Save Point

[The Captain]

For some reason, I had a series of thoughts and they led me to wonder about save points in video games. I'm not entirely sure how or why this thought came to me, but I suppose I'll pose the question to you all:

In all the games you've played, which was your favorite type of save point (aside from the world map)?

Which save points did you find most interesting or annoying? (For example, many have found the moogle writing your name down in his book, to be a rather interesting save point from FFIX).

Take care all.

[Cless]

I really like the radio save system in Metal Gear Solid 3, because you get interesting info on movies that were made before 1964 right after you save. So you could say, my favourite save points are ones that provide me with some interesting factual information!

[The Captain]

Indeed, that does sound like quite an interesting saving technique to be sure. Perhaps I'll have to play that game now just to save and witness this.

Take care all.

[Jack]

I liked the one in FFVII cause it talked to me at one point. "Wow, that Question Mark is peaking to me! ME! I feel so special!"

[Sepho]

Ah, love the training room.

I like savepoints that are quick and easy to utulize, which was why the Moogle was a little tedious to use frequently in FF9. Most save points work well, though, and none really stand out at the moment (except for maybe the F2 button in an emulator, if that counts).

Cless mentioned MGS3; I haven't played the third title, but I like the Codec system from the first game.

[Xander]

I love the moogles as savepoints in FFIX. I mean they're moogles! n__n So that has to be my favourite savepoint ever, AND the most interesting too. I liked the spheres in FFX too because it was a cool idea and they were easy to use, healed you, which was useful, even if it made the game easier.

I can't think of any save points that particularly annoyed me right now...

[Dreddz]

MGS3 cause after the girl will talk about a movie or sumin

[Spammerman]

ffx cause they let u play blitzball at a certain point

[SeeDRankLou]

I rather liked the save system in the Parasite Eve games. You save by calling the police station and debriefing someone on your current situation. I thought that was pretty nifty.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Metal Gear Solid: The operator is Mei Ling, a young Chinese woman who is a prodigy in various fields of science. After each save, she'll tell Snake a philosophical quote or Chinese proverb and explain its meaning, importance, and relevance to his mission.

Metal Gear Solid 2: In the early part of the game, the operator is Otacon, another scientific genius but "a bit of an oddball." He'll try to pick up where Mei Ling left off with the proverbs, but when it comes to explaining them, he gets everything hilariously wrong. After about fifteen saves, Mei Ling will finally interfere and tell him to knock it off.

In the main part of the game, the operator is Rosemary, Raiden's girlfriend. Each save triggers a sizable conversation between the two, serving to bolster the plot and their development as characters.

Metal Gear Solid 3: The operator is Para-Medic, a direct assistant to Major Zero, the commander of FOX. She's a movie nut, so after each save, she'll tell Snake about all the "recent" movies she's obsessed with. Since the game takes place in 1964, there's also some funny speculation on their part about the future--"What if there was something that let you conveniently watch movies in your own home," that kind of thing.

[Cless]

Cless mentioned MGS3; I haven't played the third title, but I like the Codec system from the first game.
Yeah, that was a good one as well. I remember how it would quote people like Shakespeare and Confucius and then would expain how that wisdom could help you in the game. Good stuff!

[edczxcvbnm]

I thought it was neat in Xenogears and Chrono Cross that the save points are tied into the story of the game. Makes it seem like they are there for more than just gameplay reasons.

[Yuffie514]

Mog is creative but too slow :mad: . FFX's save point is the best :jap: since i like how it heals the party when Tidus touches it :p . Silent Hill has the creepiest :cool: .

[Spammerman]

y si silent hill creepiest.ANd is that the game that messes wit your head almost.Like it might shoew the screen go off or say save incomplete or somethin?

[Yuffie514]

well, the screen does turn red for a second :chuckle: when you access the save point, plus it makes a creepy sound :evilking: . i nealry jumped when i accessed SH4's save point :eek: !

[Doc Sark]

I love the save points in GTA: San Andreas. Saving the game is made fun whem you can tear across town on a motorcycle, risking death at every turn, just so you can save your game! Awesome.

[Ichimonji]

The save points in Chrono Cross actually have a backstory, and are somewhat relevant to the plot. So that's kinda neat. The easiest, quickest, and most interesting save point would be MGS3. My favourite though would have to be the Moogles in FFIX.

[Sepho]

Yeah, that was a good one as well. I remember how it would quote people like Shakespeare and Confucius and then would expain how that wisdom could help you in the game. Good stuff!

I love the first Metal Gear Solid, and the Codec isurely contributes to the joy I experience while playing it. I played an hour or so of MGS2, and I just didn't care for it. The addition of the first person perspective, paired with the fact that getting caught wasn't as dangerous as it was in the first game, made it seem more like just another action game than MGS, which is the epitome of stealth games, I think.

And, high five to Kishi for that wonderful piece of information. I suppose I should borrow MGS2 and 3 and give them a fair shot.

Finally, I have no idea how I forgot the save points in Chrono Cross. How wonderful.

[Dr.K]

When I first played it time ago, I thought the typewriters in Resident Evil were pretty darn nifty. Then they just got repetitive.

[Rase]

I like saving anywhere I want, instantly, so I can just get on with it.

[TasteyPies]

Sand thingies in POP. Visions ftw.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

The visions were a good idea, but there was nothing in the game you couldn't figure out prettymuch on the spot, so they weren't much practical help. (For those who don't know, whenever the Prince touched a save point, you'd see a series of very brief clips of what he'd have to do in the portion of the game before the next save point.)

The system for saving in the LUNAR remakes is great; you can save anytime you please, provided there's not a battle or a story scene going on, and when you load you're not at at the beginning of the last area you entered but instead at the exact location in the exact condition and position you were in when you saved.

[Sepho]

The visions were a good idea, but there was nothing in the game you couldn't figure out prettymuch on the spot, so they weren't much practical help. (For those who don't know, whenever the Prince touched a save point, you'd see a series of very brief clips of what he'd have to do in the portion of the game before the next save point.)

Another great game. The puzzles weren't difficult enough to be frustrating, but they occupied your time and were spot on to deliver the highest fun factor possible, in my opinion. If anything, they could have been a little harder, but I was very satisfied, overall.


The system for saving in the LUNAR remakes is great; you can save anytime you please, provided there's not a battle or a story scene going on, and when you load you're not at at the beginning of the last area you entered but instead at the exact location in the exact condition and position you were in when you saved.

Yeah, and you'll need all those saves - tough games. Other games that come immediately to mind that allow insta-saving are Champions of Norrath (provided there is no boss bar on the screen), and the Y's games (Y's III at least).

[Del Murder]

I liked calling the moogle on the world map, and he would run across the ocean to either save my game, or get pissed because I didn't want to save.

[Rusty]

I agree with Sepho, the save point in FFIX does get tedious to use all the time. I prefer FFVII's or FFVIII's :)

[Mindflare]

Save states on emulators are my favorite way to save. But as for actual in-game saves, Mario RPG was fun. Bouncing on the "S" star box was funny.

[Undecided]

Save points are so over-rated. Bring back the good old passwords, like those used Faxanadu, Kid icarus or maybe even Solar Jetman (though the Mega Man "passwords" was the best ones).

[Lindy]

140.96 baby.

[BatChao]

Save points are so over-rated. Bring back the good old passwords, like those used Faxanadu, Kid icarus or maybe even Solar Jetman (though the Mega Man "passwords" was the best ones).

????? I can't believe you just denounced save points for passwords! Passwords sucked so much because you had to write them all down... what if you lost that little scrap of paper? You'd be screwed! Plus the password would have to be freakin' HUGE for an RPG... just think of all the combinations of magic, items, extras, etc, etc, etc.

[Yuzuki130]

I rather liked the save system in the Parasite Eve games. You save by calling the police station and debriefing someone on your current situation. I thought that was pretty nifty.

ME TOO! I <3 Parasite Eve!

[-N-]

Cool topic idea.

I dig Metal Gear's Codec system - there are always interesting extras in store for you when you save. Also, CC/XG's save points were tied in to the storyline of the game itself, which was also pretty wicked.

Oh wait, everyone said this already, didn't they. Phooey.

[Swordicanus]

the rsident evilsave rooms were cool to me I mean after fighting zombies/crows/giant snakes etc and then you open a door to hear that comforting music that relaxed you i dunno they're just memorable to me

[cloud20747]

MGS3- when you save, He'll talk to para-medic then go to sleep(when you cut off the game) so when you cut it back on you regan all your health and stamina!
Oh and when you save after you get captured(save while still in jail cell then cut the game off) you get a cool mini game when load up that save file!

[Necronopticous]

Moogles in Final Fantasy IX, too cute.

[Masamune·1600]

"I'm sharpening my knife, kupo."

[Nod]

i HATED the mog saves in FFIX, far too time consuming.
The save spheres in FFVII or FFVIII were sufficient.

[Big D]

There's an old PSX game, "Chase the Express", about an agent fighting terrorists on a hijacked train. You can only save by going into the toilet.
I've never played this game, but the concept is... interesting.

Any place that lets me save quickly and easily is good... though the Codec and radio systems in MGS1-3 are nifty because of the conversations. You can learn a whole lot about the characters just by saving your game. Yay! However, the more times you save, the worse your overall performance is considered to be.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

MGS3- when you save, He'll talk to para-medic then go to sleep(when you cut off the game) so when you cut it back on you regan all your health and stamina!Yeah, the game utilizes the PS2's internal clock such that, when you load a save, the time when you load it is compared to the time when you saved it, and Snake's health and stamina will have recovered depending on how long it's been. At the same time, though, all the food he's carrying will go to rot accordingly.

Another facet to the "When you save and quit, Snake goes to sleep" idea is that, if you save during the fight with The End, quit, and then load it, you'll see a scene where The End gets the drop on Snake and sends him to a prison cell a few areas back. However, if you save, quit, and then wait a whole week before loading it again (or just manipulate the PS2 clock to make it seem like you have), then when you load, you'll instead see a scene where Snake sneaks up on The End and finds that he's died of old age. And then Snake's support criticizes him for not being able to give the old man the final battle he wanted. Poor guy.

[Big D]

At the same time, though, all the food he's carrying will go to rot accordingly.
You can, on the other hand, wind the clock back and make all of Snake's rank compost turn back into wholesome morsels.

Using the clock to beat The End was handy; in fact, it's basically essential to do that in order to get every cutscene in the Demo Theater. Getting every cutscene apparently unlocks something special in the PAL version of the game;)
You can, of course, simply leave the game for a week or two before returning; the end result is the same... but it's not so good if you want results fast.

[Old Manus]

There are around four different ways of beating The End by messing around with the games' clock and saving.

The MGS3 codec save is the best of the three games. In 1 and 2, it just got annoying with Rose and Mei Ling harping on about useless rubbish. In MGS3 it gets quite funny (especially the one when Para-Medic asks about 007: From Russia with Love).

[Croyles]

the rsident evilsave rooms were cool to me I mean after fighting zombies/crows/giant snakes etc and then you open a door to hear that comforting music that relaxed you i dunno they're just memorable to me

I agree. I also liked the typewriters.
I also like the FFIX moogles but as said before they are too slow.
Silent hill 3 save points are cool and creepy.
MGS1,2,3 were good.
etc etc

[Mercen-X]

I thought it was lame, in X & X-2, that the SPs healed you when you touched them and yet they still gave tents which could only be used at Save Points.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

They didn't, though. There are no Tents in FFX or FFX-2.

[Vyk]

I actually like more inconvenient saves. As annoying as they are, they make it more worth while in the end. Like having to trudge back ot an INN in the original FF1 "Don't forget to hold RESET"

[theundeadhero]

Just once I would like to see an FF that's shows the FF characters trying to set up the tent while at a save point. I imagine hilarity.

[Vyk]

I could see that in Lunar... But the FFs these days are just too... serious x_x;; That would be nice though...