Ask the Kliq: Lucky 7 Edition

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7 responses to “Ask the Kliq: Lucky 7 Edition”

1. 

   Luckardattack

   January 30, 2009

   OK, where to begin…

   Attacking someone who obviously was asking a fun question about rare Playstation gems, that no one else but you seemed to have a problem with, comes off as angsty and holier-than-thou. I get your point, but you really sound like a douchebag presenting yourself that way.

   Also, PLEASE don’t say that SOTN for Saturn is superior to anything, unless that anything is canine feces. No reviewer I’ve ever seen would agree with you, and I certainly wouldn’t either. EGM/1up even had interviews once-upon-a-time with Iga and other Castlevania staff who lamented what a terrible version that was. Iga for god’s sake!

   Another headturner was your naming of Valkyrie Profile the best rpg of all time. Great game, but it had some serious problems that really keep it from attaining that lofty title.

   There are plenty of reasons for not owning Clock Tower (any of them), including the fact that it’s pretty lame in 2009, and was mediocre way back when. Same goes for Echo Night.

   This last one, I’m really sticking my neck out on, but I can’t fathom that Hellnight is remotely close to being the best survival horror game ever made. No, I’ve never played it, but I have played countless other games in the genre for a multitude of platforms. Does that discount me from offering an opinion? Yes, in fact, it does. But…there’s hardly a rare game in existence, spanning decades and continents, that isn’t exalted by some sect of the gaming community if it is truly deserving of such accolades. And you’re the only mofo I’ve ever seen claim it has any real redeeming qualities. After everything I’ve read in this article, I can’t imagine your opinion on gaming holds any water.

   Peace.

   Reply
   1. 

      Alex Lucard

      January 31, 2009

      Wow. Where to start with the hilarity of your comments.

      1. Try reading the article a bit better, I’m not the only one that attacked the idea of owning games for the sake of owning games. I was just the meanest about it. Anyone who collects games for status or name value is a dumb ass, pure and simple. If I come off like a douchebag to you, maybe that hit just a little too close to home for you.

      2. Ziff Davies publications hasn’t had a reputation for honesty for a very long time. Also check actual Japanese reviews of SOTN. All you’re doing is giving second hand commentary from a bunch of Americans who never played the Saturn version. You’ll find most of the people that claim to have played the Saturn import version actually haven’t. Personally, the soundtrack is far enhanced in the Saturn version and the little extras on it more than make up for the slight frame rate reduction. Plus you know, considering I pull in a paycheck from Konami of Japan and I talk to several people on the Castlevania dev team, I know for a fact that the guys at Konami itself prefer the Saturn game. So who do I trust? Actual employees of Konami, or american “journalists” who haven’t actually played the game and were weaned on Sony PR? Not really a hard choice there.

      3. You’re the ONLY person I’ve ever heard use the phrase “serious problems” in conjunction with Valkyrie Profile. The best “insert genre” here is always subjective and every game is both someone’s favorite and most hated, but the lowest score VP ever recieved when it came out was a 6/10 from next generation and it won award after award in 2000, so good luck being in the vast vast vast vast VAST minority there with that statement.

      4. Again, “Pretty lame” and Clock Tower is a statement very few people would agree with you on, especially people who play a lot of Adventure games. The game pretty much grows in cult following with each passing year, but I can’t disagree that if you’re a more action/ADHD oriented gamer, it’s a very hard game to get into.

      5. Hellnight’s not actually rare at all. it was just never released in the U.S., hence why most americans haven’t heard of it, much less played it. You can import the PSX version from the UK for about 10 bucks with shipping, but it is in PAL format. It’s pretty ugly graphics wise by todays standard, and it was ugly even for a PSX game, but story and gameplay wise, you won’t find a better game in the genre. Again, check Euro and Japanese reviews, and you’ll find a strong contingent of fans who love this game. Or, check the various commentaries on this site about the game. Even thought I generally don’t like these sites, Gamespy loved it (mainly for the plot), a certain site now part of the UGO network put it in the top ten horror games of all time, Capcom and Konami frequently site it as one of the best horror games outside their companies, and the Japanese seem to adore it. Try looking it up in conjuction with the Japanese name of “Dark Messiah,” but be careful – you’ll get a lot of Might and Magic entries under that name as well.

      As always dude, you stick to a very narrow minded view of gaming with most of your comments and opinions formulated by second or third hand commentary rather than actual experience with the titles in question. I know you like to try to troll the site, but each and every time you just come off looking foolish and ignorant, especially with a different handle each time. Do some research and more importantly, play some of these games before you make a blanket statement like “XXX is lame because I say so.” if you want to be taken seriously here, or anywhere really.

      Reply
2. 

   Lucardattack

   January 31, 2009

   Thanks for replying. While my message my have been contentious, it wasn’t a personal attack. It was simply to draw out a problem I see from your writing time and time again, which is ridiculous fanboyism, bombastic claims of ‘this is the greatest ____’, and a constant boasting of your own credentials (which you makes you almost a parody of everything the public hates about ‘game journalists’).

   I’m honestly not sure how you treating a reader of your site with total disrespect (which, if you’d like, I can pull out repeated examples of this from your writing), is supposed to ‘hit close to home’ to me. I respect other peoples thoughts and values, even when they may vary greatly from my own. If I speak in opposition to them, like I’ve done here, I do so without the rantings of a teenage twit.

   I suppose I should have been clearer about a few things, and that is my own fault. I’ve played and owned, at some point, Valkyrie Profile (LOVED IT), Clocktower, and Clocktower 3 (US versions of all 3 games), as well as having played the JP Saturn version of SOTN thanks to a disc and system loaned to me from my brothers game store (I’ll resist the cheap plug).

   I’m pretty sure this qualifies me, every bit as much as you, to offer an opinion on said games. If you find time, take a look at reviews/post-mortems on some of those games a few years removed from the fact. I noticed the problems then, but maybe that’s just me. Valkyrie Profile’s issues kept it from being accessible to most, and made it frustrating for many. While that in no way precludes it from being a good game, it does prevent it from being ‘the greatest’ in my opinion.

   Clocktower’s (any of them) reviews speak for themselves. Decent, but they fail to come close to any of the entries from the Silent Hill series, and most of the Resident Evil Series (the majority of which I’ve played), and many other games from the same genre.

   You can say what you want about my reliance on gamerankings/metacrtic review aggregates, but it’s usually the loan voice of opposition who gets labled irrational. If every career gaming journalist loves Shadow of the Collosus, and one dude from a small website hates it (just a scenario), that doesn’t make the game horrible. It EXTREMELY LIKELY means that game fantastic.

   Say what you want about Ziff, but a vast majority of those journalists (Games For Windows, EGM, 1up, etc) worked hard, cared alot, and provided amazing coverage and inside info that a website like this or its former print self could never DREAM of providing. It just doesn’t have the resources or leverage.

   For all your talk of being on this payroll and that payroll, you hafta admit that if you had access to the major players in the industry, you and your peeps would be posting interviews and info from them left and right, rather than reviewing games that most websites and publications won’t even waste the space on.

   I think I’m the only person that’s ever even bothered to comment on anything that any of you have written lol. I actually like that you (the site) talk about older games from time to time, and that you will review the occassional title of quality that others overlook, but I can’t help but be frustrated by shoddy efforts and fanboy statements. Frustrated for you, not for me. Me? I’m doing great, thanks for asking :) You? You guys have a site to run, among other things I’m sure. Would be nice if there was some standard of quality being upheld here.

   Last, let me address my ‘narrow minded view of gaming’. I’ve been playing video games for over 20 years. There’s hardly a system in that time that I haven’t owned or played to excess. I enjoy games of every genre, and dabble in import gaming from time to time. While this site is wasting time reviewing outdated pc graphic adventure games and Wii shovelware, I’m playing games of quality across all platforms, and loving every minute of it.

   Reply
   1. 

      Alex Lucard

      February 1, 2009

      Again dude, you’re making several mistakes including

      1) Your opinion as fact
      2) Not reading the mission statement for the site
      3) Mistaking candid statements for “boasting”
      4) Making easily disproven comments without researching or fact checking
      5) Assuming that you understand what goes on behind the scenes in terms of who writes to us, who reads us, and why we pick the games that we do.

      I warn people with every Pokemon or Konami review that I do that I do in fact recieve a paycheck from these companies. That’s not “boasting of my credentials.” That’s called journalistic integrity. It’s saying, “There is a chance of personal bias here, so take this with a grain of salt.” It’s also why we do tend to have big name Nintendo or Konami reviews up before even the larger sites. That’s about as far as I’m willing to abuse my contacts, because the point of this particular site is to focus on those smaller publishers who don’t have the advertising budget to buy scores from gamespot or 1UP or plaster ads all over other gaming journalism publications. It’s letting them get their titles out to the general public, even if they’re complete crap. I’m more than willing to be upfront about who pays me, and who gives us review copies unlike almost every other site out there. More importantly I’m not afraid to tear into games by companies I work for if I think they suck (Pokemon Trozei or Pokemon Emerald for example.)If you choose to read that as boasting then hey, that’s you’re call. Almost everyone else goes, “Thanks for the honesty.”

      This is where you again show that narrow minded view of gaming ” While this site is wasting time reviewing outdated pc graphic adventure games and Wii shovelware…” I hate to break it to you, but those are the titles most of our readers come here for – mainly because they know we’ll be the only ones to review them. EVERY site will review Say, Resident Evil 5, but what’s the point in that? In reviewing a game literally thousands of other sites will, your voice is generally lost in the crowd. But in not reviewing a title that the larger sites ignore because it don’t have the money or name value behind it? That’s unfair to both the smaller publisher AND one’s readers. If the other sites want to be shallow and provide only a modicum of coverage with reviews merely a paragraph or three long, that’s their call, but I (and the rest of the staff here) feel that’s wrong. Sometimes the best games are by out by smaller companies but they’re ignored by awful games with awful controls but a really nice budget. Call it the THQ factor if you will. ;-) We’re here to prevent that. It’s far more important to help those struggling, small independent gaming sites than it is to write the 10,000th review of a well known franchise title people have already made their minds up about before it’s even available for purchase.

      Again, you miss the complete point of Diehard GameFAN and as such, you miss why we review the games we do. You’re very much stuck in the mindset that the bigger sites are right because they are bigger and the majority is right. History tells us quite often that the majority is often wrong due to mob mentality, and more importantly, that accepting the majority on face value is a dangerous way to think. With gaming journalists, sites tend to make up their mind about a game before it even hits print. The first review out there generally sets the tone for the game’s score and then everyone clamours over it, afraid to express a different opinion. Then you have to factor in swag, bribery, writers unable to seperate emotion from criticism and the fact that for profit gaming sites/mags don’t really care about the audience – they care about making money first and foremost. This is true of all businesses, but it also makes it impossible for any of them to be truely neutral or critical. One of the reasons we currently are able to put up more reviews a month than even the late EGM or Game Informer is because publishers from Nintendo all the way down to the tiny dudes like Zoo or UFO prefer our reviews because we are highly informative, very detailed, don’t allow our readers to skim down for a numerical score, and even if we trash a game we go into every reason why we dislike a game and then still give that title equal coverage with everything else. We’d rather be small and respected than large and forgetting the journalism/critical analysis aspect that all the large sites long ago gave up.

      As someone that as been offered a job with Ziff on several occasions I can tell you without batting an eye, They did not “worked hard, cared alot, and provided amazing coverage.” Which is why I said no to employment with them. I find it hypocritical that you would claim fanboyism here or disrespect to readers when EGM/1UP is the poster boy for that type of behaviour.

      Dude, you can make erroneous statements and the attempts to get over your opinions as facts. That’s fine. But no one here cares. If anything, I feel bad for you that you try it so much that the site’s spam filter automatically tags you as such (Hence why it takes a few days for your comments to appear sometimes…). You obviously have personal issues with me in particular, and that’s your perogative, especially as there’s some level of defensiveness in you that takes comments that every other readers that writers to us gets but you don’t. I almost constantly say, “This is my opinion. My word is not law. Think for yourself. I have very European/Japanese gaming tastes which don’t always mesh with Americans.” Yet you somehow miss these time and time again, meaning you’re either skimming, or just choosing not to notice these for the sake of trolling which is sad. Especially with the constant handle changing. It could be as simple as my writing style and your reading comprehension styles just don’t mesh. It happens.

      It’s also fine that you both miss the point of the site and that you don’t like my writing or some of the other staff. It’s all opinion. Again though, you turn yourself into a hypocrite by making statements like, “it’s usually the loan voice of opposition who gets labled irrational. ” when you are the sole voice thinking a lot of the things you do. Again, if that’s how you choose to write and think, that’s fine, but it makes it impossible to take you seriously without thinking, “It’s the troll” again because of the constant contradictions and fallacies made by you. This isn’t meant to be mean – anyone who knows me can tell you I’ll probably the most laid back person you’ll ever meet. All I’m saying is that a lot of this is cooked up in your head in regards to my own tone/voice which is understandible considering it’s the internet. Don’t ever think we won’t enter into a dialogue with you. Just know that your tastes and opinions are different from not only me, but the other writers and most of our readers as well. No one will ever agree (nor shoud they) 100% with anyone, and everything is open to intepretation and subjectivity.

      Seriously, keep reading the site, but don’t read it for the wrong reasons. We’re doing this because it’s fun, because we’re able to get some things out before the big three, and because we believe in giving those smaller companies a chance to shine instead of judging their titles before we play them – unlike the majority of gamers, once again proving that sometimes…the majority is wrong and that the only answer is to think for yourself and find something that best blends with your own opinions.

      Reply
3. 

   Mark B.

   February 1, 2009

   Anyone who collects games for status or name value is a dumb ass, pure and simple.

   Actually, I don’t agree with this, and I didn’t answer the question this time around for that reason. We live in a world where people pay lots of money for first print runs of novels or signed t-shirts of famous athletes, so I don’t personally think the idea of collecting video games is too ridiculous. The only reason I even own Radiant Silvergun at this point is because it’s collectible, and I don’t know that it’s wrong to feel that this is a correct way to feel about things.

   I don’t think the question was phrased in the way I would have asked it (I don’t think I’d have included the line about making my friends jealous, for example), but I don’t think it’s an unfair way of thinking about things, either.

   On the other hand:

   Also, PLEASE don’t say that SOTN for Saturn is superior to anything, unless that anything is canine feces. No reviewer I’ve ever seen would agree with you, and I certainly wouldn’t either. EGM/1up even had interviews once-upon-a-time with Iga and other Castlevania staff who lamented what a terrible version that was. Iga for god’s sake!

   Uh, two things.

   One, did you actually PLAY the Saturn version of SOTN? Because it was absolutely goddamn outstanding and, yes, it was better than the PSX version. Sorry, but it was.

   Two, seeing as how Koji Igarashi is the reason Castlevania: Legends is no longer part of the official series continuity, I hear I don’t give a shit what he thinks about the game. I also hear that I hope he falls down some stairs.

   Reply
4. 

   Lucardattack

   February 2, 2009

   First off, to both you and Mark B: I never state my opinion as fact. You guys repeatedly do that in almost every article you write.

   Second, please point out all of my easily disproven comments. I agree that I haven’t ‘read your mission statement’, and I admit that I was wrong in thinking that you guys would want lots of readers, want to provide them with quality reviews and inside scoops that they actually want, and wrong for thinking you actually care about anything more than writing about games YOU like or shitting on games that YOU don’t like. My apologies good sirs.

   If you’ll re-read what I wrote, Mark, you’ll see that I have played SOTN for Saturn, and you’ll see what I base my opinion on, as well as what I base my opinion of how the game was perceived by the gaming community. Again, note the word opinion. Of COURSE it’s opinion. No one ever granted me the title of GOD OF VIDEO Games, just the same as no one ever granted it to you guys. But it starts to become laughable to hear you guys rant about things that are so out of whack with the rest of the gaming community. Also, it’s poor taste to wish injury or death on anyone, and I’m sure you can be more clever than that. I’m also sure you know that it sounds desperate to pull out one word from my lengthy response (“boasting”) and focus on it. I do agree my choice was off, as I doubt I nor anyone else is impressed by whatever random company you or anyone else works for, unless you play Point Guard for the LA Lakers or something. Their fortune is not your fortune, though kudos on employment (it’s not as common as it once was I hear lol).

   I understand how history works, btw. It’s how I got one of my lowly Bachelors. Wish me luck on my JD! But this isn’t history. This is analysis of gaming software based upon a loose set of widely accepted and established criteria. In the realm of cinema, it’s how rational people know that Godfather II was great filmmaking (regardless of whether they enjoyed the film or not). Those same rational people know that if you call it ‘a piece of shit’, you’re probably just being overly angsty and aggressive for god knows what reason, or have a poor concept of what to look for in a technically sound piece of work.

   I’m not calling you guys bad at your job. Not calling you bad writers, or lacking in knowledge of gaming. But I admit to being ired repeatedly but your assertive opinions of things that stray so far from the majority. If you want to continue to make yourselves appear to most gamers as having stuborn and uniformed opinions (yes, opinions should be INFORMED and not just opinions for the sake of having them GASP!), then be my guest, by my guest, put your reputation to the test.

   But as for me and my house, we’ll decide things for ourselves first, and then consult IGN, 1up, and Gamespot (don’t laugh) if we need a second opinion. It’s been fun going back and forth with you guys, and probably it just shows I care more than you’d think. Even with the interspersed smarmy comments. Thanks and take care.

   Reply
5. 

   Mark B.

   February 2, 2009

   First off, to both you and Mark B: I never state my opinion as fact. You guys repeatedly do that in almost every article you write.

   Technically, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. The idea is to write a piece that comes from ones own experiences and presents ones self as an expert on the subject matter. That’s what professional writers do: they state their opinion as fact, essentially, while making it known that this is their opinion.

   Also, it bears mentioning that I do take the time to make it known that what I write *is* only my opinion, in most cases, unless I’m purposely being a jerkoff, in which case I make it known that I’m right and you’re wrong.

   If you’ll re-read what I wrote, Mark, you’ll see that I have played SOTN for Saturn, and you’ll see what I base my opinion on, as well as what I base my opinion of how the game was perceived by the gaming community.

   Two things:

   1.) The entirety of your observation was that professional reviewers wouldn’t agree with Alex’s assertion that the Saturn version of SOTN was better, nor would you, which doesn’t, in fact, actually explain WHY you dislike it, only that you do. From that I’m assuming you disliked it because reviewers told you to. Is that correct? That’s what it sounds like.

   2.) “The gaming community” is a fairly broad term, and frankly, I could, I am certain, find just as many people who agree with me as agree with you. In fact, I can find two other people ON THIS SITE who agree with me, meaning I don’t have to go very far to find corroborating evidence that I am, in fact, not crazy.

   I’m going to assume that your beef with the game is the occasional graphical glitches in the product, and I’m going to argue the counter-point in advance here by noting that the Saturn version, aside from featuring an extra playable character and two more (admittedly recolored) familiars, also featured new areas and items, and frankly, the graphical glitches were fairly minor in comparison to all of the neat shit that was crammed into the game.

   Again, note the word opinion. Of COURSE it’s opinion. No one ever granted me the title of GOD OF VIDEO Games, just the same as no one ever granted it to you guys. But it starts to become laughable to hear you guys rant about things that are so out of whack with the rest of the gaming community. Also, it’s poor taste to wish injury or death on anyone, and I’m sure you can be more clever than that.

   Attempting to be more clever than that would require me to rant about things that are out of whack with the rest of the gaming community, so I’m just going to go with “Nope. Fuck him.” and be done with it.

   I understand how history works, btw. It’s how I got one of my lowly Bachelors. Wish me luck on my JD!

   In fairness, as I’m working on my Bachelors, I’ll actually wish you sincere good luck here. Especially with getting a student loan. Woof.

   In the realm of cinema, it’s how rational people know that Godfather II was great filmmaking (regardless of whether they enjoyed the film or not). Those same rational people know that if you call it ‘a piece of shit’, you’re probably just being overly angsty and aggressive for god knows what reason, or have a poor concept of what to look for in a technically sound piece of work.

   Considering we have a guy on staff who actually used to take films other people thought were masterpieces and then, in fact, DID call them pieces of shit, that might not be the best comparison.

   That said: this is a wholly fair observation, to a point, but technical proficiency and good plotting don’t make for products everyone is going to like, and if someone wants to call something a piece of shit, they’re welcome to do so.

   I think Shining The Holy Ark is one of the five best RPG’s ever, but if someone told me it was a piece of shit because it looked horrible and played weird, I’d get that, and I’d like to think that if I said that I thought Final Fantasy VII (yes, again) was a piece of shit because of what it does that most folks would understand. Both games are technically proficient and well designed, but both could put off people for any one of a number of reasons. If someone wants to climb onto the mountaintop and scream “THIS GAME SUCKS!”, I couldn’t possibly care any less. I have my opinion of a product and a forum through which I am allowed to express it, and if you do or don’t agree with me, that’s your choice. I like to think that, in my reviews, I maintain a decent amount of professionalism (though I’m sure others would disagree), but in columns? Nope. That’s me and my soapbox, and if that’s something others disagree with, the BACK button works wonders, man.

   But I admit to being ired repeatedly but your assertive opinions of things that stray so far from the majority.

   “The majority” paid out about $40,000,000 to see Epic Movie in the theater and voted Curious George in for a second term, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t really care what the majority thinks.

   Anyway, aside from hating Beyond Good and Evil and giving Dead or Alive 4 a low score years ago, I’m not even certain what I’ve said in the past two years that one could consider all that against the majority, so I’m going to assume you’re talking to Alex.

   It’s been fun going back and forth with you guys, and probably it just shows I care more than you’d think.

   You named yourself “Lucardattack” and got into a fight with someone on the internet. I already made the assumption that you cared about this dialogue a lot more than either one of us did, frankly.

   Reply