Final Stop For Final Fantasy Talks

Mark and Alex continue their Final Fantasy X walkthrough in the story-rich section of the game when the party confronts Lady Yunalesca about Sin. This discussion ultimately leads to battling against the ancient summoner (and what a boss battle it is!) when Yuna refuses to play her role in the "spiral of death". The naked truth is exposed about the eternal rebirth of Sin, and Jecht even pays them all a visit once the conflict is resolved.

The boys progress their way through the ruins of Zanarkand and stop along the way to discuss the various story scenes. The multiple flashbacks of memories from summoners and guardians provide some great filler details on what's to come with the Final Aeon. The Cloister in Znarkand is quite quick and easy and the party encounters the next boss, Spectral Keeper, once it is finished. The episode concludes after the discussion the crew has with Yunalesca, learning that there is no Final Aeon and Yuna must choose which guardian to sacrifice to become the fayth for the summoning.

The boys are back with another Blitzball series episode! They begin by selecting their next picks for the levels 1-30 All-Star teams, discuss unique/interesting shot techniques, and deep dive into the stats of a couple of players.Content is swiftly coming to an end for this mini-game, but it's crazy how much there is in general and it's been a blast to put together!

Mark and Alex continue the story and progress through the Mt. Gagazet cave. There are a couple of little trials that are needed to be completed, and other than that this area is mostly filled with tons of random encounters! After dispatching another boss at the top, the crew gets a great look at the ruined city of Zanarkand and the story completes a full circle bringing the timeline up to Tidus's story from the very beginning scene.

Seymour Flux is next in the lineup and possibly the hardest boss encounter up to this point. After dispatching Seymour, again, there are a lot of heavy story elements given once Tidus slips into a sleep. The fayth explain to him the real reason he's in Spira and tell Tidus the truth behind his existence.

We're back at it with some Blitzball! Mark and Alex continue the discussion revealing their second picks for the levels 1-30 All-Star team rosters, deep dive into Nap techniques, and analyze two fantastic free agents. Let's Blitz!*Disclaimer- the audio quality on this episode is quite poor due to some equipment malfunctioning we didn't notice. We apologize for the quality of sound in this episode!

The boys continue with the story in Final Fantasy X progressing through the sacred holy mountain, Mt. Gagazet. The Ronso appear and bar the path and the party must prove their resolve. Kimahri settles his own past dispute with Biran and Yenke which can be a very interesting battle. After being stopped a third time (Tidus has had it)the climb to the top of the mountain begins! Mt. Gagazet can be a more challenging area but is filled with some great treasure (and shop items!) if you can keep your sanity through the immense amount of random encounters...*Disclaimer- the audio quality on this episode is quite poor due to some equipment malfunctioning we didn't notice. We apologize for the quality of sound in this episode!

Mark and Alex dive back into the Final Fantasy X playthrough finishing off (mostly) the Calm Lands area, particularly the side content that opens up here. They discuss how to succeed in training a chocobo, the third battle with Belgemine, Blitzball players available, the monster arena, and move forward in the story taking on the boss Defender X.

Blitzball is back with discussion over a variety of topics including the Venom techniques, some (very) old save files, and analyzing a few more players. Let's Blitz!

The boys continue on by facing Seymour, again... but this time in his new form as Seymour Natus! After disposing of him Tidus and Yuna are able to have some time (mostly) alone and finally share some intimacy. Yuna decides she will continue on with her pilgrimage and so the crew moves on to the only open area in the game- the Calm Lands.

Mark and Alex are back with the next section of the series progressing through the prison Via Purifico. The party is split and must fight their way to find an exit in the two sections of the prison. After besting those guarding the way out, they are reunited for the first time but soon discover Seymour has completely lost his mind through his lust for power.

Mark and Alex are back continuing the story in FFX! Yuna is currently being held by the maesters of Yevon and being forced to marry Seymour. The crew discovers her location and sets off to rescue the summoner, but face fierce resistance in the process. Yuna is eventually saved only just before being captured once again and sentenced to imprisonment at Via Purifico.

The boys keep the Blitzball conversation rolling with discussions on what's being cooked up for some fun Blitzball challenges, analyzing a few free agents found in Luca, and offering more tips and tricks.

The boys are back coming the area known as Home, the Al Bhed, well, home! The area is under attack and the crew set to work finding Yuna and helping fight off the Guado. It turns out Yuna is no longer there, and some hard-hitting story elements are finally discussed.

Mark and Alex continue on in the story progressing through the Sanubia Desert. The crew is split up after Sin transported them to this island, and the search is still on to find Yuna. Rikku recognizes the area and explains it's where the Al Bhed live, but they soon find out that Home, the Al Bhed city, is under attack.

Mark and Alex are back with another Blitzball episode! The guys finish off their analysis of the Aurochs players and dip their toes into the world of techniques.

The boys are back with the next segment of Final Fantasy X! Macalania Temple holds a lot of important info on the dark dealings of Seymour's past and the party finally learns all about it before taking matters into their own hands. Now on the run from Yevon, the crew needs to figure out what the next steps will be if the pilgrimage is to continue.

The boys make their way through Macalania Woods which is one of the most linear areas in the game. Auron takes a quick detour to find a sphere Jecht left for Tidus 10 years ago, and the party reach Lake Macalania as they prepare to meet with Seymour to tell the news on Yuna's decision.

Mark and Alex take it back to the Blitzball Series with some more tips and tricks on the basics. They also analyze a few more Aurochs players and discuss their general strategy to scoring goals.

Mark and Alex progress through the Thunder Plains- an area plagued by consistent lightning strikes. We get a glimpse into Yuna's plans which include the decision to marry Seymour, but it appears she is hiding more than she's letting on. We also get one of the final pieces to Auron's dark secret.

Mark and Alex make their way through some pivotal parts of the story at Guadosalam(i). Seymour drops a bomb on Yuna with a question, and the crew check out the Farplane before heading out.

The boys are back to the story with completing the Djose Temple Cloister of Trials, and then continuing on to the Moonflow area. Yuna is kidnapped while traveling on the Shoopuff, and the party grows larger after Rikku makes another appearance and joins.

We are very excited to introduce the first episode of our Blitzball series! For this first installment we discuss why you would even want to play this "mini"-game, some basic strategy and concepts, and analyze a few of the Aurochs players.

Mark and Alex make progress through Operation Mi'ihen, the Crusader and Al Bhed attempt to defeat Sin which meets a terrible ending. With Sin (Jecht) proving a point to Tidus, that he must be stopped, the party continues their pilgrimage to Djose Temple.

Mark and Alex continue the story beginning with taking on the Chocobo Eater, a boss that has 3 unique outcomes. Afterward, the party continues through Mi'ihen to Mushroom Rock which is the staging area for the upcoming Crusader operation.

The boys survive the aftermath of the fiend attack after the Blitzball tournament, and find out some shocking information involving Tidus and Sin. The party then sets out in Mi'ihen Highroad to continue the pilgrimage and to discover the many things this area has to offer.

The boys are back! Mark and Alex continue their playthrough reaching Luca, the main hub of Blitzball and the second largest city in Spira. With Blitzball being the main focus, the boys offer tips and tricks to winning the tournament and save Yuna from a kidnapping.

Mark and Alex progress through Kilika Island stopping for treasures and boss battles along the way. Kimahri is introduced to the party as well as quite a few not-so-nice characters that the gang meets at the temple. The Luca Goers, a Blitzball team, are there to mock Wakka and the Aurochs as well as another summoner. Mastering Kilika's Cloister of Trials is an easy task, and it's now time to take the boat to Luca.

The guys progress the story through Besaid, fighting Kimahri and giant "birds" along the way, and begin their voyage to Luca. The crew needs to stop at Kilika first to pray at the temple but Sin intervenes along the way to cause more problems. After unsuccessfully deterring the beast, Sin proceeds to decimate Kilika and its citizens before Tidus and the others arrive.

The guys continue the story with Sin, apparently, chasing Tidus down and transporting him yet again to a new location. Besaid Island is a much more comfortable area though as Tidus is introduced to a new character, Wakka, who is a Blitzball team captain. Tidus also meets additional new characters including Yuna, the newly ordained summoner who seems very interested in Tidus's past.

Mark and Alex kick off the Final Fantasy X series by reminiscing about their first times playing the game, and with what to expect their new playthroughs to look like. Tidus is having a rough time after Sin attacks his home, Zanarkand, and seemingly transports him 1,ooo years into the future. Packed with initial boss battles and odd characters, the guys continue their usual tips and tricks in this brand new series!

Mark and Alex discuss their ratings of various elements of the game in their last Final Fantasy IX episode!

Mark and Alex finally make their way through the last of the side-content which includes cleaning up those pesky uber-boss(es)! With them out of the way, the guys continue through the Crystal World to confront Kuja once and for all, and even encounter an unexpected, greater threat thereafter. Having saved the world, the story finishes off with fantastic scenes, stories, and completes a full-circle of events with one of the greatest stories and games to ever have been created!

The guys finish their journey through Memoria, but pause before heading into the final area and final showdown against Kuja. The party is taken through the fantastic visuals Memoria has to offer, and Garland offers up information all along the way about the history between Terra and Gaia. The Nero family side-quest is also finished off and although the reward isn't the best in the game, the hilarious, short scenes are well worth this completely hidden gem.

Mark and Alex dive into Memoria and waste no time getting busy progressing through bosses and the area. There are plenty of hidden treasures, and phantoms, along the way which help kit the party out for some crazy battles surely to come. As previously mentioned, there are phantoms that hold some very rare cards making them perfect opponents for matches. The Nero side-quest is also in full-swing as the return visits to Lindblum continue to progress the quest-line, and allow us to meet the Nero family. Yes, there are more of them!

Mark and Alex have finally made it to the true "end-game" of Final Fantasy IX. Some of the side content covered includes getting to the bottom of Mognet, Chocobo's Paradise, the Excalibur quest, finding that surprise 13th Stellazio coin, and more. The party needs to find out what Kuja is up to, but not before doing and seeing plenty of side quests!

Mark and Alex make their way to confronting Garland in Pandemonium. Through a series of battles, Garland is defeated (also kicked off the edge) and Kuja is "defeated" as well, but is the perfect catalyst to drive him into a Trance. With this newfound power and knowledge of knowing his lifespan is about the end, Kuja goes wild and begins to destroy Terra. The gang escapes on the fantastic Invincible, and now faces a Gaia completely covered in Mist.

The guys discover Zidane's true purpose... that he is a manufactured tool of destruction, and "brother" to none other than Kuja. Luckily Zidane has such a strong will that he has rejected this purpose, and is set on turning against his creator. Garland also provides plenty of information that sums up many of the mysteries including what Mist is (stagnant souls), and that Terra is poised to "absorb" Gaia once enough souls have been collected. All that is left to do is put an end to Garland and disrupt his plans, but that is easier said than done.

Mark and Alex make their way to the four shrines, dropping off pairs of characters at each. Through the coordinated effort the guardians are defeated and the seal has broken, opening the gateway to the new world. Terra is quite the place, filled with alien-looking flora and fauna. There is also a mysterious visit by and "Old-looking Man" and a girl that has some of the same qualities as Zidane, and says some interesting statements to him...

Mark and Alex progress the story into Ipsen's Castle. There is a strange quirk in this area, being that strong weapons are less effective than each characters' starter weapon! After navigating the mirrored, upside down castle the party finds what they are looking for, the four mirrors. Once the defending boss is defeated, the crew decides it's time to track down the mirrors' corresponding areas on the map to deal with whatever they find.

The guys continue the story by finding out all the details about who Kuja is, what his plans are, and where he is going. He is clearly not of this world, but plans to find more information on how to gain enough power to the destroy Gaia at Ipsen's Castle. Before chasing him down, however, Mark and Alex clean up most of the loose ends concerning side quests. All Chocographs can now be found, and many of the end-game areas have opened up to explore.

Mark and Alex are, once again, in hot pursuit of Kuja on the Lost Continent. The chase takes the party to Esto Gaza, a seemingly sacred town that seems to be very peaceful. It's a short stay however, and the hunt continues into Mount Gulug. The dead volcano can be quite dangerous with some tough enemies, but Eiko is saved and Zorn & Thorn finally defeated for good. Hilda is also found at the bottom of Mount Gulug, and everyone returns to Lindblum where she agrees to change Cid back into a human.

Mark and Alex make their escape out of Kuja's secret lair, the Desert Palace. The name holds its own as it is filled with some pretty awesome structures, rooms, and decorations. All, unfortunately, designed to keep prisoners trapped inside. As the party makes their escape Eiko is kidnapped by none other than Zorn and Thorn, creating another issue. Kuja also makes his escape to the Hilde Garde Mk I, and heads to the Lost Continent with Zidane & co. following on the Blue Narciss ship.

The guys get back to tackling the story by heading to the Desert Palace, Kuja's secret lair. Of course, Kuja is waiting for the party and locks them into rooms with retractable floors that have lava underneath. He tasks Zidane and co. to track down the Gulug Stone from Oeilvert which is located on the last undiscovered continent, the Forgotten Continent. There are plenty of new treasures to be found and the next boss lies in wait, Ark.

Mark and Alex pause the story to take some time going through the massive amount of extra content that comes with the freedom provided by obtaining the Blue Narciss. Chocobo Hot & Cold plays a huge role in discovering new Chocographs, other hidden treasures, and the ability to visit/revisit locations for even more... you guessed it, treasure! Of course there is a slew of other things to do and places to visit before heading off to the Black Mage Village.

Things seemed to be improving until Kuja resurfaced and once again summoned Bahamut to cause mayhem in Alexandria. Alexander was summoned in its defense, but a new villain showed up to destroy the legendary Eidolon. Alexandria is now destroyed, and the gang is back in Lindblum recovering and deciding the next move of action. The guys go through the steps to unlock the hidden ATE, "Give Me My Money" and regroup to pursue Kuja. Cid needs to be human once again however, so the first course of action is to find his missing wife Hilde.

The guys hit up the nightlife at Treno for a second time, ensuring to discuss what you don't want to miss out on. They also get the full story on what happened in Amarant's past and what his issue is with Zidane. Back in Dali, the mayor is on vacation so time to hit the town to get the last of the coffee beans.

The guys finish off this round at Alexandria and the many things to do and see, as well as saying goodbye to (almost) Queen Garnet. Of course, the love letter scene has got to be one of the best in the game. If only Baku didn't sneeze... The episode ends with our feet getting wet in Treno and with how much there is to do here also, well, we needed to leave the rest for next time!

Mark and Alex are witness to some of the most awesome cinematic movies in game with the summon of Bahamut! Unfortunately, Queen Brahne's plan backfires and the Alexandrian fleet is decimated. Queen Brahne is fatally wounded leaving Dagger the only heir to take the crown. Returning to Alexandria, there are a plethora of things to do and see including mini-games and ATE's!

Mark and Alex dive into the Iifa Tree and the very interesting quirks that enemies, including the boss Soulcage, have that make this area incredibly easy. Dagger's past is also finally revealed with some huge puzzle pieces filled in. Lastly, the party picks up a new character, Amarant, who wants to follow Zidane to discover the source of his strength.

The boys take their first look at Madain Sari and phew, it's in rough condition. Home of the summoners, Eiko seems to be the last standing one. Luckily her hospitality is in full-swing and she invites everyone, or maybe just Zidane, to a delicious home cooked meal. Knowing that Kuja headed for the Iifa Tree, Eiko agrees to help the party out and tags along.