No item that I know of will restore MP when used with Mystic, but I know where you can get more carrots. Remember how Saint Centour was overrun with monsters after the townsfolk were abducted? There's a type of random monster there called Dekarabia, or something very close. You can Trickster a Magic Carrot out of it.
If you disliked 3 because of the gameplay, stay away from Alter Code F. They basically took WA1 and squeezed it through a WA3 filter; ACF has many characteristics in common with the third game, like canceling encounters and a lack of equipment. If it's the stories you care more about, then go ahead and pick up the remake; the story scenes are far better this time around.

Oddly enough, I loved 3, and I could tolerate 4. Then again, it's probably because I haven't played the earlier two games or the remake.

Seriously though, it needs more press. I got my copy of the third used, and even then it was because it was just there and available.

Really!? @_@ Here I was trying to think of the name of those monsters that could put every status ailment in the game on a character with an attack whose name I can't remember. I was gonna try and Lucky Shot one to see what sort of item I get. I seriously didn't know about the Magic Carrot from that place, though; you might've just doomed Boomerang. :P

Also, did you like Alter Code: F? It made me pretty sad. I felt like the original Wild Arms had been sold out. I mean, sometimes it's hard for me to play Wild Arms because of how god-awful ugly the battles are (not that I'm a graphics whore, but damn, most SNES RPGs were easier on the eye), but, if I remember right, the translations in Alter Code: F were worse, and they stuffed a bunch of extra characters in the party. Also, didn't they do something with how Rudy attacks? I always thought it was cool that he carried a claymore and several guns; always made me imagine him as a big, slow arsenal.

Of course, I often find excuses to snarl at remakes, whether they're warranted or not.

The first Wild Arms was an underdog hit because of FFVII. While game play was semi-original, its story far exceeded most RPGs of its time.

#2 far surpassed its predecessor. With one optional character in there, difficult hidden bosses, 3d environments, and excellent story. Using the Force meter rather than consuming MP was very cool.

#3 allows you to add a great deal of customization to your party members. I found the lack of places to buy Heal Berries (and other recovery items) VERY annoying.

Never played #4. So I can't really give my opinion. but my lady friend who did said it smelled worse than Black Mage.

:bmage: For the last time! They're my spell components!
:fighter: Then why don't we ever see them?
:bmage: Don't make me stab you...

I cant believe that i forgot to mention my favorite part of all the games, the intros! All of them are well done, and give a sense that you are playing a tv series. (At least thats the effect the game makers were going for.)

I disagree with all of the complaints you made; I enjoyed the battle graphics in the original game, I thought the dialogue in ACF was better than the original, and the extra characters were fun.

Also: Yes, Rudy no longer carries a sword; his ARM is his primary weapon, which seems to make a little more sense. Doesn't make him any less of an arsenal though.

WA3's opening song is my favorite, though the first game's intro will always have a special place in my heart.

The battle graphics in the first WA were good at the time, but now everytime I look at it, it feels weird and chibi. I like most of the attack animations, though.

I couldn't particularly remember the dialouge in ACF, but I thought I remembered voice acting in ACF and when I think of voice acting, I tend to think poorly. I've heard some good voice acting, but it's generally not the norm in my experience. :P I like my RPGs without voice acting and my character names changeable.

The extra characters? Ehhh. i dunno. I guess when it comes to old stuff that I really love like WA I just want it to stay the same. I remember playing the FF6 remake on Playstation thinking "I swear if they changed the muddled opera voices, I'll bomb the building."

I guess Rudy not having a sword makes more sense. I just liked the idea of him seeming totally loaded for bear. Arsenal of guns, big claymore, tower shield, and ready to summon a Guardian. Reminded me of a D&D Fighter who walked around with so many weapons he could arm a small squad, lol.

Oh, and I love the original WA sequence the most, too. Every Wild Arms game I played through, I remember getting goosebumps and chills listening to the opening theme or the overworld music, and I'd usually watch it in the morning after I got up.

:D Playing through WA3 again, but I've forgotten how tough folks could be if I didn't level up. Or at least, how quick Virginia tends to die in combat. T_T

Alright, aficionados: should I play Wild Arms? If so, which one?

I'm looking for a console RPG to play. If it isn't really unique, I won't be hooked. I want to play them all, but I'm looking for something that will wow me. When I played Vagrant Story, I went, "Holy shit." Will Wild Arms "holy shit" me? Will I be mildly holy shitted? Will I have only mild gastrointestinal pain?

Is it long? Does it ever get stale? Answer me, damn you!!

You have to ask yourself this Locke: Do you like spaghetti westerns?

Wild Arms is steeped in it, with a hearty mix of worn down steampunkish technology of course. If'n y'don't put much stock for the ol' dustbowls 'n trains ya best be movin' on now, y'hear?
*spit* *ting*

It depends on what you're looking for. WA is steeped in Western stuff, but it's sort of gradual. Like the first Wild Arms was a mix of basic fantasy, western stuff, and a little bit of sci-fi. The second one moved more into the sci-fi and philosophizing stuff, but it still had a loose western-mixed-with-fantasy sort of feel. WA3 pretty much is a spaghetti western with a bit of sci-fi and fantasy mixed in. Can't really tell you about WA4 because it hurt me a bit inside when I tried it.

I'd say start with the first one, just because if you can actually reach the end/beat the first one, I figure you can do them all. Besides that, it's just cooler because of how you learn attacks and stuff. :D

If I ranked them in story goodness, though, I'd say it's WA2 -> WA3 -> WA1. Each of them have superb stories, but damn did I feel for Ashley Winchester and Brad. Hell, in WA2, I even felt attached to the bosses and enemies I fought. WA3 gave me the same empathetic feel. WA1 gives beautiful insight into the enemies faced, but I felt like they were treated in a more usual way. In WA2, I felt bad for what happened to my enemies, but in WA1, it was something of a "Holy crap, he's crazy, I need to blow him away." I like stories with sympathetic villians and stuff.

:p This discussion is solely responsible for my current Wild Arms kick. I dug all of them up and am probably gonna play through them backwards from 3 to the first (or at least just beat the first one >_>).