... he worked on Metroid too. Can't remember any names.

Shigeru Miyamoto = some guy at Nintendo.

Though, actually, it's really complicated. I think I cam implicate Space Invaders, since I think that was one of the first arcade games with the stick on the left, and then Gunpei Yokoi imitated arcade design when he created the Nintendo Game & Watch, which had a d-pad on the left. This formed the basis for the Famicom and NES controllers, which in turn until-then-sensible-in-their-arcade-design Sega ripped off, and then everyone else did. So, really, it's the result of a very long series of dumb decisions, it's hard to find someone not to blame... You'd think a competitor might have jumped on the right-handed market. Epic free market fail.

[Red Frost]

I'll get to it~ Just gotta... uhhh... get to it. Yeah.

No-no, what I mean is that in the game The World Ends With You (you say the "The" too... just like when you say a website name you always ALWAYS say "www." before it) you control Neku (main character) with the stylus to attack enemies and you use the Control Pad to have Neku's partner attack. Since using a stylus is much harder than pressing a button, and not everyone is a righty/ambidextrous, you can change the game so that Neku's partner can be controlled with the right set of buttons the same way as if using the D-pad. Thusly, Lefties can free up their dominant hand for stylus use by using the A/B/Y/Z buttons as the D-pad buttons would be used. I forget WHY I brought it up exactly, but you get it now, right? Out of curiousity, have you played The World Ends With You? It's a MUST if you own a DS.

But that makes you think... maybe they SHOULD allow full swapping of buttons functions. Usually you can swap the button functions with all buttons except for the D-pad. I know not many people would actually try it, what with all games having you control movements with the left side of the controller... but hey, things catch on.

Ahhh I see... Oh, and it was Gunpei Yokoi who I was thinking of. XD Kinda funny how Miyamoto doesn't play many video games... and any guy who plays a Banjo is okay by me. Someone really should get on that, I mean they have those Lefty specialty stores and all... I know about them because Ned Flanders owns one!

[Kuukai]

Sorry, meant to type "the," though in importville, it's actually called "It's a Wonderful World", with no the.

Well, 4 buttons and a d-pad aren't really the same thing, and not even all d-pads really are. Certainly it would be better than nothing if you could just swap the controls, but a d-pad is definitely designed to be better at continuous, constant, and changing directions, hence the d, than normal buttons are. Dualshock d-pads are amazing for doing this, and we had to crawl through quite a few failures (Dreamcast d-pad, 360 d-pad) to get to the design Sony chose to keep. Four buttons simply can't compete, so I'd prefer an actual piece of hardware made for right-handed people, but like I said even a software-wise swap is something I'd be happier with.

I guess the real problem is I want a first-party one, since third party controllers always feel funny, and I doubt there's any chance of Sony listening to me...

[DotHack-Haseo]

I love BlazBlue. I pre-ordered and got the special edition. I love it.

Screw all the damn Ragna, Nu (V13) and Hakumen users.

I prefer to use the all not to played with characters such as Taokaka, Noel and Either Iron Tager or Carl.

To me, the game is straight bliss. Worthy of the title successor of the Guilty Gear Series.

The story ends with a killer cliffhanger which can't help but make one wonder if there will be a sequel. Not anytime soon I realize. But I would have really liked to play with Hazama, because he looks just like my fave character from GG.......Johnny.

[Kyero Fox]

your kidding right? lots of people play Noel and Tager and Taokaka.

[nobodyknows]

still waiting for news on an EU release over here D;... and I really wanted to try and master Arakune, Taokaka and Carl before Christmas comes around ._.'

maybe I should just go for the import option after all...

[Red Frost]

I'm trying to master Noel, Arakune, and Jin... but I mostly play with Noel and Arakune cuz I likes Noel and Arakune is a bad-ass, crazy, weirdo. I love his voice in Japanese and English. ~w~ Plus he's got some awesome combos. I tend to forget about the characters "Drives"... so I don't spam the bugs or Noel's Chain Revolver. I only remember to use Chain Revolver when the Training Dummy keeps spamming their Drive and I'm like "Okay fine, I'll press X too!". Seriously, for all the people complaining about people who can spam their Drives, you can pull off some nasty, regular combos with Noel and Arakune.

I really need to mess around with the other characters but I don't want to mix up their combos and stuff when I'm playing different ones. Carl looks fun but I seem to be having trouble controlling his Marionette. I think I just need to practice with him more. OH, and I forgot about Rachel.

That reminds me... I've yet to watch the extra dvd that came with my game. Oo;;

[DotHack-Haseo]

I hate people who assume that Noel is a spam character. There are plenty of things you can do with Noel. And just because a character is easy to use doesn't make that characters any less of a character. People play who they like to play, and people don't like who they don't like.

People choose Ragna because of his immense power, who is pretty much just a copy of Sol-Badguy from GG.

I abuse the hell out of the Chain Revolver combos, but I also tie them in with other combos. Hell, if I'm in the right position, I can easily take out maybe 3 quarters of your life bar in one combo, assuming you don't block the whole thing.

But, Over-All, I really love BlazBlue. Play it everyday.

[ShinoBee]

Needs more Carl.

BTW, does anyone here actually main Carl? D:

[zerokoolpsx]

lol Carl! Oh your serious?
Nope, I haven't seen anyone I played against, use Carl for ranked or player matches, but I have seen some really good Carl players on downloadable replays. If it wasn't for his infinite loop, he wouldn't even be remotely competitive. None of my friends used him, not as mains anyway.

[nobodyknows]

Needs more Carl.

BTW, does anyone here actually main Carl? D:

I will, when I actually get the game >.>'...

I'm also maining Arakune, Tao and Hakumen

[Vahn Staffear]

I abuse the hell out of the Chain Revolver combos, but I also tie them in with other combos. Hell, if I'm in the right position, I can easily take out maybe 3 quarters of your life bar in one combo, assuming you don't block the whole thing.

Would you mind sharing these combos for those of us who think you're talking loads of ****. Like me for example. : )

[nobodyknows]

I just noticed something rather fun about Litchi :0

look around her waist and hip areas in this picture here: