1. Scenes of Drama"You are... my living legacy", Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII- C'mon, it's meeple's tournament. This was going to get in. I may as well be the one to nom it.
The Oath, Shadow Hearts: Covenant- This would be the train scene. To me, it's really the emotional climax of the game, where Yuri realizes what he wants to do and what he
needs to do. Simple, great use of music, just a stellar scene and probably the single strongest reason SH2 is a 10/10 on the CK scale.
"By your powers combined, I am EMO JESUS", Persona 3- Okay, title aside (I couldn't resist), this would be the lead up to and battle with Nyx (as distinct from Nyx Avatar). Cheesey, to be sure, but lines like "Yeah, I'm willing to give my life too!!" spoken with the conviction and in the scenario presented here? Powerful shit.
Demon Path, Battle 1. Soul Nomad- For all the depravity and compete-monster-ness in the demon path in general? The personal attrocities in the first damn battle were, frankly, the only truly gut-wrenching action there. Everything else had a sort of caustic, "a million is a statistic" villainy to it.
The Oath, Final Fantasy VIII- So in the middle of the big climatic battle between Gardens, someone figures out that a mercenary school acutally wasn't the best equipped to take out the entire military force of a nation. Cue the hapless antisocial 17 year old someone decided for no dicernable reason to put in charge actually living up to the trust thrust upon him, mustering up the authority and courage to get his people back on their feet and ready for a full out charge letting him sneak into the enemy headquarters. This scene, more than any other, is why there's a running joke about the third and fourth discs of FFVIII being another game, summing up all the serious character writing poured into Squall in about 2 minutes.
Tales from Zeboim, Xenogears- The shared flashback between Emeralda and Fei deep in the Lighthouse. It's a very strange scene for the game, because unlike the Lacan flashbacks it feels less like a highlight reel of important life-shattering moments and more a series of moments selected to try and bring to life that era in Fei's history (nothing else in the game really touches on Kim's life). And you get... one determined doctor desperate to preserve the lives around him. It's weird because you get the impression that he's really a fairly regular guy just trying to do what good he can and just maybe have a normal family life with his wife, but the entire world is conspiring against him. It's just very... lonely and understated, and really stands out among the background of the rest of Xenogears.
"On Teitra's Soul, I swear to you...", Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions- Delita's scene of ultimate sexiness, whispering sweet nothings of love and peace in Ovelia's ear after she learns she was never a princess. Just a well done scene and a sharp contrast of humanization for the ever-manipulative and driven Delita.
"We will live without... false hope.", Final Fantasy X- This stands out as the moment Yuna stopped being a Yamato Nadeshiko selflessly trying to make the rest of the world happy and started being a badass with spine made of raw awesome who was going to save the world or dying trying. It doesn't really sound like that much of a shift, but it's... huge, and the sort of stealth development that FFX really thrived on.
"Where's your honor?!", Suikoden V- There's like eleventy billion other scenes in SUikoden V that are good too, but I think other people are nomming stuff like "Back off, mortal!" so I'll hit this smaller scene. Anyway, in this (good ending-ruining) scene, the Dawn Army has elected to defend their castle against overwhelming odds against the advice of their omnicient tactician. After this blunder, they still manage to pull back enough troops for a withdrawl... but the enemy isn't going to let anyone go unless they get the leader, Princey. So, while everyone holds the real prince back, Roy takes up the job and... well, it's kinda downhill for him from there.
"I hate it!", Valkyrie Profile- So this scene from the A ending, after succesfully saving Lenneth's body and soul, is interesting. What makes it stand out is that Lenneth in this scene is so entirely out of character... the inflappable Chooser of the Slain is sobbing, inconsolable, rather childishly searching for a lost trinket. The entire thing has Behave Irrationally playing, the theme used for most of the more memorable recruitments, yet despite being exactly the opposite in content (it's the main character returning to life, not a new PC dying to join the party) it manages to have something of the same character, but so much more powerful because of who it is.
2. Scenes of FunnyGig ending, Female Revya, Soul Nomad- Um... just watch it.
"JADE I'M SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!", Tales of the Abyss- speaks for itself.
"Happy Birthday", Koudelka- The sheer cynicism of it is just hilarious.
"Sacre BLEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!", Disgaea 2- Intro half of the Zetta battle.
SHISHIO MEIDO!!, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume- Post-battle Seraphic Gate recruitment scene for Ailyth. Awesome. (Name is just a meme that spontaneously generated in my head, but I like it.)
Grand Finale?!, Final Fantasy VI- Everything about that story arc is hilariously silly, Ultros is just the icing.
"Everyone knows Edge wants Rydia!", Meeple Fantasy 6- Because dammit, the scene should always have been an Operatic version of FFIV!
Episode 5, Disgaea- More specifically the last fight therein.
Garan's Pillow, Shadow Hearts: Covenant- Well, it needs love and seems that no one else has nommed it!
King's Game, Persona 4- I'm not sure how this went so long without being nommed.
3. Scenes of AwesomeAuron's "This is the time!" speech, Final Fantasy X- Okay, so, this full scene is probably the emotional climax of FFX and could viably fit in every catagory depending on what aspect of the scene you focus on and what sort of person you are, but I figure that the defining attribute of a style scene is getting you fired up and ready to kick some ass, and Auron's part at the end doing just that gets the nod. (okay, so I'll probably end up nomming another part of this scene later.)
"If we get enough speed, we'll create a technobabble effect on the fins, letting the ship jump!", Xenogears- So, there's this unidentified enemy that just took out the entire fleet of the inexorable army. He's got your leader so hopelessly outmatch he killed him ten times over just fucking around. What do you do? get your
sandcruiser going so fast that you create lift on its
steering fins,
flying out of the desert and
dropping an entire battleship on him. Sure, the scene doesn't end well, but the sheer balls of it as a plan of action concieved in about 5 seconds is magnificent.
Critical-Hit-Back-Attack-Limit-Break: Climhazzard beats Prettboy, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII- ie the scene in which some loser makes sickening crunch sounds involving the most badass man on the planet, a sword that should never be allowed to accumulate wear, tear, or rust, and a tank holding some eyeball boobed thing.
Three Shinra Grunts? Yeah, right. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII- Last Crisis Core nom, promise (also, this nom is a cheat but both feel worthy for such completely different reason I'm not inclined to pick, Meeple can pick which one he ignores). Anyway, the entire ending battle sequence. Normally gameplay stuff would probably be disqualified, but the treatment of the fight is... unique and I think it qualifies. Anyway, the progressive failure to integrate gameplay elements into the fight is impressive, in particular the DMW aspects. This is... honestly a meta thing; it's not a scene of style in context, it's incredibly stylish from a game design standpoint.Technically illegal nom, but I like the writeup and will be referring to it later, so don't want to outright delete it. However, this nom slot, at Meeple's request, now belongs to...
Stage 1 Intro, Devil May Cry 3- Pizza. Needs no further explaination.
"I wish you would embrace God.", Grim Grimoire- Token non-RPG nod. This is the Heroic Magnificent Bastard, Lillet, in her Crowning Moment of Awesome. Anyway, this is the endgame, although there's another token battle over this and... well, anyone who's played the game know EXACTLY which one I mean.
Assault of the Silver Dragons, Final Fantasy IX- OH FUCK THERE ARE INFINITE DRAGONS. HOLY SHIT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS ACTUALLY HELPING THE HEROES?!!?! VALHALLA!!!!!
Allen Ridgeley, Owner of Lamers Xenosaga 3- I tend to think this is self-explainatory. I waffled a bit on placement but I think style works best.
"Geddoe... PAUNCH!", Suikoden III- Nothing quite says awesome than punching out a complete asshat of an NPC who sit on his ass then tries to form a lynch-mob for the one gut in their village who was working to help everyone. For the wrong side, sure, but it wasn't sitting on his ass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPmCWLu6ccU Kingdom Hearts: re: Chain of Memories- Objectively, this is kinda a standard Badass pulling off Shut Up Hannibal scene. But when you considering just how badlly Riku had been getting owned by such speeches earlier in CoM, and how he completely got suckered in KH1, him suddenly living up to his native competence and ability to kick ass is a hell of a thing.
Lenneth vs Loki, Valkyrie Profile- Despite being a continuous In the Name of the Moon Speech playing off a complete villain Ham? Awesome.
4. Scenes of AWESOME?!!?!Rasputin's Speech of Ultimate Baby Eating, Shadow Hearts: Covenant- This would be the scene before his boss fight. It goes something along the lines of "Henceforth the world will be indelibly changed in my image! Humanity will live in fear and darkness for
thousands of years! And when the last human dies, I'll still be there, Laughing!! Aahaha. Mwahaaha. HAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!" It just goes beyond the impossible, through over the top, past cheese, and surpassing even narm, and back into <3
"What is a man!?", Castlevania: Symphonia of the Night- Obligatory. Moving on.
"This ends HYAH! IN-DIG-NAY-SHUN!!", Tales of Phantasia (GBA)- Also obligatory.
Balthasar's Big Reveal, Chrono Cross- Meta; the effect on Niu alone? Priceless, endless hours of entertainment.
"I am the one and only absolute god, VALMAR!!", Grandia II- So the party confronts the evil pope deep within the dark god, and mocks what a pathetic loser he is. And he's all "I AM GOD BITCHES FEAR ME" and then summons up all his power as the Will of Valmar and... turns into a BUTTERFLY WITH A MAN'S HEAD. the scene was kinda supposed to be dramedy-style anyway, because Grandia II in general is, but this sent it straight to Pure Awesome levels of Narm.
"Expand the landmass!" "NO! EXPAND THE SEAS!!" "... ohfuck", Pokémon Emerald- Well, POKEMON PLOT needed in here somewhere. This feels like by far the best candidate.
"NOOOOOO!! GOOOOOOOOOOFFYFYYYYY!!!!!", Kingdom Hearts II- Yeah, they were totally going to kill off Goofy. Who we were totally going to miss. Uh-huh.
"WARMTH AND COMPASSION HAVE NO PLACE IN MY WORLD", Grandia III- Upon consultation with Meeple, we decided that Xorn was probably a so bad it's good entry, because it
probably wasn't actually meant to be super-hilarious. But, y'know, is.
LiiiIIIIIIIGHT, Devil May Cry- More memetasticness.
