Fatal Frame 4 Hard Mode Completion

There was a time when I would painstakingly write my game completion stats with a pen and notebook down to every last detail. It comes from my days of a NBA geek, always being fascinated with NBA statistics and scores.

Some things never change I suppose.

I recently finish the hard mode of Fatal Frame 4, something I started more than half a year ago but never quite got around to finishing it. This time, I decided to do the final few chapters all in one day over the span of roughly 3 to 4 hours with breaks in between, of course. Still a top Wii game in my opinion and one of Suda51's more mature and polished title.

Biggest Red Packet of This Season

During my Chinese New Year break I had the good fortune of receiving my copy of Metroid:Other M japan import just in time before the break. I had envision spending the next six of days of break completely devoted to the game in between the snacking and visiting relatives of course. That didn't really happened as I never imagined bypassing the region-lock on my Nintendo Wii would be so difficult. The english patch of Fatal Frame IV was so easy to use I naturally thought I won't have any problems getting this import to run as well. Nothing would work as Gecko and Neogamma refuse to load the disc though I had a little better luck getting them to run my Biohazard 0 GC Japan import. All long I had no intentions of getting the Metroid Other M US version not only because of the horrible box art but also I have learnt that it required a firmware update to 4.3U in order to run. I was still happily playing the Fatal Frame IV using the english patch on my 4.2U system so a system update was out of the question.

In the end the Metroid Other M japan import felt like a big red ang pow which I couldn't even open. On a more positive note I finally made good of my promise to add Vanquish to my collection even though it did come a little later than I expected. The beauty of it was I didn't have to choose between Vanquish and Dead Rising 2 after all as I managed to benefit from a bit of a price drop on both.

Other Way to Play M?

Frame Fatal IV is a favourite in my wii collection so i dread to think what will happen when the next Wii system update renders the patch useless. Metroid : Other M poses a bit of a problem because the game prompts a system update in order to play which is something I'm not prepared to give up just yet.

There is another solution to this problem, I could import the japanese version of Metroid : Other M just like i did with Fatal Frame IV. The US cover art for Other M is just too unappealing for my taste and I have read that the Japanese import of Other M happens to be import-friendly with both English and Japanese voice options. Sounds like a far superior version to add to my collection though it likely won't be cheap just like Fatal Frame. In any case I should really finish my second play-through of Fatal Frame IV and maybe even start on the Metroid Prime Trilogy before I even consider getting another Wii game. Did I also mention I pick up No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle a while back?

Zero Suits Me Just Fine

Even though I have the tendency to leave things unfinished when I play a game for the first time, I don't have the foresight to compile a to-do list for future re-plays. Looking at the list of unlockables for Fatal Frame IV, it's easy to see which one is the most appealing and yet still attainable within my limits as I prepared to play the game again. Of course I'm talking about Samus infamous zero suit for lead character Ruka which requires 200 photos to be captured from the Ghost List.

Luckily for me I'm quite a completist when it comes to the Ghost list and enjoys the hunt of getting those tricky shots of disappearing ghost. In my first play through I'm came about 50 shots short of 200 ghost capture, so it should be fairly easy to unlock this. However in the process of re-playing the game I realised that the easier shots are already on my ghost list so most that remains the fast-moving ghost that require you to be quick on your feet in addition to being quick on the shutter button. That zero suit is going to feel all the more rewarding when I do reach 200 captures and who knows maybe it might actually inspire me to finally start playing the Metroid trilogy.

Zero Needs A Hero

When I first bought Fatal Frame IV, I knew it came with an expiry date and that was part of the reason why I pushed all other games aside to finish it that time. What I didn't expect was the expiry date to arrive so soon as I was met with an unwelcome surprise playing my Wii last weekend. In my final hours with Darkside Chronicles before putting it away, I received a message from Nintendo informing me that the new system update 4.3U is already available for download. This could potentially render my Fatal Frame IV patch useless as it was made to run on the earlier system update 4.2U.

Perhaps it was fitting that I was done with Darkside Chronicles as I must now go back to playing Fatal Frame IV, who knows how many updates Nintendo will issue and how many Team Zero can successfully find ways to bypass it. Though the team behind the fan-made translation project are fairly confident to get around any future Nintendo updates, there is always the fear in me that this could very well be the last time I'm able to play Fatal Frame IV on my Wii.

The Big Picture

I liked how i started with Fatal Frame III, I just didn't like how I finished it this past weekend. True enough I grew desperate to get the game out of the way once I knew it was indirectly holding back some other games i was wishing to play. So i ultimately resorted to FAQ to finish the last two chapters of the game having grown fed up of wandering around aimlessly in the game not sure of what to do.

Surprisingly the core story of Fatal Frame III still make a lot of sense despite me playing off and on for goodness know how long since I started. The tie-in to previous installments of Fatal Frame games are a nice touch for longtime fans but what i liked best is the series uncanny abilities to tell a deeper and bigger picture by providing backstory to every ghost that appear to haunt you in the game. If you are not bother to get involved with the game they may seem like random ghost but usually every ghost has a past life and how they come back to haunt you is revealed if you are resourceful enough to snap the quick shot. Speaking of which, now that I'm done with Fatal Frame III i can finally think about going back to 4 on the Wii.

Back to Zero

Finally Fatal Frame III is in the books at last, I cheated and lied my way through the end but at that point I didn't really care anymore (haha). Maybe I didn't cheat or lie but I certainly did refer to faqs for the last two chapters of the game, something I would normally not do for games I'm playing the first time. I didn't want to spent any more time with this game as my play time has already exceeded that of part IV (19 hours+ !) though I'm confident I would be able to finish the game on my own eventually.

The story of part III is pretty good on its own made even better for longtime fans of the series with all its connection to the past games of the series. I made sure to keep the save file of this game handy by making a copy on my playstation3 hard disk so hopefully i will be able to give the game the attention it deserves one day.

Burning Twice as Bright

Patience is not something most gamers would like to practise, myself being guilty of that many times as well. This one time when i decided to skip finishing Fatal Frame III on playstation2 and moved straight to Fatal Frame IV on the Wii did work out better than I thought and prove that patience is not always a virtue. By doing so, i avoided burning myself out and managed to finish part IV after playing the game consistently for about two to three weeks. Just as I started, I was struggling to juggle my playing time between Fatal Frame IV, Yakuza 3 and also Monster Hunter Tri which i recently got. Something had to give with Yakuza 3 seeing less and less playing time than rest, i decided to give that game a break and just concentrate on the two games on the Nintendo Wii. Truthfully I felt a little burnt out having to play Yakuza 3 after racing to finish Yakuza 2 a few months back and the slow pace at the beginning of that game certainly didn't help as well.

Now that I have finished Fatal Frame IV, Yakuza 3 didn't feel like such a drag as before and of course, Fatal Frame III still needs finishing touches before I can even think of playing part IV again. I guess games are always best played when you are not rushing to finish them for whatever reasons it may be.

From Spirits to Zombies

Nothing puts a good bargain to waste like not actually making use of it and it comes to games, i have certainly had my fair share of those. Though I have no intentions of letting any of my recent good bargains go to waste the fact that i have more than one does complicate the situation. High on the list to play would have to be Dead Rising and Muramasa as these third-party games do have a tendency of losing their retail price real fast so i better not leave them idle for long. Metroid Trilogy can actually wait because i doubt i would be able to find it again had i not picked it up that time and as much as i'm looking forward to Other M, it probably won't be a first day purchase for me.

Between Dead Rising and Muramasa, the choice is really simple as i would prefer to wait until i have a classic controller in hand before playing Muramasa. That leaves me with Dead Rising which does seems like the ideal choice as its campy horror is just the perfect antidote for the spookiness of Fatal Frame IV.

Monster Good TIme

Not long after splashing out on an expensive japanese import like Fatal Frame IV, the hole in the my pocket gets bigger with yet another big third-party Wii exclusive on the horizons. That's right Monster Hunter Tri is almost upon us and if you are a big fan of Capcom games and Wii exclusive like myself then you have to get this game, nevermind the fact you know almost next to nothing about the world of Monster Hunter.

Part of the problem with Monster Hunter is if you don't have a band of hunters to hunt with, you stand almost no chance against some of the latter monster you will meet in the game. Fortunately there is an active community of gamers willing to commit time and effort to this game so i'm less fearful of this problem. The bigger problem is the world of Monster Hunter can seems so daunting to newcomers, this is truly a game for the hardcore gamers and expects a big commitment from the gamer in order to get the most out of it. This is probably also my last chance to get acquainted with the Monster Hunter series having missed the first two installment on the PS2 and PSP. Being a Capcom fanboy, I felt like I had to be a fan of the Monster Hunter series with it rising rapidly among ranks of Capcom other franchise.

The Rule of Four

Capcom's rule of four seems to suggest that by the time a franchise reaches the fourth installment. a major rehash is in order. Tecmo may have took this theory to heart when they were developing the fourth installment of the Fatal Frame series. Collaborating with Grasshoppers and Nintendo on a new platform, a change of things was definitely in order.

Visually the game looks and plays a lot like the Ashley chapter in Resident Evil 4, completed with all the lighting effects that made the Gamecube version incomparable during its time. The control takes a bit of getting used to with a combination of classic and motion controls blended together but i liked to think it adds tension to the game much like the archaic controls of the early Resident Evil games. Many series veterans have lamented that this new installment on the Nintendo Wii has been dumbed down to cater a new audience but i didn't really get that feeling. There were plenty of cheap scares early on and the game generally feels creepy, it's definitely been a while since i had the hair on the back of my neck standing.

When Grasshoppers and Ninjas Collide

You really have to tip your hat off to the translation team behind the Fatal Frame 4 english patch, they are clearly well-versed enough to enjoy the game in its original form but decided to produce a patch for everyone to have a chance to experience this great game. My japanese import of Fatal Frame 4 arrived promptly yesterday and since the only other game i'm busy with happens to be a bit of a slow-burner, i decided to play Fatal Frame 4.

Part of the eagerness was for the game itself and part of it was curiosity of how it all works with the patch installed onto the system. Thankfully after a quick restart, everything began to run smoothly as you hoped in fact, the translation work is so seamlessly you probably think it was an official localization of the game rather than fan-made. I have read that pretty much everything was already in placed and all that was required was a good understanding of the Japanese language and then it was just a matter of replacing the hiragana and kanjis with the ABCs. The fonts of the English text doesn't look awkwardly out of place or 'burnt-on' save perhaps for some of the menu but i have yet to load the game in its original form so i don't know for sure if the above statement is true. A huge thanks to the guys who made this possible, it's the stuff that fans always talk and dream of but rather ever happens. You guys have certainly prove it is possible, this game feels like such a quality product that i can't possible cram all my impressions into this one post.

Fatal Fantasy

I have gone and done it again; despite all the savings and great deals i was able to find this past week it didn't take long for me to blown it all away with a costly deal on an import game. The japanese import of Fatal Frame IV has re-surfaced at the worst possible time when i'm at my most vulnerable state during my recent Wii craze and demand for the import is still high with the english patch reportedly working. I was considering between ordering it now or wait till my friend who's going to Japan later this year and ask him to track down a copy for me, hopefully at a lower price.

The fact that i'm still struggling to finish Fatal Frame III certainly doesn't bode well with the decision to commit now via Play-asia. This is quickly turning into another repeat of Yakuza as i move immediately from one installment to another and one generation of console to another. Hopefully these will ultimately all end well as i do have a penchant of fantasizing about playing games rather than actually playing them.

Fatal Attraction

In these days, you can never be sure how long a game might stay exclusive, what with developers eager to recoup the escalating development cost by getting the game out on as many platform as possible. However you can be sure that the recent Fatal Frame Wii will not be one to appear on another console soon as publisher Nintendo was nice enough to lend some of their characters and license to the game as fan-service bonus for the fans. So if you happened to finish the game already, you will be able to unlock bonus costumes such as Luigi's jumpsuit and Metroid Samus' Zero suit which looks very sexy indeed !

Frankly, it's nice to know that Nintendo has not completely abandoned its core gamers audience and little bonuses like these will go a long way to squash any rumours about the game appearing on other platform due to the lukewarm sales. The partnership between Tecmo and Nintendo looks to extend far beyond than their game appearing on their platform. You gotta love Nintendo if you are a fanboy into exclusive games as they have designed their platform to be so unique that developers aren't able to do multi-platform release on their platform without putting in the extra effort.

Wii love Suda

and Suda51 loves Nintendo. Sure it's probably a business strategy for Grasshopper Manufacture to develop games for Nintendo given its relatively low development cost and large user base but over the years, Nintendo has played host to some of Suda's finest work.

killer7, Suda's US debut was originally meant to be a Gamecube exclusive before Capcom started with their multiplatform strategy but the Gamecube version remained as arguably the definitive version of Suda's debut. No More Heroes, a sort of spiritual sequel to killer7 is Nintendo Wii exclusive and still reigns as one of the finest third party action games on the platform. Fatal Frame VI, another love child of Suda and Nintendo collaboration was recently released in Japan to favourable reviews.

Now, the Nintendo DS is about to play host to another Suda game, Flower, Sun and Rain, a Playstation2 title originally available only in Japan, completely remade from the ground up for Nintendo's popular handheld.I have seen the demo of the game and frankly, the 3D engine for the DS version looks like an early PSOne game it certainly looks like the developers are taking a lot of constraints in shrinking this Playstion2 title to the Nintendo DS. It still looks mighty enticing and being a Nintendo fan, it looks like i'm going to have to get used to being compromised as the Wii developers at Capcom are apparently facing major hurdles too in bringing Dead Rising to Nintendo Wii.