Tales of Symphonia Official Thread

My first run I ended with Collette,then Sheena,then Genis and not to sure if I've played a through a forth time,last time I played I was only at fire temple :P Amazing game though.

Mokong X-C, you've got big spoilers in that post, there must be users out there who didn't play the game to the point of knowing about the stuff previous to Symphonia and about some of the characters because they aren't in your party when you start the game...

What? This is news to me? Are you saying Tales of Phantasia coming to the GBA takes place in the same world as Symphonia?

(...)

I'm really looking forward to TOP on the GBA and TOTT on DS because of TOS, but i'm still aware that only a true sequal to TOS would satisfy me. I just want to see the characters grow more and explore that world again... prolly mostly due to the characters, they were so great you actually related to them like real people.

Yes Symphonia is a prequel to it, you have familiar places and some references, thus Phantasia can be considered a real sequel with diferent characters (but pretty good ones)... I could go into more detail but that would spoil it

But I have to say... they Raped ToP GBA a lot... voice acting is horrible, graphics were toned down, animation is slower... music was wattered down... And they cut down "echii"(perverted) scenes!

I'm sorry for not helping Namco on this one, but you're better off with the SNES version, it was perfectly translated a few years back.

Yeah but that slyph temple was giving me a hard time so I gave up. And the random battles suck. From now on all RPG's should be like tales and Baten Kaitos. NO RANDOM BATTLES.

Yeah but that slyph temple was giving me a hard time so I gave up. And the random battles suck. From now on all RPG's should be like tales and Baten Kaitos. NO RANDOM BATTLES.

I get the shivers when a toned/watered down version of ToP gets on US stores and IGN says "this is for hardcore old-school gamers, random battles are too often" when I play the game and see "OMG they toned down the random battle frequency by 3 times" or so... I feel like... they are complaining about nothing you know? it was no big problem a few years back and it isn't today, only if people are being picky...

I try to judge the games for what they are, not for what they aren't... I enjoy them better that way.

I played and enjoyed the game as it was and it was perfect that way (it's my favorite game next to Majora Mask) I feel like... messing with the random battles is like screwing a classic game, it's better to leave it as is.

Mokong X-C, you've got big spoilers in that post, there must be users out there who didn't play the game to the point of knowing about the stuff previous to Symphonia and about some of the characters because they aren't in your party when you start the game...

 

Yes Symphonia is a prequel to it, you have familiar places and some references, thus Phantasia can be considered a real sequel with diferent characters (but pretty good ones)... I could go into more detail but that would spoil it

 

But I have to say... they Raped ToP GBA a lot... voice acting is horrible, graphics were toned down, animation is slower... music was wattered down... And they cut down "echii"(perverted) scenes!

 

I'm sorry for not helping Namco on this one, but you're better off with the SNES version, it was perfectly translated a few years back.

Woops sorry about that, i never even considered there might still be people yet to play it. I edited out some things, had to do it quickly i'm in college, if there's more PM me and i'll get it when i get home.

Also i didn't know TOP was a remake of a SNES game either, damn i feel like an idiot now, haha. I'll prolly still get TOP on GBA if it takes place in the same world (do they have referandes to TOS characters? Lloyd and co? how long after TOS does it take place?). But from what you said about the GBA version (which is odd since the GBA has more power than the SNES you'd think they'd add to it not take away), i'm gonna hope that Namco jump on the Revo's Virtual Console so i can get the SNES version.

Also i didn't know TOP was a remake of a SNES game either, damn i feel like an idiot now, haha. I'll prolly still get TOP on GBA if it takes place in the same world (do they have referandes to TOS characters? Lloyd and co? how long after TOS does it take place?). But from what you said about the GBA version (which is odd since the GBA has more power than the SNES you'd think they'd add to it not take away), i'm gonna hope that Namco jump on the Revo's Virtual Console so i can get the SNES version.

I thought of making a comparative for Revo-Europe, but I never finished it... I just did 3 screenies and I'll leave those here for judgement:

it's all SNES(left) -> GBA(right)

See, the graphics were raped to no recognition, the backgrounds were all hand-made now they are horribly generic... the sprites were changed and lack detail (look at the shields), the color palete was mixed up to make the game brighter for GBA...

But the worst is the battle engine it's so slow and "robotical" now, it doesn't feel at all like the ToP I know. I couldn't bare with it.

As for sound... they took the music "The Dream will Never Die" from the opening (the first ever sang music in a videogame), and instead of making a new one (like ToS)... they just threw in the overworld map music :/ the music on SNES was really good, now on ToP GBA it seems like NES music... The voice acting looks pretty retarded too.

Another take:

Like most SNES to GBA ports, this version is watered-down! The lesser quality is most obvious when you view the battle animations and hear the soundtrack. Tales of Phantasia's soundtrack is one of my most favorites. To hear it watered-down is a traumatizing experience!

The battles feel slower. They shouldn't have used the battle sprites from the PSX version because I think they're too big for GBA's screen. They look bloated and they irritate me. The English release removed the J-Pop song and credits from the opening. The bland English voice acting doesn't get my adrenaline pumping at all.

Several aspects of background detail was removed, like birds no longer fly in the background and your reflection no longer shows in water.

------------------------------

As for... how it fits in the story...

NoE: Many GameCube owners loved Tales of Symphonia. In what way is Tales of Phantasia linked to that title?

 

Yoshidumi: "The two games - Symphonia and Phantasia - are set in the same world. Phantasia decribes a world a few thousand years older than that of Symphonia. In this respect, several proper nouns and names are the same in both games. If you choose to play Symphonia through to the end of the game and then you begin your adventure with Phantasia, you'll see that many puzzles and riddles are answered."

Some fan's say it's 4000 years... I pretty much doubt that.

Rest of the interview can be found here:

-> http://www.revo-europe.com/forum/showpost.php?p=97774&postcount=93

Sheena's surname is a character's surname in the game is it not? Thought I read it on a Tales site im just about to start the game for myself just because it's almost like a sequal.

Sheena's surname is a character's surname in the game is it not? Thought I read it on a Tales site im just about to start the game for myself just because it's almost like a sequal.

heh, :wink:

Damn, just looking at those screen comparisions... i actually don't think the sprites are "that" bad, with the exception of the detail on the sheilds and weapons i think the GBA sprites look better..However seeing as it is a GBA game those sprites are a bit big for the screen, the SNES sprites would have been loads better. And the backgrounds are MUCH better on the SNES ones, thats shocking, i thought they said the GBA was more powerful than the SNES?

And its a shame you say the voice acting is poor cuz in TOS it was top class IMO. One of the reasons the characters were so indearing(sp?)... hell i didn't even think they'd get much voice acting onto a GBA kart :p

Back on TOS, i'll spoiler this just incase i say something without knowing...

Voice acting is terrible on TOP ,I played it for a few min and went 'time for break'

Damn, just looking at those screen comparisions... i actually don't think the sprites are "that" bad, with the exception of the detail on the sheilds and weapons i think the GBA sprites look better..However seeing as it is a GBA game those sprites are a bit big for the screen, the SNES sprites would have been loads better. And the backgrounds are MUCH better on the SNES ones, thats shocking, i thought they said the GBA was more powerful than the SNES?

 

And its a shame you say the voice acting is poor cuz in TOS it was top class IMO. One of the reasons the characters were so indearing(sp?)... hell i didn't even think they'd get much voice acting onto a GBA kart :p

 

Back on TOS, i'll spoiler this just incase i say something without knowing...

 

something i've always wondered...where do they get the names from? Like Symphonia? Does it mean something?

lastly while GBA is more powerful, it's screen can't display as many colors as SNES did, so colourful games pushing the pallete often have to be toned down, but that's not why it ended up like this... the battles are slower now, it's simply not enjoyable, it just shows that this was a crappy port.

As for where they do get the names... No idea... Symphonia I can understand, but the others I don't. I don't think it really has a meaning though.

Voice acting is terrible on TOP ,I played it for a few min and went 'time for break'

but Mokong X-C they didn't fit whole dialogs in the cartridge it's just grunts like link, when in battle they scream things like "heal" and stuff like that... it's nothing major, really.

ToP SNES could have all that top quality (including a singed music) taking up 6 MB... and this one worse in everything... takes up 8 MB it's really the lammest port I've ever seen, sadly.

This is a real shame, you'd think after the success of TOS they'd give TOP GBA proper attention to detail instead of a lazy port, especially seeing as TOS would have brought loads of new "Tales of" fans (like me) begging for another "Tales of" game.

I think i'll wait till E3, with any luck Namco will announce Rev Virtual Console support and TOP SNES will make the list. Knowning the GBA version is a lackluster attempt of port is a lot like when Hollywood remakes asian horror films:shakehead

As for where they do get the names... No idea... Symphonia I can understand,

Really? Explain please:)

I also would love to see an Anime series based on TOS, i wouldn't care that i'd know the story, it would just be really great to see that story play out with gorgeous anime animation:awesome:

Don't be afraid of the spoiler tags, they are for

Well... Symphonia is a musical composition, but it can mean harmony

It could have some deep meaning... because the only related titles in the series are Symphonia and Phantasia... Phantasia although coming close to Fantasy (it could be named like that because Final Fantasy), can also be associated with music... being used to describe a medley of familiar themes (with variations and interludes).

I hope so too, I want ToP SNES on my Rev ^_^

:wink:

There's a Tales of Phantasia Anime (4 episodes), who was finished last month, I doubt they'll do a ToS anime but hey... Phantasia is related

Yea you find out the name in it never knew there was a short anime must look for it.

Yea you find out the name in it never knew there was a short anime must look for it.

ah so the name is revealed in TOP? I been thinkin bout it, think i'll still get it, just got paid today, so might drop to the shops over the weedend maybe. Dispite what you say is wrong with it, i just can't wait to explore that world agian, even if its not the same characters.

EDIT:

Checked the shop after work, they don't have any more copies and they said they most likely won't get any more in unless they are pre-owned....

Well namco seem to have dropped all ia endings from their tales games from now. Their all Tempest, Abyss and some other tales game I have now forgotten.

But if Phantasia is supposed to be older than Symphonia ( although I'm pretty sure it was the other way around) How do we find out what Lloyd named the tree if he wasn't alive yet?

Phantasia---------------4000 years---------------------Symphonia?????

Maybe it's just a mistake by NOE.

Well namco seem to have dropped all ia endings from their tales games from now. Their all Tempest, Abyss and some other tales game I have now forgotten.

 

But if Phantasia is supposed to be older than Symphonia ( although I'm pretty sure it was the other way around) How do we find out what Lloyd named the tree if he wasn't alive yet?

 

Phantasia---------------4000 years---------------------Symphonia?????

 

Maybe it's just a mistake by NOE.

I don't think NoE said that, in the interview they talked about "several thousand years after" not even milenia, and that's also Namco's story, so I'm sticking with that, but there are fans who claim 4000 years, don't ask me why. But it really doesn't matter anyway.

Abyss is out in Japan already so it's not considered "in development..."

the following are the registered new titles besides "the Tempest":

* Tales of Howling

* Tales of Two Faiths

* Tales of Doom Sign

Who knows... one of them might be slated for Revolution... sadly Namco has been releasing too much "Tales of" games this generation, the sales for the series are decreasing in Japan... that's why delaying "the Tempest" was a pretty smart move.

I'm looking forward to Tempest now but they are releasing quite a lot though,gonna go back to TOP now.

talking of tales i know its not out on the gamecube but i have been playing tales of legendia on my ps2 and i love it! I didn't even no about the tales series till i played symphonia so i guess i got a lot of catching up to do

Yeah Legendia seems to be the last game ending in ia. Namco seem to have dropped the whole ia thing now which I think helped to define the tales series in the same way FF games are I-XII or whatever they are on now. I personally don't like the 2d battle system in legendia. Fighting on one plain isn't as fun as the 3d battle system. Also the main character fights with knucle braces I think which I don't think is a cool weapon for a leader to have. Its all about swords and Giant Iron cleavers.

talking of tales i know its not out on the gamecube but i have been playing tales of legendia on my ps2 and i love it! I didn't even no about the tales series till i played symphonia so i guess i got a lot of catching up to do

Allow me too explain (also why there's so many games coming out) there was a team created for GC Tales game, that's "Team Symphonia", the only other game they did this generation is Tales of the Abyss (A natural sucessor, using the same engine), and it should be pretty damn good, better than symphonia even (I'd bought it if I had a PS2).

then you have "Team Destiny", who did Tales of Destiny II, Legendia and Rebirth, this generation... (they also did Eternia, and the first Destiny for PSone).

Anyway... Team Symphonia pownz Team Destiny in every possible way (they also don't release games that often)... shame Abyss isn't coming to GC.

Yeah Legendia seems to be the last game ending in ia. Namco seem to have dropped the whole ia thing now(...)

The only thing finishing I can think of... is that I heard (dunno if it's confirmed) that "Team Destiny" is getting disbanded after "Tales of the Tempest"... but I don't even know for sure if they are indeed making TotT... so please explain

Never knew about all the teams,thanks for the clear up.

What I meant was for example: tales of: SymphonIA PhantasIA LegendIA EternIA. They seem to have stopped all this and have just gone for plain simple endings like tempest, abyss, Destiny, Howling, world etc. So yeah that is basically what I meant by that.

Ah right I see now.Legendia and Phantasia -maybe Eternia- are all old games though.But yea I get what you men though.