Spoony versus FFX

[The Twilight Mexican]

I had to dig to find this quote since something just came to mind.



True, it's an accepted part of Spiran life that they can hold their breath for long periods of time. However, there's something that Spoony points out in another review somewhere (don't remember which one but I know he says it) - Tidus is a bit of an idiot when it comes to Spira, but he's supposed to be, he's ignorant about their belief in Yevon and their lifestyles and having him experience and learn about them first-hand gives the game an excuse to educate the player on things that they won't know but are common knowledge in Spira.

Now, why can't they do that with Blitzball? Make the breathing thing something Tidus doesn't fully get. Wouldn't be hard, just have a thing like in the Zanarkand Tidus comes from they have no such pyreflies explanation. Then you could just throw out a line from Tidus like "How come none of you guys need to go up for air while playing?" and Wakka goes "they infuse the water with pyreflies, lets us hold our breath longer. The audience likes it when it looks like we don't need to breath." Not hard. Two lines of dialogue and poof, explanation given.

The problem with that idea is that the pyreflies explanation applies as much (maybe more, since the place is literally made of pyreflies) to Dream Zanarkand as it does to the rest of Spira. Endurance underwater is something Tidus isn't and shouldn't be ignorant about any more than people's need for food.

Also, for what it's worth, water is naturally infused with pyreflies the world over because they permeate everything. They just bond to water really well (this is actually demonstrated in-game by things like the spring in Macalania where it's established that "this is what spheres are made of"), and so they exist there in higher concentrations than in most other things. It's probable that most people don't even realize that pyreflies play a role in maintaining stamina underwater since they have nothing different to compare to. It's the norm there.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

You people are not hearing me . Yes, for Tidus it's a natural occurance in Zanarkand, but it doesn't *HAVE* to be, they could have written it differently in order to have it be explained to him later in the game so the player understands how this is possible. A poor decision on the part of the writers. Thing is, Tidus is ignorant about everything else in the game and thus it is explained to him/us - the Sending, Fiends, Sin, Yevon, the Al Bhed, Aeons.

I'm not saying every single little detail has to be explained. I'm saying that considering it is such a big part of the game, and frankly the physics of Blitzball are something hard to swallow (magic is an accepted element of fantasy, being able to kick a ball thirty feet through water is not), so why is it unreasonable to ask them to explain how that occurs in-game? I'm sorry, but "it's a fantasy setting/it's magic" only goes so far so often before I have to raise a hand and ask for something more. It's right up there with "a wizard did it," it isn't a blanket excuse to do anything you want in your fantasy world and not have to explain how and why you can do it.

Tidus: "Say, how does Yuna walk on water?"
Lulu: "Magic."
Tidus: "Okay, what about the plume of water under her?"
Lulu: "Magic."
Tidus: "Okay, now when Wakka uses his Blitzball-"
Lulu: "Magic."
Tidus: "How come the-"
Lulu: "Magic!"

 

[DrakeClawfang]

Also, thinking back on Spoony's review I have a favorite part - in Part 1 where he justifies Jecht's abuse of Tidus by basically going "How would you handle it if you were a guy like Jecht with a son like Tidus?" I believe his exact words are something like "You're the greatest Blitzball player ever, and *this* is the guy that's supposed to carry on your name?"

I don't hate Tidus, but Jecht is well, Jecht. So when you think about it, he has a point there. If you were Captain Jecht how well would *you* take having Tidus as your kid?

 

[Tetsujin]

I don't hate Tidus, but Jecht is well, Jecht. So when you think about it, he has a point there. If you were Captain Jecht how well would *you* take having Tidus as your kid?

Jecht is secretly a cry baby too though.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

You people are not hearing me . Yes, for Tidus it's a natural occurance in Zanarkand, but it doesn't *HAVE* to be, they could have written it differently in order to have it be explained to him later in the game so the player understands how this is possible.

But then the metaphysics would be inconsistent. It also seems like a really weird thing for the common person in Spira to understand since the exact nature of pyreflies isn't common knowledge to them to begin with. The average person just knows they have something to do with the Farplane, dead fiends, aeons, and maybe that you can see a lot of them in places like the Macalania spring.

There are people with theories, of course, but one gets the impression that folks like Maechen are not the norm.

 

[Alexia Ashford]

Well the real point though is that it wouldn't have been a hard thing to write in for them. It may have even added to the 'mystic' quality of the world if it wasn't normal to them. Like if maybe in Old Zanarkand they had to use something respiratory to help them breathe for such long times and then 1000 or whatever number of years later they've just developed a way to not need that anymore. I think that'd have been cool actually. IDK why. XD
But yeah regardless of what they did it's just that it would have been easy to mention it vaguely even if some random NPC that you didn't need to talk to did it. You don't even have to make it be the main cast.
Maybe a little kid can be like I WANNA TRAIN TO HOLD MAH BREAF! XD
I Dunno. It just seemed like a simple thing to do.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Well, that's fair enough, I guess. Blitz training is mentioned, of course, but I don't think anyone in-game mentions training in holding one's breath until Yuna does so in the Eternal Calm video. Off the top of my head, I can't remember anything to that effect anyway.

 

[Tetsujin]

Well, that's fair enough, I guess. Blitz training is mentioned, of course, but I don't think anyone in-game mentions training in holding one's breath until Yuna does so in the Eternal Calm video. Off the top of my head, I can't remember anything to that effect anyway.

I remember one of the Auroch's mentioning how he can hold his breath until half time and admiring Wakka's ability to stay under water until the game's over.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Well, there you have it then. Nojima did his job, and it was ours to come across that quote. I'll see if I can find the exact line later.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Found it:

http://auronlu.istad.org/ffx-script/2.html

Keepa: "We're always top dogs for the first few minutes of the game, ya? Then we start to run out of breath. That's when they get us. But Cap'n Wakka, man, he don't stop! No halftime breath for him, ya? He just keeps going!"

...

Datto: "You being a blitzball player's probably what saved you out there. The best players--they can hold their breath, like, forever! I wish I could do that."

...

Letty: "It true that the best players can even sleep underwater? Man, that's like...superhuman, you know?"

This dialogue is available the first time you run into the Aurochs on the beach in Besaid, so it was pretty easy to come across too. No reason anyone should miss it, given basic exploration in RPGs and that these guys will give you items if you keep talking to them.

Now that I see Letty's quote again, I remember it. I'd forgotten the first two lines, though.

There's also these lines:

Some boy wearing a green headband in Besaid: "I'm pretty good at blitz, ya? I can hold my breath and everything!"

Some dude in Besaid: "Sin's toxin? Nah, you don't look sick. You must not have breathed in much of the stuff, ya? Guess being a blitz player means you can hold your breath pretty good."
-"I wanted to be a blitzer way back when. I just couldn't hold my breath."

 

[Alexia Ashford]

Works for me! <3

 

[Lord Noctis]

http://spoonyexperiment.com/2011/05/06/final-fantasy-x-finale-commentary/#disqus_thread

Spoony's been having a commentary binge lately and did one on his FFX finale. Figured it was relevant to the thread.

 

[Vendel]

http://spoonyexperiment.com/2011/05/06/final-fantasy-x-finale-commentary/#disqus_thread

Spoony's been having a commentary binge lately and did one on his FFX finale. Figured it was relevant to the thread.

Once again the Spoony one hits it out of the park.

 

[ForceStealer]

http://spoonyexperiment.com/2011/07/10/final-fantasy-x-2-review-part-1/

Started reviewing X-2. He's, oddly, a bit gentler on it than he was on X. I guess because it's not nearly as popular. By virtue of that, he comes off as less petty at least. Although saying that changing your clothes changing your abilities doesn't make sense could apply to ANY instance of the job system, but it's his thing I guess.

And it still lacks the clever humor that permeated the VIII review. But, regardless, there you go.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

Agreed that so far it's better, though not as good at VIII. Two things though, in a retraction he made recently Spoony clarified that he didn't mean FF had become predictable, he meant the storytelling had become worse with narrative coherence and story quality declining, VIII and X are well, VIII and X, and XII tried to force Vaan on us as the protagonist when he had little to do with the actual plot.

Two things came to mind reading this.

A - "Perhaps it&#8217;s more correct to say that the series needed something new to correct its downward slide ever since FF7." - I had thought Spoony better than to be one of those fans.

B - if he thinks the series has been a continuous downward slide since VII, and an upbeat and proactive protagonist is a change of pace, he really needs to give IX another chance. Swallow your pride Spoony, get over the art style and have at it.

 

[Lord Noctis]

I'm definetely enjoying the X-2 review so far more than FFX. But then thats likely because the majority of his complaints regarding FFX-2 are actually legitmate issues, whereas a lot of his FFX complaints were either his opinion on Tidus, or wrong.

But yeah, he still REALLY needs to give IX a chance. I think it'd be a pleasant experience for him.

 

[Masamune]

Well, the best part of Spoony's FFVIII review (or at least the early segments) is that he was almost riffing a play-through. In the FFX & FFX-2 reviews, this wasn't the case. He was mostly using other people's footage instead of his own and generally bitching at random. Spoony also needs to drop the 'OMG I HATE THIS SOOO MUCH...' act. It's getting to the point where it looks and sounds too forced and hammy. I know full well this is "his thing", but back in the day it felt a lot more authentic, instead of playing up to the camera.

OH AND LOOK A TGWTG CUTAWAY GAG. ololololol.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

The thing I wish he'd drop is the "this sucks and people who like it suck" attitude he takes too much. Fan-hating, no matter how you play it, isn't funny, in-charavter or out. Especially with stuff like Final Fantasy and Zelda which have a huge fanbase and a long legacy, people do not want to hear you say they're in the wrong for liking it. Opinions are very subjective and as Spoony himself once said "your particular brand of happiness may be fucked up, but you are not fucked up for pursuing that happiness". He needs to be reminded of that. Yes he may hate FFX but a lot of people love it, so opening his X-2 review with the line that he's the only one with taste in a world of people with none (I don't remember the exact quote but that's the idea) is not funny, arrogant and condescending. I don't care if it's Spoony or Noah Antwiler saying it, it isn't funny and I don't wanna hear it.

 

[Dashell]

I liked his "ASK HIM HIS FUCKING NAME!" about the Hypello XD I always thought the same thing. I also never thought about how Leblanc's gang get around so easily either... that's a good question. And I dunno why but his freaking out about pushing the musicians around made me laugh. He just... went nuts XD

One thing I hate though is how he's wrong about some things. Tidus wasn't actually from Zanarkand... how'd he miss that? He's also wrong about 100% completion. It's easy to get if you just play it twice and give the Awesome Sphere to the other group the second time. And tbh, I didn't think that the dress sphere's were that hard to understand. They take the abilities (and sometimes personality) of the person in the sphere and give it to you... how is that hard? Granted yes, some of them don't have people in the recording, but w/e. I guess that's what's confusing. And who said spheres were made of souls of the dead? ... idgi He seems to be a bit confused about even stuff I understood.

And why did he skip the entire part where you give the Awesome Sphere back? O_o


But I have loled numerous times so far. He still makes me laugh so it's all good. I also loved his impression of Leblanc's sphere and his "I want her family DEAD!" stuff

 

[Kobato]

Alot of people are saying that Spoony should try FF9, but I think that he would tear it apart, just like FF8 and FF10. Just when he torn apart the Youth Leaders costume's, imagine how frustrated he'll be with Kuja's thong, Zidane's tail, and whatever Quina is.

It's strange, I don't remember hot springs part at all. :/ But the massage bit with Leblanc, oh gosh that was awful. Just the sexual sounds she was making, I had to turn the volume down and hope that mum didn't think that I was watching a porno. It was just... bad. I'm glad that Spoony mentioned how dreadful that scene was.

And Brother trying to sex up Yuna... oh gosh. Spoony brought back alot of bad memories.
Also I'm kind of noticing now that Paine and Rikku could be a lesbians, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's just interesting what you notice when you're a bit older from when you last saw bits from the games.

 

[Lord Noctis]

http://spoonyexperiment.com/2012/02/16/final-fantasy-x-2-review-part-3/

Even disregarding the review part of this video, which is fairly good, its worth it just for the ending. Whatever else anyone thuinks about him, you gotta give Spoony credit for having the guts to wear certain costumes in front of the camera.

 

[ForceStealer]

Well that was probably the best of any of the X reviews, who'd have thought he'd actually pay attention to the plot this time? Funny how he actually explains this one but completely skipped X's in favor of repeatedly saying Tidus was annoying. I guess X-2 just gave him a lot more material, which is true.

 

[Theozilla]

Well that was probably the best of any of the X reviews, who'd have thought he'd actually pay attention to the plot this time? Funny how he actually explains this one but completely skipped X's in favor of repeatedly saying Tidus was annoying. I guess X-2 just gave him a lot more material, which is true.

He does get a few things wrong like Auron's origins (he is from Bevelle not dream Zanarkland).
But I love Spoony's Final Fantasy reviews, even if I don't agree with a lot of his opinions (and he himself has admitted it is partially because he dislikes a lot of the JRPGs elements in general), his reviews are still extremely funny.

 

[Masamune]

Oh, Spoony, I was so enjoying that review until you decided to cosplay AGAIN like a total doofus.

Remember the old FFVII recap when he denounced how immature and creepy cosplaying is? Now it's become something of a running joke of his to dress up like FF characters for cheap lololols. For shame, Spoony One. For shame...

 

[Lord Noctis]

Oh, Spoony, I was so enjoying that review until you decided to cosplay AGAIN like a total doofus.

Remember the old FFVII recap when he denounced how immature and creepy cosplaying is? Now it's become something of a running joke of his to dress up like FF characters for cheap lololols. For shame, Spoony One. For shame...

Perssonaly I think its rather awesome that he's become more open-minded about it. There isn't really anything wrong with cosplay afterall.