It seems that the GC version has a different audio format (not ADX like the DC), bring the wizards!
And nice find!
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Skies of Arcadia
- Thread starter TransTrender
- Start date
It seems that the GC version has a different audio format (not ADX like the DC), bring the wizards!
And nice find!
Vincent Grayson
Member
I just remember having both, and PSO, and basically never needing to buy another game for the system between the three.
If anyone really wants to play PDSaga, I highly recommend just picking up the Japanese version (Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG) because it is a fraction of the cost of the US version.
You might need a FAQ just to familiarize yourself with the menus (and the story), but the battle menu if I recall is pretty straightforward (and maybe in English?) and ultimately is super playable. You don't even need a japanese Saturn as long as you have one of those Action Replay Plus carts (and put in the right cheat to get past the game's region lockout)
Both Saga and Skies desperately need some sort of re-release though.
At least Skies is approaching "reasonable" pricing in the used market. Some roughed up copies only going for $60US (both GC and Dreamcast versions).
You might need a FAQ just to familiarize yourself with the menus (and the story), but the battle menu if I recall is pretty straightforward (and maybe in English?) and ultimately is super playable. You don't even need a japanese Saturn as long as you have one of those Action Replay Plus carts (and put in the right cheat to get past the game's region lockout)
Both Saga and Skies desperately need some sort of re-release though.
At least Skies is approaching "reasonable" pricing in the used market. Some roughed up copies only going for $60US (both GC and Dreamcast versions).
Yeah, I mentioned that. I just think that this is what OP had in his mind. Comments said by Yukio Futatsugi.
Spuck-uk
Banned
Played it, finished it. Game was meh, loading times were shocking, far, farrrrr too frequent random battles.
Captain Smoker
Member
Probably my favorite game of all time. 
The atmosphere is just perfect.
The atmosphere is just perfect.
One of the best RPGs ever made, save the steep encounter rate (I played on the DC). The exploration was absolutely incredible, especially for the time. The airship upgrades, assembling a crew, and the variety of unique settings really made this special, as did the upbeat and enthusiastic characters. If I can pick a favorite part it would be the
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dungeon where both Vyse and Aika are tackling simultaneously, unaware of each others' presence, but they are unwittingly help clearing the way for the other team by solving puzzles
Bought it for DC when Babbages/EB was clearing out their DC stock. Sat on it for a while, but when I finally played it, got to the point I needed the second disc, and I unfortunately have one of the copies where discs 1 and 2 are both actually the first disc 1 (although they are labelled 1 & 2.) Lost my momentum and never finished it.
ThaPhantom
Member
Absolutely incredible game. I would pay A LOT of money for a proper sequel. Hell, I would pay a decent amount for an HD remaster. Sadly, I don't think its going to happen.
Very encouraged by this thread continuing to chug along.
SoA suffers from some extremely creaky JRPG relics such as a nearly intolerable encounter rate but ultimately it's buoyed in our memories by a bold aesthetic and elements of true ingenuity such as its slower-paced, tactical ship combat. It's a perfect candidate for a tune up.
SoA suffers from some extremely creaky JRPG relics such as a nearly intolerable encounter rate but ultimately it's buoyed in our memories by a bold aesthetic and elements of true ingenuity such as its slower-paced, tactical ship combat. It's a perfect candidate for a tune up.
lol yeah, I had high hopes when I first looked at the file system for the Gamecube version and saw DSP files, until I actually listened to them last night and realized they're just the sound effects and the music is described in the .samp/.info pairs. >_<
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Regarding the exploration in Skies of Arcadia; my next game after Skies was Final Fantasy X -- a game I ultimately loved and consider one of my favorite Final Fantasy games, but wow was it weird to go from a game about exploration to a game where there's virtually none.
Ganondorfo
Junior Member
I have always been searching for that "adventure feeling" that Skies of Arcadia gave me back then. I can only think of Grandia and Lunar Silver Star and Eternal Blue that gave me that traditional jrpg adventure setting feel.
Are there other games with that adventure feeling like Skies of Arcadia (except for Zelda Wind Waker). And why arent they making anymore adventure jrpgs like Grandia 1 and Skies of Arcadia anymore?
Are there other games with that adventure feeling like Skies of Arcadia (except for Zelda Wind Waker). And why arent they making anymore adventure jrpgs like Grandia 1 and Skies of Arcadia anymore?
Still have my Gamecube copy in a box but sans instruction manual since my brother loaned it to a friend and when he returned it to us, it was gone. 
While the random battles themselves have not aged well, everything else about the game was great. Loads of colorful, big environments; a sense of exploration and with the over world; ship combat that was fun; a pirate headquarters with a crew to recruit; a charming cast of protagonists who were super optimistic. I remember the battle themes (dungeon and overworld) and Ixataka themes pretty well.
I never managed to get beyond Vyse: The Fallen Pirate title so I was unable to recruit a few crew members and fight a certain doppelganger crew but I did go on to beat the last boss and enjoyed how it ended. This is the only game where a dog gets to helm a ship.
I think Xenoblade and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen did a nice job capturing it even though they're modern action JRPGs so it's not answering your question directly. Bu they do scratch the exploration itch along with Final Fantasy XII.
While the random battles themselves have not aged well, everything else about the game was great. Loads of colorful, big environments; a sense of exploration and with the over world; ship combat that was fun; a pirate headquarters with a crew to recruit; a charming cast of protagonists who were super optimistic. I remember the battle themes (dungeon and overworld) and Ixataka themes pretty well.
I never managed to get beyond Vyse: The Fallen Pirate title so I was unable to recruit a few crew members and fight a certain doppelganger crew but I did go on to beat the last boss and enjoyed how it ended. This is the only game where a dog gets to helm a ship.
Ganondorfo said:
I think Xenoblade and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen did a nice job capturing it even though they're modern action JRPGs so it's not answering your question directly. Bu they do scratch the exploration itch along with Final Fantasy XII.
I loved every minute of Skies of Arcadia: Legends. Final boss was pretty awesome, even if my ship was wicked OP by then.
Actually I got a little bemused/annoyed by one part of the ending:
Actually I got a little bemused/annoyed by one part of the ending:
I go through all this work saving the world, decking out the ship you get from the Prince (I think it was a Prince) to something insanely powerful, and then you just give it back to them at the end and start anew on some rinky dink wooden ship? C'mon!
Zalusithix
Member
Haha, yeah... That always annoyed me as a fan of the Valuan ship designs. I can understand giving the flagship back, but damnit, Vyse should at least get something with modern tech. Something that can stand up to the unknowns of the world as he continued to explore. That floating tinderbox just doesn't cut it. Also, I didn't care for the pirate Fina outfit.
Trails in the Sky.
I remember I loved Skies of Arcadia so much that, back in the day, when I first played it, I decided to write a walkthrough for the game as I went along. It never really got published anywhere, but it was a cool experience, especially since I became so 'good' at the game that I ended up remembering where virtually every other secret was hidden due to my work typing that out, lol.
It was an amazing game, and it still is. Sure. the random battles were a pain, even more so given the somewhat slow loading times, but take that minus away and you're left with a really cool adventure. Few games were able to evoke that feeling of wanderlust so well, and I still remember quite fondly how unique the whole world was. It was nice that every other city you ended up finding had very distinct features, even if they'd end up falling into those "JRPG" archetypes of "desert town", "forest town" etc. Speaking of which, Ixa'taka's theme is now playing inside of my head, haha.
If SEGA were to make an HD remaster I'd definitely buy it day one. It's nice that they haven't forgotten it completely, what with Vyse being in VC and later in Sonic Transformed, so I'm going to remain optimistic that good things will come to those who wait. A sequel would be wonderful, too, but I'm not sure how easy it'd be to make it nowadays. In a way, I think it'd be a better fit for a portable experience, as the expectations that would surround a 'current gen' home console game would probably mean they'd try to bite more than what JRPGs can chew. Play it safe and have a nice overworld similar to the first one rather than trying to be crazy ambitious and I think we'd end up with a nice gem of a game.
Oh well, one can dream
It was an amazing game, and it still is. Sure. the random battles were a pain, even more so given the somewhat slow loading times, but take that minus away and you're left with a really cool adventure. Few games were able to evoke that feeling of wanderlust so well, and I still remember quite fondly how unique the whole world was. It was nice that every other city you ended up finding had very distinct features, even if they'd end up falling into those "JRPG" archetypes of "desert town", "forest town" etc. Speaking of which, Ixa'taka's theme is now playing inside of my head, haha.
If SEGA were to make an HD remaster I'd definitely buy it day one. It's nice that they haven't forgotten it completely, what with Vyse being in VC and later in Sonic Transformed, so I'm going to remain optimistic that good things will come to those who wait. A sequel would be wonderful, too, but I'm not sure how easy it'd be to make it nowadays. In a way, I think it'd be a better fit for a portable experience, as the expectations that would surround a 'current gen' home console game would probably mean they'd try to bite more than what JRPGs can chew. Play it safe and have a nice overworld similar to the first one rather than trying to be crazy ambitious and I think we'd end up with a nice gem of a game.
Oh well, one can dream
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
I love Trails but it is absolutely nothing like Arcadia. Arcadia is exciting and adventurey, while Trails is a slow burn that's more like reading a book. They're almost opposites in that regard.
I played both and I don't get the same feeling from TitS.
Grandia and Skies of Arcadia ooze of that feeling of discovery and adventure.
TitS feels like you're a tourist visiting well-known locations.
Grandia and SoA feel like you're drawing a map of uncharted territories as you go.
IMO, Grandia 1 is the pinnacle of adventure JRPGs.
Seriously, climbing that huge wall to discover a whole new world is a feeling very few games managed to capture. It also helps that the characters are so darn lovable and infectiously adventurous, it feels like I'm watching a 90's anime about explorers.
Zalusithix
Member
A sequel would be wonderful, too, but I'm not sure how easy it'd be to make it nowadays. In a way, I think it'd be a better fit for a portable experience, as the expectations that would surround a 'current gen' home console game would probably mean they'd try to bite more than what JRPGs can chew. Play it safe and have a nice overworld similar to the first one rather than trying to be crazy ambitious and I think we'd end up with a nice gem of a game.
Oh well, one can dream
XCX proved that a sequel could be done by a Japanese dev and retain the sense of scale and diversity that SoA had while taking it to the next level. On the Wii U of all things. Flying around in a Skell and exploring the exotic world, then landing and doing the same on foot... Closest I've had to the wonder of exploring in SoA back in the day. Then you have the Skell combat being inherently different from foot combat which is analogous to how ship combat differed from party combat in SoA. So modify the combat system, change the Skells to airships, and add some more cities and dungeons. Presto: SoA2.
Granted Sega had nothing to do with XCX, but it shows that it's technically possible.
temesgen77
Member
one of the GOAT, still have the GC disk that I paid 19.99 for NIB
gate stormer
Member
This is one of the many gamecube games I totally regret selling. My local game store currently has it for $70. Thinking of trading some stuff I don't really play so I can pick it up.
Oh, I'm sure it's technically possible, but a game like XCX probably cost a good amount of money to produce, and was backed by Nintendo and all. I don't think SEGA is in such a comfortable position to take the same risk, especially when SoA has been dormant for so long. If you had a really talented staff and a good amount of cash to throw into a sequel, I'm sure you could make something really ambitious and it'd work just fine. My worry is more that such reality would not really come into being.
So between someone trying to make a great experience out of something a bit less ambitious and a game that ends up falling short while aiming for something big, I think I'd take the former. But that's me :V