Tomb Raider Chronicles

It might look like I abandoned my blog. Which is true, kind of. No one reads it anyway x) Actually at first I was too busy, and then too lazy to continue posting, considering I still haven't finished the Grandia II series of posts (while the game was completed long ago) and haven't said a word about Grandia.
But this I can't put off anymore, especially since there's important information for me to remember.
So... I started playing Tomb Raider Chronicles :D It's the third time I play the game, and this time that damn glitchy elevator won't stop me! Because I'll save after I get out of there >_>
Important information is the following: don't change the graphic settings (resolution in particular but it's better to leave them as they are), because the game won't launch and even reinstalling it won't give you the chance to change the settings again.
Looks like I missed a few secrets, but hopefully I'll collect most of them. It's more fun not finding all of them yourself than finding all using a walkthrough.
By now I've gone quite a long way and yesterday reached my favourite level, Black Isle, and right now I'm going to continue playing ^_^
The level's kind of scary by itself, and all the more so since you have no weapon to protect yourself.
I don't remember feeling as uneasy during the cutscene before... perhaps because the voice in the English version is so much more... expressive x) But now... wasn't one of those things hanging around in here ^^' I'd better not approach that... is that a well? I'm certain it's hiding behind it. Or in that small barrel... yeah, I knew it -_-

Is that it?

"I dink you look real fancy-like now Roan! You have grown up! You're almost as impressive as da boss!" - "As Gonzola?! Whoooah! That's sooo impressive. Roan, you should stand proud at such an insul-- er, compliment!"
After a while, we arrive at the Core. I remembered that Valmar's Core was a nasty one, but in this mode it took me a very long time to defeat it (fortunately, its magic isn't deadly so it's quite possible to hold on). Fortunately, the next enemy whom you have to fight just after you've spent all of your SP and MP on the Core is an easy one. It wouldn't be possible otherwise.
Now, time to save the world! We'll have to fight all the parts again, but I really hope the Body's not there. I don't remember it, at least. But I'm prepared for anything (twice as many Revival Gems as needed).
Indeed, we're on level 57 while usually it was 55 at this very moment. Special stage perhaps? I hadn't discovered it until last time, but last time I tried to level up as much as possible and eventually reached 60.

Despair and Hope

Well, of course, it's "Cold" that drops action, not "Freeze". I keep forgetting, and the description says otherwise...
Zera can fly... well, nothing unusual for a JRPG :)
One of my favourite scenes. It would be very sad if... no, I don't want to spoil it.
And another sad scene. I'll miss those wise statements and comparisons to nature...
We're back in Cyrum Kingdom, and from now on the mood changes, it's all misery and despair.
Look who's here again! Only Risotto, though, lost and worried about Gonzola and others.
"Calm down! Why assume they are dead? You know as well as I, they would not die so easily! They are too stubborn!"
Here you have something called Raul Hills special stage. It is special due to several things. I was writing everything down and did it so hastily that now it's difficult to understand, but I won't need all of it anyway.
It's fairly easy at the start and there you can find weapon for your party which is practically useless. I wonder why it is there...
Hard mode certainly did some changes to the second part of the level because I hardly escaped and had to evade enemies for the first time in this game. I underestimated them at first, but now I see they're called Devils for a reason >_> The items there are very useful, though, I'd suggest at least trying to get them.
Those Devils wouldn't be so bad if they didn't cast "Ba-Boom" because it's instant death for my whole party. I had to use two Revival Gems, but I think it was worth the items.
Level 53 already? I usually reached it near the end of the game. It is near the end of the game, though.
They kissed eventually x)
It was probably a bit too high to jump from that, Elena... but it's a JRPG, so never mind, haha! And now Ryudo's falling down the rabbit hole.
I know it's hard to understand what's happening from my description. That's because I don't want to give spoilers in case someone decides to play Grandia II.
 "Look at yourself! Behold your new form with your own eyes!" - You call that being a god? Hmph, Melfice looked far more impressive :D
The mood changes again. Now it's rather optimistic and uplifting.

Now that's what I call "hard mode"...

"Demon's Law", what a weird name for, er... what exactly is it?
These vein and arteria passages are a bit tricky, I wouldn't get lost here but I want to collect everything there is, and that requires more remembering. Now... where did I come from?
Aaah! Valmar's Body sure was much easier to defeat before. I could hardly keep my party alive and its HP were still question marks when it finished me. It's like the only place where hard mode justifies its name. Man, now I'm not so confident... It might have been because I temporarily had no control over Millenia and there was less opportunity for healing, however someone had to use attacks, too. I have a plan, I wanted to do it last time but forgot: casting "Freeze" repeatedly to slow those things down so we have a chance for more action.
Fortunately, if my following attempts fail, I can return to the previous locations and level up, and so until I'm able to withstand the Body's attacks.
That didn't help much... but now I know what to do - to stay away. I started running about with only Ryudo left, and I should say if more characters were alive, we might have won. And "Freeze" wouldn't hurt, too, when there's a chance.
Oh no, I can't come back T_T I'll have to try again and again, no hope...
Alright then, I'll try to both stay away, cast "Freeze" and take them out one by one.
And what if I mainly attack the Body, not Tentacles?.. It seems more vulnerable...
Nooo! I almost won! T_T
(after another n tries)
Got to save now, save, save... yes! Phew, I'm past that now xD Even my hands got sweaty.
It turned out much more difficult than I thought. So, here's the strategy that helped me:
1) I've backed my party up with Revival Gems and tried to avoid using them for as long as possible (surprisingly, I didn't need to use them at all).
2) I still can't understand if "Freeze" drops action, I thought it did, but it wouldn't make much difference here anyway, so I stopped wasting magic on it.
3) I kept using "Spellbinding Eye" on the Body, when Millenia's SP ran out, I gave her a potion that restored them. All this time I tried to keep everyone away from the Tentacles (they do no harm that way) and mainly attacked from a distance. As the Body was paralysed, it couldn't use magic and draw us closer which is really annoying.
I actually could go back by loading my older save file, but then I'd have to explore a half of the level again.
Now I'll come back for more enemies to defeat whenever I get a chance. Better easy than... this.
Defeating the Heart was a pleasure, not at all like the previous boss. It has always been fairly easy: slower, does little damage, uses weaker magic and mostly debuffs. As for the Body, I don't remember it being so strong, they must have messed something up.

Nanan Village

"A first WHAT? Oh man... Mareg, you guys don't have some strange, eat-the-new-people custom, do you? Are we being served up?"
"Master"? Mareg, is that what you make her call you?" - "No. I have asked her repeatedly to address me as Mareg, but she insists still on calling me "master."
"I don't hug enough trees to be Mareg's disciple... He may be wise, but sometimes he just sounds crazy... Ah, nevermind, kid."
"Hmm... You know who the face on this pillar looks like? Elena..." - "What? Ryudo, what has gotten into you? Stop embarrassing me..." - "Holy...! Oh my goodness! It does look like you!" - "Stop talking nonsense, Ryudo! This is not the least bit funny!"
(Ryudo and Elena have been asked to enter a mysterious hut) "This place is empty... Look, just in case you didn't know, we're not a band of travelling interior decorators."
It's nice to have textures in this place x) In Grandia II I had, there were none for some reason, everything was plain white.
"'Bring here the Walnuts of Light and the Door of Blessings shall open.' ...Walnuts of Light... No comment."
"Ugh. This moss reeks... It smells like Skye when he opens that beak of his."
Wordplay - the smell of the sap saps the desire to come out.
"You two are really close, huh? It's so fun to watch you two together." That's for sure. I've been having fun watching Ryudo and Elena the entire game.
"Sheesh... As refined as Mareg is, he eats the same way..." - "We eat heartily to show our gratitude to the game that sacrificed itself so that we may live. ... [munch][munch] [cough][cough] [gag]" - "Whoa! Slow down! You'll choke and die before you get any benefit from that food."
Lights in the huts and no one there... what a waste x)
"Hey, everyone! Hiccup! Shtop shpinning around and around! You're making' me dizzy..."
"For bugs, these Miya worms have the life... they eat better than I do, and get treated MUCH better than I do..."
"The color of their silk changes depending on the mood they're in? Ha! Sounds like someone I know... She changes color too..." I bet I know who it is.
One of my favourite cutscenes now ^_^ Near the Spring.
"These berries taste like whatever food you remember most dearly. Therefore, they tend to taste different to different people." I wonder what they'd taste like to me...
Phew... collecting nuts for the fifth time was difficult. All that for a Baobab Fruit which you can buy in the store. I won't torture myself next time >_>
There's one more level?! No, no, no, that's it, I'm leaving. Finally, fighting again :D 

Zanzarah. Part 3

This is where you get Suane, admire her a bit and... have to give her away -_- Of course, it will be possible to get a light fairy later on, but evolving her into Suane takes forever...
So, no Suane, no Segbuzz (for now), but... now I have a Worgot xD The best exchange ever... the developers kind of played a nasty trick here. But, come to think of it... Segbuzz is more valuable than Suane because it can't be found anywhere else.
This jump on platforms on the way to the Tree is one of the most difficult, I've failed here more than anywhere else. Yay, I did it! Now if I fall on the way back, it's no big deal. I've fallen... as if I clicked, but it didn't work.
Sound of an opening door... where there's no door :P
Yes, it is so! Ice is ineffective against stone, and vice versa. How come I never noticed before? I could easily take out those Greezlocs...
Lasse! How on earth did you get over that gap? I thought I was the only owner of the Card of Air xD
I've decided, I'm getting that Darbue. I'm going to fight metal fairies, and energy is effective against them. I'll need to train him anyway.
I reloaded the location and walked past that tree a few times and no fairy attacked me. And of course, when I didn't need it this time and was just passing by...
No luck again! I damn miss the Fairy Horn... and wild fairies seem to be mocking me today >_>
Just visited the ruins. What a nice catch! Now I'm lucky. I've met and caught all the fairies I needed, and Turnox's among them. He can be helpful in the battle for the Card of Fire. Before that, I can go to the Shadow Realm to get some dark spells.
Those item bags on an islet near the Tree are the only ones I haven't managed to get. They tease me every time I pass by >_> I know there shouldn't be anything special in them, but still...
Akritar, my love! xD I've got you now.
It's hard to believe, but all my fairies were effective against those of my opponent in the very same order as they were! I didn't even need to think, changing them accordingly x)
So many new spells *_* Not only dark, but also ice and fire ones...
Going past that door in the Catacombs for the first time, I was a little nervous... but really the only scary things in this game might be high-level fairies, supposing you're not prepared for an encounter with them.
These skeletons look as if they used to be humans rather than short-heighted dwellers of Zanzarah... so likely it was people who built this dungeon and it was long ago. Or developers just didn't think about such things x)
Here it is, one of the most useful items of a fairy collector! No location reloading anymore :P
Phew! I won, more lucky the second time. Only Glacess survived and got a small amount of experience, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that now I can go to the Lava Caves.
When I saw all those fairies I had to defeat in the battle in front of the Dark Cathedral, I thought I was going to lose. But it turned out that 4 fairies were quite enough for that. Only Laticia died, and in a stupid way: I didn't expect a 50-level Turnox to put her out with one shot, with more than 200 HP, even if dark is effective against air...

Zanzarah. Part 2

Wow, I've caught Beltaur right away in the Dark Caves on the way to the Peaks. Apart from this, I know the place where you can find it anytime.
I remember this shadow elf being a real obstacle when I was younger. But there will be enemies worse than that later on.
Oh no, not Greezloc T_T
I lost just when I started to think the worst was over. They just wore my fairies out...
Oh, great, now there's no Greezloc :D I've won quite easily with only 3 fairies out of 5. It really does depend on the set of your enemy.
I love the Peaks. There was a time when I was tired of constantly training fairies and I was trying to find a way to descend these mountains... and I found it x) Not the easiest way, but possible. It's nothing to do down there, really, but to climb peaks, but I liked it anyway.
I'll catch Glacess as soon as I can, but I won't try now - I haven't got any gold spheres left anyway.
The clouds here are closer than they seem... if you played, you've probably noticed :)
Oh, here's a golden sphere, now I can try to catch Glacess... if I don't run out of potions before it.
These Ice Caves are easy to get lost in at first. But making sure you didn't miss anything is harder. As well as catching that pixie. There's the Rune of the Ice World here, it's not hard to find... if you know which way to go.
Oh, Glacess *_* I managed to catch her, and now, sorry, Lana, your time in the team's over. But I'll come back to evolve you into Liana soon enough.
I'd feel dizzy after using such an "elevator"... and when looking down, too. The Realm of Clouds, another beautiful place and home of the air fairies who are among my favourites.
I wonder if ice's ineffective against stone, even if the table doesn't say so... for some reason Greezloc had problems causing more than little damage to my JumJum. Probably it just didn't wait enough before shooting. I've noticed they do that when low on HP, start firing in bursts, almost. Also I had a spell that recovers HP for as much as you've reduced that of your opponent. Not sure if it's supposed to do so, because the description is vague... but all this helped me defeat two Greezlocs! And I thought I was going to lose.
From now on I can remove the boulders. Where I need to go now is the Arena, but something tells me I have little chances right now. Instead I'll go explore places I haven't been to or where I can go now, probably training some of the fairies at the same time.
I guess it was a bit overcautious of me to take Luria, Glacess and my most powerful ones, because Oceana was more than enough to smash these metal fairies. Well, now I'm prepared for the battle with dark ones.
Now, a death defying act - jumping on moving platforms over an abyss :D Although, even if I had only one chance, I could use a rune while falling. I sometimes do it when I'm bored teleporting the usual way xD
I really love the cave where Monagham is located. It inspired me to write a story partly set in similar environment.
Not sure what these things are called, sparkling areas you can find throughout Zanzarah... I think I've just found one I had never noticed before o_o I might have, but I don't remember...
My Arena battle didn't start well and Oceana's HP quickly got low (probably because of damned Segbuzz whom I hadn't managed to take out earlier because he was hanging about a dark fairy that was getting in the way). I thought that would be it but, to my surprise, eventually I won. Well, at least healing herbs will come in handy now. 

Zanzarah: The Hidden Portal

I guess I've been jumping from one game to another way too much lately... but I'll finish them all, sooner or later. It's just that recently I'm done with my second term paper and I'm full of energy (but still a little lazy >_>) to get back to my favourite activities, and I feel like playing this or that. Also, this summer I'm going to play some old games I still haven't since I first played them long ago (like The Gift and Rayman series).
For now it's Zanzarah. I guess it's a bit too early, but I find myself coming back to it once in a while before I start to really miss it.
In the last few years I played it several times, starting with a different set of fairies every time to bring some diversity. But just following the plot isn't really interesting, especially if you've already learnt it by heart, so this time I'll be collecting the fairies, all of them :D It will be my second or third collection, because I don't remember for sure if I completed the first one...
So, the game is a curious mix of fantasy adventure, Pokemon-like gameplay and a shooter. I played it a lot as a child (with a friend, too), it's got nice music, beautiful locations and views (even though the graphics are quite old) and many different kinds of creatures, most of them are fairies, not all of which even look like ones, and some are really beautiful, in my opinion ^_^ There's not a corner left in this game that I haven't explored.
This time I chose Tadana because I haven't played with Oceana (Tadana's ultimate evolutionary form) for quite long.
(hearing of thorny bushes and boulders blocking the way) Why did it happen? Well, I guess developers didn't want players to go to certain locations before time :D (I'm being Captain Obvious)
Poor owl, the one that has been sent to the Catacombs...
What this game lacks is the ability to sell items. On the other hand, what'd I do with such an amount of money? xD To complete a collection, you need to train fairies a lot, and I end up with hell lots of medicine, healing herbs and money...
For now my collection consists of four fairies: Tadana, Worgot (I love Blumella, but right now I'm focusing on training fairies that evolve), Lana and Rasrow.
Quite many things have happened, but there wouldn't be much sense in describing them. I don't really do it here, anyway, only things in the plot that evoke some feeling in me or that I can somehow comment on. So, right now I'm in Lucius' basement (that's one marvellous basement... imagine if there was a Shadow Realm in yours xD). Manox to my collection ^_^ It could as well be Akritar (my fav, and even I don't know why, lol), but I caught him (it?) here last time. It's nice to have a dark fairy, but I once started with Manox and it wasn't particularly easy, as he has little HP, takes very long to evolve and you don't have access to dark spells until the end of the game. That's a shame...
The collection is actively growing :D I don't at all regret buying gold spheres. And here's Viteria *_* It wasn't particularly easy to catch her, but with Corgot it's quite possible at this state.
In the Fairy Garden there's a dwarf who can sell Darbue for 400 coins, while this fairy can be caught later with a Crystal Sphere that costs 300. So, 100 is the price of the effort of catching it. Or if you don't want to wait.
And now I'm going to one of the most beautiful places here - the Mountain World. And also here start the first harsh battles, or at least so it has always been for me. The nastiest fairies here, in my view, are the ice and nature ones, because they've got a lot of HP and by now you're unlikely to have fairies that are effective against them.
Either I've trained my fairies well or I've been lucky this time with my opponent's set :D (it changes every time you re-enter or load)
Tadana has evolved into Aquana, I'm happy ^^
The view from here is magnificent! Just as several years ago, I wish I could go there... but it's only a picture -_- Something similar with the background in stone fairies' astral plane: makes me want to go towards that horizon line.
Lucky again! However, I could still lose, especially if Clum used the spell that reflects damage on you.
I used to use Healing Herbs a lot, but now I rarely need to, as I try to keep all my fairies alive until the end of the battle (otherwise they won't gain experience, and the more serious the battle is, the more experience you get, so losing it is undesirable).

Garlan

Something's missing here... swaying of the ship, maybe? x) Cutscenes would look more natural with it.
It's a shame that one of my favourite cutscenes was spoiled a bit by lagging of sound... but I've seen it a dozen times anyway.
And here we are, in Ryudo's hometown. It's so quiet... no music perfectly describes the state of this village. Going to write down a lot, because most of the information here is useful for my fanfic.
"I just don't get it... Why is it wrong to talk to Ryudo? Why does Mommy... and everyone else... hate Ryudo so much?" I have the same question, kid. I know the story, and I still don't understand... weird mentality these people have.
I... didn't know Gallius had a wife. How come I had never talked to that woman before?
And I don't remember Gatta asking why Ryudo hadn't let him know before leaving. This and the rest of the dialogue confirms my version of what happened :)
Tio's Tornado seems to have caused some insignificant glitches... anyway, it doesn't seem to happen anymore.
It has suddenly become difficult... not really difficult, but more challenging. Those birds killed one of the characters and nearly killed another, I was shocked x)
This is it! We're going to fight Melfice (fun part). And defeat him (sad part). I'll try not to cry... although, it's not very difficult since it's nth time I'm playing this game (lost count).
"Words!? You sound more like a hen clucking! Actually, Skye... I should apologize to you too. Sorry to worry you so much."
Is that Ryudo talking? I can't believe my eyes xD Oh, Skye thinks the same:
"Did you hear that!? Was it music!? Was it an angel's voice!? Can we dare to hope to hear such humility twice?"
"She helped him... move ahead...? In that case, Elena is Ryudo's master. Is this not correct?"
I'm anticipating the reaction :P
"In that case, what is the relationship between Elena and Ryudo?" - "A good question indeed! Hmm."
(Captain Bakala) "Ha ha! That's it! Women should laugh. If you cry, you'll only drive men crazy..." especially Ryudo :P

Forbidden romance

Before undertaking a journey to Garlan, I'm going through all the towns again. In Mirumu Tio speaks only two times, but in St. Heim many lines have changed.
"Oh... is that right? Ryudo likes to snack in the middle of the might as well... I know all about it..." - "Hey! I only eat at night when I'm too hungry to sleep. Anyway, what does it matter to you?!"
This woman is something x) Already asked Ryudo, Roan and Mareg, and now:
"Yoo-hoo! Hi there! My, what a nice young fella. Want to spend a little time with me?" - "Haha! Ryudo, you are quite the playboy!" - "Hey, what do you mean? I wasn't talking to him. I was talking to you, on his shoulder!" - "Uh, me?" ... "Such a sharp, handsome beak, fine feathers, a forbidden, cross-species romance! What an exciting way to fall in love!" - "If it's a "forbidden romance," I'd prefer it stayed forbidden. Forever."
A second person with a weird understanding of romance in this town. That's what happens when standard of living is very high...
"Religion never appealed to me before. I couldn't swallow any of it. But now, I find it very calming to hear the sermons. In fact, I get so relaxed that I doze off. I sleep very well in fact, and that's been good for my health." - "Ha ha! I get it now! I understand the value of religion now! Ha! I'll have to attend when I'm not sleeping well!"
Every time they say the town's blessed and it's safe there, I feel sorry, because of what'll happen to it...
(Mareg said that the smell of this town enhances his appetite) "I've never seen Mareg without an appetite..."
(Tio trying to figure out where her heart is) "Chest... do you mean... here? I'd better look. Elena?" - "What? Hey, what are you doing? Hey, Tio! What are you staring at?!" ... "Oh, I wanted to check and see if you had a heart... Is something wrong?" - "Tio. It is considered, uh, impolite to stare..." ... "This is no laughing matter! I find this very embarrassing!"
"Was that "help the young new king," or, "exploit the young new king...?" Hmm?"
I've beaten Hemble 4 times and got nice prizes, but unfortunately I had to give up on getting the 5th one because otherwise I'd be stuck here for long.

Cyrum Kingdom

Well, I was exaggerating saying I'd see Melfice soon. First I'll spend some time talking to the townspeople, then meeting Hemble, then going to the castle, and behind the Gates... but at least I could admire his silhouette from behind :D
"I can't get my husband to calm down. Do you think I should make him pass out, maybe by taking a frying pan to his head?" - "Whoah there. I think that'd kill him..."
Look who's here! Gonzola and company.
"You haven't heard of the famous Gonzola Troupe and their 101 tales? Even Valmar dies laughing..."
"Oh? And when does this famous troupe go on stage? ... After the festival is done with?"
But I doubt there'll be any show because Risotto and Carpaccio have sunk the cargo xD
"You guys are gonna smooch all over town?" - "What? No we are not! He and I are not here on a date... Ryudo, he is my... my..." - "Umm, her date, actually. Yeah, and we're gonna smooch all over town. ...Heh. What's the matter, Elena? You're blushing."
"Are you still hanging around?" - "No. I'm miles away, sipping tea. Back off Captain Obvious."
"The girly-looking guy, their leader, I think..." - I wonder if she's talking about Gonzola. I wouldn't call him that, really x)
My, it's 7th Poff Nut! I'm not sure if there'll be enough Carros to give them to...
When Ryudo's with Elena, she restrains him from imprudence, and when he's with Millenia, he has to restrain her :D
Millenia and Paella, part two.
"Star performers? Ah, the Famous Gonzola Moron Troupe shall dance and sing for us. How lucky we must be!"
And Paella was just teasing her all along!
(someone to Millenia) "The design of your clothing is really amazing. It's... inviting." - "Ha! Did you hear that?"
(Skye to some man practicing his speech) "You flow about as well as Ryudo on the dance floor..."
This Carro is shining with happiness... literally :P
The Claws defeated, and... this moment has finally come!
Wow, I don't remember enemies ever cancelling my cancel attack like this...
Melfice took so long before attacking with Wailing Soul Slash that I started seriously worrying if my party died during this unwinnable fight... looks tough :/ I wonder if it'll stay so until the actual battle.
"死ね!" I knew he'd say that :D Unfortunately, this is about where my knowledge of Japanese ends...
Villains sound nice in any language... still, in my opinion, no other voice suits Melfice as much as John Cygan's *_*
"Lollipop Lane, Your Highness".
Roan has left, but now we have Tio in our party. For a change :)
"There's other stuff, too. Roan paper, Roan towels, limited-edition Roan cups, Roan tapestries, you name it..."
(Tio) "Songstress? What is a Songstress?" (Ryudo) "Someone who meddles in the affairs of others without considering the consequences."
"I'm Skye. My job is to guard and protect this hot-head from all the dangers his endlessly flapping mouth gets him into."
"I'm Ryudo, a Geohound. My job is to care for this half-senile old bird, and no - I don't know how he keeps getting out of his cage." ... "That's right [caring for birds is not what he does]. What I meant to say is that my job is to guard singing hens" xD

All alone in the Cathedral

On the way to St. Heim. Got a bit lost in the mountains. I hope I haven't missed the waterfall.
Ahaha... perhaps it's the first time I realised that Mareg and Roan didn't really get lost. They took so long to let Ryudo and Elena talk by themselves.
Ah, here's the waterfall. You won't miss it, it's right on the way.
Wow, that's a huge loaf over there (at the bakery in St. Heim). Why would they need to make one so large? :D
Weird people here, a girl who keeps forgetting what she wanted to ask Elena about... and I just love what this mad guy says: "Oh boy! Let me tell you, would I like to be investigated by Selene, late at night, all alone in the Cathedral ♥" - "Ha! She'd purify you before you could think another thought."
Ridiculous library rules :P
"This concludes my explanation of the library usage rules. Are there any questions?" - "Yeah, I've got one. How can you take this job seriously?!"
Mareg and Skye are advising Ryudo to be at least familiar with things that are boring to read.
"You guys have been hanging out with Roan too much."
(mimicking the style of the book) "Does not Ryudo tire of this? Does not he want to put his fist through this book? May his sufferings end quickly" xD
(Elena has left, Ryudo and the others are asked to go to the Cathedral) "Look, I realize word of my amazing singing voice has spread everywhere, but I'm not interested."
And some more: "Hey, I'm not so cheerful, OK...? OK. I am. So what..."
(to a woman talking about a stubborn squeak-baa) "I know just how you feel! I've had to take care of a one particularly stubborn anima-- er, Songstress..."
Almost all Ryudo's talking about is Elena xD
"Huh?! Ryudo, are you feeling ill? You spoke with such sincerity! It is such a departure from your usual cynical self." - "Shut your beak you mangy flying rat! There, same old cynical self. You feel better now?"
"Hey! Granas! This guy's praying his heart out!" - "Hey?" Is that how you address a divine being?"
Finally, we're about to leave St. Heim and head for Cyrum Kingdom, which means... I'll see Melfice soon! :D
(Skye) "... Oh my, bread crumbs... How delectable. Ryudo, stop laughing. It is not humorous. This happens everywhere we go..." - "What's this? A talking bird?" - the first and only person in the entire game to be surprised by a talking bird xD
That masochist guy again: "I don't expect her to stare straight at me, or hit me, or step on me with her high heels..." Yeah, sure.
"You see, I just hung out my laundry to dry. What would I do if the Day of Darkness suddenly came?" - "... I am not quite sure how to respond to this... I would think laundry would be the least of your concerns..."

Mirumu Village

Before leaving this part of Silesia, I've decided to go around all towns for one last time.
Ahaha, Elena and Kuko Berries xD "Oh... perfect. This is the last time you get looped around me, understand? And lose the puppy-dog eyes."
Yeah, I too am intrigued how they managed to put the ropes up for the Skyway :/
Ryudo still can't forget how Skye let him fall:
"Hell, he couldn't even keep me aloft when he tried to, according to him, "rescue" me" - "I should have let those lizards feast on you."
After a while, our party ended up stuck in Mirumu. Selene is going to "purify" the village from darkness.
"What is it with you and this "purify" thing? For some reason, I doubt your knights are packing soap and bubble bath in that armor."
"She means to kill them. I remember one village somewhere that was burned to the ground by Cathedral Knights..."
"That's some strong bubble bath."
I agree with Ryudo on this: "Prayer is just a tool to calm your mind. It doesn't matter who you pray to".
(Talking to Aira) "Yeah, she's a real nice lady. Not like that other church lady" - "Really?! Have you ever seen Elena right after she wakes up...? That's pretty scary..." xD
I love this scene, after the dinner. The music, the view from the window which rather looks like a picture, Zera's porcelain throne x) And Elena seriously believing for a moment that Ryudo would kill her.
I love how Ryudo cares about what happens to Aira. It's so not like him.
So that's how they imagine the soul? Interesting... my party is now in some place that resembles hell, and I'm about to fight the Eye of Valmar. I remember when I first played (I wasn't very good at RPGs, actually it was my first one) I had to try again and again for about 7 times. Now I'll see if the hard mode is really that hard. My strategy is this: those flying eyes are very annoying (and loud, by the way) and it's better to start with them, all the more so because they can be put to sleep easily. Of course, they're eyes x)
I didn't even have to use 'Snooze'. It somehow went so well... I guess I didn't give the Eye a chance to show its power, cancelling its attacks all the time xD Otherwise it might not have been so easy. Only by the end there was a moment when I started to worry, just a bit. I guess I've become too good at RPGs for this mode.
(Ryudo to Selene) "Shouldn't you be diving back into your crypt and gnawing at bones by now?" 

Agear and Liligue

It's weird how quickly bad guys change their decisions in this game: get distracted by trifles and decide to deal with Ryudo some other time. Anyway, it will always stay a mystery to me what Millenia was going to do to him x)
Millenia and Paella arguing :D
P: "Yeah? What would a harlot like you know? You go prancing around the countryside in an outfit like THAT? Now THAT'S not too bright".
"M: EXCUSE ME? Listen here, you aging excuse for a woman. I got MUCH more to offer than your haggard self EVER could!"
And so on and so forth.
Now something happened to the sound...
(Ryudo to Roan) "For now. But if you slow us down or just piss me off, your butt will be skipping down Lollipop Lane on its own."
Sometimes it's good when Millenia goes mad with fury, but usually, it's a waste of SP :/
Carros are not much of use (especially when you're already going out when you've collected 3 Poff Nuts), but they're cute :)
(Elena) "That woman is evil incarnate! She brings nothing but sorrow and misfortune!" - (Gonzola) "That so? Then I reckon she ain't too much different from any other woman." (Paella is furious)
Enemies don't seem to notice me at all here, on Baked Plains... oh, now they notice.
I've tried casting "Zap" and nothing happened... but I'm still afraid to risk when I've done a lot since last saving.
"And still... after all these years.. No one has come up with a better name than "The Battle of Good and Evil."
How many things... I wonder how they manage to carry all of it, including the tent x)
There's no way Mareg could defeat Melfice by himself at this rate, when my party easily dealt with him... he was lucky to run into Ryudo first :D
"... if I listened to every piece of good advice I heard, I'd have killed all of you already and run off with your gold."
As I remember, talking to people in Liligue isn't very exciting, it's mostly about how they can't leave their jobs even though the situation is bad. But I just can't go past.
For some weird reason I want to try that arum root, even though it's like eating sand and has no flavour xD
It crashed again... I don't like this. I hope this won't happen while I'm exploring a dungeon or fighting a boss -_-
It happened at the same circumstances, I see, I just shouldn't talk to that girl.
Gadan keeps saying that Elena looks delicious. Ahah, well, she does resemble a cake in those clothes a bit :D
(Skye) "Why don't we just waste him?" (Ryudo) "That's why I like you, Skye. Always thinking." If I understand it right, they were talking of killing Gadan. Even though he's not the nicest person and is in our way... Ryudo, just in which way are you better than your brother?
"Pretty unreliable for a deity. If you want to keep your job as a supreme overlord, you should keep your naughty/nice list straight."
I wonder what Gadan used to be like...
"Whoa there, gumshoe! I don't recall "hunting down reawakening God of Evil" as being a part of my job description." And that's almost exactly what they ended up doing.
"... no passengers on the Skyway! There's profit in freighting cargo, not tourists".
"Well, Roan should have no problem boarding. He's baggage" xD
"I flew by bird once, and it wasn't exactly "incredible"... In fact, it hurt like hell" - "If someone didn't weigh so much..."
I'm about to fight the Tongue of Valmar and I've just thought... why not come all the way back to Liligue with Millenia? :D This doesn't make any sense, but hey, she has something to say.
"Say, Ryudo? You think this blockhead would fill his shorts with holy water if we told him about me?" This I did not expect to hear xD I knew it was a bad idea to go to the church with the Wings of Valmar.
Only that now I have to open the door again... well, that Millenia's line was worth it. And I've found a Sword of Light. Now, time to kick some ass!
"That voice is familiar... ahh... Gadan, Gadan. Let me guess... new haircut?"

Grandia II (Introduction. Carbo Village)

The time has come to play the Anniversary Edition of my beloved Grandia II ^_^
Unfortunately I've just heard it might turn out more buggy than the one I've had... but I really want to try it. Anyway, I think it can't be as bad as PS2 version. I hope.

The lights and shadows are beautiful *_*
I don't feel like I'm playing the hard mode yet, but we'll see. I know there is a fanmade one and it's very extreme, if this proves to be too easy, I'll consider installing that next time.
I like talking to everyone in towns in this game, to learn more about its world. Especially since I decided to write a fanfic, and when I'm writing one, I want to be as precise as possible. Probably I read more than actually play in this game. Also, this might help me understand what happened on that fateful night better. I'm talking about Ryudo's past. This topic fascinates me. Not only because of Melfice.
I just love Ryudo's replies. They're tactless and rude but funny x) I'll put my favourite quotes here.
[Fortune telling, Skye reacts] "Woman trouble AND a great love? For Ryudo?! Check again, old woman."
I wonder if the Sisters couldn't perform their ceremony at the Garmia tower in the daytime. Was it necessary to go at night? >_> I guess so.
[The story of Flyin' Jim Phoenix] "No need to thank me lad" - "Don't worry. I won't."
Finally I've talked to everyone and now am going to the church to hear Elena sing :) I mean, Ryudo's going there for another reason, but eventually it will be to see who's singing.
It's interesting that in the English version Ryudo and Father Carius are voiced by the same person. So practically Cam Clarke is talking to himself :)
"...when Elena was younger ... she was so clumsy that she fell down ALL the time" - "Hey! You do not have to share with them details about MY childhood" :P
"Elena, did he do anything to you?" - "Tessa! Ryudo kept his hands to himself!"
I like the Garmia tower. It's among the things I remember from the first time I played this game long ago, and these memories are so vague I don't even remember where I stopped (or, rather, got stuck). I think it was in the caves in Agear, but I'm not sure. Some things after that seemed familiar.
Yeah, I guess it is a bit harder, enemies have more HP, but their attacks don't seem to have become more powerful. They can run after me for a little longer, though.
Going to see Millenia in a few minutes :D
So the Pope's full name is Zera Innocentius... how ironic.
Millenia's Japanese voice makes her sound younger... I wouldn't say I don't like the original voices, but it's one of the rare cases when I like the English dub more, or maybe that's because I'm just used to it. I was curious how the original version sounds like, so I chose it, for a change.
I've heard "Zap" is the buggiest spell, and when Millenia cast it, I waited in fear, but everything went fine. I'll check that spell myself, and if there are problems, well, I'll have to prevent enemies from casting it at any cost. Also I'll save my game more often, even if it means going back and forth in the location.
Wow, enemies did become stronger. I don't remember those snakes nearly killing Elena before, not in the first battle, at least x) This is going to be interesting!
After spending a night in the mountains, I've returned to Carbo to see if any lines have changed. And they have! Moreover, I don't remember most of them, even though I practiced returning to towns regularly last time I played. I don't think it was added in the new version, though... I've learnt so much interesting things about Geohounds during a dinner at the inn. I'm glad I returned. I didn't think there was something left I did not know about Grandia II. Such discoveries are exciting. Also, I can't help but think how many lines someone had to write, for all the characters, in a few variants...
Now, bad news. The game has just crashed, good thing I had saved just before, although, all I did was talking, nothing important. I hope I'll avoid such nasty surprises in the future. I had to reload my computer and, as if it wasn't bad enough already, it decided to occupy itself with updates -_- Looks like it decided for me that it's enough playing today.
Ahem. It turned out to be more serious that I thought. I just hope I'll be able to get it all back to normal as soon as possible. No, it's not the game's fault.
I guess I can try now... fight some more snakes and spiders before I go to bed. But looks like I won't arrive at Agear until next time.
Hmm, I wonder if they improved visibility. I don't remember being able to observe all the way I've come from above. But I might have just forgotten.
This post's getting too long. I guess I'd better divide it in parts.

Demonic Experiences

12 Monkeys
Well, nothing notable happened yet :)
Hmph, I shouldn't have said that. Maybe then loading first two saves wouldn't cause my game to crash. The others worked, however, so I came where I had been and I hope it won't happen again >_<
I like this snowy street. You don't often see snow in TR games.
I wanted to take a pic with a monkey (xD) but it turned out black (I expected it would be, so the screenshots you see were made by taking pictures of a video walkthrough), and the last save I had made was broken again. So, a piece of advice: try not to exit the game right after you save. Come to think of it, I always saved before exiting... in this level, at least, keep a few slots saved at different time.
I almost feel the cold of that water x)
Yep, something is wrong with saving in this level. Looks like I better finish it today. Or at least wait 5-10 minutes to save and exit, or save in different places. The one made at 31 minutes crashed, the one at 26 loaded.
*Passages blocked by bars*
Me: this bar doesn't look shatterable. I'll try anyway because I'm stuck and have nothing more to do..."
*It shatters*
Me: o_o
Now the game crashed when I went to the other part of the level. I don't know what to expect T_T
That rope jump >_< I wouldn't think it's possible if I didn't see someone do it. I'd be stuck here for ages.
Aaah, that freaking monkey is pushing me off the block xD Probably because I accidentally shot it when I was trying to get rid of the bird.
I'm in a black and white tiled room, and it brought up some memories, right now... sure it's familiar because I played it before, but... no, I don't think it's from this game, what I remember is that there was a kitchen and someone near a stove and I had to sneak up on him, but that'd mean I had no weapon, otherwise why would I do that... I also remember going to the roof (I've been to many roofs in this level, but this one's different) and water on the floor in a room that kind of looked like dormitory or something... but if not in this game, where then?

Hound of the Baskervilles
I can't say for sure yet, but looks like my save files work fine now. I've been looking forward to this level.
I knew what to expect entering that room, of course, but I turned to the left while two hounds appeared behind me and it was still a little unexpected :/
Hmm, nice bathroom :) I didn't remember it.
I'm absolutely, definitely, hopelessly stuck -_- Time to take a look in the walkthrough.
This is almost scarier than Psycho... now I've got to get used to hounds jumping out on me.
Hey, are you a horror movies fan? Have you ever played a horror videogame? I guess you have if you're reading this. A game is 10 times as intense.
I wonder what's worse: creepy looking things suddenly attacking you in ominous surroundings, but causing little damage, or large bunnies suddenly attacking you on a sunlit field, but causing a lot of damage :D
Climbed up into the passage I had opened earlier and found myself in complete darkness. There were 4 ways leading from there. At that moment I thought: "I'm scared, man, I won't go there, not now" and quit. Today I'm feeling braver, also I thought that in TR they usually spare players and don't place enemies in pitch black places as it's hard to see and Lara's hand is occupied with a flare. Not to get lost, I decided to draw a map as I go. I reached a place with a lamp which I turned on, and in the next turn, argh! >_< I should have expected that after I turned on the light.

Ocean and Jungle

Pirates of the Caribbean
A very difficult jump in this one... I think the most difficult in this game.
But for now, exploring! :D
Oh, a similar jump... I wonder how many tries it will take me.
Actually, it was all easier than I thought. Except that I had to do it twice and hurry.
Every time I enter and exit the room where you light the torch, I have a feeling I'm going to be attacked... but I'm not :/
I wonder if this is the type of room where you need to change the level of water. I love those.
It was the next room, but my memory didn't fail me :D
I was about to go to the next part of the level, but I remembered about a keyhole I haven't used and had a look in the walkthrough. I think I'll go back to the jungle because I am apparently missing out on something interesting.
Funny enough, I did notice that 'face' tile, I even tried to push it, but I guess I held ctrl for too little time to understand it can be pushed.
Beautiful locations in this level! The second part reminds me of some medieval town (in the middle of an island, huh).
No explosive arrows left, but grenade gun works, too, so I can free myself from skeletons' company. They're making me nervous >_> (well yeah, an enemy walking around sure makes one nervous, even if they don't do much damage and you've got many medipacks)
Gosh o_o (I was going to pick up an item, and suddenly there's a mummy in the alcove right next to me)
I spent so much time trying to figure out how to get up there when I just had to find the place where I could climb a beam... now, to the beautiful blue light!
Indeed, a medieval town. Castle walls, and houses... I should really put a picture here.
This is it. The jump I was talking about... I don't even know how to get in, not to speak of getting out xD Ah, jump'n'roll :)
Wow, I got out on the first try! It's not as difficult as it seemed xD Ok, only because I had seen a piece of advise about this previously, otherwise I might have spent more time in here. Last time I think I tried at least 50 times in a row.
I didn't think I could reach the water from here. Oh cool! I want to repeat this! :D What's the keys for the swallow dive? (ctrl+alt) What a dive!
Quite a maze. Searched every deadlock to make sure I haven't missed anything. The music ended just when I prepared to jump into the building. Just in time, because I might have to reload and there would be no music.
I've missed a secret T_T But I don't want to go back now and then here again. I'll just take a look loading one of the previous saves.

The Treasure Island
Nice outfit, Lara :D
This level doesn't look very realistic (even by the standards of TRLE) but it's like a break between more difficult levels: quiet, relaxing.
I've just had a ride down a very long slope :) If I ever try to make a level in TRLE, it should be "Lara in the Amusement Park". Although, I think I saw something like that already...
Now it unexpectedly became difficult. I have mixed feelings about these things rolling after you, on the one hand it's challenging and therefore interesting, on the other... ah, never mind.
Those pirates are so quick :o
A cartouche? Really? Seems out of place to me. Looks like this level's designer ran out of ideas and simply put something that already was in TRLE folder :)

Cinema 3 completed! I don't remember what awaits me after it, so I'm intrigued.
Ah, a maze with lots of doors. I got through but, to be honest, I didn't really know what I was doing x) 

Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

*drumroll*
Finally, my long-awaited continuing with the series is happening!
PS2 games have troubles with my memory card for some reason, they say it's not there in the beginning, but, fortunately, most still save. I was worrying if Chain of Memories would, and it does. Hooray! :D
Getting used to the card system.
The first boss successfully defeated. I get the hang of it.
I love Axel's manner of speaking :) At this point when you meet new characters, you don't quite understand whether they're enemies or friends. Intriguing.


Until we meet again, Axel
(my new fav character *_*)

Following the route I took in KH, I chose to go to Wonderland first. And... Ah! Those flowers nearly finished me off xD It's getting tough.
Fighting cards with cards... now that's weird.
It's a shame I won't have a chance to play this until Monday -_- (it'll be a week since I started playing)
It's Monday :D
It was quite difficult at first, so much new information to remember, but I've got used to the battle system, so much actually that I beat the Trickmaster with only two cards I had left (I didn't expect he'd have so much health and had used a lot of combos).
Good thing I can skip cutscenes when I go for another try. And I like the boss music, well, until I get used to it.
I thought battles in KH required doing several things at the same time, but now you don't only have to attack, heal and move around, but also think about the cards you have.
Monstro was before Halloween Town, but the fact I'll have to fight Parasite Cage again makes me shiver x)
Parasite Cage really is... horrible! T_T Almost worse than Sephiroth (ok, I'm exaggerating, after all, it took much longer... but Sephiroth is at least nice to look at :P). I have two more rooms I can open, so maybe getting a new level and increasing HP will help.
Yes! So it's possible xD I wonder if the difficulty doesn't depend on the world you choose, because otherwise if I chose Monstro first, I'd have no chances against Parasite Cage.
The third room is usually a boss... I don't know what it might be, but I hope it won't be worse.
Ah, just a bunch of Heartless... that was fun!
Heartless in Halloween Town are not quite easy to defeat, but after the Parasite Cage it's like a vacation x)
I love how Cloud touches his hair after bashing enemies when I use his summon card :D At least it seems to me like he does.
I also love the music that plays when you fight someone from the Organization. On the second try I swiftly beat the hell out of Larxene, and now I'm heading for... Atlantica, I suppose. I wonder if Hollow Bastion is one of these five worlds, I'll have a look next time I play.
Oh, four, not five, and yes, Hollow Bastion is one of them.
What's gotten into Riku again?
"I'll jog your memory" - no, Sora, please, just let him go xD Do I have to fight Riku every time I exit a new world now? Feeling less confident this time T_T Perhaps I need more "Cure" cards.
I did it, omg, I did it! :D I've heard you can play as Riku when you finish the game, then I'll probably have to fight Sora... I wonder who's more annoying as enemy ^_^
Reached the moment when they forgot Kairi. This had to happen...
It was not until now that I found out how to use Enemy Cards xD
So many sleights I've learnt! I can't even remember them all...
I saw a video called "things a KH fan would never say" or something, and one of them is: "Donald always heals me at the right time". So... not true xD Come on, a simple algorithm, if HP is less than 50%, heal, if more, don't. Why didn't they think of it?
Wasn't Axel supposed to take care of Vexen? Sure, not before Vexen tries to defeat Sora for the second time... and I thought I was done with him.
There he is. Oh why, Axel? Why... not 5 minutes before! >_< (sure I don't feel sorry for Vexen; he was going to say something important, though) It took me about 7 tries before I came up with the strategy, right set of cards and finally stopped making mistakes. However, if it wasn't for Pluto's card that suddenly appeared, miraculously didn't get broken and provided me with a few more cards that helped me finish Vexen off, I'd probably fail again.
Now it's getting really tough. It's high time I returned to the worlds I've been to, opened all Rooms of Rewards and leveled up as much as possible. Especially now that I've apparently got only one world left ahead. But it's not over yet, for I fear what awaits me at the exit from Twilight Town. I yet need to earn the last world card. I don't think they'll just give it to me. Please, let it be Riku who's on my side again, saying "let's go save Naminé together!" xD
Guess what? It was Riku o_o But he wasn't friendly at all, even though at times he seemed to get out of control of whatever was controlling him. Fighting him this time wasn't very difficult, that's something, at least. And the last world is... Destiny Islands, of course! I saw this card in one of the cutscenes. Sora's going to meet Naminé soon and find out everything. I'm so excited!
My collector rank: Rare Card Hunter. Exactly... but I'm afraid I won't have the patience to collect them all.
So that really was a fake? In this case, I guess when I play as Riku, I won't get to fight Sora. Or will I play as fake Riku? I'm confused :/
"That jerk Axel, he used Naminé to betray us [that is, let her go and meet Sora]" - I like him even more now xD
Luckily, I had the sense to save before talking to Riku. The battle with Larxene looks fairly easy, but I didn't have time in the morning so I let her finish me off. Next time I'll replace all thunder cards with something more useful for an easier victory.
This second battle with Axel was tough... but I made it :D It was very annoying when he stopped my attacks before I could finish them. Still I think Vexen was more troublesome and took far more tries.

Temples and Pyramids

Cinema 2 is... tombs. Lara should be feeling at home here :D

Indiana Jones - Temple of Doom
Checking walls for secret rooms was a good idea, even though I didn't have faith in it at first. It didn't do much good, though...
Another secret passage! How come I hadn't noticed before? Right, flares and binoculars are more effective than holding ctrl near every wall... I shouldn't see the walkthrough anymore (unless I've been stuck for indeed a very long time, which I think won't happen), making discoveries all by yourself is much more exciting!
A 'double-action' switch? I never would have thought... ok, in this case seeing the walkthrough was justified. I'll keep that in mind in the future. I found a torch, and I remembered there was a lit torch on the wall in the chamber that's now blocked by a boulder and I was starting to panic, but now I think it's done so intentionally, so that you could not light it before time. I hope so.
Finally, I have my torch back. I was about to begin worrying I had done something wrong, and I had no wish to start over again, especially considering that I've been through the hardest part (fire spirits, few at a time). Now I can sigh with relief ^_^
Looks like what I lost in that room blocked by a boulder was a secret. That's a shame, but I wouldn't find it myself anyway. At least it doesn't prevent me from going forward.
Quite a beautiful place! The funny thing is, I remembered none of this xD
I'm so grateful they made a ladder to the area where I came from! When after opening a door (which was opened by 4 switches one of which gave me a hard time to get to), I went in and found out I need the torch which I had left up there, my heart sank... but then I remembered about this ladder :D
I was told in the very beginning to take the torch with me, but the problem is, I might not be able to take it up again, so I didn't do it unless needed.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (with no blood and no mummy)
Here I have something important to say to those who are interested in playing this game (and this level in particular), but a little later.
The helicopter could go a bit lower, you know... it isn't really sensible to fall like that x)
I found the way to the tomb, but I have a feeling I'm missing out on something. I remember a vehicle, and moving those platforms should have some goal. I'll see the walkthrough just to make sure I'm going the right way. Having to replay things is frustrating, so I try to avoid it.
I see, I hadn't noticed the jeep keys... suppose you can go either way, but I'd rather follow the walkthrough.
Nice music :D A minute ago I thought there was absolutely no sound, and here it is.
Omg, so many ways to go. What I'm sure of, though, is that I should drive down there.
I think I've just discovered the easiest way to get through the timed gates and get a secret xD
That was cool! Climbing the ladder, suddenly realizing you're on the top of a pyramid, sliding down the slope, jumping over the spikes... I didn't expect my reaction would be good enough to jump over them, usually Lara dies at least once before I manage to avoid the trap xD
I did this part twice... and I don't remember how I opened those doors >_<
Oh... I just had to break a glass.
Now, the important thing. Once you solve the puzzle with mirrors and grab the statuette, you're told to hurry, and they mean it! So save before it, in case you don't make it, because if you don't, you'll get stuck on this level. When I played it for the first time, I was silly enough not to follow this simple instruction, and I blessed my habit of copying save files after each time I played (which I previously considered useless) for giving me a chance to play from the middle of the level instead of having to play Cinema 2 all over again (as I had saved at Movie Theatre).

Phew! I did it. Now, getting the second Movie Star, I remember it was no pleasant ride either.
Indeed it isn't. Looks like to get the secret, I have to be even quicker. No, thanks, flares aren't worth that. To hell with it.

Lara at the Movies (Mystic Thrillers)

Lara at the Movies is a fan made Tomb Raider game, and quite a good one, I should say. I played it once, I had scary times, nervous times, times when I was stuck and didn't know what to do (had to consult a walkthrough), but also I admired the levels and those who made them.
Now I'm playing it again ^_^
Here's a link, if you're interested, but you also need TRLE (Level Editor) to make it work.
http://www.mprager.de/TRLEGold/screens/Screenshots.htm
I'll mention here another well made fan TR game (by Titak, who also made some levels for the Movies) - Himalayan Mysteries: http://www.trle.net/sc/levelfeatures.php?lid=1793

The Blair Witch Project

I can't believe it, I'm stuck already. Well, I did manage to find the torch (it took me a while), light it and get to the main part. I explored everything I could find there, one heart left to find, I suppose, and now I don't know what to do with an old shovel. There's one place that almost says "dig here", but it doesn't work this way. And I don't remember what I did last time... trying to do without the walkthrough.
Balancing, yay! It's probably borrowed from Chronicles where you walk a rope in one level, this one's a bit glitchy, but it's ok.
The mirror room impressed me, too.
I saw blood on the ground and just remembered: that's where I dug last time, I'm sure... almost. But how to get there? A tree blocks the way. To remove it... oh, I know! I need to fetch the torch and burn the roots in the underground cave.
I was right! And now it's getting a bit scary... but the nastiest thing in this level (and in some others) is the wraith, for if you catch fire and there's no water near, you're doomed.

Nasty wraith

It was more difficult than I expected... first that rock kept getting me, and this annoying thing was flying around, setting Lara on fire every few seconds -_- But I made it! And now...
I knew I had missed something! A secret, in the place where I was last time I played, running and panicking chased by a dead man, and now I don't understand what the problem was if they're so easily killed again x)

Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca
 Yeah, this level is where I first learnt about Rebecca.

Hello, Mrs Danvers

What?! A closed door? Don't tell me I have to do that bloody jump again! No...
Phew... it's just me who hadn't noticed a lever on the wall, as usually ^_^'
Trying to find something, I accidentally found a secret. It enlivened my running back and forward a bit, but now I'm stuck again. I suppose the solution is in the new area that opened, because the problem's there as well, but I think I checked every corner...

Hello, Maxim

I'm about to consult a walkthrough, don't want to waste time running in circles. But first I'll take a break and try to remember.
I got it, without the walkthrough! I didn't manage to remember, but I caught a glimpse of the thing you need to shoot in this level to make something happen. Finally, I can continue (funny enough, I could just rush through the spikes, losing a lot of health, but it would be a waste, and I wanted to do things properly).

Hello, er... Rebecca?!

Omg, a few skeletons suddenly appeared when I was exiting Rebecca's room. I should have expected it, though, when I had found a crossbow and explosive ammo for it.
Rebecca wasn't hard to defeat, we simply exchanges explosive shots for a while and that's it... I like how they put a picture of her (moreover, I fought her ghost), there was not a glimpse of what she looked like in the movie.

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
Here goes the nightmare of my playing the Movies last time.
I've seen Psycho for the first time just a few days ago, and now it's one of my favorites x) Now playing this level will be especially pleasant, if I can say so.
I climbed a rope, jumped off to a cave, lit a flare, took a few steps forward... and saw a dark shadow behind me, even paused in confusion. Well, a spider is not that scary, it was just unexpected. I know exactly what to expect further on, though.
After a ride on a very bumpy road, I'm finally here. Explored and did everything I could around the building, delaying entering the motel xD
Well, as I said, I knew what to expect. But when I played first time (not even having seen the movie), I entered the bathroom and unwisely rushed to the medipack and heard the scream and Bates suddenly appearing behind Lara's back... I'd suggest turning volume down a bit x)
I was completely stuck in the house, but I should have searched a little more before seeing the walkthrough, the switch wasn't really hard to find.
I have to go into the room... scary >_<
Ok, not so scary if you have a shotgun. In comparison with my favourite level in TR Chronicles, where you have no weapon at all...
By the time I went to the basement I'd got used to Bates jumping out on me, but no one there, except for a few spiders. Oh, and a skeleton whom I pushed into water before I thought of what I should do x)
Birds flying out to attack me, it was very neat, because in the movie Norman makes stuffed birds, and there are pictures of birds on the walls, all that symbolism.
What is even better than having a shotgun is driving a vehicle. Bye-bye, Norman! *runs over* And you spiders! *mad laugh*

Cinema 1 is almost finished, all I have left to do is to solve a puzzle and get a star that will help me get out of the theatre later on.