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Thread: Top Video Game Characters

  1. #31
    Witch of Theatergoing Karifean's Avatar
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    Black Battler (Ougon Musou Kyoku CROSS)
    Black Battler can probably be equalized to "Evil Ryu" or "Devil Jin", but he's so much more than that. First off, let me focus on how he came into being. He is a metaphysical representation of the "Battler's family is the culprit" theory that becomes popular about 12 years after the Rokkenjima incident of Umineko. Of course this is a wink towards the readership who also grew to like that theory over time. As such, he is Battler, but not Battler at all. He's sadistic and commits the Rokkenjima serial murders with literally no motive, simply because "the theatergoers expect him to fulfill that role".

    Why I like him

    What's great about Black Battler is how you can tell that Battler is incredibly uncomfortable with being put in this position of being the culprit. The characterization differences between Battler and Black Battler are so vast that it just drives the point home that the Battler Culprit Theory is ridiculous. Every time he does an evil laugh it sounds pained, and Battler's harmless sexual innuendos turn into outright rape jokes, things Battler would not ever say. Black Battler is mentally broken is so many ways it reminds me of Kefka.

    In gameplay terms, Black Battler is awesome. He is nearly identical to Battler (sadly) but the few differences make them into two pretty different characters. He sports my favorite move from any fighting game ever, his SP2, in which he summons his Black Parents and they repeatedly shoot your enemy in the face. In exchange for this move and a few other changes, he only has 2/3 of the HP Battler has, making him a risky play, but just so much fun.

    But one major reason why I like him as much as I do is because of his boss fight. If you beat Arcade Mode on Hard without using a single continue, you get ONE try at fighting a monstrous duo of two Black Battlers. This duo has many character abilities innately and permanently. In a nutshell, they take half damage from all hits, they can use their special moves almost infinitely, they regenerate HP both periodically and when hitting you and their attacks are ridiculously strong. I have tried my luck at them over a dozen times now and not once have I gotten managed to even take away the first quarter of their HP in any given round. But I still love the boss fight, even with how much it's stacked against you. Here's an example video.





    Tomoyo Sakagami (CLANNAD / Tomoyo After: ~It's a Wonderful Life~)
    THE EYES.

    Why I like her
    Tomoyo was my favorite CLANNAD heroine pretty much instantly. The similarities yet differences to Tomoya's situation make for pretty interesting comparison. Tomoya used to have a clear path and goal, but because of his father he lost that and became the delinquent he is. Tomoyo used to be a delinquent because of her parents, but because of her brother she gained a clear path and goal.

    Tomoyo's storyline route is probably the one most heavily focused on romance, and it's quite well done. If you go through it all the way to the good end, all works out fine, and originally it ended there. But then came Tomoyo After, and with it Tomoyo became my favorite character in the CLANNAD Saga (sorry Akio). As the title implies, it's a story literally set just after Tomoyo's path, and it goes the way Key visual novels usually do; they build up a happy atmosphere where you get invested in seeing the characters you came to like be this happy, and then it puts them in situations that direly threaten that happiness. And I dare say that Tomoyo After does this like no other visual novel. The final storyline arc of Tomoyo After, conveniently titled Tomoyo After After, is right up there with Refrain and After Story as one of my all-time favorite plot arcs in any story. I hate to try and compare how much trout all the Key heroines go through, but Tomoyo is up there, and she manages to deal with her problems in her own way and overcome them. The writer masterfully utilizes your attachment to the characters as a way to both play with your emotions and tell a story that's bound to bring you to tears. And by god do they succeed.

  2. #32
     Master of the Fork Cid's Knight Freya's Avatar
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    Freya Meow (Sargatanas)

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    There's a whole lot of of RPG characters. And while I like them, one of my absolute favorites is Garrus Vakkarian


    He's the best buddy of your MC and he is a general badass. He's with you for all three games and unlike the other characters, when everyone thinks you're dead as a doornail, instead of moping around or being angry, he tries to continue to right wrongs and becomes Archangel. And when you come back and are like, sup, he doesn't question anything he just joins right back with you. No drama, well besides killing things to get to him and get him out, when you ask him to help again. He's loyal and a well developed character.


  3. #33

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    Took me a while to settle on a few of my very favorites. 3 out of 5 are FF characters, of course...and these are presented in no particular order.

    #1. Ramza Beoulve
    from Final Fantasy Tactics
    ramza.png

    I've always admired Ramza for the simple fact that there is no inherent reward in anything he's doing over the course of the game. He battles the bad guys not for his own benefit, but simply because what they're doing is wrong. This quality of integrity is not often highlighted in video games, so Ramza comes to mind immediately.

    #2. Cyan Garamonde
    from Final Fantasy VI
    avatar_cyan.gif

    Nothing much is made of it over the course of the game, but Cyan's journey of personal growth far outweighs anything any of the other characters have to go through. His life is utterly destroyed early on in the game. His entire country gets pretty brutally murdered, up to and including his wife and young son. He makes a big deal out of not being able to forgive Kefka for this, but if you notice, this sentiment is gone by the second half of the game.

    It's not entirely obvious why he never speaks of any desire for revenge again, but it's logical (and fun and heartwarming) to presume that he eventually just let it go. He does want to kill Kefka (and who could blame him), but he espouses no desire for revenge. I guess you could think that he just keeps his blinding rage to himself, but that doesn't sound like him, to me.

    #3. Cecil Harvey
    from Final Fantasy IV
    cecilpaladinspriteava02.gif

    I know that in Final Fantasy V, you can make your character a Knight, but that's really not the same thing as the story of the game being centered around knighthood. In Final Fantasy VIII, perhaps, Squall is metaphorically referred to as a Knight, but this concept is not well-examined.

    Final Fantasy IV is the only game in the whole Final Fantasy series that is about knighthood. And the cool thing about it is that, although Cecil does do some bad stuff at the beginning, the point is immediately made that he really didn't enjoy doing it. The seeds of what would become his redemption are already there; the satisfaction of bringing them to fruition is what playing through Final Fantasy IV is all about. And you can't not feel your heart swell up when you hear this fanfare.

    There's something universal about the character's appeal, because even the most jaded among us has things in their past that they aren't proud of. The idea of overcoming one's past is something that anybody, in any age of the world, can and would understand.

    #4. Sanic
    sanic.PNG

    Seen here in his very first appearance ever in a video game, that of the air freshener attached to the rearview in the early Sega arcade game "Rad Mobile."

    Yeah, I know his series has kind of crashed and burned over the years, but Sonic the Hedgehog was the first game I ever got hyped about. And I still play the hell out of it.

    And finally...
    #5. Chun-Li
    from Street Fighter
    chunbuns.PNG

    Because I like strong, intelligent women.

  4. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vyk View Post
    This seems like a good opportunity to gush about Dunban from Xenoblade

    *gush*

    Yay Dunban
    Oh man you're gonna be so mad when you find out he's the final boss

  5. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by Karifean View Post
    But I still love the boss fight, even with how much it's stacked against you. Here's an example video.
    I've seen that video before. It looks like a pretty awesome fight! >: D
    I love bosses like that in fighting games, things that REALLY challenge the player.


    Angela Belti (Power Instinct)



    And it's a bit too bad I couldn't follow up that statement with Sissy from Power Instinct, who is, out of all the fighting games I've played, my hands down pick for the most overpowered boss character. Instead, I've really got to go with Angela. She's actually fairly unique for one of my selections in that I didn't like her design at all originally (I'm okay with it now), and I didn't even bother giving her a chance until the SIXTH game in her series because of it. Holy crap was I missing out. Angela. is. AWESOME.

    In a bit of an unconventional twist, Angela, along with White, serves as the 'hulking' character for the series, packing a lot of muscle and an unfriendly in-your-face style. What really surprised me about her, though, was exactly how fast she manages to get on people despite that. Her heavy punch is a fast, forward moving one-two that will get you wherever you need to be, and it combos gloriously into either her whip, her pillar, or her supers. Additionally, she has crazy good zone control with her whip and electric pillar, allowing you to lock people roughly into the exact area you want them, and the former allowing a bit of leeway when fighting characters with projectiles.

    It's just too bad both her game series, 7 games in and counting, and design will likely leave her a mostly passed over character in the genre.

    Some footage from the newest game (which I still haven't gotten to play yet! )

    Dr. Nusakan (SaGa series)





    So, this pick came down to three people: Robin (Romancing SaGa 3), Zoe (Romancing SaGa 3), or Dr. Nusakan (SaGa Frontier). Robin I love for his design, Zoe for combat prowess, and Nusakan . . . for both, though to lesser degrees, but that glasses and white lab coat look pushed him over for me.

    There is a chance I like that design combo.

    Combat-wise, he's a mystic, so his stats and combat abilities are largely determined by what monsters he can stuff into his mystic gear, and since all mystics roughly end up with access to the same mobs, this means all should be roughly created equal. However, all mystics aside from Mesarthim and Nusakan are forced to use a special un-removable piece of armor that prevents them from using suits and greatly diminishes their equipment versatility. This gives Nusakan a better equipment selection than (almost) all of his peers and makes him an excellent character in the two stories he can be recruited in, and one I always pick up.

    Story wise, well, I do like what little we gather of him. He's a creepy back-alley doctor who loves to study illness and disease, and, though there might have been more to him than that had Frontier been fully completed, that's really all that the players knows about him. I like to think he's making a Frankenstein Monster. >: D


    Nus.jpg

    FOR SCIENCE!



    The Princess (Ogre Battle)





    To be fair, this isn't a character so much as a class, but if you are a fan of the series, you understand this pick.

    Unlike most princesses, this lady is, with almost no competition, the BEST unit in the game. Her back row attack is a multi-targeting spell with nice power to it, but her true strength comes from her unique ability to grant all characters in her squad another round of attacks -- this is monstrously powerful, especially when paired with Liches in the first game. There is, basically, nothing in the game that will stand against a decently constructed team with a princess in it.

    Of course, there is a downside to the class, if one can call it that, in that obtaining a princess requires a rather rare item, but it's a pretty minor thing and doesn't change that the princess is the single unit I most look forward to getting.


    (Two Liches and a Princess, the Holy Grail of Ogre Battle units. )




    Astaroth (Soul Calibur Series)


    Not gonna lie, Voldo was my man in Soul Blade, and I had no love for Rock. When I picked up Soul Calibur 2 (missed out on the first one on the DC ) I didn't expect I was going to like Rock's replacement any more than the original and stuck with the V-man. And times were good. Then I actually SAW Astaroth in action, and the raw power he was pumping out FORCED me to give him a try.

    Disappointment was not had.

    Where Voldo is tricky, and I still love to use, Astaroth is direct, with no stance swapping required, and has some of the most satisfying attacks in the series. Essssssspecially that hook spin-throw (qcb+horizontal, I believe?)! The reach of his axe lets him fight with people at a good distance, and it combines well with some of the surprising speed on his kicks and shoulder charge -- people often think they've got you at a disadvantage when they get close, but then you knock them right back. And then you have his command throws for when you parry an enemy hit and they are just SOOOOOOOO good. >_<

    I don't really have much else to say about him, he's just a character I have a blast using.


    Last edited by Rez09; 12-04-2014 at 08:06 PM.

  6. #36
    Pinkasaurus Rex Pumpkin's Avatar
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    I suppose it is my turn again!

    Why don't I start off with Colette since I just finished Tales of Symphonia (awesome game btw)

    Colette Brunel (Tales of Symphonia):
    180px-Colette_.jpg

    In game use: Colette is actually a decent damage dealer, and she can fight both long range and close range. She also gets angel abilities that can cause a lot of damage or shield your party. She also steals from enemies by falling on them.

    402671.jpg

    Why I like her: Because Colette is the sweetest thing in the world. She goes through so much, but she always puts others first. She's caring, devoted, and optimistic. She even makes friends with her wannabe assassin. She shows great strength through everything and just stays the nicest girl ever.

    Cruxie (Ys Seven):
    cruxie.jpg

    In game use: Cruxie is mostly a physical attacker, cabable of dealing a lot of damage. I think she might actually be the strongest character physically.

    YsSeven27.jpg

    Why I like her: The girl is like terminally ill, but she still manages to get out of bed and help save the world. I have trouble getting out of bed on bathroom cleaning day. She never gives up, she is very sweet and kind to those around her, and in general is just kind of a badass

    Red XIII/Nanaki (Final Fantasy VII):
    7-red13-a2.jpg

    In game use: Like most FFVII characters, Red XIII can pretty much be customized to use however you want. I had him use Fire magics and Enemy Skills, so kind of like my Blue Mage.

    hqdefault.jpg

    Why I like him: To me, Red XIII is the best part of FFVII. It's a shame he got such a minor role. His story at Cosmo Canyon was very touching. Overall, he is mature, strong, and kind. Seeing him open up and accept his father was one of the best scenes in game

    Yuna (Final Fantasy X/X-2):
    yuna.jpg

    In game use: Yuna serves as both the White Mage of the party and the Summoner. When she summons, the Aeon will take over the battlefield until it dies, the fight ends, or it is dismissed.

    1362930103.jpg

    Why I like her: Like Colette, Yuna is willing to sacrifice her own life for the sake of everybody else, and she does so with grace and kindness. Unlike some people, I actually enjoyed her development from X to X-2, because I thought it showed her growing in to her own person instead of a tool for Spira. She started standing up for herself more, being more assertive, but she still did it in a nice and sweet way.

    Luserina Barows(Suikoden V):
    219px-S5_Luserina_Barows.png

    In game use: Luserina is a supporting character who will change your party members for you if you ask her to.

    luserina.jpg

    Why I like her: Luserina comes from a messed up family, but she still manages to be a normal and decent human being. She cares deeply for everyone, including the messed up family, but she still knows when to draw the line and tell them to shove it. And she's pretty :P

    That's all for now

    Having fun reading everybody else's

  7. #37

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    Luuuuuuuuserina!

    It's been so long since I played Suikoden V that I sometimes forget about her, but she was so awesome! I always wished there was a way to pair the prince up with her, especially since the game teases you with it, but it was sadly not to be.

  8. #38

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    In praise of our mechanical soon-to-be overlords!


    Wise Duck (Tech Romancer)


    I have . . . too many good things to say about Tech Romancer, and if you have any interest in fighting games and love mecha anime, you need to own this title if you have a Dreamcast. Absolute must buy.

    Regarding the character itself, the Wiseduck is a walking arsenal, with land mines, electric net-missiles, dumb-fire missiles, plasma blasts, a grippy hand, and a pile bunker -- it's got everything. It pays for this payload with severely reduced mobility compared to the rest of the cast though, lacking the ability to jump and having generally poor approach options (though the machine is no slouch when near enemies).

    And that's what I love about the thing -- its unique playstyle. You have all the tools you need to fight people, you just have to know how to use them. They all have options you lack, but you have ones they lack as well; you aren't weaker, you're just different. You have to adapt to them, they have to adapt to you, and it feels good to beat down Gundams, Evas, and Valkyries with this thing once you figure out how, always without feeling outclassed. And that machine gun!
    papapap~ papapap~

    (SPOILER)
    A bit of the Wiseduck story and combat footage, for the interested.


    Metal Sonic (Sonic series)



    I'm shallow.

    I know he's unoriginal. I know he's little more than a tweaked Sonic. I don't care, though, I love Metal Sonic.

    Most of it comes from two places, the first one of which is his design. He's blue like Sonic -- but metal! He's fast like Sonic -- but because of rocket propulsion! He's got eyes like . . . uh, most people, really -- but they are beady, red LED eyes of cold hatred! At least, I like to assume there's hatred in them. With machines you really never can tell. There's also a simple sleekness to his design I love; no gears are jutting out, and the rivets are even smooth and rounded. Sega tried to recreate the wheel with Shadow later on, but I've never figured out why with a design like this.

    And that leads me to the second thing I really like about the character, because I've always felt the best boss involving Shadow was his final showdown with Sonic on the collapsing raceway in SA2 -- a fight that was CLEARLY a Metal Sonic style of battle. In a game series supposedly all about speed, the majority of Robotnik/Eggman fights are fairly static, taking place in closed areas with fairly restricted speed and movement. Metal Sonic fights, on the otherhand, generally involve the speed he's supposed to be emulating from Sonic, taking places along raceways and various tracks more often than not. Even in the cases where Metal Sonic is fought in a static arena, Triple Trouble for instance, there's usually a lot of speed involved still, with him zipping in and out of the screen in said example. The fights are just sooooo good most of the time, and are always the fights I remember the most after I've finished the games.

    (SPOILER)
    Easily my favorite boss in the game.


    Machinedramon (Digimon series)


    Before we begin, let me take a moment here to explain to you how I play a Digimon game -- any Digimon game. I load up the game, I open a guide for it on GameFAQs, and I ctrl+F Machinedramon. I plot my course accordingly. Any game he is obtainable in, he will be obtained in. Any game he is not obtainable in, I will try to fight him. If I can't fight or obtain him, I will . . . wonder what I did wrong in my search, because really, this 'mon is just iconic. That's almost like not having a Pikachu in a Pokemon game somewhere.

    SO, what is so special about this machine, then? Well, first off, if you are wondering that then you somehow missed that Machinedramon was a giant DINOSAUR, who was also a ROBOT, with DEATH CLAWS, and a giant DUAL-BARRELED LASER on its back. I know, its easy to miss.

    It's more than just a design thing though, because Machinedramon is pretty well always a powerful Digimon with access to great attacks. He was also the final boss in the original Digimon World, which was a game I spent waaaaaaayyy too much time with as a kid, and when I got to him he tore me apart. D: It was one of those great defeats that made me love him, and beating him was that grand goal I needed as a I poured all my effort into making a better Digimon to take him down. Then, after beating him, I got to use him in multiplayer against everyone I could con into playing with me! The ultimate weapon was mine. >: D

    -sigh-
    Good memories.

    (SPOILER)
    Maybe this boss fight is a lot easier when you aren't 12.


    This Machine (Power Rangers)



    No, not the Megazord. My love for this thing also came from my childhood and getting my ass kicked. Power Rangers was a pretty big thing, and a friend of mine had the SNES game which we played all the time. At the end of the game, after five or so stages of foot missions, you get two boss stages in the Megazord, and while the first stage is a joke, the second one actually gave us a lot of trouble, being two matches in a row against this unnamed moon-bot and his powered up form. I remember being so happy when we finally beat this thing.

    But then, after finishing the game and sitting through the credits, we saw . . . them. Three passwords. What could they unlock? The game's done, right? What mystery awaited us with the three unexplained codes?

    Multiplayer.

    Upon completing this great single player experience, you are rewarded with a great, albeit limited, multiplayer one, where player one gets the Megazord and player two gets either the snail . . . thing, or one of the last boss' two forms. We played the crap out these stages, making up our own stories for each fight in that way only kids can, but it became obvious after a while that . . . whoever had the Megazord was going to win. It had great specials, comboed fairly easily, and had the most ridicuously overpowered dash slash in the history of ever, ever. And this was against a snail thing that had pretty terrible offensive and defensive options, a weak mid form boss, and a just . . . outclassed final boss. Games weren't much fun if character selection alone determined the victor, regardless of skill.

    Then I discovered this machine. I actually spent the time figuring out what it was good at, its general combo structure, and when to save and when to use my super meter.

    The fight was back on.

    My entire love of fighting games may be completely traceable to this one, unnamed machine, as well as my appreciation for losing in a game more than winning, and lover of overcoming that one crazy powerful move your opponent will happily spam if given the chance. Mysterious moon bot, I salute you.
    o_o 7

    (SPOILER)
    That dash slash. We hates it. We hates it, forever!


    Phobos (Dark Stalkers series)



    Do people actually remember Darkstalkers has a cast outside of Morrigan and Lillith? Yes? Really, who else? Oh, Felicia, right right. Cat girl and fan service, the double legacy of a doomed Capcom franchise.

    I'm not going to lie though, despite a lot of people knowing the series for those two (and a half) characters, there were a lot of great designs in the games. I had a pretty rough time picking Phobos actually, with Jedah and Pyron both high contenders for the spot, but Jedah has an annoying dash and Pyron takes a fair presence of mind to use properly, while Phobos is much more lenient with his constant projectile spam.

    In fact, he reminds me a lot of Wise Duck in this regard, as you really are just a versatile walking arsenal, although Phobos did retain the ability to jump, and he's just as much fun to use. Transforming into large gun to just blow away the enemy is soooooo satisfying, and that mix of bombs, high and low lasers, and anti-air make him annoying to play against. And he also has cool glowing red LED eyes.

    (SPOILER)
    He's not such a popular character, but here's something at least.
    Last edited by Rez09; 12-06-2014 at 05:55 PM.

  9. #39
    Lovely Gal Night Fury's Avatar
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    TaliZorah.jpg
    Tali'Zorah vas Normandy

    Tali is adorable. She is well fleshed out, while still having a mystique. I love her naivety and the way she views the world as a young Quarian woman, her backstory is also fantastic and was probably one of my favourites in Mass Effect 2. Fighting for her in the Quarian courtroom was nerve wracking and emotional and I really felt like I was right there. In Mass Effect 3 she finds peace with Legion and uses that to influence her people - all in the dream of taking back Rannoch, her home planet, and she does it all with a wide-eyed and endearing nature. Not only that but she's a hilarious drunk and doesn't take herself too seriously. I love Tali and she is possibly my favourite video game character.


  10. #40

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    Sephiroth
    Compilation of Final Fantasy VII


    The main antagonist and villain of Final Fantasy VII's world.
    Sephiroth was born as the #I result of "Jenova Project Sephiroth" and is the biological child of biogenetic scientists Dr Lucrecia Crescent and Dr Hojo as well as the super intelligent, instinct-driven alien lifeform known as "Subject JENOVA".
    His life was planned from the very beginning as the those in lead of the power-hungry "ShinRa Electric Power Company" were seeking the Promised Land, an old legend apparently only to be found by the Ancient nature-loving nomad race and culture called the "Cetra". With Jenova being excavated and confusing it with an Ancient as it was sealed away in a shapeshifted form the Jenoova Projects have begun, giving birth to many unfortuante fates as well as Sephiroth.
    Sephiroth is the only character connected to JENOVA that has full resilience against it. The alien cells cannot mutate inside of his body to physically weaken him or mentally break him. Instead he has full access to the benefits he got from his alien "mother" and keeps on getting stronger, making him more resilient against any harm like Jenova or whatever could possibly threat him. His will, continuously getting stronger helps him making full use of his abilities in an incomparably destructive and strategic form.
    Instead of being a Cetra, he is the son of what managed to almost completely eradicated them anf his perfection means the full nature of Jenova as his own instinctive side that he alone decides to follow. This way, while the animal of Jenova not individually being alive as an actual person as it is nothing but a manifested Id, nothing but a super-intelligent animal at last, Jenova keeps on staying inside of her son, a far more powerful and personificated version of what the original ever was.
    Feeling betrayed by ShinRa he decided to make himself the chosen one as he did not accept that the pride he felt from being special came from an experiment, being confused over and over again and in the end just choosing to go the path of his mother and using his superiority to overcome any obstacle and rule over the natural power of life and death. Combining his will and abilities he has been proven to be Cloud and the others most fierceful enemy, yet Sephiroth has nothing in life to fight for than his own pride and joy surpassing others as well as his revenge against Cloud so Cloud managed to defeat him more than once as he actually fidoes not only fight for vengeance but also for people he loves, no matter if they have been altready taken away from him by Sephiroth or not. Sephiroth's arrogance is pretty much the only thing that always stands in his way, even more than Cloud does. This human weakness, ironically enough, yet being an actual person other than JENOVA is, adds a weakness to his alien powers that his "mother", though not being as strong as him and only following its meaning of life, never had to bother about.
    And yet Sephiroth never gives up. Being Jenova's legacy he continues to haunt Cloud and the others with no ultimate solution of how to get rid of him in sight.

    Characteristics/Skills/Abilities:
    • Sephiroth is normally a very calm person except when it important to him. He never was the kind of guy to have a pillow fight with but his "extovertive" side has been lured out by the likes of his former friends Genesis and Angeal. When he is full of himself again he also shows what he thinks of himself as he is proud of his power.
    • Since he left his path as a human most of his emotions have gone and he became more like Jenova, which is an emotionless, instinctive animal. Yet as he still is, though, superhuman, a human person, he feels joy when it comes to surpassing others. Also there is his grudge when it comes to his past with Cloud who has proven him he is not invincible, at least not in his arrogant moments. In the past only people like Zack, Genesis or Angeal were able to make him smile.
    • Sephiroth's main hand is his left one, though he is skilled enough to use both equally efficient as shown multiple times. Nevertheless he is never called ambidextrous and his left one gets a special focus most of the time.
    • Being the #I of JPS he has a tatoo depicting a "I", though this is explained very confusing in FFVII and even the Ultimania Omega does not actually mention him which means, it was retconned, forgotten or not thought of as too important.
    • Sephiroth's greatest power comes from his will. It keeps on getting stronger and holding more power which strengthens his will again. He is one of the only people who can resist the lifestream and keep on existing as an individual self as long as he wants. Resisting the power of the lifestream he also can make use of it which is how he becomes stronger. The energy and information he gets from it is the greatest and most important aspect about his powers. He can also use most magic other than other people without tools and except for magic, his will can be offensively used for his psychic powers like telekinesis, reading minds, creatig illusions or flying as well.
    • Sephiroth wields the Masamune, a 2m long Odachi that no one else can use the way he can.
    • Sephiroth, being a Jenova-human hybrid, has a mono-wing mutation and during his metamorphosis he has proven tto appear in form of other mutations as well, it being a cocoon like state for rebirth or a seraphic form in which his wing appeared for the first time.
    • He has demonic/cat-like pupils and his eye-colour is turquoise like those of the Cetra or that of those who have too much Jenova connection. Cetra have no demonic pupils though.
    • Sephiroth has silver-white hair which is also a trademark of those who are very much connected with Jenova.
    • He can shapeshift and manipulate Jenova cells so he can regenerate or even form new bodies and animate them with his conciousness. This way he can even be present on different places. He can also manipulate Jenova cells inside of other bodies and call out for them like a subconscious echo, similiar to Cloud's supressed psyche fragment which was no actual individual yet tried to wake Cloud up. Sephiroth on the other hand called out for him withour Cloud noticing.
    • Sephiroth was mentioned as a leader of SOLDIER in the manual of 1997 this was retconned however in Crisis Core by mentioning Zack might be a new leader as Sephiroth is not the kind of guy who is interested in doing these things. Nevertheless he very well gave his commands and lectures so as a first he still had a leading position that even Zack respected. His power was not insignificantly important for that, of course.
    • He used to have different shampoos with rose or vanilla smell and needed a full bottle every day.

  11. #41
    Witch of Theatergoing Karifean's Avatar
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    If no one has any objections, I'd like to revive this thread. I liked it when it was lively.

    Well one guy is gonna have an objection...



    Phoenix Wright (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)

    It was tough picking between Phoenix and Edgeworth as my favorite character, but in the end I went with Phoenix. Because while I love Edgeworth's backstory and conflict I just like Phoenix as a character more.

    Why I like him

    Phoenix Wright is the ace attorney, the defense attorney that will get his clients off the hook no matter what kind of intricate plot the real culprit wove to implicate the defendant. A seigi no mikata in the purest sense. But he is far from just a superhero. He struggles with proving his case as well as his own faith in his clients every now and then. His view of how reality works is screwed up every now and then (NO YOU COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE COMMITED AN ACCIDENTAL MURDER, IT'S JUST NOT YOU) and he nears total breakdown in Justice for All Case 4 in which he heavily questions his own path and what he should do.

    Phoenix is just a total good guy, but he doesn't come off as stupid, stupidly perfect or anything like that. It works well. Plus, "Objection!", "Hold it!", "Take that!", who could ever forget those?

  12. #42

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    I really loved the first Phoenix Wright game, and Phoenix has always been a pretty likable guy. Did you happen to play the Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton crossover, Karifean?

    08.gifRise from your grave, thread! I, too, have more characters to share!



    The Snakeoids (Zombies Ate My Neighbors)


    To my continual amazement, Zombies Ate My Neighbors is actually a pretty hit or miss game, and I know as many people that adore it as utterly loathe it. Personally, it is one of my favorite multiplayer games on the SNES, with challenging stages, awesome music, an amusing arsenal and stage titles, a unique premise, and a rare example of combined co-op and head-to-head gameplay. It also houses one of my secret gaming pleasures: the Snakeoid.

    Before I get into that though, if you are unfamiliar with the game, its entire enemy roster is inspired by famous film monsters, from attacking alien invaders to Creatures from the Black Lagoon, giant ants to Blob monsters, werewolves to killer dolls with hatchets. It's a dream come true for the classic horror movie fan in every household -- and everyone else that happens to come along. Best of all, while the simple 'save everyone' premise can get kind of old after a while, seeing new, recognizable monsters every couple of stages never really does, adding a bit of new challenge as the players progress through the game while keeping things interesting. The Snakeoids on level 20 were such an addition, and when I first encountered them it was love at first sight.

    And by that, or course, I mean they killed the trout out of me and I was terrified of the things for the longest time afterwards.

    Inspired partially by the Graboids from the Tremors film series, as well as every other burrowing terror in the history of ever, these happy creatures COMPLETELY belie their size when you first see them, appearing as little more than a moving mound more indicative of your garden variety moleman than anything else. Then they burst forth from the ground in all their tongue-wagging glory and eat your health bar. Suddenly my trusty weed whacker seemed less formidable than I initally imagined. (I'm not the only one that uses that thing, am I?)

    That surprising nature of theirs is actually why they are one of my great gaming pleasures, as I NEVER warn people about these things their first time through the game. That first reaction when the Snakeoids attack them is always priceless. Even better, though, these things soak up TONS of fire (or one monster potion, you cheater, you), so on top of the, 'What the hell is that?!' reaction these things elicit, there's that bit of panic that sets in when they just won't die either.

    Then their friends show up.

    It's really the highlight of the game for me, and far and away the single thing I most look forward to in the multiplayer experience. They are also the element I most look forward to in single player as well, as I really like fighting them. As great as the game is overall, every other boss in the title is completely 'meh', either being completely boring to fight or, in the case of the UFO, being a thing most people don't even know is an ENEMY. Only the Snakoids are worth looking forward to. Great job, LucasArts, 5 points. ._.

    And, since I've spoiled all the fun already and won't be playing with any of you anyway . . .
    (SPOILER)
    I love that they don't even get boss music. XD



    Dr. Karbunkle (Biker Mice from Mars)



    I don't even remember this show. Or, rather, I remember it existing, and I know I watched it, along with Street Sharks and Cowboys of Moo Mesa, but I don't remember it being anything but an inferior Ninja Turtles and nothing about it stuck with me. I mean, except that, also like Turtles, Konami got ahold of the license.

    Interestingly enough, instead of making an inferior Turtles product in the vein of the source material, Konami decided to make a racing game -- one I consider to be among the best the SNES has to offer. The isometric perspective puts off a lot of people, and the game might as well only have two characters, but the game is great mechanically and everyone has a unique feel to them.

    For his part, Karbunkle, not being Moto or Vinnie, isn't one of the best characters in the game, but he's the character I always take. Riding a mechanical bug, he lacks the ability to wheelie, so rough terrain tears him up, and he put the rocket booster on the BOTTOM of his bug bot instead of behind it, so he's fairly slow, but, as one would expect from a mad scientist, he's got tricks up his sleeve.

    First of all, his sharp turn fires a grappling hook into a wall, auto-piloting the turn for the player as long as the button is held -- this is important because properly executed sharp turns maintain the players speed, and it's fairly easy to get that perfect 90 degree turn every time with the good Doctor without losing any momentum.

    Secondly, for all characters, Dr. K included, rapidly tapping the acceleration button provides a brief speed boost. With other characters you only want to do this at certain times, as tapping the button means you aren't holding it and slows you down overall. However, Karbunkle doesn't loose speed when grappling a wall, allowing a player to mash like mad during the turn and surge forward with bonus speed. This effectively makes almost every turn in a stage a free boost pad for him.

    Thirdly, Karbunkle seems to get more air time than all other racers who aren't named Vinnie, making every jump with ease and clearing CRAZY distances at times. Due to the mechanics of the game allowing you to grapple walls in mid flight, it is possible for Karbunkle to turn corners while in the air as well, allowing him to avoid enemy attacks and maintain maximum speed for longer than (most) others characters can.

    Finally, whenever you hit an enemy with his primary weapon he yells 'MARVELOUS!' and turns them into a little three eyed mutant (which I have affectionately dubbed, "The Sausage") for a few seconds, which is FAR more satisfying than it has any right to be. You can also drop his weapon as a little landmine as I recall, though it's less useful than directly firing at people since wheelies ignore the mines. It's all worth it when you sausage someone across the stage and hear him yell, "MARVELOUS", while flying through the air, though.

    In the end, it's the way that properly using his mechanics rewards the player that makes me really love this character and his bug car, especially when playing against another person that knows how to play the game. You have all the tools that will let you overcome any other racer (who isn't named Vinnie), but you have to properly use them, and it just feels awesome learning to weave all of your little advantages in a stage into a big one and crossing that finish line before them.


    Of course, all the impressive videos are of Vinnie players, but here's one I found of someone playing Karbunkle. He's in battlemode, so he's more interested in axing other racers than finishing, but it's still a good example of the character in action.

    (SPOILER)



    MARVELOUS!


    Last edited by Rez09; 12-25-2014 at 12:16 AM.

  13. #43
    Witch of Theatergoing Karifean's Avatar
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    I did not play the crossover, sadly. I played all other games in the series besides Gyakuten Kenji 2, though.

    Since it's Christmas, it might be a good time to present this particular character.



    Ushio Okazaki (CLANNAD)

    Her sole existence is a spoiler, but I guess it can't be helped. I'll be as discreet about other spoilers as possible though. Why is Christmas such a good time to present her? Well her mother's birthday is December 24th, and while Ushio herself has no known birth date in the original CLANNAD visual novel, she is supposedly also born on December 24th according to the (somewhat terrible) movie adaptation.

    Why I like her

    Ushio doesn't appear until about the last twentieth of CLANNAD's plot, but she is probably THE main reason why CLANNAD is as memorable as it is. No kidding. What's so great about her is the fact that she manages to bring out the best in the other, already very thoroughly developed characters of CLANNAD and creates some of the absolute best character interactions and growth I have ever seen. Need I mention the trip? It moved me to tears. Every time.

    Well of course Ushio herself is just a five-year-old kid so her character is not all that developed, but the bit of character and development she does get is sufficient to prevent her from being nothing but a device, and apart from that she is directly involved in not only the saddest scene I have ever seen in a game, but also the saddest ending I have ever seen in a game (the two are separate scenes). Holding back the feels is not possible with this girl.

    If it hadn't been for Ushio I'd have probably missed out on quite a few of what are now my absolute favorite visual novels.

  14. #44
    Resident Critic Ayen's Avatar
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    Shao Kahn!

    Oh, man, this game. I love this game so much. I had it on the Sega Genesis and used to play the crap out of it. I was so psyched when I unlocked Tommy.

    I plan to make up my own list later, I just need to give it some thought.

  15. #45

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    Looking forward to your list, Tori.

    Annnnnd . . . MOAR CHARACTERS!


    Kasumi Todoh (Art of Fighting)



    This is a cheatsy pick, because I actually didn't enjoy or really play Art of Fighting 3, which is both Kasumi's debut game and the only AoF title she was in. Instead, I picked her up in KoF '99, where she ended up one of my surprise favorites and has remained a KoF go-to since then. When she actually shows up, that is. ._.

    But what do I like about her? Well, first off, and as is the case with almost every other person on my list so far, I love her design. She doesn't have a lot of flair to her, but she also completely avoids both the ridiculous and skimpy getups a lot of fighting characters find themselves dropped into, which I infinitely appreciate. No excessive belts or crazy hair, instead she's rocking what reminds me of a kendo outfit, which I dig, a simple red headband with her hair up, and what appear to be fingerless gloves. I'm also a fan of her white and blue color scheme. As I said, it's a simple design, but I love it.

    Second, while her design is nice, it's ultimately how fun Kasumi is to play that makes me love her. There are two elements of her combat style in particular I really like. First, roughly half of her special attacks are counters, a trait she shares with similar-pants-wearing Geese Howard and the man-god Krauser. You use a high, low, or mid counter, and if you guess/bait properly, you damage the enemy and knock them down. You even have a 'super' version of the counter that will stop (most) enemy supers, which is a damn nice feeling when you pull of. It's a simple gimmick that allows you to be a bit tricky, while also leaving you open to trickery as well. Outside of the counters, the other thing I love about Kasumi's moveset is how flowing it is. Most of her non-counter specials, her 'projectile' excluded, have a forward movement to them, and many are chain specials where you input multiple commands to keep the attack going -- even her single strike palm-upper special includes a forward step to it. There's a great offensive momentum to the attacks, and I greatly appreciate it.

    So overall, she has a design I like and a moveset I love, with fun mindgames and a great combo flow to her, and that's why she's one of my favorites. ^_^ b


    A combo demonstrating that forward movement.
    (SPOILER)


    Because I don't think anyone else cares about full matches. XD




    Dr. Wily (Mega Man)



    I'd say this is a no brainer, but I actually really like a lot of Mega Man characters -- Sigma, Dr. Weil, Magna Centipede, Zero, Proto Man, Dr. Cossack, ect. It's a surprisingly long list, and I have no idea why I even like most of them, seeing that at least two of them are genocidal asshats.

    But in the end Wily's the only real choice; there's something timeless about him that I just never cease to appreciate. He's a generic mad scientist, but his attitude through the games, from the eyebrows to him begging for mercy when defeated, have endeared the cranky old man to me. I mean, even thinking about my favorite scenes in the series, they almost all come back to Wily. Him beating his broken machine with a hammer then laughing at you when it starts working again in Powered Up, the 'And this time, and this time, and this time' scene in Mega Man 9, slinking away as Mega Man holds up his collapsing Skull Castle in MM5 -- the MEGAPHONE in the original Marvel vs. Capcom. Hell, I even love that SOMEHOW all the people of Mega Man world haven't gotten it fully into their skulls he's EVIL yet, as seen in MM9 where he convinces people Dr. Light is the bad guy (I wonder if MatPat is on his payroll ).

    Additionally, my appreciation for the character goes beyond the elements of his personality and actions, because Wily almost always puts up an awesome fight as well. Sure, some of his fights are busts, like in Mega Man 6 and 8, but then the 7 and 9 fights MORE than made up for that. I mean, I still remember my response to the first time I saw the Wily 9 machine -- I paused the game and cracked up, because it was a SKULL FACE DINOSAUR THAT DROPPED FROM THE CEILING LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. Genius. Absolute Genius. And it was a good fight as well! I wouldn't have found the fight half as memorable if it were just an amusing design, but you have to learn how the boss fights and how to fight it, otherwise it'll just plow you under, which is exactly what a good final boss should do. Several other final bosses in the series match Wily machines here and there, MMX Sigma and X6 Gate coming to mind, not to mention MMZ3 Omega - which I consider the ultimate boss fight in the series, but, on the whole, no one else quite reaches the bar Wily sets for me.

    He's got the most fights I enjoy, the attitude I love, a design I appreciate (though I saved you all the babble about that for once), and he's just that perfect mix of everything that makes a great reoccurring villain. Wily, you are my far and away favorite MM character, and you even managed to beat out the white labcoat and glasses look.


    Oh, this is neither here nor there, and I don't know where everyone stands on comics in general, much less Archie comics, but they have been doing a GREAT job with their Mega Man series (barring that headache of a crossover), and I'm liking how they've done Wily thus far. If you have any interest in the Mega Man series from a story point of view, I'd suggest checking the series out.


    Also
    (SPOILER)


    And this time! And this time! And this time!


    Iris Sepperin (Rosenkreuzstilette)



    Now, anyone who recognizes this character instantly understands this pick after the Wily gush. Iris is RKS' Dr. Wily, right down to the eyebrows and UFO, but she's also a character in her own right, being more of a perverted mirror image of the mad doctor than a traditional clone. Where Wily is a cranky old man, Iris is a sing-songy little girl. Where Wily strives to rule the world, Iris strives to destroy it. Where Wily seeks the power to enact his will, Iris already has it. Dr. Wily is evil in the Saturday morning cartoon sense, more amusing than dangerous (Zero virus and that whole mess notwithstanding); Iris is more traditionally evil. Nothing and no one else matters to her, everyone else is below her, and all that matters is her amusement.

    And what is it that amuses her? Why, open warfare, of course. Like Wily, she's very intelligent, and in the original RKS she feigns an assassination attempt and stages her own kidnapping in order to incite a war between the magi and the church for the sole purpose of her entertainment. She even turns the main character against her (Tia's) friends and kills her own father, the man who started the war to protect her, because, well, why not. It's not like any of these people matter, anyway -- she's basically the rebirth of a God, why should she care about them? You even feel the condescension in her voice, and her eyebrow waggle takes on a slightly different feel when you know just how below her she thinks you are. Unlike many villains I appreciate, Iris is one of those characters that is evil without a reason. She is unchecked chaotic evil with a cute grin out to set the world ablaze.

    You know what else she's out to do? What evil demi-gods are also really good for? Boss fights. And I have to say, like Wily's absolute best days, both Iris boss fights are amazing. I mean that. A m a z i n g. I don't mean they visually blow things away either, I mean I'm a putz that ONLY fights Mega Man bosses with my buster, and these Iris fights keep you on your toes and feel super satisfying to complete. She isn't cheap, but you have to pay attention, ESPECIALLY in the second game -- and her music in the first game! Ahhhhhhhh!

    So, ultimately I end up liking Iris for similar reasons to why I like Wily, her attitude and how it manifests to the player, her design I avoided babbling about, and her great boss fights. RKS is still a very small, very high quality series, and I reeeeeeeally hope a third game comes out, but until it does Iris is my clear cut favorite from the franchise. Cute psycho who has mastered the eyebrow waggle, I salute you.

    And your awesome boss fights.
    (SPOILER)


    Soooooo goood.



    Sagat (Street Fighter)




    Sagat's an interesting pick for me because he isn't my favorite character in any of the games -- that always changes. T.Hawk in SFII, Dudley in SFIII, Skull-o-Mania in EX, Gen (Or Sodom) in Alpha, Balrog (Or Hakkan) in SFIV. But where my overall favorite shifts around, how high up on my list Sagat is never really does, and as an overall pick he actually comes out ahead.

    So what do I like about him? Well, there is, of course, his design, which is the simple trunks and muscle combo most male fighting game characters grace the world with. It's simple and looks good, and I like it.

    What I end up really liking about him, though, is his reach. He doesn't have Dhalsim reach, but it gets the job done, and his kicks are great for keeping people at bay. They also feel so good to land and look like they have so much power to them. His crouching heavy punch is also pretty nice, especially in CvS2, dealing good damage with odd priority. I seriously get so many clean hits with that thing that should have been trades. X_X I'm really waiting to pit Bruce and Sagat against each other in Tekken X Street Fighter, assuming that title is ever released. It's one of those odd dream matches I suspect I'm the only one dreaming about. Oh well.

    Normals aside, I also like his simple special set. It's not much beyond the standard Shoto fare, but there isn't much wrong with that. The Tiger Uppercut has good priority and deals with jump-ins your kicks won't catch in time, the Tiger Shot is a simple projectile that does its job well, and the Tiger Knee catches a lot of people off guard. He's got the basic tool kit for every job. Well, almost any job . . . no command throws, but that's not much of a concern. It balances well with his normals and makes him the stand-by, go-to character that neither Ken nor Ryu ever managed to be for me.

    Beyond that, I have almost nothing else to say about him, honestly. He's got good specials, great normals, a nice design, and I always enjoy using him. Go, Sagat! ^_^ b

    (SPOILER)


    Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!
    Last edited by Rez09; 12-27-2014 at 04:05 AM.

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