RF Generation Message Board

PARTICIPANTS
GrayGhost81
singlebanana
douglie007
Addicted
russlyman
Disposed Hero
Duke.Togo
reddawg50
MetalFRO


CHECKPOINTS
1. Get Equipped With Silver!  (November 1st - November 8th)
2. Defeat the Golem.  (November 9th - November 15th)
3. Thaw out Cibba. (November 16st - November 23rd)
4. FINISH HIM!!!  (November 24th - November 30th)


TIPS & TRICKS
1. Keys and mattocks are fairly common drops in earlier dungeons, but do NOT drop in latter ones. Be sure that you always stock up on these at item shops.
2. Running out of keys or mattocks could get you stuck.... Be sure to always run two saves and make sure one is outside of the dungeon you are entering.
3. Different weapons can help you clear different obstacles. Try them all out and keep this in mind if you get stuck.
4. Can't figure out how to get those keyless doors open?  Look for a switch and make a snowman to push on it.
5. It doesn't hurt to clear most screens, leveling up is fairly quick and you'll be more properly leveled as you make your way through the game.
6. Be sure to use the ASK menu option for every new companion you pick up.  Each one of them aids you in a different way and some are even crucial to your success.

Im in :) LOL

Interested


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I'm in as well. I need to hook up my GCN and GB Player.... on second thought I'll use the GB Player for the SNES.

I owned this game as a kid but never beat it.  Believe it or not, I still have my original copy!  I hope it still saves!

I'm in!

[img width=700 height=933]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171009/10607104db60c73f8b2ab7da49147c0f.jpg[/img]
Maybe I can snag a cheaper copy at RWX or PRGE ha


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I'm even more excited about doing this now I know the game we are playing :)

Count me in. I'll have to pop in a new battery and give it a go.

Well I guess I don't own this game yet.  I have the legends but no adventure.

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@russlyman: There are two versions of this game.

1. The original release which you posted a picture of
2. The Sunsoft re-releases which have the Sunsoft logo on them.

As far as I know both versions are functionally identical but the Sunsoft version is worth less. $25 isn't a bad price but I would expect to pay more in the $18-$20 range.

I started this game on my way home from RWX earlier this week.  I kept looking for NPCs in the game where I could save, but could never seem to find one.  Found out after my second time turning it on, that saves are actually on the fly and can be done at any time by pressing "select." DOH!

Should be an interesting playthrough.

I will give this Playthrough thing a try.

Hoping to snag a copy at PRGE this weekend


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Welcome to the playthrough RedDawg50! Happy to have you joining us.

Just got my copy from Ebay.  and its the original release not SunSoft.

Couldn’t find one copy at Retro World Expo or Portland. I’ll hBe to grab the one at work ha. Or check eBat real quick


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Well great I got a your game is delivered message and nothing in the mail

@douglie007: Sorry to hear that. I hope it's resolved quickly so you can join in.

I jumped the gun a bit and started the game already.  I know I played this game some back when I was a kid, but I remember virtually nothing about it, so I'm going into it pretty fresh.  Some early thoughts are that I can't believe I didn't pick up on all the similarities between Final Fantasy Adventure and Secret of Mana way back when, or maybe I did and just don't remember.  The enemy sprites alone should have been a dead giveaway.

Other than that, I feel pretty confident in saying that this game was probably Square's attempt at creating a Zelda game.  It reminds me a lot of Link's Awakening, just with some Final Fantasy-esque RPG mechanics added in.

It was delivered to the wrong address Two Doors Down[img width=700 height=393]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171027/16ea45dcd547f95b3752b55799d42cfe.jpg[/img]

@douglie007: Glad to hear you have the game!

I just finished South Park and should have time to start this game soon.

I'm all in on this bad boy!  I remember playing this as a kid, borrowing it from my younger brother's friend, and liking it, but not getting too far because I couldn't borrow it very long.  Looking forward to this discussion!

I wired everything up over the weekend and now I'm ready to go:

[img width=700 height=933]https://i.imgur.com/CzbJba1.jpg[/img]

Nice!!!!

I'm probably 3/4 or more through the game now. Started off a little slow for me, but I've really gotten into it.  Looking forward to a great month of discussion.

@singlebanana: Nice! I'm over 1/2 way through.

Welcome to Day 1 of the November playthough.  As a bonus, GrayGhost81 and I have complied a few tips and tricks in the initial post that will aid you in your journey.  If any of you have an other suggestions, please let me know and I can add them.  Enjoy the game!

I would throw in always try ASK from the menu when you have an ally. I was stuck in a part without any mattocks and used ask. The ally opened up a shop and sold me some.

Awesome advice!  I will add it

I'm just past the first checkpoint and liking the game so far.  I was having some issues with dying a lot at first, but leveling up and getting better weapons has solved that problem.  I was also really put off when I first saw the map.  It makes the game world look large, and the lack of detail on the map made me think that I would always be lost, but the game world is actually quite linear so I haven't even needed to use the map.

So has anybody been going for a particular 'build' with their character?  I've been allocating stat points pretty evenly, with maybe a bit of preference toward Power, and slightly neglecting Wisdom since I almost never run out of MP.

Great points all around Disposed!  I agree that from the beginning, the game is pretty linear; however, toward the middle of the game, the world opens up a bit.  The map isn't very helpful at all when this happens, but you get some nice hints from NPCs, which you should always talk to, since there are so few in this game.

In terms of "build," I'm not sure that there is much of a strategy toward making your character better.  I started off distributing points out evenly, but I noticed that with every level you get a stat increase in everything anyway (so think of the points you put in as a supplement).  After level 10 or so, I started putting points into Power and Wisdom (basically damage increase & magic points).  The other two, Stamina (additional HP) and Will (quickens weapon power bar) seemed a bit useless to drop points in, since they go up a little every level anyway. I did find that on the end boss, I had to heal quite a bit, so it is probably not a bad idea to put some of your points into Wisdom. Wisdom is good in the beginning and middle of the game, because you don't get many mana replenishing items around that time and there are many mobs that are only affected by magic. However, by the end, 80% of my points went into Power.  

Just to bring up another point, I noticed that when equipping armor my DEF went up, but when I equipped a shield, my DEF points stayed the same.  It made me wonder why I was upgrading my shield, so I decided to look into it.  Turns out that the difference is shields is not DEF, but actually in what projectiles they block.  The better the shield, the more it blocks. Huh!  I thought this was a pretty neat concept that I had never seen in a game before (or perhaps missed it).

I was looking at the wiki, has anyone tried  Adventures of Mana to see if the story and gameplay was close to the original?

Got up to Mr. Lee mansion and just did some grinding around there. Up to level 9, and not sure if I should bother grinding more or not.

I really didn't do any unnecessary grinding, just quickly killed everything on screen as I moved along. Ended game around level 50.

I completed the first objective pretty quickly, but haven't quite hit the second yet.  Not sure how far I have to go before I find the Golem.  I'm digging this game so far, though even after getting past level 20, I'm still dying more than I'd like.  Part of that is that I get into it and don't pay attention to my health, and some of it I think has to do with the controls.  Having got used to Link's Awakening back in January, I was expecting a bit more of the same, but for an action RPG it's not quite refined at that level.  It's close, but there are a few goofy things about the game's design that hold it back ever so slightly.  The random enemy movements is one - there are times when you'll enter a screen an basically have to either immediately use an attack spell to ward off an enemy that appears right in front of you, or basically take damage and hope they don't end up on top of you while you're attacking.  Really enjoy the soundtrack, and the graphics are really outstanding for the Game Boy, much like the earlier Final Fantasy Legend games.  I'm also impressed by the story - there's a lot of more mature stuff going on here, in terms of thematic elements.  I mean, within the first few minutes of the game, two characters you interact with die in front of you.  Square definitely was not afraid to tug at the ol' heart strings with this one.

I completely agree regarding the controls. They feel pretty rigid at times, especially on the Gameboy. I'm moved to the SP and it seemed to respond a little better, or perhaps I just got more use to it. Spawning can suck sometimes but really all you have to do is move back a screen and then back to the same. This typically resets enemies and can also give you different numbers and configurations.

The soundtrack is incredible and yeah, there's quite a bit of sadness to deal with in this game. Kind of refreshing that it's a story of sacrifice and avoids the typical rainbow and unicorn farts stylings of most American games.

I don't like the AI for your companions they seem a little off like they don't see the enemies. But another news man I'm so glad I bought component cables back when they were cheap for my GameCube it makes the game look good. I use the gbi software and a media launcher so I can zoom in[img width=700 height=393]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171104/7870e7018599f859f38c0c96b289abf5.jpg[/img]

Man that’s looking real sweet.
Grabbing my copy Monday so I’ll be playing Monday and Tueaday. Maybe even stream it


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Nice Russ!

Quotable!  That's going in the podcast ;)

I think I went to the wrong place.. I was trying to find the snow hills and I found a dude that shot skulls and killed me in 2 hits.  I did manage to beat him and get a spell, but now I need to find where I need to go.

Yeah, you killed the Lich, but that's okay, since you actually need that spell to progress later in the game. If you leave the castle where things are frozen and go Northwest across the land, (you don't even have to go on the water) you will find a group of trees that you can chop down to go North and into the snow area.

I played it. The story and gameplay are EXACTLY the same. In fact, I'd call it Final Fantasy Adventure with a coat of fresh paint and nothing else. Even the original oversights/exploits are still present, I think! It's awesome!

Interesting. I've heard a lot of negativity towards it, but good to know it's a decent game.

Got a good amount of gameplay in last night. I played on Monday night and didn’t realize how to save and I died. So had to start over. Ha

Starting again I got a lot farther and found how to save. I was playing on the gba player so the select button was y or something.

I got to mirror and fought the vampire guy but I have yet to beat him


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Awesome Russ!  You are close to the first checkpoint.  Took me a while to figure out saves too and was always looking for an inn or something. Had to start over twice, but wasn't very far in.

Ok beat the devil and it said to go south so I’m headed there now. Got a few more level ups.

One thing that gets annoying is when a treasure drops and you can’t carry anymore of that item and the chest is blocking your path. I have to keep leaving the screen than coming back.


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I just beat the Golem and escaped that cave, so I'm at the half-way point, at least in terms of the site checkpoints.  I'm digging this game so far, aside from a few issues.  There's definitely some weird physics going on with the weapons in close combat.  Enemies seem to have a slight recovery period, so spamming your weapon doesn't kill them any faster than being slightly more measured with your attacks.  Also, depending on how you're positioned relative to an enemy, sometimes your weapon has the unintended consequence of pulling them toward you, causing you damage, and occasionally knockback.  Also, SCREW those jumping spring things that turn you into a Moog.  Get Moog'd by one and then hit again, and it's insta-death.  I have unfortunately died a few too many times in that scenario.


Yeah, I have had some trouble with this also, and it's either you drop an item so you can open the chest and then knock it away, or leave the screen and come back so the chest will be gone.  It feels like either a rather large oversight, or a poorly implemented system that is more a hindrance than it needs to be.

Just finished the game tonight!

i just got my silver and got through the cave, so on ward I go. I'll prob do some good progress tomorrow

Nice work FRO, Doug, and Russ!

Congrats, man!  I haven't had much time to play because I've had to work late a bunch (including tonight), but I'm back at it, so hopefully I'll see the 3rd checkpoint tonight or tomorrow.


Noice

Ok I’m stuck. Could get to play for a bit. Not sure where I️ need to go. I️ just got the old man with the sword to join my party. I️ walked around and got to here but my chain won’t reach.
[img width=700 height=933]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171117/782428a51431091289e208ae4b27e4cc.jpg[/img]


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Let the chain charge up all the way. It will reach further. 😀

Thanks Rich. Didn’t know that effected the distance. Ha. I’ll prob going to stream this tonight for sure. I’ll post the re play here after


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Sweet man!

Yes, regarding the whip length, that is an odd feature.

I got stuck in the desert looking for the Cave of Oasis and didn't make much progress for a while.  Finally figured it out and had a lengthy play session where I cleared the second checkpoint.  It seems like the frequency of boss fights is getting pretty high, but I don't really mind.

Played a good two hours last night And streamed it.

https://youtu.be/iIxtvz6Za_w



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Got a message on my phone that Russ was streaming last night. Shawn and I both popped in at one point. 😁

I've been putting more time into this game ever since I got past the slump I was in before, and I was surprised that I passed the third checkpoint so quickly.  I've been finding all of the bosses to be super easy, but I may be overleveled (I spent a lot of time wandering aimlessly and killing stuff).

But I'm glad to say that I'm really enjoying the game now.  I was in a big slump with this game for a while which ended shortly after I finished the desert area.  I really feel like I'm steamrolling my way through it now and am looking forward to finally beating this game after 20+ years!

I'm glad to hear you're really enjoying it Stephen. I had the same reaction. It started off slow at first and then I really got into the game.

Cibba thawed!  Going to try and power through and finish it this evening, as I'm on a roll.  I'm digging this so far, despite a few issues I have with the game.  I also found what I thought was a bug at first, but it turned out to be an obvious limitation with the inventory system.  I may have to detail that later.

Finished the game a couple of hours ago - very glad to have finally played through this classic!  Thankfully, despite a little trouble toward the end, I got through the last boss encounters w/o too much trouble.

This has been a slow week at work due to the upcoming holiday, so I snuck my GBA in and finished Final Fantasy Adventure this morning!  I really enjoyed the game overall and am really glad I finally finished it after all these years.  I'm curious to know what level everybody was when they beat the game.  I was able to get to level 55 due to all the wandering around I was doing and feel like I was pretty overpowered.

Edit:  I also wanted to add that I recently picked up the Seiken Densetsu Collection for the Switch.  It has all three Seiken Densetsu games included on one cartridge, but they are all in Japanese.  It's a cool collection, and I thought any Switch owners may be interested in picking it up.

https://www.play-asia.com/seiken-densetsu-collection/13/70b1qz

I finished on level 48.  I didn't think I was going to finish off the boss at first, but made it.  Also I wonder if the collection plays in English on the us switch like I am setsuma does

The collection is entirely in Japanese with no English language option.  So maybe it won't be that appealing to most people here, but I still thought it was a cool pickup nonetheless.  :)

Still grinding away at this. Got a bit further today. I️ got the morning star and blood sword for weapons and learned lighting


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[img width=700 height=933]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171125/a5553addc3c341f9a41a739a33eaf78e.jpg[/img]


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Not sure if you knew this, but the Blood Sword steals enemy HP. 😀

No I️ did not know that. Maybe I’ll start using that. I️ read a trick for leveling up in this room. Fight the guys save. Than reset the game and the enemies come back and repeat until your hearts content


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Yeah, I've noticed that when you save in a room and reset, it does that, so it's kind of a cool strategy to use if you're grinding for a specific drop, or just trying to level in general.

I had to save and reset a room a few times during the Snowman puzzles

I’m still trucking along at this. Hopefully will be done in a couple days. Going to New York tomorrow so I can play on the train


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Finally did it [img width=700 height=933]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171221/5754653befc3ef70f740c79f780ae3e8.jpg[/img]


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Yah Russ!!!  Glad you finished. Please share your thoughts on the game with us.

@russlyman: Congrats! Also love the pixel art!

Thanks Addicted I got those two pictures at this years Too Many Games expo from Square Painter.

I happy I got to finish the game finally. It took longer than expected. I did use a walkthrough for most of the end of the game. I ended up playing through one part and got to a part where it told me to equip the rusty sword. I had yet to obtain that so i had to go on a quest to find it and than go back to the dungeon to insert the sword so the Dime tower would rise up.

All and all I enjoyed the game. It reminded me a lot of Links Awakening. Although I enjoyed that game more. I feel like even though this game is straight forward I did get lost at times and just wandered around looking for where to go.

I really wish I could hold more armors and hated giving them up when I got new ones. Also I wonder if the GBA port if you could switch your weapons with the R & L buttons. it really slowed down the flow of the game having to keep hitting start switching to an axe to cut a tree only to hit start again and switch back to the sword.

The ending was kinda sad. You finally save your girl and get to be with her, and than she has to become a tree and you are her protector.
Do I go back there and kiss the tree and hold its tree branches? ha
I wonder if this is explained in Secret of Mana? I now want to play that game.

Would I recommend the game, yes def. It was overall pretty good the grips are only due to us being spoiled with game of today that help hold our hand. the maps are easier to read, and inventory space is plentifully