Spoony versus FFX

[ForceStealer]

Yes but I think that's part of why its less funny. He was more frustrated in the FF8 review because he was actually playing it. Besides, he already admitted he likes the battle system so it couldn't be that hard for him.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

I love how he mentions "No, I'm never letting the blitzball thing go!"

The thing is, he makes the good point that by making the actual playing of the game 2D they take away the most interesting aspect of it. And for what is meant to be a fast-paced sport, Blitzball games usually do go very slowly and it is basically a sport minigame with too many RPG elements attached.

 

[Makoeyes987]

This is some straight up bullshit. This isn't even funny.

 

[Vendel]

This is some straight up brilliance. This is really funny.

 

[Makoeyes987]

....I know you're my opposite Sub-Zero, but really?

 

[Lord Noctis]

I vouch for its funniness too, though its still not as funny as his FFVIII review, sadly.

 

[Vendel]

....I know you're my opposite Sub-Zero, but really?

:jackrape:

 

[Makoeyes987]

Meh, to each their own I guess. I just don't find people bitching to bitch about fantasy shit that's explained within the context of the narrative funny.

And whining about the laughing scene's awkwardness is like complaining that the rain is wet. It was the point. It's been talked about for nearly 8 years. Beating a dead horse doesn't even cover it.

 

[Lord Noctis]

True enough I suppose. But then, reviewing FFX wihout bringing up the laughing scene would be akin to talking about The Phantom Menace without complaining about Jar-Jar Binks.

 

[Makoeyes987]

True enough I suppose. But then, reviewing FFX wihout bringing up the laughing scene would be akin to talking about The Phantom Menace without complaining about Jar-Jar Binks.

Touche.

But you don't have to drive it into the ground, is all I'm trying to say. Unlike Jar-Jar, the scene was meant to show the awkwardness of Tidus in his attempt to cheer up Yuna, and how that despite his dorkyness and ignorance, he was doing his best to make the journey better for her, and she appreciated it.

Jar-Jar being an obnoxious and unintentional ethnic stereotype I feel wasn't quite the reception George Lucas was hoping for.

 

[Lord Noctis]

Point taken.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

It's been talked about for nearly 8 years. Beating a dead horse doesn't even cover it.

Though I agree the arguments are tired (Blitzball, Seymour, the laughing), you could make the argument for any old game, really. "We've already heard the complains and compliments, why bother?"

I agree he doesn't bring much new to the table, which is disappointing, because it IS when he goes beyond the general complaints and puts more thought into his jokes and criticisms that I laugh harder. Like Seymour pulling Daemon or whatever he calls Anima up from hell to serve him and going "he's totally not evil!"

 

[Gabranth]

In fairness to Spoony and the Laughing Scene, this is more just a symptom of the true problem (in most people's eyes) - bad voice-acting.

I disagree myself. i think the VAs were decent, especially for the time. The problem lay in direction.

But still, people persist in thinking the game's voice-acting was awful. Then again, haters always exaggerate.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

The thing I don't get with the voice acting is why Tidus' voice is so much deeper in the narration than in the normal game. JAT is a good voice actor (Ratchet FTW!), and overall I felt most of the main character voices were good, but it always bugged me why Tidus' voice changes between character and narration. The normal voice is a bit high, the narration voice is deeper and to me more tolerable.

 

[Makoeyes987]

The narration's voice is deeper and more "adult" sounding because it's taking place near the end of the journey, after all the experiences, tragedies, and truths have hardened Tidus and made him realize his place and purpose in the world.

Compared to the high pitched, happy go lucky sounding Tidus in the game, the Tidus who's narrating is supposed to sound tired, serious, and a bit resigned in terms of his fate.

 

[Alex]

The narration's voice is deeper and more "adult" sounding because it's taking place near the end of the journey, after all the experiences, tragedies, and truths have hardened Tidus and made him realize his place and purpose in the world.

Compared to the high pitched, happy go lucky sounding Tidus in the game, the Tidus who's narrating is supposed to sound tired, serious, and a bit resigned in terms of his fate.

Sadly, that distinction is about as sophisticated as the voice acting got in FFX, but I never once thought the voice acting was bad on the level that Spoony seems to be bothered by :/

Except for Yuna, who sounds like shes smacked off her tits on ketamine for 95% of her lines. Seriously, I've seen video game characters who are actually on drugs that sound less spaced out than she does.

 

[Gabranth]

English and Japanese ways of speaking are just incomparable it seems.
You'll notice Hedy Buress is really quite good as Yuna in X-2 and I guess KH2 if you count that.

 

[Alex]

You'll notice Hedy Buress is really quite good as Yuna in X-2 and I guess KH2 if you count that.

Completely agree. She sounds so much more natural there. In X it's just weird and quite jarring to listen to.

 

[Wiegraf]

I love Spoony's reviews. My personal favorite is probably the Robowar review.

The FFX review is hilarious so far though.

 

[Tetsujin]

I disagree myself. i think the VAs were decent, especially for the time. The problem lay in direction.

Which is funny considering the VA director was the same guy who worked on 12 and 13...

 

[Gabranth]

XII's voicework was hardly flawless. Only a couple voices stood out to me but the dialogue itself seemed pretty good.
Maybe the director just had to gain some experience? So after X he knew what not to do.

But god...Fran's voice. A thousand times worse than Tidus or Yuna.

 

[ForceStealer]

I didn't have a problem with Fran, the Marquis' voice was pretty annoying to me. Although not half as annoying as the fact that they kept pronouncing it "mar-kwiss"

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

The thing I don't get with the voice acting is why Tidus' voice is so much deeper in the narration than in the normal game. JAT is a good voice actor (Ratchet FTW!), and overall I felt most of the main character voices were good, but it always bugged me why Tidus' voice changes between character and narration. The normal voice is a bit high, the narration voice is deeper and to me more tolerable.

There was an interview with him on SE's U.S. website several years ago in which he explained that he made Tidus sound older and wiser in the narration because he was reflecting and had grown from his experiences. I tried to find it, but was unable to, sadly.

It was very interesting, actually. He mentioned how his experiences -- or lack thereof -- with his own father influenced how he portrayed Tidus and that getting into the character was very natural for him, so he just ended up using his own normal voice with Tidus rather than changing it.

Not sure if that interview is still around somewhere, but I doubt it's altogether gone.

Here's another interview with him talking about Tidus, though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnu4lD0iP8M

It's really a pleasure to listen to him talk about the role. He really got into it.

Except for Yuna, who sounds like shes smacked off her tits on ketamine for 95% of her lines. Seriously, I've seen video game characters who are actually on drugs that sound less spaced out than she does.

I've never understood the harsh criticism Yuna's voice acting gets. So she sounds tired.

Now, why might a teenage girl who is looked upon as one of the few sources of hope in a despair-ridden world -- but who can only provide this hope by essentially committing suicide -- and has bore the deaths of a number of loved ones and countless others maybe sound a little tired? Honestly, I've always thought the English voice acting was a better fit for her than the Japanese.


And, really, enough about the laughing scene for God's sake. It was supposed to be awkward. You don't ridicule a fucking fish for getting wet.

For that matter, enough about Seymour's character design. Has anybody seen Cloud's hair? Squall's? Ultimecia's? Anybody else notice that Squall and Irvine run around in heavy coats in the fucking desert? Shut the fuck up and get over shit like this in a fucking fantasy setting.

Some things Spoony says are funny, sure, but it's more his diction that makes one laugh in this review. He really doesn't make any legitimate points outside of his criticisms of Blitzball. Yuna's team not in a hurry to get to Zanarkand after seeing Kilika shellacked because of the Blitzball tournament? Yeah, kind of a reason for that -- one which gets addressed within the narrative. That whole giving the public a distraction and some hope thing.

Which is the purpose of the fucking pilgrimage in the first place.

Oh, and apparently Maechen, that guy who provides tons of information about the setting, spouts pointless shit. Yeaaah, not sure what the fuck kind of logic that is.

And I swear this is the most retarded negatively charged criticism I have ever heard:

Do these characters ever shut up? Is it too much to ask to get on with the fucking plot already?

Um. What?

Jesus fucking Christ. I could do a video rant on this guy's ranting when it comes to FFX.

 

[Gabranth]

Honestly, that's how most critics talk about FFX. There's a Let's Play of FFX on SomethingAwful where the guys doing it are equally invalid in their complaints.

Actually, they take it even farther than Spoony. They complain for the sake of complaining while Spoony at least complains for the sake of comedy.
As i've pointed out on his very forums, despite his claim he hates FFX more than VIII, he's already priased 10 more than 8.

 

[Vendel]

Can't wait for part 3.