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Yapping Eevee
Nov 12, 2011

STAND TOGETHER.
FIGHT WITH HONOR.
RESTORE BALANCE.

Eevees play for free.


Developed by the Almanic Corporation (who also made Wonder Project J) and published by Enix, E.V.O. - Search For Eden was released in July of 1993 for the SNES. Aside from offering a whole 12 MEGs of content, well... Here's the box blurb.



This time on “Games that Leavemywife talked me into LPing”, we're gonna be doing something a little different. This is going to be a video LP! Oh, and every update will include links to all of the music you'll hear in that video. :toot: Turns out that the music was originally composed by Koichi Sugiyama (aka. the Dragon Quest guy) for a Japan-only title, then adapted by a student of his, Motoaki Takenouchi (the Shining Force dude) to use in E.V.O.

Table of Contents
Episode 01: Under Da Sea
Episode 02: Totally An Amphibian
Episode 03: The Age of Grinding
Episode 04: Kicking Back in the Ice Age
Episode 05: Rambling Around
Episode 06: Only the Strong Survive

Yapping Eevee fucked around with this message at 01:24 on Jun 25, 2016

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Yapping Eevee
Nov 12, 2011

STAND TOGETHER.
FIGHT WITH HONOR.
RESTORE BALANCE.

Eevees play for free.
Artwork!



rotoscoped tries to make sense of the ultimate dinosaur.

Yapping Eevee fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Jun 15, 2016

Yapping Eevee
Nov 12, 2011

STAND TOGETHER.
FIGHT WITH HONOR.
RESTORE BALANCE.

Eevees play for free.


:ducksiren: Episode 01: Under Da Sea :ducksiren:

Additions

The first boss has 75HP, so you have to hit him 15 times without being hit 5 times. :eng101: There's enough little items lying around to take one extra hit, but good luck grabbing them all without taking one!

Oh, and something I was told after recording: The Swordfish Horn is an exception to the three uses rule. It doesn't break, but it locks you into using the mid-tier jaws.

shalcar posted:

I think the Strolites in the game are a reference to Stromatolites which are a type of rock colony created by cyanobacteria in shallow waters. They are still around today in fact and one of the best places to see them is in a place called Shark Bay in Western Australia. It's weird to think of living rocks, but that's basically what they are.

:science:

e: have a picture!

Alpha3KV posted:

A couple notes about that first transformation crystal: It actually changes you into one of two forms, the other being a very fast eel with 100 HP. Also, the ray form is affected by your size when you swallow the crystal. The large ray also has 100 HP. IIRC, only one other crystal form has a size difference.

Evolution Chart



New Music

01. The Origin Of Gaia

The attract mode tune. It's most of the story we're gonna get.

02. Earth’s Overture

The title screen music! You can definitely tell who made it, can't ya?

03. Mother Earth

Gaia's theme, of course. We'll start each chapter with this.

04. Beginning of an Era

The fanfare for... well, you can guess.

05. Ever-Changing World

Our map screen music. You won't get to hear much of it during the videos, so enjoy it here.

06. Birthplace of All Life

A good track for our early stages.

07. Undersea Maze

Mysteriously mazy.

08. Tension

Danger music! Expect to hear this a few times...

09. Intrigue

The sting for boss monologues.

10. Masters of Land, Sea, and Sky

Boss music! Very Dragon Quest-ish indeed.

11. Treasure

The "You beat a boss" fanfare. Eat the meat!

12. Great Achievement

This is the game's happy music, of course.

13. New Destinations

One of the stage themes we'll be hearing throughout the ages.

14. Time Transporter

The doorway to a new age.

15. Evolution

This game's "lovely trumpets".

16. Advice

When the crystal speaks.

22. Game Over

Yep, we've already heard this. Hopefully we won't hear it again.

Yapping Eevee fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Jun 2, 2016

DoubleNegative
Jan 27, 2010

The most virtuous child in the entire world.
I've played the hell out of this game, so I'm definitely watching this.

Leave mentioned that the first boss was weak to charge attacks and it really is. The strongest set of horns deals, I want to say, like 20 damage per charge into the boss. It really makes short work of him, but you also have to be careful to not run straight into his open mouth.

MaskedHuzzah
Mar 26, 2009

Come now! Look me in the eye and tell me - isn't this the face of a guy you can trust?
Lipstick Apathy
I remember renting this game as a child and not being able to figure out how to save it, so I just left it on all weekend. Looking forward to this LP.

Bifauxnen
Aug 12, 2010

Curses! Foiled again!


Enix always had all the weird RPG's compared to Square, and this was one of the weirdest. In a good way.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

Oh, whoa! Check out the Viewing Globe, shorty!
I love this goddamn thing. Don't forget to chose the best Back-Of-The-Head parts.

shalcar
Oct 21, 2009

At my signal, DEAL WITH IT.
Taco Defender
E.V.O. is a fun little game that doesn't have a whole lot of depth but always seemed to have a lot of heart. I'm glad to see it LP'd!

I think the Strolites in the game are a reference to Stromatolites which are a type of rock colony created by cyanobacteria in shallow waters. They are still around today in fact and one of the best places to see them is in a place called Shark Bay in Western Australia. It's weird to think of living rocks, but that's basically what they are.

:science:

e: have a picture!

ElTipejoLoco
Feb 27, 2013

Let me fix your avisynth scripts! It'll only take me a couple horus.
I really wish someone translated the PC-88/98 prequel. It's a top-down turn-based RPG though, and I imagine that's one of the reason's no one's done it. Anyway, I'll be watching this mess unfold.

Feinne
Oct 9, 2007

When you fall, get right back up again.
This was literally my favorite game when I was a kid because I am the worst nerd.

Scaly Haylie
Dec 25, 2004

Ah, this game. I love the next chapter, but then again I may be biased.

Alpha3KV
Mar 30, 2011

Quex Chest
I played this game a while back, so I'll be checking this out. A couple notes about that first transformation crystal: It actually changes you into one of two forms, the other being a very fast eel with 100 HP. Also, the ray form is affected by your size when you swallow the crystal. The large ray also has 100 HP. IIRC, only one other crystal form has a size difference.

Fabulousvillain
May 2, 2015
I've never played this game and know I would get annoyed eating things to level up constantly, so I'll stick around and watch since I won't have to.

Yapping Eevee
Nov 12, 2011

STAND TOGETHER.
FIGHT WITH HONOR.
RESTORE BALANCE.

Eevees play for free.
Excellent! It's nice to actually know just what the game means with its slightly off creature names. Also it's always good to see Battlepod's unofficial chief strategist out and about.

Alpha3KV posted:

A couple notes about that first transformation crystal: It actually changes you into one of two forms, the other being a very fast eel with 100 HP. Also, the ray form is affected by your size when you swallow the crystal. The large ray also has 100 HP. IIRC, only one other crystal form has a size difference.
I did know about the alternate form, but not the different-sized ray. (For some reason that crystal has always given me the stingray.) At any rate, I'll be adding both of these quotes to the update post. :toot:

MaskedHuzzah posted:

I remember renting this game as a child and not being able to figure out how to save it, so I just left it on all weekend. Looking forward to this LP.
I only figured out how when I found the manual scans. :ssh:

AriadneThread
Feb 17, 2011

The Devil sounds like smoke and honey. We cannot move. It is too beautiful.


i think the bouncing bugs are supposed to be trilobites

Fatigued
Feb 5, 2010
Nap Ghost

ElTipejoLoco posted:

I really wish someone translated the PC-88/98 prequel. It's a top-down turn-based RPG though, and I imagine that's one of the reason's no one's done it. Anyway, I'll be watching this mess unfold.

Good news, it looks like there actually are some people working on a translation currently http://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,21731.0.html

Bruceski
Aug 21, 2007

The tools of a hero mean nothing without a solid core.

AriadneThread posted:

i think the bouncing bugs are supposed to be trilobites

Yeah, definitely trilobites, though the real ones aren't known for bouncing around violently.

The Kuraselache are probably Cladoselache, one of the earliest known shark ancestors.

U.T. Raptor
May 11, 2010

Are you a pack of imbeciles!?

I love this game so much :allears:

shalcar posted:

E.V.O. is a fun little game that doesn't have a whole lot of depth but always seemed to have a lot of heart. I'm glad to see it LP'd!

I think the Strolites in the game are a reference to Stromatolites which are a type of rock colony created by cyanobacteria in shallow waters. They are still around today in fact and one of the best places to see them is in a place called Shark Bay in Western Australia. It's weird to think of living rocks, but that's basically what they are.

:science:

e: have a picture!

iirc, stromatolites can form in deeper water, it's just that in the modern world they're restricted to places like Shark Bay that are too harsh for the grazing animals that would otherwise mow them down.

And yeah, the translation in the game is... janky to say the least. I don't know if it's a technical limitation the translators had to work around or what.

Aerdan
Apr 14, 2012

Not Dennis NEDry

U.T. Raptor posted:

I love this game so much :allears:

iirc, stromatolites can form in deeper water, it's just that in the modern world they're restricted to places like Shark Bay that are too harsh for the grazing animals that would otherwise mow them down.

And yeah, the translation in the game is... janky to say the least. I don't know if it's a technical limitation the translators had to work around or what.

The game is loaded with both Japanese and katakana'd scientific names for various things, so probably a combination of time constraints and the lack of Wikipedia & WWWJDIC.

dis astranagant
Dec 14, 2006

The worst part of this game is how badly it punishes you for going for the hidden forms. You heal less in them and usually do less damage while taking more.

Leave
Feb 7, 2012

Taking the term "Koopaling" to a whole new level since 2016.
Y'know, I tried to give out a bunch of alternate video titles, but it seems that none of my suggestions could quite seal the deal.

Scaly Haylie
Dec 25, 2004

Leavemywife posted:

Y'know, I tried to give out a bunch of alternate video titles, but it seems that none of my suggestions could quite seal the deal.



Well, algae damned. I thought I was the only one who liked puns.

Captain Bravo
Feb 16, 2011

An Emergency Shitpost
has been deployed...

...but experts warn it is
just a drop in the ocean.
For those wondering what the link is, but too lazy to type it out themselves:

Aesclepia
Dec 5, 2013
Next verse same as the first.
I rented this game so many times I should have just bought it... I also had nightmares about some of the bosses in this game. Looking forward to this!

Skippy Granola
Sep 3, 2011

It's not what it looks like.
Still good for a replay now and then! I sure love how dumb and selfish every animal is

dis astranagant
Dec 14, 2006

Skippy Granola posted:

Still good for a replay now and then! I sure love how dumb and selfish every animal is

Yeah, so long as you don't do something stupid like evolve into a human.

Unoriginal One
Aug 5, 2008
It was always kind of funny how bad that form was after how much the game tried to make it sound like a big deal.

Polybius91
Jun 4, 2012

Cobrastan is not a real country.
Was the human form that bad? I seem to remember it having pretty good range and attack speed.

dis astranagant
Dec 14, 2006

Polybius91 posted:

Was the human form that bad? I seem to remember it having pretty good range and attack speed.

Less damage, less defense, less reach than a long neck and you have to spent 1500 points to heal instead of 200. All for a small boost in movement speed and 10 hp.

Skippy Granola
Sep 3, 2011

It's not what it looks like.
Sure, we might suck at fighting anything but we invented the white chocolate latte so

ZiegeDame
Aug 21, 2005

YUKIMURAAAA!

dis astranagant posted:

Less damage, less defense, less reach than a long neck and you have to spent 1500 points to heal instead of 200. All for a small boost in movement speed and 10 hp.

And you can't kick anymore, which is the biggest penalty.

Bruceski
Aug 21, 2007

The tools of a hero mean nothing without a solid core.

The human should be able to evolve themselves some armor and an AK-47.

Cathode Raymond
Dec 30, 2015

My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.
Soiled Meat

Bruceski posted:

The human should be able to evolve themselves some armor and an AK-47.

You're getting dangerously close to turning this into a Cabela's game.



And no one wants that.

U.T. Raptor
May 11, 2010

Are you a pack of imbeciles!?

dis astranagant posted:

Less damage, less defense, less reach than a long neck and you have to spent 1500 points to heal instead of 200. All for a small boost in movement speed and 10 hp.
Also, you had to eat manually, unlike every other creature in the game (whose bite attack also eats things).

Yapping Eevee
Nov 12, 2011

STAND TOGETHER.
FIGHT WITH HONOR.
RESTORE BALANCE.

Eevees play for free.
Clearly I need to post an update.



:ducksiren: Episode 02: Totally An Amphibian :ducksiren:

Additions

Lizard Wizard helpfully suggested that the Ikustega is probably meant to be the Ichthyostega, and provided just the perfect picture.



:downs:

Evolution Chart



New Music

17. Whispers From Above

Hearing voices from on high? And before we even licked any of the the other frogs!

18. Amphibians' Land

Get off our land, etc. One of my favourites.

19. Intimidation

Intrigue’s fat cousin.

20. Cry for the Past

This is going to be a harsh journey.

21. Gaia's Warning

Mayyyyybe we shouldn’t have done that.

23. Foreboding Desert

Oh Gaia there’s sand in my everything

U.T. Raptor
May 11, 2010

Are you a pack of imbeciles!?

I'm pretty sure the green crystals only let you turn into a creature from the current era or before.

Also, it's easier to avoid the queen bee's stingers if you run across the arena instead of jumping.

Captain Bravo
Feb 16, 2011

An Emergency Shitpost
has been deployed...

...but experts warn it is
just a drop in the ocean.
That's great that the game doesn't explicitly punish you for killing the elder... but if you have the gall to then eat his corpse Gaia gets pissed and smites you. :v:

AriadneThread
Feb 17, 2011

The Devil sounds like smoke and honey. We cannot move. It is too beautiful.


+200 evo
-999 health

hrrrrrm

Yapping Eevee
Nov 12, 2011

STAND TOGETHER.
FIGHT WITH HONOR.
RESTORE BALANCE.

Eevees play for free.

U.T. Raptor posted:

Also, it's easier to avoid the queen bee's stingers if you run across the arena instead of jumping.
I'm aware some people like that tactic, but I very much disagree. The jumping has always been infinitely more effective for me. :shobon:

Captain Bravo posted:

That's great that the game doesn't explicitly punish you for killing the elder... but if you have the gall to then eat his corpse Gaia gets pissed and smites you. :v:
It would be even better if the game made you fight the preceding boss again, in account of you not successfully finishing the 'level'. Sadly, it does not.

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Cathode Raymond
Dec 30, 2015

My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.
Soiled Meat
Your amphibian looked exactly like a dinosaur right up until the end, when it turned into a dinosaur :v:

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