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Why, God, Why: More SaGa Games on the Way

Posted by Bob Mackey

I don't "get" Akitoshi Kawazu. More importantly, I don't get his games. And I certainly don't get how anyone could possibly enjoy the SaGa series. No offense intended if you happen to be a Kawazu fan, of course; but for me, playing the SaGa series has always been the equivalent of heading outside to enjoy a nice summer day and immediately getting taken out by a sniper before making it past the front porch. When you play a SaGa game, it's like entering into some bizarro video game world where all the rules have changed and you might need to saw off one of your feet to escape.

Needless to say, I wasn't too thrilled when I saw GoNintendo's report (via Japanese mag Shonen Jump) that the second SaGa game, released for the original Game Boy in America as Final Fantasy Legend II, will see a DS remake this year. I'm slightly consoled by the fact that SaGa 2 isn't quite as devious as some of Kawazu's later games, but this kind of thinking will only lead to me trying it and then hating myself just a few short hours later. I'm not about to embarrass myself and tell you the exact number of times I've come crawling back to the SaGa series thinking things would somehow be different, but here's a hint: too damned many.

It's not clear if this game is going to make it over to America, but one thing is certain: Kawazu's contempt for the human race will continue unabated.

Related Links:

ONST: Square-Enix’s Rad Original Non-Soundtracks
Square-Enix's Coup Brings Back Memories
Square-Enix: Reeling in the Devotees For More, Playing the Console Market With Aplomb

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Posted Jan 14 2009, 05:00 PM

Filed under: final fantasy, ds, akitoshi kawazu, bob mackey, square enix, saga

Comments

Nick Daniel said:

C'mon you can't just hint at how the Saga series has made you its battered wife.

I demand details!

January 14, 2009 7:42 PM

parish said:

You disappoint me, Mackey. Look deep in your soul and admit your Kawazu love.

January 14, 2009 8:32 PM

Demaar said:

"When you play a SaGa game, it's like entering into some bizarro video game world where all the rules have changed and you might need to saw off one of your feet to escape."

I thought that was why they're awesome?

January 15, 2009 5:38 AM

Jeff Deck said:

I picked up Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song last year and quickly began to wonder whether there was something wrong with *me* for not understanding how the game worked at all. I, a veteran of so many JRPGs, confounded by something so innocuous-looking? How could this be? Then I came upon the following excellent article on the game (and on Kawazu), and I immediately felt better:

www.largeprimenumbers.com/article.php

January 15, 2009 3:06 PM

Kajillion said:

Saga 2 is Dragon Quest simple. These games didn't get insane until Romancing Saga.

January 15, 2009 5:29 PM

About Bob Mackey

For a brief period of time I was Bull from TV's Night Court, but some of you may know me from the humor column I wrote for Youngstown State University's The Jambar, Kent State University's The Stater, and Youngstown's alternative newspaper, The Walruss. I'm perhaps most well-known for my bi-weekly pieces on Something Awful. I've also blogged for Valley24.com and have written articles for EGM, 1UP, GameSpite and Cracked. For all of my writing over the years, I have made a total of twenty American dollars. It's also said that I draw cartoons, which people have described with words such as "legible." I kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby and am looking to do so again in the future.

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