tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80736910511979345412024-03-05T01:45:36.439-05:00Deb Renee's April Dailies (GA)A to Z, Poetry-A-Day, my daily April posts are here!Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-19437343258905573092016-04-30T07:00:00.000-04:002018-03-23T09:24:24.178-04:00A to Z Challenge: Zidane from Final Fantasy IX and Zack from Final Fantasy VII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, all of you who suffered through this 26-day geek-out for Final Fantasy characters! I'm so glad I got to do this, so I really hope you all enjoyed this and may have possibly found a game you want to play. There are way more FF games than the ones I have mentioned in this franchise, so feel free to explore! There are simpler RPG games, spin-offs, MMORPGs, whatever you may fancy!</div>
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So we come to two of my favorite gents in the entire franchise. They are by far the two most lively characters for Final Fantasy, and its their spirits that make me love them so much. Let's start with Final Fantasy IX's Zidane Tribal.</div>
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We meet this little guy (his face makes my sister laugh, first off lol) as he is staging a kidnapping of the Princess Garnet (see Dagger). Little does he know, she wants to be kidnapped. We go on a long journey, and honestly I don't think there's a purpose for it for a long time, but we learn a lot. For instance, Zidane is from another planet of Terrans (see K for Kuja, the failed prototype) who were supposed to be taking over the main planet Gaia, but things went south.<br />
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Through it all, Zidane has a huge heart, which is ultimately stolen by Dagger, and their love is just so adorable (probably also because of how they were drawn).<br />
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As FFIX was the last game on the original Playstation, I would like to think that Zidane embodied the spirit of our final character for this countdown: Final Fantasy VII and FFVII: Crisis Core's Zack Fair.<br />
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This tall, dark and handsome was anything but dark. Zack was a bright eyed, bushy tailed SOLDIER, First Class, that we only hear tell of in the original FFVII via Cloud's messed up memory. It's revealed through the game that Cloud wasn't who he thought he was, and that someone else was doing about 90% of what he said. In his defense, Zack told him to live for him, and live he did!<br />
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Zack broke himself and Cloud out of a research facility where they were trapped after Cloud wounded Sephiroth, who burned down his hometown. After tracking down a rogue Sephiroth protoype named Genesis and cutting him down, Zack gets Cloud out to a desert mountain range where he is gunned down mercilessly by SOLDIER operatives, leaving behind Cloud and his girlfriend Aeris.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yep, Aeris all the way back in A. (This is the moment she realized something was wrong.)</span></td></tr>
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Zack's death is extremely tragic because, even though as an FFVII fan you know about it, in FFVII: Crisis Core, you are forced to not only watch it happen but play it as it happens. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to sit through, and I sat through it on a van with a bunch of choir members, so I had to hold myself together. Of all the characters in Final Fantasy, Zack did <i>not</i> deserve to die. He was a hero's hero, and Square Enix might have to work really hard to make a better character than him.<br />
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And there you have it! My Final Fantasy Edition of the A to Z Challenge! I can't thank you guys enough for stopping by. Unless I have a psychotic break, I will probably take a break next year (haha). I leave you all with the only consolation I have for both Aeris AND Zack dying: they are reunited. The perfect bookends to this challenge.<br />
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-88194631414357256632016-04-29T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-29T07:00:38.408-04:00A to Z Challenge: Yuna (with Yunalesca and Yu Yevon) from FFX and FFX-2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One more day. Awww. We are on day 25 of the A to Z Challenge, and I once again thank you for obliging my Final Fantasy habit!<br />
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Today is the letter Y, and Y is for Final Fantasy X/X-2's great summoner Yuna!</div>
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The daughter of the summoner who last brought The Calm (a time of peace) by defeating Sin and named after the first summoner of Sin's time, Yuna has some huge shoes to fill. Her spirit keeps you going when you learn that Tidus's father is the thing that's been killing everyone for the past few years, and her resolve to continue her pilgrimage even after Tidus gives her a way out (because she must pay with her life to enact The Calm) gives the franchise its best moment of blossomed romance in the history of moments of blossomed romance. Spare 2 minutes if you can.</div>
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I mentioned the first summoner of Sin's time. Yunalesca is actually the daughter of the greatest summoner, Yu Yevon.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Should've known this naked b**** was up to no good.</span></td></tr>
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Yu Yevon is the summoner who devised the endless cycle of pilgrimages to defeat Sin. He killed an entire city and made the others think it was because of their use of machina that they died, and then he created the religion of Yevon where the people pray to him for guidance to defeat Sin for small periods of peace (The Calm) until they've completely atoned for their wrongdoings (which will be never).</div>
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<br />Yunalesca is the final stop on a summoner's pilgrimage, and when Yuna and team get to her, they learn Yuna has to choose one of her guardians to become the final aeon (summon) to defeat Sin. After a hearty Hell No from the team, Yunalesca is brought down, and then we go on to defeat Sin. BUT, because the bastard above possesses the final aeons to create the next Sin, Yuna has to not only defeat Sin but all of <i>her</i> aeons (Bahamut, Shiva, Ifrit, Ixion, etc.) once Yu Yevon possesses them, leaving him with nothing left so we can kill him.</div>
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And then, we lose Tidus (mentioned a few days ago).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">God, this moment. T____T</span></td></tr>
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And then, Yuna is the ultimate hero and has to move on with her life. So, she joins up with Rikku and Paine to become the sphere hunters YRP to headline FFX-2. She also gets a new, badass gunslinger look!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yaaaas, slaaay.</span></td></tr>
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Trivia: the design holding her shirt together was the tattoo on Jecht's chest and a symbol Tidus wore on his pants and as a necklace. *sniff*</div>
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FFX-2 is pretty bad, but in the end, if you do most of the main things right, you get Tidus back, so I'll take it.</div>
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Tomorrow, after one last honorable mention, we come to the perfect bookend for the A's: the Z's (not just because of the obvious, lol. Stick around!).</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-35805419884022214842016-04-28T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-28T07:00:19.176-04:00A to Z Challenge: Xu from Final Fantasy VIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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April is almost over! Can you believe it? That means the A to Z Challenge is coming to a close! What a month it has been sharing Final Fantasy characters and stories with you all!</div>
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X is inevitably hard for everyone, and you would THINK that with all of the games Final Fantasy has, they would have more than one character whose name starts with the letter, but I only found the one, and she's a non-playable side character. So, this is the shortest post!<br />
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Xu is a squad leader and instructor in Balamb Garden for SEED. She is a staple throughout the game, helping Squall and team, especially once we realize our school can float around! She is great at shutting up our characters when they bicker, too.</div>
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Tomorrow, I finally get to tell you about Yuna from FFX!</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-22464717414693205852016-04-27T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-27T07:00:05.008-04:00A to Z Challenge: Wakka from Final Fantasy X<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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We are coming doWn to the Wire. (See What I did there? lol)</div>
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Today's letter for the A to Z Challenge is W. As I am forcing a number of you to sit here and take my obsession With Final Fantasy, We have officially come to Wone (lol) of my favorite characters of all time:</div>
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Wakka!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfmFHvShntF0-g0aey0rC06s1lVQg2A9_zYjgXXXhgacV3mlZdMell-UIWTfDoBBQNqoWoBMR2Uf95sZitY-r4GC-38InkZuvvZQgFjK1EJ9r4mSc0Ixh8kRocNMPuoU1-LGUCqB7hlBz/s1600/206638-wakka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfmFHvShntF0-g0aey0rC06s1lVQg2A9_zYjgXXXhgacV3mlZdMell-UIWTfDoBBQNqoWoBMR2Uf95sZitY-r4GC-38InkZuvvZQgFjK1EJ9r4mSc0Ixh8kRocNMPuoU1-LGUCqB7hlBz/s320/206638-wakka.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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Wakka is captain of the Besaid Aurochs and one of Yuna's guardians on her pilgrimage to defeat Sin. He is full of energy and spunk, even though his blitzball team has never won a game*. (Also, Googling images of Wakka, there were a few, um...softcore porn-ish images...not even of random people! They were of Wakka! lol) In the American version of the game, he has an awesome Hawaii-surfer voice that you immediately fall in love with. Speaking of which, this cosplay below, is the BEST cosplay ever!! No other person need cosplay Wakka, thanks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHp9dYNgZ_2k5ZgAx6DqnqtVozdQ8mQjPwG8u7LrUwpnlmLelPwrf94zkGCJMWZv2fDsjVFJbACh3JDF8ldl2pDDORs2i_7Q3SwQxadGzwbOtMWnNhhM9_XapkhhQoQ-Qn7UZoNQpINes1/s1600/wakka_chillin_by_shinrajunkiecosplay-d4xbxcm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHp9dYNgZ_2k5ZgAx6DqnqtVozdQ8mQjPwG8u7LrUwpnlmLelPwrf94zkGCJMWZv2fDsjVFJbACh3JDF8ldl2pDDORs2i_7Q3SwQxadGzwbOtMWnNhhM9_XapkhhQoQ-Qn7UZoNQpINes1/s320/wakka_chillin_by_shinrajunkiecosplay-d4xbxcm.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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Wakka takes Tidus under his wing because he reminds him of his late brother, Chappu, who died in battle against Sin sometime before the game starts. He later goes on to marry Lulu (honorable mention for L) and have a chubby red-headed baby with her. *giggle*</div>
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*If you manage to win the first blitzball tournament in the game (I did once!), it's the best feeling in the world, but you also then have to play one of the hardest teams when you try to play again. I was addicted to blitzball, so I definitely tried and tried until I beat them.</div>
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Tomorrow, we visit Xu from Final Fantasy VIII!</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-58424841367115022672016-04-26T07:00:00.000-04:002019-08-06T14:12:23.461-04:00A to Z Challenge: Vivi from Final Fantasy IX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Getting closer to the end...*sniffle*</div>
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I have been geeking out Final Fantasy characters all month long, hopefully to someone's enjoyment. We are at V today, so I'm stopping back by Final Fantasy IX, the last FF game on the original Playstation, to talk about:</div>
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Vivi Ornitier</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX90m2uOLCaEZ9wUxeuuSlQkMkkvxAblnPrdruIbD-3JQJLtJ6IOfykuj1dtr6JRqcZKCzWUhkYF8NX2feXMdonpiEDUR4vZVxa0nTkehHvu9ME1UA6rgdolYG81XywDcE6FUUWCqjp8mO/s1600/Vivi_FMV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX90m2uOLCaEZ9wUxeuuSlQkMkkvxAblnPrdruIbD-3JQJLtJ6IOfykuj1dtr6JRqcZKCzWUhkYF8NX2feXMdonpiEDUR4vZVxa0nTkehHvu9ME1UA6rgdolYG81XywDcE6FUUWCqjp8mO/s320/Vivi_FMV.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We have zero idea what Vivi is when we meet him, but he's very child-like and all-around adorable. A little later down the game road, we learn he was created, probably in a factory, and he's one of many black mages. He's actually a prototype who fell off of a cargo ship. He was found by a cook who actually planned to eat him once he fattened Vivi up, but Vivi stayed small (haha). He told Vivi all about the outside world, and when he dies, Vivi goes exploring.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLRNy3q6ahrmLTDMmb3xo85iaOP7uKkkXzat5Y2Ht_tXa7CAeFYDx3dBUEEIruvMOqc13ghYMeMmXgq2fQ_mE92_1vmjRClYjOwObBB66SVVf4s3OKsC7x3MkFjF5GzTDKpPabgeWA4F2/s1600/Final.Fantasy.IX.full.1003228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLRNy3q6ahrmLTDMmb3xo85iaOP7uKkkXzat5Y2Ht_tXa7CAeFYDx3dBUEEIruvMOqc13ghYMeMmXgq2fQ_mE92_1vmjRClYjOwObBB66SVVf4s3OKsC7x3MkFjF5GzTDKpPabgeWA4F2/s320/Final.Fantasy.IX.full.1003228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a group of full-sized black mages protecting Vivi from another group of scarier black mages called Waltzes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQWy9qKY1s4K5x4_j9EWqU9n0AsjUbEybKiIP0AMA20kEYJBiYJDW9klQdr8Vl00qXSGAsGhHgvDGaj7X_04fA3uK5kZbCXamqrxsJ8DcGYpkZtc2kcrL3QOnN0cNy-Y6RNheN2I9EbM6/s1600/black+waltz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQWy9qKY1s4K5x4_j9EWqU9n0AsjUbEybKiIP0AMA20kEYJBiYJDW9klQdr8Vl00qXSGAsGhHgvDGaj7X_04fA3uK5kZbCXamqrxsJ8DcGYpkZtc2kcrL3QOnN0cNy-Y6RNheN2I9EbM6/s320/black+waltz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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No, Princess, do <i>not</i> stay there while he kills the others!</div>
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When Vivi learns what he is, he spirals into an existential crisis for much of the game, but he grows out of it and becomes a confident, capable fighter. Yay!</div>
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Honorable Mention for V:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG1Za4-BpOt65KILSQVmGFZTdw4o9RZJjiaavcg7r22BmR7eZXLJrVF1xj3E3gei3xHFZCtRukQKJicDB8UhyphenhyphenjABR8p5fBYs1oBu-Mxk9yP3S3lvpjq5IxLkOAWnA2jAF0pSBdc2c3HvO/s1600/Final-Fantasy-Advent-Children-Vincent-Valentine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG1Za4-BpOt65KILSQVmGFZTdw4o9RZJjiaavcg7r22BmR7eZXLJrVF1xj3E3gei3xHFZCtRukQKJicDB8UhyphenhyphenjABR8p5fBYs1oBu-Mxk9yP3S3lvpjq5IxLkOAWnA2jAF0pSBdc2c3HvO/s320/Final-Fantasy-Advent-Children-Vincent-Valentine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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FFVII's Vincent Valentine was an <i>optional</i> character. And he was so awesome he got his own spin-off, third-person shooter style. Shooter games give me angina, but I could play Dirge of Cerberus because I knew the world of FFVII and was comfortable with it. An interesting backstory and brooding persona to match, for me, picking up Vincent is never an option--it's a necessity!</div>
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Tomorrow, we visit Wakka back in Final Fantasy X.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-74792447626197026752016-04-25T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-25T07:00:04.402-04:00A to Z Challenge: Ultimecia from Final Fantasy VIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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We are at the last week of the A to Z Challenge! Can you believe it?? I can't.</div>
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I have been talking about Final Fantasy for 20 days now. I'm not tired yet. lol And today, I'm talking about something important to me that I can never tire of defending:</div>
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The Ultimecia is Rinoa Theory!</div>
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First off, as we are on U today, here is Final Fantasy VIII's Ultimecia, an evil sorceress from the future.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">As seen in Final Fantasy Dissidia</span></td></tr>
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A cosplayer's dream. Anyway, Ultimecia is killed by SEED in her time, and in order to stop that from happening, she creates a machine based on the powers of a little girl (well, I guess she would be a woman by Ultimecia's time) named Elle, who has the power to see the past through people she knows. She tries to kill the SEED in the past, aka the present time where the MC (Squall from a few days ago) resides, by possessing the sorceresses there. In typical "If I can't live, no one can" style, Ultimecia compresses time so that only she can live in the world.<br />
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Ultimately, Squall and his fellow SEED defeat her, and all is well. However, there is that theory I mentioned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUrpRDjkFTZIxk9D6NGuRmE_sfiSrIcz9yFRLib-HJQmSZWD_bukjMBu_yUtWf33eo6y7os-si0dy0KByx_zUenRQQxJsk1XyYCN2kjJcHu1L75-VqOD0lLMoxTP0F5h2ELOlnudniqIU/s1600/ultimecia_rinoa_thoery_by_angelrinoal-dd2tf7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUrpRDjkFTZIxk9D6NGuRmE_sfiSrIcz9yFRLib-HJQmSZWD_bukjMBu_yUtWf33eo6y7os-si0dy0KByx_zUenRQQxJsk1XyYCN2kjJcHu1L75-VqOD0lLMoxTP0F5h2ELOlnudniqIU/s400/ultimecia_rinoa_thoery_by_angelrinoal-dd2tf7.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>
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This illustration sums it all up in a nutshell, but let me clear some other things up. As I mentioned in the R's, Ultimecia possessed Rinoa in the game. This automatically made Rinoa a new sorceress. The theory is, simply put, that Rinoa IS Ultimecia, gone crazy somehow and trying to kill everyone, SEED being at the top of her list.</div>
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Visually, their faces are shaped the same. The black hair to white hair is a great juxtaposition, not so much to represent aging (something a naysayer pointed out: the sorceresses don't age), but most likely from stress or psychosis. Rinoa wears a long sleeveless blue trench with white angel wings on the back, and one of her limit breaks is Angel Wings, so she sprouts them for a second before using magic at random. Ultimecia has a long red trench and has black angel wings. More juxtaposition: Rinoa has a pet dog who helps her fight, and Ultimecia summons a lion-type beast. This beast is also first seen on SQUALL'S RING and is named the same! How would Ultimecia have gotten that?! Because Rinoa had his ring and was going to duplicate it for herself!</div>
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So, why would she be trying to kill SEED? Well, as you see above, Rinoa says in the game that she is okay with Squall killing her, no one else. Squall also has an internal monologue (one of many) towards Rinoa where he says that even if she goes full-on sorceress, he will be her champion and fight whoever comes against her.</div>
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SO, what seems to have happened in the future is there is a witch hunt, and other SEED kill Squall when he tries to protect Rinoa. She goes mad, becomes Ultimecia, and goes back in time to try to destroy SEED altogether. It makes sense to me and many others!</div>
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Alright, nerdgasm over. Tomorrow, I will talk about Vivi from FFIX.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-79325736147667901192016-04-23T07:00:00.000-04:002017-01-17T10:47:26.214-05:00A to Z Challenge: Tidus from Final Fantasy X<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're at the end of the penultimate week of the A to Z Challenge! This went by way too quickly!</div>
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We're finally at T, and for my Final Fantasy geek out session of the day, I will be talking about my favorite Final Fantasy game's main character:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SRQT8goGlFbxN66XqB_DeA2V90p4GElbuRc1uBeSN1zcbYZsWY0raguwjBrfVWxihOi0NJWJC1_VuDxUx0pdCSIDPcl510IUskatv1klaNdGaSH6msW2J2UEhLgWixFi2uQHY0C5FP49/s1600/232985-final_fantasy_x_tidus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SRQT8goGlFbxN66XqB_DeA2V90p4GElbuRc1uBeSN1zcbYZsWY0raguwjBrfVWxihOi0NJWJC1_VuDxUx0pdCSIDPcl510IUskatv1klaNdGaSH6msW2J2UEhLgWixFi2uQHY0C5FP49/s320/232985-final_fantasy_x_tidus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tidus from Final Fantasy X!</span></td></tr>
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Look at that fresh face. Tidus is the star blitzball player (an underwater football/soccer-like sport) of the Zanarkand Abes. One day in the middle of a game, he gets whisked away by something called Sin and washes up in Al-Bhed (see Rikku in the R's) territory 1000 years in the future! (No, this isn't Futurama.)</div>
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When Sin sucks him away again, he's on the mainland and home of a local summoner (Yuna, coming soon) who is about to embark on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin. They are linked by the fact that Yuna's father was the last summoner to defeat Sin, and Tidus's father (honorable mention for J) was one of his guardians!</div>
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So how did they get 1000 years in the future?</div>
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Well, unfortunately, (and long story very short), their Zanarkand wasn't real, but dreamed up by the Fayth (head on over to F to refresh your memory, if you want) so that (IMO) one day, one of their dream people could defeat Sin and its creator Yu Yevon for good!</div>
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(I'll just leave <a href="http://www.thewritemage.com/2015/11/final-fantasy-friday-this-is-my-story.html">this link here</a> for anyone who wants the long story, but to sum it up: Yu Yevon, evil summoner, possesses people, turns them into monsters, kills people for 1000 years straight, makes them all think they have to worship him to atone for using machina.)</div>
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Tidus figures out they have to stop Sin at the source because the current Sin is his FATHER (!!!), and he brought him to the real world in order to get it done.</div>
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Unfortunately, once everything is safe for good, all the Fayth finally get to rest, and so their dream Zanarkand, and everyone in it, disappears.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCEnH_EFiejkme7OqHOA5aa5JohDMLM_BOx5b10t7MNKYYsoVG2NoOIayA0Dl0n4E-P5H1cHBQYTQ4DVuElXJIfPHlnk1v3s53EerUfBHEr1F5smamn92GiUIWnJkCqF_3oAvtnqZqkMe/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCEnH_EFiejkme7OqHOA5aa5JohDMLM_BOx5b10t7MNKYYsoVG2NoOIayA0Dl0n4E-P5H1cHBQYTQ4DVuElXJIfPHlnk1v3s53EerUfBHEr1F5smamn92GiUIWnJkCqF_3oAvtnqZqkMe/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, we lose Tidus.</div>
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Fortunately, if you play FFX-2 and suffer through it, the Fayth mercifully bring him back to Yuna. So, slight silver lining.</div>
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Honorable Mention for T:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPwGPT0i3z_ghBj9aR9XJuv6eCSE1jFWR3P8jE2CLiWNj9KvCQsCX40vi8inoGY96vyUYyQGNN9jX2WbvTfTH8VgnBLx1BUGO5l3aNtn1j3SYMAZNmk69uPFBAEw6_ui21GRRA0dGutp7/s1600/Terra_Branford_N.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPwGPT0i3z_ghBj9aR9XJuv6eCSE1jFWR3P8jE2CLiWNj9KvCQsCX40vi8inoGY96vyUYyQGNN9jX2WbvTfTH8VgnBLx1BUGO5l3aNtn1j3SYMAZNmk69uPFBAEw6_ui21GRRA0dGutp7/s320/Terra_Branford_N.png" width="189" /></a></div>
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FFVI's Terra</div>
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Final Fantasy VI starts with Terra. We know she's very powerful and wields the ancient ability of magic. The Gestahlian Empire has her under mind control until an esper (summon) comes in contact with her, and she is freed. Terra is half esper herself, and we get to visit the esper world and learn of her true origins there. She's a very well-thought out character, and it's a great game all around.</div>
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2nd Honorable Mention:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHsvVWfhmNhrh0CqO7MU0TGfVNQQSjmrHvF_ON-M3FCCgHXcYYBuC44_oyeeHn2BshTBdPdN9U57Y50ta5W2XlH3I5G5wJMHERBCDbEr9IcrdbwwaLIBt9X2Quqw7sQkHNg9MvYNVhdxb/s1600/3207378-3145367-tifa%252Blockhart%252B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHsvVWfhmNhrh0CqO7MU0TGfVNQQSjmrHvF_ON-M3FCCgHXcYYBuC44_oyeeHn2BshTBdPdN9U57Y50ta5W2XlH3I5G5wJMHERBCDbEr9IcrdbwwaLIBt9X2Quqw7sQkHNg9MvYNVhdxb/s320/3207378-3145367-tifa%252Blockhart%252B2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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I can't not mention Tifa Lockheart from FFVII! Though Terra started the FF trend of badass females, Tifa is the face of them hands down. This sweetheart has fists of fury and has been the love interest of Cloud since they were little tykes growing up in Nibelheim. Cloud joins the military to impress her, and that's kind of when things went awry, but through it all, she holds him down. Talk about ride or die chicks!</div>
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When we get back, I will tell you about the sorceress Ultimecia from FFVIII.</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-77275699232647473722016-04-22T07:00:00.000-04:002017-01-17T10:19:59.210-05:00A to Z Challenge: The S's of Final Fantasy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Happy Friday! We are still powering through the A to Z Challenge. If you're still with me, I'm talking about my favorite characters from Final Fantasy. There are a lot of games, so that means a lot of characters!<br />
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Which boded a problem for me when I got to S, because there are so many of them to choose from! Here are my favorites.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthsdgGAYpbBI7wiwEY-WAiXuM7hKNgqm1IZFiKeJzsDY7kClvF3ftriy6SG0_kUd8fxX7lAvyhtZYaSkKrYVg8PiGJDro0ADsDgywO58FqrSeg7E51iNZqYUIXXX23Evp5AQxgkmR9CQE/s1600/Shiva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthsdgGAYpbBI7wiwEY-WAiXuM7hKNgqm1IZFiKeJzsDY7kClvF3ftriy6SG0_kUd8fxX7lAvyhtZYaSkKrYVg8PiGJDro0ADsDgywO58FqrSeg7E51iNZqYUIXXX23Evp5AQxgkmR9CQE/s320/Shiva.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">As seen in FFX</span></td></tr>
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Ladies first, and that means Shiva! Shiva is another veteran summon in the franchise. FFIX dubbed her the Ice Princess. In FFX, the creators were like, "Bump that. She's QUEEEEN." And this design is pure slayage. When you first summon her, it's just so cool. Unlike other games, X makes her a very powerful aeon (the later you acquire them, the stronger they are from the beginning), and I love it. Women rule. (The cosplays are awful, though.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JH5wUu2TIPvZOCoE6D5c_s6xF9tNM9KEZVWfrPsnYOVT9m2Y0z8DHONTGqhOJPRXvtpx1yi3b2t0T_zchFvRLeHYzd4cLYe1Rp7Dz30QyWzd-TUyjkXXqmlfmheQfHSj4v31KiW5j0TE/s1600/seifer+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JH5wUu2TIPvZOCoE6D5c_s6xF9tNM9KEZVWfrPsnYOVT9m2Y0z8DHONTGqhOJPRXvtpx1yi3b2t0T_zchFvRLeHYzd4cLYe1Rp7Dz30QyWzd-TUyjkXXqmlfmheQfHSj4v31KiW5j0TE/s320/seifer+gif.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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FFVIII gave us the archetype bully villain, Seifer. When we first see him, he slices open the main character Squall's face. After he fails his SEED exam for taking his squad into restricted territory, he joins up with the future sorceress Ultimecia in possession of the present sorceress Edea's body to champion for her. Her mission is to kill all SEED and compress time so only she can live in the world (villain logic), and for some reason Seifer is down with that. Maybe because he's horrible. They're both defeated in the end by the guy below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVQhyMipeUn395veZ83vvJXM1f66BaYUVtMXrntbnfzxzd6xVYoBZY_VbDsNl5wyC-cwt0MdB5AGEs9-Wyt6ZQEPfTk398W_DMTh2oFU3RvEkBK0g-tPANKcVfidn8GCoM-4otOo0aciN/s1600/squall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVQhyMipeUn395veZ83vvJXM1f66BaYUVtMXrntbnfzxzd6xVYoBZY_VbDsNl5wyC-cwt0MdB5AGEs9-Wyt6ZQEPfTk398W_DMTh2oFU3RvEkBK0g-tPANKcVfidn8GCoM-4otOo0aciN/s320/squall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Squall Leonhart, the ultimate emo scar-having, gunblade-wielding anti-hero. He wants to be left alone, but everyone looks up to him. He just has abandonment issues. His father (see Laguna from a couple weeks ago) didn't know he existed for most of his life because his mother died in childbirth while Laguna was away trying to rescue a girl who would actually become Squall's best friend in the orphanage until she is kidnapped (more on that later in U), leaving him all alone. So he got used to it, and then had to get un-used to it. At least he gets the girl (Rinoa from yesterday's post).</div>
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And last but definitely not least, the man I've spoken about I think 5 times before I even got to M:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sephiroth</span></td></tr>
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Believing he was an Ancient, Sephiroth learned about the calamity that befell them, blamed humans, and embarked on a mission to kill them all. In actuality, Sephiroth is the human son of a crazed scientist (see Hojo) who injected him with Jenova cells (see Jenova) when his wife was pregnant. Sephiroth is extremely strong and powerful enough to end up controlling Jenova's cells himself. He calls a meteor to fall towards the earth so that the planet can send all its Lifestream goodness to the crater where he is, so he can absorb it to become a god and ride the dead planet to the next planet and start the cycle his "mother" Jenova started. The whole story is mind-blowing, and I wish I had time to totally geek out about it, but I'm sure I've passed the suggested word limit already. In the end, Cloud (see Cloud) beats the hell out of him.</div>
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Also, if you have 6 minutes, I need you to go ahead and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLI3fSgccZU">listen to his theme song</a>. It's epic.</div>
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A quick Honorable Mention for S:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ffMz2Bcea9104zzXYTUeghMAAWPZJvMj-iSoEwJ2NqHfuQlYiZ19ldOJmKOjtAoZSx4r4KO31CoUPujpNyalN59imhYzNlZECBWoNDVvyFBLCkeNFA8buqhB6SE_4XjwqMDZy75eEIb4/s1600/Sabin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ffMz2Bcea9104zzXYTUeghMAAWPZJvMj-iSoEwJ2NqHfuQlYiZ19ldOJmKOjtAoZSx4r4KO31CoUPujpNyalN59imhYzNlZECBWoNDVvyFBLCkeNFA8buqhB6SE_4XjwqMDZy75eEIb4/s320/Sabin3.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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Mentioned in E because of his twin brother, FFVI's Sabin is a monk who is looking to avenge his mentor when we meet him. He's got fists of fury and is most likely the prototype for FFVIII's Zell (who will get a quick honorable mention in Z).</div>
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Tomorrow is T, which is for Tidus from Final Fantasy X!</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-34389678205637144412016-04-21T07:00:00.001-04:002020-09-17T09:20:41.022-04:00A to Z Challenge: The R's of Final Fantasy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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We are at R for the A to Z Challenge, for which I am geeking out on my favorite video game franchise, Final Fantasy. I honestly could not decide which character to choose for R, so I thought I would just talk about all of the ones I loved.</div>
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Rude and Reno are two henchmen for SHINRA, Inc., in FFVII. We see them often, and they're kind of dunderheads, always getting one-upped. In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, they're definitely comic relief. Rude is basically the cool, quiet muscle, and Reno is the one with all the mouth lol.</div>
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FFVIII gave us Rinoa, the leader of a rebel faction trying to overthrow the sorceress controlling her father's city. Her carefree, thoughtless actions immediately clash with the SEED squad leader Squall (coming tomorrow). She is later possessed by the future sorceress Ultimecia, becoming a sorceress herself, and there is a widespread theory that she actually <i>is</i> Ultimecia (I'm pretty sure she is and can back it up with evidence. More on that later down the alphabet).</div>
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Rikku is an Al-Bhed we first meet when main character Tidus (coming soon) gets sucked through Sin in FFX. The Al-Bhed are looked down upon for using machina, which is forbidden in most of Spira. Rikku is an alchemist, and in battle, she can mix things to create awesome attacks or healing potions. She's also Yuna's cousin, and she tries to kidnap her so that she doesn't go off to kill herself for the sake of Yevon. She's kind of annoying, but lovable at the same time. She's also the R in YRP (see Paine).</div>
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Last but not least, we have the summon Ramuh. Go ahead and press play on all that awesomeness. Ramuh is the most used summoner for lightning attacks throughout the franchise. The above is what summoning him looks like in the upcoming Final Fantasy XV. His staff is the head of the summon Ixion which I highlighted a couple weeks ago. I love it. Ramuh is a staple for Final Fantasy games. Period.</div>
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Tomorrow, I had the same issue as today, so we're looking at my favorite S's from Final Fantasy.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-26668719233136425352016-04-20T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-20T07:00:17.927-04:00A to Z Challenge: Quezacotl from Final Fantasy VIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Happy Hump Day!</div>
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The A to Z Challenge is heading down the hill, and it's been fun. We still have some letters to go, however, and my letters are dedicated to the people and creatures of Final Fantasy. Today's letter Q brings me to none other than Final Fantasy VIII for the Guardian Force Quezacotl.</div>
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After seeing the old man Ramuh for 5 games straight, this beautiful bird was a shock (no pun intended), but look at the design. I usually paired Quezacotl up with Zell because of his electric (still, no pun intended) personality. Quezacotl also taught its user the Mug ability, which was easier to use with Zell because he fought with his hands.</div>
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I don't really have much to say about Quezacotl. lol<br />
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Honorable Mention for Q:</div>
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Final Fantasy VIII gave us Quistis, an 18-year-old instructor who was apparently bad at it, because she gets fired. She tries to protect our MC Squall and get him to emote and talk to his friends more, but nothing doing. She joins us on the quest to defeat the sorceress, and if you play, you must acquire her limit break The End. Instant death to your enemies (Unless it's the final boss, but even then, it makes the battle breeze on by)!</div>
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Tomorrow, R is for a plethora of characters because there are so many.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-37726869911105355832016-04-19T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-19T07:00:19.122-04:00A to Z Challenge: Paine from Final Fantasy X-2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This A to Z Challenge, I'm geeking out on Final Fantasy characters and forcing y'all to read about them. (I'm getting tired of openings; can you tell?)<br />
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This day is for P, and P is for Paine!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOG3t7K-T4syxXkGIw__ye9opuA_cPA0QXAECQnBEVTqj0_SRPc8Yjr1pQS0QG7UDR932MjDBoaH1Fdr7qRtd_ggFXWdUP2q5r_xG-V65xN-vpgde7-9bl9yTaCBOrZwfA1SDb4DYJ7Lz/s1600/Final_Fantasy_X-2_Wallpaper_Paine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOG3t7K-T4syxXkGIw__ye9opuA_cPA0QXAECQnBEVTqj0_SRPc8Yjr1pQS0QG7UDR932MjDBoaH1Fdr7qRtd_ggFXWdUP2q5r_xG-V65xN-vpgde7-9bl9yTaCBOrZwfA1SDb4DYJ7Lz/s320/Final_Fantasy_X-2_Wallpaper_Paine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This young lady showed up in FFX-2, a game I have mixed feelings about, but I appreciated its attempt. FFX was the first game in the franchise to get a sequel, but it was a pretty blah sequel. Paine, however, isn't a blah character.</div>
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She's the voice of sarcasm in the YRP troupe, but we start the game not knowing too much about her. During a side quest upon which I didn't embark, you learn she worked for the Crimson Guard, a group of elite soldiers for Yevon, who were sent into the Den of Woe to investigate a rumor about a ghost machina. The pyreflies (spirits of fiends, people, etc.) were affected by the main villain whose spirit was trapped there, and everyone in the Crimson Guard died but Paine's group. They got separated, and that was how she met up with Summoner Yuna.</div>
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Paine is a badass. Her gear is cosplay fame, and I do love her sarcastic moments, especially when Yuna and Rikku (more on her in a couple of letters) are hype over something.</div>
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Also, dress sphere slayage.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maaaan, if my abs were ripped...</span></td></tr>
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Tomorrow, I actually have something for Q: FFVIII's Quezacotl.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-50829564814201277742016-04-18T07:00:00.000-04:002019-08-06T14:01:04.203-04:00A to Z Challenge: Omega Weapon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!</div>
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I'm highlighting some characters from my favorite Final Fantasy games, and today we are at O.</div>
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And O is for Omega Weapon.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUG_lcnL3E0fK38By5yvnNRwSYEoLUku9hY1_tFC4J9Zcr8O-cS02O0xNcdXOfjkvWRpku7LUhyphenhyphen7bKmMN7P5wcargQPASYeyFjUFa-gfvoh1WzfZ_ahHLb6OIZPh2IXtbu4o1TPCqZbaw/s1600/OmegaWeapon-ffvi-ios.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUG_lcnL3E0fK38By5yvnNRwSYEoLUku9hY1_tFC4J9Zcr8O-cS02O0xNcdXOfjkvWRpku7LUhyphenhyphen7bKmMN7P5wcargQPASYeyFjUFa-gfvoh1WzfZ_ahHLb6OIZPh2IXtbu4o1TPCqZbaw/s1600/OmegaWeapon-ffvi-ios.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">As seen in FFVI</span></td></tr>
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Omega Weapon is a recurring monster faced in many of the games. I honestly don't remember him in FFVI, but I'm replaying it at the moment, so I'll be on the lookout. It's often an optional boss because it's the hardest boss, sometimes even harder than the final boss.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This FFVIII version was <i>definitely</i> harder than the final boss.</span></td></tr>
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There is an Ultima Weapon, which is a lesser version as well, and <i>that</i> one is difficult. If you beat the Omega Weapon in FFVIII, you get a certificate on your game that says you did.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeXpQ5clhOnuJWFyf1-6wQt53Tf9hHn-54fI2qQgHBtEyblDZcd8P0_FAPUipeUwgNLewEzj0QMFzxghxKv3EZqCVELHPkDcdC0MXH0In0V_uWvNXvFMX0dTxMlI2qSBXNEcwqA8ubCG_/s1600/OmegaWeapon-ffx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeXpQ5clhOnuJWFyf1-6wQt53Tf9hHn-54fI2qQgHBtEyblDZcd8P0_FAPUipeUwgNLewEzj0QMFzxghxKv3EZqCVELHPkDcdC0MXH0In0V_uWvNXvFMX0dTxMlI2qSBXNEcwqA8ubCG_/s320/OmegaWeapon-ffx.png" width="319" /></a></div>
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In FFX, Omega was a monk who disagreed with Yevon's teachings on Sin (hm...I wonder why), and he was executed for it. Undead, if not sent on by summoners, become monsters, hence, a very angry Omega Weapon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb-1A3bQn6BOtFXZ5HtSCvyDPSbxV-pMtZYWIfbq0GMYxajrUlVrk36pTUoCdiUBBe31kRDDNKricRf_uFGYMRMugsloEOJkr9E76gEV-u62vSCOfkUrPWuG7eL5qPut6ssIi04A2YKjr/s1600/omegascreen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb-1A3bQn6BOtFXZ5HtSCvyDPSbxV-pMtZYWIfbq0GMYxajrUlVrk36pTUoCdiUBBe31kRDDNKricRf_uFGYMRMugsloEOJkr9E76gEV-u62vSCOfkUrPWuG7eL5qPut6ssIi04A2YKjr/s320/omegascreen1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Made this last because of its beauty.) In FFVII, weapons were created by the planet when Jenova dropped down the first time. They are there to protect it from danger, and this Omega Weapon appears in FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus, the only first/third person shooter I've ever completed (they scare me). Its purpose is actually different than the other weapons: it gathers the Lifestream from the planet to take it to another planet if the planet is unable to be saved. DoC is just beautiful to look at anyway, but this Omega Weapon is SO awesome.</div>
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Honorable Mention:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">O'aka the XXIII at your service!</span></td></tr>
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(The fashion in FFX is questionable at best, but...you know.) O'aka XXIII is a travelling merchant Tidus meets on a boat towards Kilika. If you give him 10,001 gil when you meet him, you get a 30% discount on his wares for the rest of the game. Kind of worth it if you have it to give.</div>
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Tomorrow, we actually stop by FFX-2 to meet Paine.</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-27925824771087975592016-04-16T07:00:00.001-04:002022-01-26T11:53:04.405-05:00A to Z Challenge: Nanaki from Final Fantasy VII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQCtJs50PxPBUBwJRmz1a1G9rexr5phpPDMu7irAjDpUbZTlNqcpBi8_PQoY1DKbyqSbtF1SUYmHU_rQ1gMNd6sJf2TXzzytWMXmRqzGDxCgsduQSFaJUMBBLLpfYHXZt3VTC88m96SdI/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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We are in the second half of the challenge! How is everyone coming along?</div>
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As stated 13 times before, I am using the challenge this year to geek out on Final Fantasy. 26+ characters from my favorite games for you to enjoy. As we are now at N, who better to talk about than Final Fantasy's Nanaki!<br />
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Introduced to us first as a beast added to Aeris's lab tank after she's kidnapped by SHINRA Inc., we meet Nanaki as Red XIII, the name Hojo gave him as a specimen. He was trying to interbreed him with Aeris (gross), but they both got out safely. Nanaki joins the team and takes us to his grandfather, who not only shows us that the mining and manufacturing of materia is killing the planet, but that Nanaki's father, whom Nanaki thought deserted their people during a crucial time in war, actually saved the townspeople by fighting their enemies until their poison spears turned him to stone. His body remains perched roaring at the entrance to their land.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">As seen in FFVII: Advent Children</span></td></tr>
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Nanaki is a teenager to his people, but if I recall, he's at least a hundred years old. He's a very mature creature, a voice of reason at times, especially with the motley crew we have in this game. I just love his design.<br />
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Tomorrow, we battle the Omega Weapons.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-67672968772301225662016-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-15T07:00:01.255-04:00A to Z Challenge: Moogles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are at the midpoint of the A to Z Challenge! I hope you're enjoying yourselves and getting plenty of comments on your posts!<br />
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Today we are on the letter M, and I have reserved it for an interesting creature constantly featured in Final Fantasy games:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Moogle!<br />(As seen in FFIX)</span></td></tr>
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The moogle first appeared in Final Fantasy III (though there was a prototype for FFII) and have been used for a number of things throughout the franchise. The first playable moogle, Mog, appeared in FFVI. He would also pop up on screen and ask if you wanted to save or see something that was happening elsewhere (if I recall). If you owned a Pocketstation, you could acquire the GF Mog for FFVIII through Chocobo World. In FFIX, you could help them send letters back and forth to each other, and you called them when you needed to save your game in the outside world. Stiltzkin (the one with the bag on his back) was a roaming moogle, and you could buy rare items from him as well as read more about what was happening in the game around you from the letters he sent out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mog from FFVIII</span></td></tr>
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My favorite design of the moogles was in my least favorite game, FFXII.</div>
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They were regular citizens in this game, and look at how cute their clothes are! Moogles often have fluffy white bodies. They usually looked like cats, but the bunny-design is just as cute (a couple look like chinchillas). They also often had wings and could float about. Something fun for the often dark storylines.<br />
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Speaking of furry creatures, tomorrow, we are looking at Final Fantasy VII's Nanaki.Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-78345428245537316982016-04-14T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-14T08:51:46.236-04:00A to Z Challenge: Laguna Loire from Final Fantasy VIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This A to Z Challenge is dedicated to my obsession with Final Fantasy games.</div>
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I'm highlighting some memorable characters from my favorite games of the franchise, and today, we come to one who holds a special place in my heart for L.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Laguna Loire</span></td></tr>
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As the main character Squall (more on him later down the alphabet) and his classmates/comrades are heading to one of their missions, they pass out and are suddenly not in their bodies, but in the past, in the bodies of Laguna and his war buddies Kiros and Ward. Laguna was a spazz of a soldier, but he had a big heart and wanted to be a journalist one day. After a major battle one day, Laguna slipped and fell off a cliff and washed ashore in a small town where he met who would soon become the love of his life and mother to a son he didn't learn about until 17 years later (Squall!).</div>
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He did get to dabble in journalism and wrote articles about his travels for Timber Maniacs, a magazine we collect during the game. Sadly, his wife died in childbirth while he was off rescuing her adopted daughter from a sorceress (heavy stuff). After defeating the sorceress in the city she controlled, the citizens made him president!</div>
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A very inspirational guy. I played FFVIII again recently, and he still made me smile, with his silly self.<br />
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Honorable Mention for L:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Lulu, seen here with Yuna, from FFX)</span></td></tr>
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Lulu is one of Yuna's guardians in Final Fantasy X (we'll get to Yuna way at the end). She is BAD. ASS! A black mage with a soft spot for Yuna beneath a hard shell and a skirt made of belts, Lulu's weapon of choice is animated dolls, like the moogle seen here. Also, boobies be poppin'. lol</div>
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Tomorrow, I'll tell you what a moogle is!</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-22702771982993522562016-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:002018-03-23T09:25:22.023-04:00A to Z Challenge: Kuja from Final Fantasy IX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back!</div>
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For this A to Z Challenge, I am geeking out on my favorite Final Fantasy games and characters. Today is the letter K, and I am highlighting the very unique, very individualistic Kuja from FFIX.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(As seen in FF Dissidia)</td></tr>
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I love a redeemable villain, no matter how psychotic. Kuja was probably the most flamboyant of villains, but if you saw all the people on his planet, you'd want to be different, too.</div>
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Kuja was created on Terra, a planet of soul-less, immortal dolls called <a href="http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Genome_(Final_Fantasy_IX)">Genomes</a>. Terra's original civilization had tried to fuse with the planet Gaia to save the Terrans (not sure from what; I guess because Terra was an older planet). The Terran Garland created the Genomes to inherit the Terran souls during the fusion, but when the fusion failed, Garland created Kuja and sent him to Gaia to incite war so that when the Gaians died, their bodies would be replaced with the Terran souls (though honestly, I don't think that would've worked...but you know. Villain logic.)</div>
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Unfortunately, Garland created Kuja as an adult with no type of conscience or ability to emote, and because of that, he couldn't control Kuja, so Garland made him mortal (I guess magically because he was already created) and tried again with the game's main character Zidane (I'll give him an honorable mention in Z). When Kuja learns he's on a clock, he says, "If I die, we all die!" and destroys Terra.</div>
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Yep, he blew up a planet. In a matter of minutes. This and more earned him the title of <a href="http://finalfantasyix.com/2013/10/18/kuja-most-underrated-final-fantasy-villain-of-all-time">the Most Underrated Final Fantasy Villain of All Time</a> by Final Fantasy IX Blog.</div>
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In the end, Kuja is defeated but helps get the main character and his friends out of harm's way. He even apologized for trying to destroy everything. He was just scared of death. Aww, poor guy.</div>
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Honorable Mention for K:</div>
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Final Fantasy VI's Kefka Palazzo is the 2nd most talked about villain in the Final Fantasy community (the first has been mentioned at least 5 times so far, but he's coming in S). He was purely evil, killing just because he could with no rhyme or reason. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyZoe-r9qb0">His infamous laugh</a> is the bane of players' existences.</div>
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Tomorrow, we handle interactive time travel with Laguna Loire of Final Fantasy VIII.</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-3464917682961862872016-04-12T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-12T07:00:05.140-04:00A to Z Challenge: Jenova from Final Fantasy VII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year for the A to Z Challenge, I have decided to highlight some characters from my favorite video game franchise Final Fantasy. I apologize to those of you who were reading my nerdiness.<br />
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Today's letter is J, and even if I could think of any other J character, I would still be highlighting the harbinger of the skies, the infamous Jenova from Final Fantasy VII.<br />
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There were a lot of cool things in the original video game, but when Sephiroth said, "I'm going to see Mother," and the music dropped, MAN. The image above is the Jenova Doll covering Jenova's tank inside of the Shinra reactor in Cloud's hometown. When Sephiroth reaches this, he pulls it away to reveal Jenova...<br />
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Definitely not human, let alone an <a href="http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Cetra">Ancient</a>. Jenova is actually an alien who feeds off of planets and then rides their dead shells onto another planet to do the same thing. She can mutate to look like creatures or the people of the planet, and her cells can also mutate them into beasts and superhumans like Sephiroth.</div>
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This is presumed to be Jenova's true form, which makes sense. I can see the way she would attach to a dead planet to sail it across the universe. <a href="http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Jenova">Reading about her</a> just makes you realize how messed up the whole situation really was! It still freaks me out.</div>
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Honorable Mention for J:</div>
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I believe when Tidus gets the news that his father Jecht is the monster Sin in FFX, you start to realize this game isn't going to have a happy ending. The man was already a bad father, but he sacrificed himself to become his summoner's final aeon, and then told his fellow guardian to take care of his son, the son who would help bring down Sin for good. So he had some redeeming qualities.</div>
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Tomorrow, we will be looking at the last Final Fantasy villain on the original Playstation: Kuja from Final Fantasy IX.</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-79950606960854159822016-04-11T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-15T00:24:00.306-04:00A to Z Challenge: Ifrit and Ixion from Final Fantasy X<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back!</div>
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This year, we are looking at characters from my favorite Final Fantasy games, from the people in the games to the things they summon. Today, we are looking at some of things they summon, because today is brought to us by the letter I.</div>
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Final Fantasy X gave us a whole new meaning to what the summoners could call on and how. Two of the coolest aeons in this game were Ifrit and Ixion.</div>
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Ifrit's just a cool dude, even though his power is fire. He's had many incarnations throughout the Final Fantasy franchise, first appearing in Final Fantasy III. Not gonna lie, <a href="http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Ifrit">he was pretty ugly</a>, always made up to look like some evil sprite thing until Crisis Core gave him more definition and depth. Final Fantasy X is my favorite look for him, more of a hell hound than a demon.</div>
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The aeon designs in FFX are just beautiful, which brings me to Ixion.</div>
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Wouldn't want to get impaled by that horn, no sir! The lightning summon got changed around a lot in the franchise. It was often Ramuh (coming later), and in VIII it was Quetzacotl. I found the unicorn to be an interesting choice, but I also loved using it.</div>
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Tomorrow, you finally get to hear all about that Jenova thing I keep mentioning.</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-81611568886358939922016-04-09T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-09T07:00:07.958-04:00A to Z Challenge: Prof. Hojo from Final Fantasy VII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are officially into the second week of the A to Z Challenge!</div>
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What all have you seen so far? I know I'm enjoying what I've read.</div>
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I am forcing some of you to listen to/read about characters from my favorite Final Fantasy games. We are at H today, and so that means it is time to look at the man behind all the crap that goes down in Final Fantasy VII:</div>
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Professor Hojo.</div>
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Hojo is a scientist brought in by Professor Gast Faremis to work on the Jenova Project, the goal of which was to create a new Ancient to lead Shinra Inc. to the Promised Land and gain more mako to manufacture for power. While researching the "Ancient," and interviewing the last living Ancient, Ifalna, he learns that Jenova is not really an Ancient, but an alien. Unfortunately, this was after Hojo had injected his unborn child with Jenova cells, and Sephiroth was created (more on him later, but if you've followed me so far, you've seen me mention him already). Hojo is also responsible for killing Professor Gast and taking Ifalna and their daughter Aeris to do more experiments.</div>
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This man has NO redeeming qualities. He only sees people as lab rats and cares about his research. He's the reason Sephiroth became the monster he was, and the reason Cloud was so screwed up. But all for science, right?</div>
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Monday, we will visit two of my favorite summons, Ifrit & Ixion!</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-57458986608490269722016-04-08T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-08T07:00:02.568-04:00A to Z Challenge: Gilgamesh from Final Fantasy VIII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge!<br />
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I am highlighting (approximately) 26 characters from my favorite games in the Final Fantasy franchise! Today, we are on G, so that means, we are visiting Final Fantasy VIII for the first time to look at:</div>
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Gilgamesh!</div>
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Gilgamesh is what they called a Half-GF (guardian force), and you don't see him until much later in the game. You obtain him by going to the Temple of Odin, beating Odin in under 20 minutes. Once you do that, you unfortunately don't get to summon Odin; he appears at the beginning of a battle to take out your foe with a one-hit kill (Zantetsuken) whenever he pleases! During one of the boss fights, however, he gets sliced and diced himself, and Gilgamesh takes up Odin's sword for the rest of the game. He comes whenever he pleases as well, sometimes even in the middle of a battle! Unlike Odin, he also has a bunch of arms and 4 swords, which add up to 4 attacks. Odin's Zantetsuken, Masamune and Excalibur, which deal heavy damage to all foes, and Excalipoor, which might as well do nothing. It's sort of a relief when he pops up, but you also don't know what you're going to get!</div>
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Tomorrow, we slip into the mind of the mad scientist Hojo from Final Fantasy VII.</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-38454306193538638862016-04-07T07:00:00.000-04:002017-01-17T09:54:02.822-05:00A to Z Challenge: the Fayth from Final Fantasy X<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Press play, and enjoy (especially about 7 minutes in).</div>
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We are on the 6th day of the A to Z Challenge, and I have chosen to ramble on about my favorite characters in my favorite gaming franchise, Final Fantasy.</div>
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If you pressed play, you are currently listening to the Hymn of the Fayth. Because today's letter is F.</div>
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The Fayth are the true backbone of the land of Spira in Final Fantasy X. Not only are they powering the aeons that we summon, but they are the ones holding up the Dream Zanarkand. Speaking of which (and I'm certainly not making you watch all 8 minutes of this, just up to the reveal of the magic tower), here's what that looks like:<br />
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If you actually did watch all of that (you're awesome, because even I didn't), the little boy guiding Tidus is Bahamut's Fayth, the aeon from the letter B! This game has one of the sadder backstories of the Final Fantasy games, as the Fayth are all basically dead and have been using their own life forces for a thousand years to help the summoners of Spira and for the dream Zanarkand (their home) to keep going.<br />
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I've played this game three times, and the hymn makes me want to play it again.<br />
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Honorable Mention for F:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cMbLT7aIa-94bteFx7dW2pjOkOYXRPE1CuZirbj1QNSViUQwd3yFGA5EgdaWp2w5EUFppz32M4wO5RUd6E5Wwvp-yc0Mug-8f94IQW9zabPTEP0fRRWIs2F9WI7oP-BgcyeSJtKIe8wL/s1600/fran.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cMbLT7aIa-94bteFx7dW2pjOkOYXRPE1CuZirbj1QNSViUQwd3yFGA5EgdaWp2w5EUFppz32M4wO5RUd6E5Wwvp-yc0Mug-8f94IQW9zabPTEP0fRRWIs2F9WI7oP-BgcyeSJtKIe8wL/s320/fran.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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Fran from Final Fantasy XII is someone I plan to cosplay when I have--ahem--abs. A viera warrior and love interest of Balthier, she is the one of the only good things about that game. Her last words in the game are hilarious.<br />
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Tomorrow, we return to summons while I talk to you about Gilgamesh.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-87328218181851225182016-04-06T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-06T07:00:23.553-04:00A to Z Challenge: Edgar from Final Fantasy VI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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We are midweek and on the 5th letter of the alphabet! (Which is confusing because we are on the 6th day of April, but I digress.) For the challenge this year, I'm geeking out on characters from my favorite Final Fantasy games.<br />
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Today, I'm going to talk about the King of Figaro, Edgar Roni Figaro!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRouv3PmvRGo4_FaFuxsJ80_BlmmmzmKPkNc9j0t6hlGZUb_xti2Jk3x-vWY6X5lX2AfNjDgGkXul5P1gTrwQFH7Izd15z3mZEdDNNk2UL7wCWLhWrSupA9Qv1Db5XdjDbrLUfU60vp3uw/s1600/Edgar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRouv3PmvRGo4_FaFuxsJ80_BlmmmzmKPkNc9j0t6hlGZUb_xti2Jk3x-vWY6X5lX2AfNjDgGkXul5P1gTrwQFH7Izd15z3mZEdDNNk2UL7wCWLhWrSupA9Qv1Db5XdjDbrLUfU60vp3uw/s320/Edgar.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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The art!! I want to stop here to say that FFVI is an underrated game, but among fans, it's such a great game with a great story. And the characters are great. Also, look at the designs:</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFhWwDZAPMJx1-SB-DQ1uyZoQGBg94Fco4HgfWKI72gA1jWiqghHrOlhw9TpACmbgOQL62Um60ulP3Cvtq1qTVvTkSqu8be_lZED2-z5NgmmGWRRFzng9JDFHSoiWolOjZTgsKN9NvZmu/s1600/Ff6gba_map05-FigaroCastle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFhWwDZAPMJx1-SB-DQ1uyZoQGBg94Fco4HgfWKI72gA1jWiqghHrOlhw9TpACmbgOQL62Um60ulP3Cvtq1qTVvTkSqu8be_lZED2-z5NgmmGWRRFzng9JDFHSoiWolOjZTgsKN9NvZmu/s320/Ff6gba_map05-FigaroCastle.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">A picture of Figaro Castle. It sinks into the sand and moves to other deserts!</span></td></tr>
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A genius technological advance in this Final Fantasy world. But back to Edgar. He is the older of a set of twins. In the game, he is reunited with his brother Sabin, who left because, according to the Wiki, he was grieved that the people cared more about who would be king than the death of his father. Despite this, Edgar is a ladies' man, and the maids in his castle are always fawning over him. It's funny, and in pixel art, it's adorable. Edgar is also a machinist and creates weapons that you can use in battle for his "Tools" attack. Edgar joined the resistance called the Returners against the Gestahlian Empire, who killed his father, and together, along with his awesome moving castle, he and the other main characters defeat them and the main villain, the psychopath Kefka. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5fG2DmzC66kfG9HDoQkz2sw5t3Sz7yaU1cxJjMvETjxo1bsvvFncYhtdIl413m1BRTLyvdL_k7BHkVBzx8VmGlSxsVcQDfaXe6P0EqEX5qSasTE2TYlzkFsVPnuGHZTfFIBVfUhM2wiv/s1600/CGEdgar.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5fG2DmzC66kfG9HDoQkz2sw5t3Sz7yaU1cxJjMvETjxo1bsvvFncYhtdIl413m1BRTLyvdL_k7BHkVBzx8VmGlSxsVcQDfaXe6P0EqEX5qSasTE2TYlzkFsVPnuGHZTfFIBVfUhM2wiv/s1600/CGEdgar.PNG" /></a></div>
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I had to read to understand the coin. I don't think I ever looked it up. When Sabin wanted to leave, Edgar said they would flip a coin, and if Sabin won, he could leave. It was a two-headed coin. How sweet. Edgar is a sweetheart despite his Lothario-ness.</div>
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Honorable Mention for E:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2t1TaBzvr62_oC7CnzzYGCV3pPbQC__eJdk9oE6YCSS1nvchMqFT0gHFrHRiQF1rUq624Ao7F4TuJp60ZN8GBnsFeQ9OhhAINIcFM0IYmPNUQCMyfj3-dpjVi6GnZibBTXNDGiH0nekXG/s1600/ffviii_edea-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2t1TaBzvr62_oC7CnzzYGCV3pPbQC__eJdk9oE6YCSS1nvchMqFT0gHFrHRiQF1rUq624Ao7F4TuJp60ZN8GBnsFeQ9OhhAINIcFM0IYmPNUQCMyfj3-dpjVi6GnZibBTXNDGiH0nekXG/s400/ffviii_edea-full.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We first see Edea Kramer as the evil sorceress in Final Fantasy VIII. What we don't learn until Disc 3 is that she was possessed by the future sorceress Ultimecia (coming up way later). Edea, as badass as she was evil, was the matron of an orphanage all but one of the main cast lived in when they were kids, and she and her husband created the SEED Army to fight sorceresses. So once de-possessed, she's a total good guy. And COSPLAY GOLD here. Look at that outfit.</div>
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Tomorrow, we return to Final Fantasy X to learn about the Fayth.</div>
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Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-65689352563677642032016-04-05T07:00:00.001-04:002020-09-17T09:18:53.491-04:00A to Z Challenge: Dagger (???) from Final Fantasy IX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">**This post was created before I changed the MC of Fractured Princess's name from Ghuli to Jonnie.**</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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For the A to Z Challenge, I am highlighting characters from my favorite Final Fantasy games.</div>
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Today, I am also slightly cheating.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrdllq0hiDkjTzEyAhhLJnCqlh8to7DdeQGb_t6zwK2Ws1YpJ-7YT_bQdrjZ0gVpkSbPtghdRH2UD-R497Sb_ZxIVSNWLXEa6CLWvDmdapLe14ERcVvPZ9phv8OQEqIWgBRT05r_bUdGm/s1600/Garnet.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrdllq0hiDkjTzEyAhhLJnCqlh8to7DdeQGb_t6zwK2Ws1YpJ-7YT_bQdrjZ0gVpkSbPtghdRH2UD-R497Sb_ZxIVSNWLXEa6CLWvDmdapLe14ERcVvPZ9phv8OQEqIWgBRT05r_bUdGm/s320/Garnet.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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We're visiting the last Playstation Final Fantasy game, IX, to meet Garnet til Alexandros XVII.</div>
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(You're probably thinking:) Garnet? But isn't this D day?</div>
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Yes, yes it is. Now, let me explain. Garnet was a sad and troubled princess, heir to the throne of Alexandria, and in the beginning of the game during a play her crazy mother the queen is putting on, she runs away with the main character and changes her name to....</div>
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Dagger!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYbjaXqfqeNzSyipNEVpsBO55mjPm4hsCyhXlot18LmcWGo-H_mxck4Bm54cHHlGNs51zg8Zh3OSN7x1eyz-GHeFTI0fv8mEwsajwK11IzS1OSrv3d37tGulH1X_uWIQ2YXNNP43VOuun/s1600/Dagger.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYbjaXqfqeNzSyipNEVpsBO55mjPm4hsCyhXlot18LmcWGo-H_mxck4Bm54cHHlGNs51zg8Zh3OSN7x1eyz-GHeFTI0fv8mEwsajwK11IzS1OSrv3d37tGulH1X_uWIQ2YXNNP43VOuun/s320/Dagger.png" width="203" /></a></div>
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During the game, we also learn that Dagger is actually part of a magical race of summoners and that her REAL name is actually Sarah! (How many names does this girl have??) She and her mother were escaping a slave ship that destroyed their homeland, and only she made it out alive. The king and queen took her in and made her up to be their recently deceased daughter Garnet. She had plenty of reasons to look so down.</div>
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Here's something extra special about Dagger: she was the inspiration for the main character in my WIP, <i>The Crystal Bearer</i>. Without Dagger, there wouldn't be Ghuli. Meek, solemn, and proper princesses with a will in them to fight the good fight make for great characters!</div>
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Tomorrow, we visit Edgar in the highly underrated Final Fantasy VI.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-67587831243830953732016-04-04T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-04T07:00:01.597-04:00A to Z Challenge: Cloud from Final Fantasy VII<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Happy Monday!<br />
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For the A to Z Challenge, I am highlighting characters from my favorite gaming franchise: Final Fantasy. And as today's letter is C, I wouldn't dare talk about any other character than Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbRilHMAT-7gpwIQUxnTdtoTIFZOmWdHmFNY3CEevU6axtkr_m7H0DYoabZebzPMEPIqdsA3goJMIG3RQxeSqNF-6B00tRk4YEOdzPZEPuajYm61IQthqAzgvMaDKBIRP8jRynjIrQYjt/s1600/200.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbRilHMAT-7gpwIQUxnTdtoTIFZOmWdHmFNY3CEevU6axtkr_m7H0DYoabZebzPMEPIqdsA3goJMIG3RQxeSqNF-6B00tRk4YEOdzPZEPuajYm61IQthqAzgvMaDKBIRP8jRynjIrQYjt/s320/200.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Yeah, you, Cloud.<br />
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A dreamer from Podunk (well, Nibelheim), Cloud wanted to grow up to be big and strong and join SOLDIER, the elite task force created by Shinra Inc. (*ahem* also the same people who mistook an alien for an Ancient, as mentioned Friday). Cloud only made it to, like, gunny sgt. or something before all Hell broke loose and Arcade Sushi's 4th greatest video game villain of all time (<a href="http://arcadesushi.com/best-video-game-villains-5-1/">Sephiroth</a>) started killing everyone (more on him later).<br />
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But Cloud overcame, actually injured Sephiroth to the point where he had to hole up in the planet, and managed to have a slight dip into Multiple Personality Disorder due to mako poisoning (the planet's magic and the reason his eyes are so blue) and most likely PTSD (more on all of that when we get to Z).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Look at the pout.</span></td></tr>
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He's the ultimate underdog and the face that launched a thousand cosplays. If you've heard even a little bit about Final Fantasy, it's probably because of Cloud.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Honorable Mention for C: </span></div>
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General Celes Chere from Final Fantasy VI. She was badass and beautiful, and that she found love in the end was just so sweet!<br />
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Tomorrow, we talk about Final Fantasy IX's "Dagger".Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073691051197934541.post-92158787958670092962016-04-02T07:00:00.000-04:002016-04-02T07:00:06.648-04:00A to Z Challenge: Bahamut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmcj-vJylJrwGdTNh7PTdJPvJCZPjGYo3mn7WULpD2COfI7W7-u9-XfS8EDajn2cdEnV4cHRed5sR6dwXs-4by1P1uAna7Xd6MakMmMguitgsQLN5NINgmdShoFLBwdaIVusqV6MKjIJk/s1600/A2Z-BADGE+%255B2016%255D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Welcome back!<br />
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For the A-to-Z Challenge this year, I am highlighting characters from my favorite gaming franchise, Final Fantasy. For B, I bring you one of my favorite summons: Bahamut.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(As seen in Final Fantasy VIII)</span></td></tr>
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Summons in Final Fantasy are creatures you can call on to help you fight when the going gets tough. Bahamut is first seen in Final Fantasy III and is used in every other game after. He's most frequently depicted as a large, black dragon whose attack is called Mega Flare, a concentrated laser beam that causes a huge explosion.<br />
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He looks the coolest in Final Fantasy X</div>
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(Look at those wings!):</div>
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And the scariest in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</div>
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(Look at how huge he is!):</div>
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The Final Fantasy devs are very good at adapting their summons, and of them all, I think they've done one of the best jobs with Bahamut. You'll also see another mention of Bahamut a little later in the challenge, as he plays a big part in Final Fantasy X, so stick around!</div>
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Honorable Mention for B:</div>
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Barrett from Final Fantasy VII. A foul-mouthed, hot-tempered eco-terrorist taking care of his best friend's daughter? Talk about complex!</div>
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2nd Honorable Mention:</div>
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Balthier. Final Fantasy XII should have been about him. Point blank. He's one of the only good things about that game. Sexy pirate with smooth accent and a love for bunnies (I'll explain later lol).</div>
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Monday, I will be talking about good ol' Cloud from FFVII.</div>
Debra Renée Byrdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717966370332027353noreply@blogger.com0