Thanks Tebunker!

On the framerate side, it is a MUST that you install the game to your hard drive. 

   
I'm still a 360 newb. I do have the new Xbox Live Dashboard/Experience installed. How would I go about installing the game to the hard drive? I didn't really see an option under the "My Xbox" area.

I was notified that my Amazon order (the $40 pre-order special that EddieA found) shipped yesterday. With the Thanksgiving holidays coming up, it may still be a week or so before I get it. The reviews have been a bit lukewarm (GameInformer gives it 7/10 in their latest issue), but I remain hopeful. I'll give some impressions when the game arrives.

Somehow, I had resisted the urge to buy a 360 for a long time. Surprising, since I waited in line for the midnight launch of the PS2 and I waited in line during the early morning hours for a Wii back in 2006. (Yeah, yeah, nice story grandpa )
   
Anyway, I almost bought a 360 system back when Mass Effect was released. Still I was able to resist the urge. However, with the recent system price drop and the releases of Fable 2 and Fallout 3, I finally took the plunge.
   
My brother called me last Friday to tell me that a Wal-mart nearby had put some games in a clearance end-cap and that I should check it out on my way home. When I got there, they had one copy left of Bioshock for $10 and one copy left of Mass Effect for $10. Needless to say, I snatched them both up. Well, I have become so engrossed in Mass Effect that I haven't even opened Bioshock yet.
         
I am really enjoying the game tremendously. So, while this post has nothing to do with the "Point of no return" in the game, I just thought I would share.

I'm not sure how long it will last, but Amazon has TLR available for preorder for $39.99.

   
Good catch EddieA! I was probably going to get it close to release day anyway, but for $40, I jumped on the pre-order.

Thanks everyone! All of your replies have been extremely helpful. I really appreciate it!

I have long resisted the pull of the Xbox 360, but I believe Fable 2 and Fallout 3 are going to be enough to push me into a purchase (not to mention Infinite Undsicovery and Tales of Vesperia). I have just about settled on picking up the Pro 60 GB package, but I'd like a little feedback on a few questions before I take the plunge:
         
1. It looks like both the Pro and the Elite have backwards compatibility for most Xbox games. I have a few Xbox games that I (and my girls) still like to play. Does the Pro indeed allow backward compatibility?
       
2. Is the extra 60 GB and the HDMI cables of the Elite worth the $100 price difference? Shockingly enough, we don't have a high def TV yet, but will at some point during the holidays. I doubt I will use the system for much more than playing pre-packaged games, but I am curious how quickly 60 GB might fill up with game updates, extra content, etc.
         
3. Are there any other advantages of the Elite over the Pro that I might be missing?
   
Thanks!

Thanks for the responses everyone. I appreciate it. It's been a big help. I'll probably end up going with Zack and Wiki for him (and maybe even an extra copy for yours truly) and I'll probably grab Disgaea for myself next week.
     

My only question is, does he already have Super Mario Galaxy? The reason I ask is because it has a co-op play mode that's perfect for a 7 year old and their parent.

       
He's pretty bad about buying things on or near release day, even near the holidays (I guess it runs in the family ). I checked with his wife and he does already have Super Mario Galaxy. He's been playing it with his 7 year old already and they're having a big time, so it was a great suggestion, if he had any self-restraint at all.

I'm looking for a present for my brother. I thnk I've narrowed it down to one of the three in the title of the thread.
   
Zack and Wiki - Good reviews. I found the IGN Review thread here and the community responses seemed to have been very favorable. He has a 7 year old son that he likes to play games with, so this would seem to fit the bill. Probably the safe choice.
   
Disgaea - He played the original on the PS2 years back and enjoyed it. I wasn't able to find a thread about the PSP version of Disgaea (I easily could have just missed it), so I'm very curious if anyone here has any impressisons. Is it a nice update that is enjoyable on the PSP? Does it add much or is it basically a port? Probably the nostalgic choice.
         
Orcs and Elves - I believe this was originally a cell phone game, hopefully beefed up for the DS. I doubt this would be the way to go, but I saw it on the shelf and wondered if anyone here has tried it. He does like old school RPGs, if they're well done. He loved Eschalon (PC) and also enjoyed Etrian Odyssey (DS). Probably the risky choice.
     
Any feedback on these would be appreciated. I hate to admit it, but I'm also looking for some impressions because I'm interested in hearing about them for my own selfish purposes after the holidays.

Dragon Quest VIII
Kingdom Hearts 2
Dark Cloud 2
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Final Fantasy XII
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land
Kingdom Hearts
Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria
Ico
Disgaea
Shadow of the Colossus

   
Edited because depward reminded me of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. I can't believe I forgot that one.

I've been following the development of this game for over a year now. The developer was kind enough to post periodic updates on OO.
   
It is an old school RPG harkening back to the glory days of Ultima, Might & Magic, and Wizardry. The official game site is Basilisk Games.
   
There is a very positive preview up on RPGWatch.
   
The game will be available tomorrow for digital download and/or CD orders.
   
I am really looking forward to playing this tomorrow. I'll give some impressions once I've logged some time in the game, but I wanted to start this thread in case anyone else is interested in checking out the game.

While you're only asking about NBA, MLB, NHL, and football games, I do have to mention that the PSP sports game that has consumed uncounted hours of my time is Hot Shots Golf. While there are many PSP games that are very good, I'm nutty enough to believe that Hot Shots Golf is a good enough game to justify the purchase of a PSP all on its own.

-  Maybe it's my bad eyes, but the text is very small and somewhat tough to read. 

 
It's not just your eyes. I'm having a hard time reading the text, too.
    
That's my only quibble with the game so far, though. Everything else is aces.

-  He likes sports, but complex controls and a million different buttons might be a problems.

   
I would think Tiger Woods and Madden (or NCAA if he's a bigger college football fan) would be safe choices if he is either a golfer or a football fan.
   
My brother-in-law has a PS2 and owns exactly one game, NCAA Football (he does buy the new version every year), and he absolutely loves it.

Mask of the Betrayer and FF Tactics.

[long]

Now 16 hours in, and Jeanne D'Arc is a solid contender for my GOTY. 

I agree. Jeanne d'Arc is easily my favorite game of 2007 on any platform.
 

P.S.  Has anyone else taken on that "free battle" area at the beginning of chapter 3?  My guess is that is a fight that I will come back to in a long time (the 800 hit point dragon was a little daunting), and it better have something awfully cool.

 
I can't wait to get powerful enough to try that map. I knew I was in trouble when I scanned the map and saw another 800 point dragon hanging around on the far side, not to mention the "Queen" and other monsters spread around the map. When Jeanne did 27 points of damage to one of those dragons, I figured it was time to bail and come back later.

[Spoiler]

Quick question about transformations for a certain character.   Slight spoilers, so...

Spoiler for Hiden:

Gilles used a armlet to transform during the first battle he appeared (the one where you don't control him directly).  Now that he's in my party, is there a way to get him to transform again?  The status screen shows he has an armlet equipped and he's gaining SP every battle, but there's no "Transform" option like Jeanne has.

Am I missing something?

 
That's strange.
 

Spoiler for Hiden:

I am able to make a "Transform" choice when I select Gilles. I forget the name of the Gem he uses, but he turns into some sort of "bird" guy. It hasn't been too helpful yet because I haven't used him much and he's quite a few levels behind Jeanne, but it's definitely there on his menu choices. I wonder if maybe he gets the Transform ability at a certain level. He's level 17 in my game.

 

Speaking of transformations, I just had my first battle where they become absolutely necessary.  Being vastly outnumbered, I had to use all my support characters to soften up the enemy a bit, then have Jeanne come through with Godspeed and mop them all up.  Was quite fun! 

I'm just starting Chapter 3 and the game keeps getting better. The last four or five battles have come down to the last turn or to Jeanne relying on the transformations to capture the day. At first, I didn't like some of the timed levels, but now I really like the way it makes me think about my strategy for each map. It actually gives me a nice feeling of accomplishment when the strategy works.
 
I'm on a new map that looks to be quite challenging. Jeanne, Roger, and Lianne have jumped way ahead of the others in levels now (Jeanne is 29, while some of my party members are still 15 and 16). I've been going through the story, but I think it may be time to go back and do some free combat with my lower level characters to bring their levels up. 
 

Wow, this is a fun game. I've been waiting for this ever since EddieA posted the news that it was coming to North America. It has been well worth the wait, and then some.
 
The graphics are amazing and it is very addicting. It even has me looking forward to having to spend several hours waiting around in airports over the next two days.

Jeanne D'Arc!

Jarrod, thanks for the reply. I appreciate it.
   
I did try your suggestion, but I'm still missing something. I've read the book (talking about Elandir's life and teachings). I've cleared everything I possibly can. I can see mobs on the mini-map past the Agallan statue (that I can talk to, but says that only Agallans may pass), but I can't get back to them. I can even see a pathway (with more spinning columns) to the southeast of the statue that's blocking me, but it seems to be blocked by a stone wall and I can't bash it open like a secret area. When I return to the original quest giver, he still has a gray question mark over his head and only tells me "Good speed, and may the Fates guide you."
 

I'm in need of a little help. I haven't been able to play much over the past week, but I want to get back to the game. Unfortunately, I'm stuck. I must be missing something obvious. I'm on quest (38) Tomb of the Ancients. I've completed step 1 "Malith has spoken" by saying the words at the entrance of the tomb to gain entrance. I'm stuck on step 2 "Contact the Agallans." The quest text says, "If there is a way to contact the Agallans within this tomb, then do so... and fast." I've done everything I can in the tomb many, many times. There's a long corridor from the entrance, then a left turn to go over a bridge with some spinning, moving columns. After clearing the bridge, I come to a room where an Agallan statue is straight ahead. Approaching the statue only gives me the option to "Talk." When I do, the statue says that only Agallans may pass. I don't have the option to speak the words that the quest giver gave me to deliver to the Agallans. If I go left from the statue, I find a room with a book to read. If I go right, I find a "secret" area with some undead Agallans. I've run through this tomb countless times and I can't find any way to proceed. I'm sure I'm missing something obvious, but I could use some advice.
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks DiamondDecision. That was a big help. I was able to find the Alpine Heights with your advice. Now, I'm on into the Tomb of the Ancestors. I'm a bit stuck. I have the words I need to say to the Agallans, but I'm at an Agallan Guardian who won't let me pass (says I must be an Agallan), but also won't give me the option to say the message, like I did to get into the tomb.
 
No worries, I'll continue to explore in there a bit.
 
Thanks for the help!

I've been playing a lot of this game and I'm still highly enjoying it. I've played with all three character classes up to about level 30 or so. I've settled on the Shadow Stalker, now Blademaster, to try to reach the endgame. She's level 47 now and has been a blast to play.
 
I do need a bit of help, though. I'm stuck on the quest: [40] Touch of Evil (I've completed all the others that I got along with it in the Castle Refuge). It's asking me to slay a Vagar Defiler and take his Book of Curses. The quest log doesn't mention specifically where he is to be found, but I've been in every open dungeon so far. The only one I can't get to yet is the Tomb of the Ancients because it says it is sealed, with no way in yet. I suspect that the Defiler is in the Tower of the Damned. I can see a secret area just inside the entrance (I even see the little white "secret area" icon) with an orange highlighted mob that may be the Defiler. However, I can't find a way into the secret area. I can get into the back of the secret area, that was previously sealed, near the elevator, but I can't get into the front section. I've tried hitting all areas of the secret area's wall, I've gone around the length of the secret area and tried using the square icon to "open" the wall, I've tried standing as close as I can to the mobs inside the secret area, in hopes that one of them might bust out after me, and Taar has even blasted the wall with her nature spells, but I just can't get in.
   
If anyone remembers how they got into that secret area, or if you remember if the Defiler is somewhere else, I would be very grateful for any help.
 
EDIT: Well, I still can't get into the secret area, but I did go back into the Tower a few more times. On this last one, the "orange" (elite) mob was no longer in the secret area. I found him in another area of the Tower altogether. So, I've got the quest covered.
 
I'm still curious if anyone knows how to access that little secret area (completist that I am).

Just got yet another ETA change notice from gamestop.  Now it's 7/17/07

 
 

I'm stuck in jury duty all week, but I hope to be able to pick this up tomorrow night on my way home. I'm looking forward to playing.

[PSP:]

Etrian Odyssey
 
I was also planning to grab Innocent Life. My girls love all things Harvest Moon and I like to dabble with it, too, but this will make me step back and read a few impressions/reviews first:
 

PSP:
Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon

If I had a PSP I'd be curious about this one, but what the hell?  I'm browsing through some previews and it looks like your character is a robot?!

Thanks to the screenshots linked on the main page, I'm even more geeked about Dungeons & Dragons Tactics than ever. The game looks great and, with some <fingers crossed> good gameplay, it could keep me occupied for a good, long while.
 
My only regret is that it's not due until June 19, which will be a week after my vacation. However, it will arrive in time to accompany me on a two-week work trip at the end of June.

In DQ8, Jessica had an "attack" where she would rub her breasts in the enemies' faces to stun them.  That's pretty slutty.

Not for Jessica, it was not. It was sweet and endearing.
 
(Seriously, I played through DQ8 with my two daughters. We had a great time, but I intentionally avoided some of Jessica's "attacks" for that very reason).

Wow. That looks very cool. I didn't know anything about this game before now. I'm going to have to stop opening EddieA's threads.
   
I was contemplating either Dawn of Mana or Atelier Iris 3 for the end of May, but this one may have just leap-frogged those two.

(I even found a European copy of Tales of Eternia, so I should be all set now).

amazingly good game - probably the best psp rpg available...

Very good to hear. I'm about to crack it open.

as for ae, i chickened out & got puzzle quest instead...

You made the right choice there. As much as I'm liking AE so far, given the choice between the two, Puzzle Quest would win hands down.

Not that I needed another PSP game, but I couldn't resist picking this up today. I'm traveling for work for most of May and June, so I'm stashing away a few games for the road. (I even found a European copy of Tales of Eternia, so I should be all set now).
   
I didn't play the previous game, but I can concur with everything else in Dante Rising's post above. I'm still early on, but it seems like a nice strategy fix until D&D Tactics, FF Tactics, and Disgaea arrive.

I'm still enjoying the game quite a bit. I am only playing in short bursts, so the "grind" has yet to get to me. I can completely see where semiconcious is coming from, though, and I can see that I could reach that point, too. However, it does scratch a deep gaming itch of mine and I do think I'll continue to enjoy it in short sessions for a good, long while.

Aedis Eclipse: Generation of Chaos

 

PSP Aedis Eclipse: Generation of Chaos

   
Has anyone spotted this in stores yet? And, who's going to be the first to break out the impressions thread?

Way too cool. I can't wait.

Excellent news. My girls and I have had a great time with Hot Shots (both Fore! on the PS2 and Open Tee on the PSP).

actually, even if you don't go the npc route, the job-switching thing still applies...

   
Thanks for the tip. Now that you mention it, I can see how it could be an issue. My fighter and healer were both level 4 before I could afford to make my third character.
   
While we're on that subject, are job combinations a pre-requisite for advanced classes (i.e., fighter/thief unlocks one job while fighter/mage unlocks another)? Or are the advanced jobs available when you reach a certain level or when you unlock them within the game? I guess my question is should I be giving careful thought to my job-switching or just go with what I think sounds cool?

'soon' is a relative term . you will encounter a couple npcs somewhat early on (via quests), but by then i'd already filled out my party. i'd say it's a personal preference kinda thing, & i've always liked building my own characters in this type of game. if you do go the npc route, remember that it can be beneficial to both the character & the party to switch someone with a high level in one job to another job for a bit...

     
Thanks. I appreciate that. I also like to build my own, so I'm grateful for the feedback.

Thanks Destructor. That's a big help.

Thanks to this thread, I picked up VK today. I will be traveling for work almost the entire month of May, so between this game, Lenneth, and Dungeon Siege ToA, I should have plenty to keep me busy during those long flights and downtimes.
 
I like what I've seen so far. Definitely old school, but I'm enjoying it. I do have one question for those of you who have been playing for awhile. I'm a bit confused by a quest. I took an early one called "The Sin," where someone asks me to take them to the Old Prison, to the first level of the underground where the entrance is sealed. I'm not sure what I should be doing. There's not a name on the quest for someone to go talk to, to be able to take them there and there's not an NPC in my party. Should I be looking around town for someone to take along with me or am I just looking to find the right place in the dungeon? I've stumbled around in the Old Prison, but I've done nothing to trip the quest completion off yet.
 
I do have another question, now that I think about it. How fast did you start to fill in your character slots? In other words, should I be buying and creating new character classes as quickly as I can afford them (I already have a healer to go along with my main fighter), or will I meet NPCs who will join up with me soon?
 
Thanks.

About your question - you can pretty much keep all of the items you'll find in those chests.  Basically, at the end of each chapter you'll get a score.  The higher your score (influenced by offering those items to Odin (very insignificant in the grand scheme of things) & the stats & person you send each chapter) - the better goods you'll get at the end of each chapter.

There are some veeery nice items you'll definitely want to keep.  There are also some items that don't do much of anything that you might as well send up to Odin.

 
Thanks depward! I really appreciate it. I'm now off and running in Chapter 1.
 

So would you recommend this for someone who likes console RPGs in general?  How's the story so far?

I'm sure your question was meant for depward. He (and others) would be much better able to answer your question than I, since I'm still very early on in the game. I like it most console RPGs and I've really enjoyed the start of this game and my time in the Silmeria PS2 game.