Games Progress
Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix: The first few areas weren't too tough, then the game throws Roxas at me and suddenly it becomes annoying to backtrack through those same few areas just to get another shot at him. Roxas is unlike most of the other bosses in the game in that you simply cannot use brute force to win. I had to wait for an opening after he attacks to damage him, though as it turns out, Roxas is a glass cannon whose HP can easily be shredded to nothing if I use his Reaction Command and select The End to steal his Keyblades before rapidly attacking him, allowing to me skip his later phases entirely.

After a few attempts at Roxas, I won and after defeating some Heartless, and testing out Two Become One, I decided to return to Agrabah to play with Mushroom V. After a few attempts I was able to unlock Final Form (far quicker than in KHII) and then re-equip Decisive Pumpkin. After this, I decide to max out Limit Form before leaving to level up my other drive forms. A return trip to Beast's Castle to max out Master Form, then Land of the Dragons for Valour Form and Timeless River for Wisdom Form. After leveling up these Drive Forms, I decide to resume the final dungeon and deal with a lot of cutscenes, location names that lay it on really thick and Nobodies.

Braig wasn't too bad aside from that one attack where he warps you to a small area and fires a lot of bullets. The next two bosses Luxord and Saix actually weren't as bad I remembered them to be. Luxord can turn you into a card or a dice which merely stalls for time and is nothing against my sheer aggression with the keyblade. Saix is rather straightforward: Avoid his beserker rage, grab a blade to go Berserk yourself and attack him before going ham on him with regular keyblade combos. After crushing them all, I decided that now was the time to take on the Absent Silhouettes because it only feels right to take down the rest of the Organization XIII members before I cross blades with the big cheese himself.

I started with Larxene who was kinda tough due to her fast hitting attacks, Vexen was a a joke. It's cathartic to smash his stupid little shield and then watch him fold to my superior power. Lexaeus is kinda tough but as it turns out, all I had to do was get up in his face and keep attacking while occasionally using Reflect and healing spells. Zexion is a joke and I'm sure the game intends for me to fight him first. Anyway, his only real threat is his books that whittle down your HP but nothing that can't be outhealed.  Marluxia is tough and I haven't defeated him yet, with all my attempts so far ending in failure.

… command styles are fun… but sadly not existing in II…

Games Progress
Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix:
I start off with several runs of the final dungeon to get my levels up and eventually manage to synthesise a Save The King + (I already had the original version but wanted the + version.). To break up the monotony of level grinding, I decide to travel to Alantica. I decide to finish up that world because I want an Orichalcum + so I can create Ultima Weapon. The musicals make me cringe though I won't deny that the visuals for Ursula's Revenge is one of the best parts even if it's lyrics are terrible.

After finishing up, I decide to go to enter the Cavern of Remembrance at long last, mainly to get the last few crowns and as it turns out, it wasn't that bad. The only battles that were truly tough were the Nobodies waves before the room with the Data Organization XIII doors. After several frustrating attempts, I finally succeed and make to the door. No save point in sight, and I fear for the worst. I decide to leave because I'm not ready to take on the rematches and am thankful that the exit isn't one way, saving me a long trip through the Cavern of Remembrance for every time I want to do any of the Data matches.

Due to having this idea in the back of my mind because of my need to gain another Orichalcum +, I return to Agrabah so that I can gain a Tranquility Mushroom from Mushroom V. I need that mushroom in order to complete the "gain all synthesis materials" requirement. I then decide to travel to Halloween Town and use Reflect against Mushroom II to score more points against it.

After that, more level grinding at The World That Never Was and searching for the last materials needed to craft Ultima Weapon. Only to realize that I used up all my Energy Crystals due to making a load of items from all the Remembrance materials I obtained from the bonus dungeon. So I look some things up on my 3DS, then travel to Pride Lands to get an Energy Crystal from some Shamans. Then return to the final dungeon once more to finally make the Ultima Weapon. Phew. I'm currently at Lv.81 and need to gain a few levels so I can finally obtain Second Chance before taking on Sephiroth.

… deep anxiety…?

Oh yeah, the battle theme for the Cavern of Remembrance. I had expected that place to be quite tough because of it's status as the game's bonus dungeon, though in actuality it wasn't that bad and only some parts were annoying (i.e The Engine Chamber and it's accursed Runemasters, getting the last few puzzle pieces using Final Form, and the second and third waves of Nobodies in the Transport of Remembrance).

Games Progress
Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix: Several more failed attempts at Rounds 11-20 of the Hades Paradox Cup, until a calm washed over me and I managed to defeat most of the enemies by simply using air combos or creating an air combo and making repeated use of Magnet Burst to deal damage to groups of enemies. Pete is actually an easy boss because I can wail on him constantly with air combos, but the Titan Cup rules make things difficult especially after several rounds of tough fights.

Fortunately, Rounds 21-30 were much, much easier. The toughest part is the fight with Cloud & Tifa, though it's easy if you take Tifa out first then finish off Cloud. Hades was so easy that I hadn't noticed that I had cleared Round 30 until I reached Round 31. So far, I got to Round 37* but that appears to be about it for now.

EDIT: *Actually it was Round 33, though I suppose it matters little now.

… you must clearly be a masochist.