some rpg luvin'

this was inevitable, since i am currently playing kingdom hearts.

i've always enjoyed rpg games. maybe it's because it was the first game i ever picked up for the ps1. or maybe its my obsession for a good story (and visuals syempre!), with all its plot twists, characters, and gameplay (i get to kick ass!).

whatever. below are the list of rpgs i've already played, in chronological order.

xenogears - by far the best rpg for me. lost A LOT of times, but it only made me more pumped to play. no walkthrough guide for most of gameplay time. enjoyed the mini-games and battle system (both in person and gear), despite being almost always financially-scrapped. finished the game at level57 (a record!). and nothing, and i mean NOTHING, beats its massive storyline (with anime sequences). the twists and revelations just kept on coming! would luvvv to play this again.
final fantasy 7 - my friend carlo hyped this one for me, (and played the first few minutes as well), but i never got to go beyond that since the next FF installment came in...
final fantasy 8 - 4 discs! first big buy for me. however was too methodical playing it, relying too heavily on guides. reached level 100, got all ultimate weapons. yawn. perhaps the only saving grace was graphics. oh, and the characters. japs really know how to create them
thousand arms (konami) - HILARIOUS! no guide here, but had a blast "powering up" meis (main character) with dating the dif girls on the game.
raphsody - my first strategy-rpg. kinda cutie-cutie, but worked for me. no guide here either.
chrono cross - by then i was already researching on good games. this one was a follow-up to chrono trigger, which had a lot of good reviews abt it. the successor had some of the most impressive visuals, but i wasn't attached to the story at all. just to one character. somehow, ending the game gave me only little satisfaction...
chocobo dungeons 2 - me and my sister's first attempt at dual player system. no story plot here, just straight platform gameplaying. didn't get to hook sister with rpg, but at least she got in on why it was fun (this may also be because all the enemies went after me and not her). another first - at making my own accessories. no guide.
legend of mana - another 2-player game system, again with no guide. will forever be remembered for one of its creepy children singing (not intentional, but we were a bit scared by the sound) and the lamest partner of all - Pearl! (hahaha!)
suikoden 2 (konami) - while a guide was a must (not to mention its 108 characters), there was still an unmistakeable charm to this one. maybe it was the added mini-games (which reminded me of xenogears). or the occasional strategy-fighting. or the 6-character system (and combo option).
final fantasy X2 - my first ps2 rpg game, which wasn't even mine. i got a few hours into this until my bro's friend reclaimed it (he made me play it first). it was... okay. but i was annoyed with the main character and how the battle system involved changing outfits. ack!

kingdom hearts - my first, REAL-time fighting. with most of my previous games as turn-based (not to mention a huge year-long lull from playing), i admit i needed some time to readjust... and found it was even more exciting! adding the Disney characters made it all the more enjoyable as well. still has yet to be finished (currently at level 49). as for storyplot, well, i'm pittied against Disney villains (weee!).