finish Final Fantasy X

Well I finally made it past where I had to stop the game the last time I had played it. The Bevelle Cloister of Trials. I had a little trouble with it even with the guide, trying to hit the arrows when they were facing the right way and such. No wonder it was a pain when I was trying to go from one room with the walkthrough on the computer to another to actually play the game.

I’ve also made it past the events that follow there, hence my title. But I have yet to actually venture into the Calm Lands. I’m not entirely sure why this is. I still have plenty of time to play the game. I’d been looking forward to this part since I’m thinking I should be able to play Blitzball again, and actually be able to take advantage of the world map. But I have yet to pick up the controller. I think I’m afraid of the story ending. Of knowing how it ends, and it just being over. Cause what then?

In the beginning I was a little reluctant to play Blitzball, because apparently everyone but Tidus is under contract, and I wanted to be conservative with my gil. Even if players aren’t playing exhibition matches count towards their contracts. I wouldn’t have thought that those would count towards contracts even if you are playing, I mean you don’t gain experience or anything through them, just techniques. Of course it figures now that after the events in Macalania I can’t play Blitzball anymore, and I’ve got almost 200,000 gil what after building up my characters both on purpose and by inadvertently getting lost in the woods. I already snagged Ropp, I’m not sure who all I’ve missed so far. All I can say is heads up to the free agents once I make it to the world map, even if I will feel bad for cutting the original Aurochs.

I got lost in the Macalina woods. It was fine for a while, just running around building up my characters. I tried several times to catch all seven butterflies, and I swear that I did, but I didn’t get the Saturn Sigil that I need to be able to get the Spirit Lance, which sucks because I already found the chest that it is in. I just can’t open it yet. Hmm, maybe it is because I touched a red butterfly. I died once, but I hadn’t been running around too long when I did, not in comparison to the second time I tried to make my way through the woods.

I’m anxious to get on with the next part of the story line, but I think I’m going to take a break until tomorrow while my characters are at Rin’s. I guess if nothing else I have to come back to get the chest open, might as well try the butterflies again then. Rikku is almost to her mug ability now and that can’t be a bad thing, even if I did just want to get the heck out of those woods.

This thing is hard to unlock. If you try to use the D pad instead of the analog stick that is. I don’t know how many times I tried to unlock it, cause I wanted that shot. I thought I was doing a good job. But when I went through the practice thing again, I realized that my D pad wasn’t registering the right angles all that well, even if I was hitting them. Finally I was like, well maybe I should see if the stick works in the practice mode, and it did. I didn’t hit all of them still, but I did hit the eleven memories that are required to unlock it on my first try using the stick. I was a little worried after though, cause it changed the movie, but the other one was still there afterward. Luca Goers beware!

I’m excited. I finally got a good deal on the strategy guide for Final Fantasy X. I was finding them on Half.com, and such places for like $10 altogether, which I thought was kind of silly being that they were used and brand new they cost about $15. I saw a few on Ebay and decided to go for it. I actually found someone who was selling the guides for both X and X-2 together. I ended up getting both of them for only $10.75. It took a few days, but they finally came in the mail today.

Final Fantasy VII has got to be my favorite video game of all time. I couldn’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent playing that game. I wonder if blockbuster or any place rents PSP’s. Cause it’d probably be worth it to rent one and Advent Children just so I could watch it once I got a job. I’ve also played Final Fantasy VIII. I think my mom got it for me, but even with the book I got stuck. There was a glitch in the game and I couldn’t get out of the sewers. I have yet to go back and try to beat it.

I’ve played X once before. I tried it without the strategy guide. But anyone who’s ever played a Final Fantasy game before knows how much hidden stuff there is and how massive the maps and the like are. The book is supposed to help you not miss anything, but I think in and of itself it still does. Because if you read ahead you know what’s going to happen and that takes something away from the story. I need to get used to looking at all the hints and the like so I don’t miss anything. And I’m all paranoid that I’m going to pass something that they have listed in the secret section, but not in the main section.

I’m not sure how far in the game I’d gotten before. I just know that I sucked at Blitzball, which I thought was a cool side game, so I’m hoping to be better at it this time around. And that the reason I had to stop playing was that I started playing when I was on a break from ASU, and then when I went back I didn’t have time to play between work and school. Then when another break rolled around it had been so long since I’d played I didn’t remember the key parts of the story.

So I’m hoping to get through it this time around. Of course I’m hoping to get a job here pretty soon, but even with being full time I should have time to play if not in the evenings at least on the weekends. I figured I’d just get myself started tonight and I got as far as the Isle of Besaid. I wonder how many hours this game takes to beat, cause I’m betting that this just might be the first thing I actually get to check off of my 43 Things list. Yuna here I come.