Well, hopefully I'll find the later minigames (even on my original playthrough, I don't remember ever finding Chocobo Hot & Cold) better, but right now it just seems like the entire game is set up to make it as frustrating as possible for me. I like the story, characters, and world, but I am finding it so difficult to get into the game when I am being constantly beset by annoyingly frustrating minigames.

I would have ignored the Jump Rope (at least until the end of the game), except that doing so would have made me lose out on a Mognet message (and, yes, I had trouble reaching 40 jumps. Sue me. There's a reason I hate quick time events and reflex tests). Getting thrust into a "practice" card game with Alleyway Jack was the only reason I started playing Tetra Master (and both those things happen before you even reach a save point, so I had to reset every time Alleyway Jack cheated). But the swordfight is forced, and until I can get through it, I'm stuck with just those annoying minigames taunting me.