Shoryuken!

The price is wrong

2009-03-23T22:52:00.001-04:00

Evoker Shot!

2009-03-08T14:37:00.003-04:00

For some reason when I logged on today our blog wasn't displaying the last post. Not sure if that's a blogger issue, something with the layout or just a random error. Either way, sorry for any inconvenience.

Right now I'm stuck on Persona 3 FES. The game has actually surpassed when I expected of the series. Of all the major Japanese RPGs out the, I believe that Shin Megami Tensei has been one that I've just never really played. I had demoed Nocturne once before while working at Gamestop but I had never really invested the time in the game. This is what I've been looking for in a RPG recently. The gameplay, active choices, cutscenes all flow together creating a style that never feels forced.

Also, King of Fighters XII has been given a firm release window of July 2009. So, who's excited? I know that I am. For once I don't think that summer can get here fast enough. Here's to the revival of 2D fighters.

ITT: You Fall in Love, You Lose!

2009-03-05T23:33:00.004-05:00

I finally am giving my 360 a rest and have hooked my Wii back up. First Item on the chopping block is De Blob. I've only played around an hour and a half and it has already melted my heart. I expect nothing but smiles from this game, so be prepared to read some gushing write up from me somewhere down the line. Ktnks to THQ Anon has Epic Lose.

Get Eqipped.

2009-02-26T09:14:00.002-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows my love for Mega Man, the classic video game series that began on the Nintendo Entertainment System. This very low budget but altogether beautiful looking fan film set to release this summer causes my heart to burst with joy.

Decade installment vol. 1: The year 2000

2009-02-18T00:17:00.007-05:00

2000: not exactly a great year for console games. The Dreamcast was alive and kicking but most kids preferred to play their PC shooters. Its really a shame that Final Fantasy 8 and the Dreamcast port of Soul Calibur weren't released a few months later, then I'd really have something to talk about for this year.

Shenmue: This is definately the game of this year that I'll remember most. While of course it seems dated now, when Sega dropped Shenmue on us in 2000 not many gamers had seen anything quite like it. Shenmue didn't really fit into any particular gaming genre and it was one of the first games that would shape the development of real-time fully explorable worlds. Sure in this game you only explored the confines of a Japanese city and a day in the game was an hour in real time but it was still a pretty innovative idea to a gamer like me. Sega paid painstaking detail to what went on in the game's environment as well. You could literally follow around a civilian and watch them go about their daily routine which would change depending on factors like weather and holidays. The gameplay itself? Well some may find it boring to play a game in which you spend alot of time asking people questions and working at your forklift-driving job, but I thought that it was an amazing experience nonetheless. The story had to do with a young Japanese man named Ryo discovering the details of his father's murder, which if I remember correctly leads him to getting him into some trouble with a Chinese crime organization of some kind. The fighting was damn fun, and the button response action sequences kept you on your toes. Overall the game certainly had enough to keep you busy, even if you weren't focusing on the main story, keep in mind that this was also before GTA San Andreas and GTA 4. And don't forget those gorgeous graphics, there wasn't a gamer out there at the time that didn't think the game looked beautiful. This game is definately one of the main reasons I'll always have fond memories of the Dreamcast.

Perfect Dark: I was a bit iffy on selecting this game as one of my favorites of 2000 since I, like everyone else, realize that Perfect Dark was a sheerly blatant re-hash of N64 shooter Goldeneye: 007. Not that I'm complaining, Rare were smart enough to milk the aspects of Goldeneye that everyone loved and update them just enough to keep things interesting. Ok so the single player missions weren't as fun as Goldeneye and the story was ridiculous, but you know you had a blast doing those four person deathmatches for hours on end. The innovative weapons made for some pretty classic multiplayer stuff, the graphics were good for the time (even though things did get really choppy and pixelated if there was too much going on on the screen), and the solidity of the gameplay itself still makes it one of my favorite shooters ever. Its not Goldeneye but I'll take it.

Thats really about all that I have for this year I guess although I thought that MDK2 for the Dreamcast deserved a mention as well. The next installment will be next month. Until then everyone go and play Street Fighter 4.

Arcade Perfect!

2009-02-17T20:44:00.001-05:00

Today is the day, the long awaited release of Street Fighter IV for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3! I picked the game up as soon and I rolled out of bed and have been playing it nonstop since then. Well, I did take an hour break but only to watch the SFIV movie that came packaged with the collector's edition. If you're a fighting fan at all then you need to get a copy of this game. As a genre fan and with a lot of wins (and losses) under my belt, I can say that this is the most fluid and solid fighter that I've played. I can already tell that the next week weeks will mostly be occupied by competing with friends, completing challenges, and trying to master all the characters.

Also, Corey and I have been discussing a possible fighting tournament with several games. SVC Chaos, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, King of Fighters XI, and of course Street Fighter IV. There can be games added to our idea for sure but I'd really like to know if anyone is interested in the idea.

Praise The Lord

2009-02-16T11:40:00.002-05:00

That's Right Bitches

So...How Good Are We?

2009-02-06T17:16:00.000-05:00

Heather Campbell, associate editor of Play, brought up an excellent point concerning the difficulty of today's videos, or, rather, lack thereof:

Developers just dial down the difficulty, and we breeze through a game we're not particularly good at playing....I miss the old-school challenges, as represented by games like Megaman 9. Though I may not like a game as much if I can't get deep into it, a difficult game allows me to feel better about myself after I master a particularly tough section. Reward used to come in the form of personal pride, not Trophies and Achievements. Taking on a game was its own reward.

This is something I've been thinking about for a while. It feels as if the gaming community is getting the shaft these days in that respect. Go back and play some of those games you used to as a kid. Go on. Try it. I'll wait... Continue...

Get raped?

Atrophied skills after the coddling of today's games will have that effect on you. To clarify, it's not that today's games are better or worse than yesterday's games nor is every game easy. There's some challenging stuff out there. You won't see me decrying the state of gaming or that it's become a dumbed down culture (though I'm certain you could argue aspects of both).

Instant gratification is the victor of the day. Somehow along the way, after the great boom in gaming at the turn of the century, slithered the idea, as Campbell recognizes, "if a game is too difficult, it's not going to sell well." Why?

If I want to breeze through something with no challenge or difficulty whatsoever, then I'll just was a goddamn movie or anime. I don't need my ego stroked by "achievements" I didn't really earn, I've got MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook.

Developers need to understand that there's more to difficulty than adding ten more assholes between you and your goal. Fine the line between nuisance and challenge may be, but that sort of laziness sure belongs on the side boldly labeled: nuisance.

I feel this played a huge part in both the critical and commercial success of 2008's Megaman 9. Word of mouth concerning how brutal the game was piqued the interest of many gamers (I can't find a concrete, reliable source for sales numbers at the moment aside from that they were very high) all around the age bracket and its aesthetics brought in a number of hardcore and retro gamers.

Even though the game featured Trophies and Achievements, Megaman 9 was the first I've played in a very long time where I felt they were well earned, and the clearing of a level was a badge of honor rather than a point up on a gamer score. This game broke platform gaming down to its core: shoot and jump (let's add "pray to the gods" for good measure). From there, the unbalanced men and women who gave us this gem sent us through grueling hours serving as a wake-up call to many players.

To advance in this game you have to face two very sobering facts: a) you are not as good a gamer as you thought and b) you are going to die...a lot.

Those with too much pride in their self-attributed skill will likely scoff at the notion, but games like these separate the men from the boys and the women from the girls. Beating levels in Megaman 9 aren't simply feats of skill, but acts of sheer will.

Bryant and I traded a flurry of texts to one another, updating our progress any moment we advanced even slightly forward. And I thought to myself, "Why can't I have more experiences like this?"

Skullfuckingly difficult as the game may be, I felt invigorated playing that game. Suddenly, I was the age of ten again, dancing wildly at my victories and restraining myself from throwing the controller at my screen at my very many failures. I finally felt like I was playing a goddamn game.

Creating challenges that require a bit more skill than that of an infant doesn't seem like too much to ask. And I have to wonder if that's why everyone's obsessed with certain games' multiplayer capabilities. If the game itself won't offer us the proper challenge, we can only hope our fellow gamers will. The Halo 3 campaign was downright insulting and I went from being a "meh" casual fan of the series to a pure, unadulterated hatred for the game and its bro-gamer cult.

Competitive gaming is fun, but I don't want to have to rely on rolling the dice on others' skill every time I want to play a game, especially for those I'd rather just play by my lonesome to begin with.

The misconception that all gamers are some sort of hand-eye coordinating savants is far outdated and the idea conditioned ourselves with games for so long that we've become used to handling difficult games is borderline retarded.

Not all gamers are The Fucking Wizard. At best, I would consider myself a decent gamer, but one in love with gaming and its culture. So when someone like me is dancing through Devil May Cry 4 with little to-no-challenge in two sittings, something's amiss. Megaman 9 was the slap in the face I desperately needed and once again made me long for passionate, innovative developing.

The hardest game conceivable isn't necessary, but something that will exorcise my skills or lack thereof would be nice.

I select "Normal" for a reason, a difficulty selected to serve as a challenge for competent players. If I want someone to hold my hand, I'll select that shy little "Easy" fellow over there.

So..how good are you?
Stories welcome.

Greetings

2009-01-26T15:16:00.002-05:00

I decided to finally post something so here goes. I actually got the idea to do a decade list of my favorite games after I began working on its music equivalent on my myspace blog (yea I know how that sounds but I don't have contributors for a real music related blog, maybe I'll start my own). I usually write very little except for show and album reviews, but after entertaining the thought of a video game decade list I came to the conclusion that it might be a fun way to pass the time, this is of course if I actually get the time to sit down and work on this which I certainly plan on.

Its not necessarily a list of the greatest or most important games of the decade, so I have no doubt that there will be disagreements, of course feel free to share your opinion since I will only be sharing mine. I plan on posting a year every month starting with 2000, that one will be coming Feb. since this month is almost over. I still might bring forth a rant every now and then, but other than that this will probably be my only contribution for a while. I hope everyone finds it entertaining to read, after all its just my opinion. There will of course be games on the list that almost everyone agrees on but I don't doubt there will be some that I feel were overlooked and underrated that might surprise you. Until next time.

In To The Vault

2009-01-23T13:27:00.005-05:00

So, it's been a while since this has been updated, right? I've been staving off sleep for days now and have a few articles in the works. However, they are saved on my MacBook and I'm stuck here at work for right now.

I'm thinking about picking up Fallout 3 sometime later this week. I've heard such positive things in print as well as personal reviews. Also, I didn't know this but Fallout won the 2008 GOTY on IGN. Very exciting stuff and only makes me more excited to play it. It might be the first Bethesda game I actually beat...

Arcade Culture, I Miss You, Dearly.

2009-01-08T11:46:00.009-05:00

(Bryant and I at Tilt, December 2008)

Unfortunately, home console gaming dissolved arcade culture at a far more alarming rate than video did the radio star. While many fun parks helped keep arcades going in the late 90's, even these establishments let out a death gurgle shortly after the turn of the 21st century. But that hasn't stamped out my love.

Bouncing about a darkened building light bu rows and rows of screens, I remember calling "I got next" more than any other phrase in my youth. A gamer's stamina against an onslaught of opponents of varying skills was measured in numbers. How long could you last? Could your arcade's best player beat the best player of the arcade's across town? In was a healthy competition, not quite gang mentality, and a testament to why I loved arcade gaming so much more than the online options we're offered now. Continue...

Time was, the arcade was the premiere place to play the cutting edge in gaming. Keep in mind, at the time (early-to-mid-1990's) the cutting edge was dedicated primarily to gaming's biggest cash cow: the fighting game. Now there were plenty other of genres getting love, particularly the side-scrolling brawler (e.g. X-Men, The Avengers, The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). RPGs in the States, with the exception of perhaps Cadash in '89 were a console-only thriving cult genre and didn't really come into prevalence as far as being in the eyes of the mainstream until the release of Final Fantasy VII on the Sony Playstation.

Before someone jumps down my throat with Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy VI (III US), yes, there were both quality and successful RPGs that did penetrate larger audiences, but those were exceptions. The genre itself did not explode into popularity until FFVII. All of a sudden people started "remembering" these classic games from their childhood that they more than likely initially ignored. But don't get me wrong, I love the genre. One of my favorite games and stories of all time is an RPG (Final Fantasy VIII. I'm aware I'm in the minority on that one).

With the explosive success of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, fighting games became the flavor of choice and we saw and outflow of countless 2D, and soon, 3D, fighting games based off of or improving upon either MK or SFII: Samurai Showdown, King of Fighters, Darkstalkers, Tekken, Battle Arena Toshinden, Soul Edge (leading to the Soul Calibur franchise), Art of Fighting, Killer Instict, Fatal Fury, Virtua fighter and the list goes on and on.

It was these games that drank my quarters away as a kid. And it was at these arcade locations that gaming culture thrived. Before the boom of users on the internet, the arcade held the role of a hub for gamers who were constantly swapping rumors, information, and news on the latest games. Like comic books, video games weren't the staple in American pop culture they are now. People primarily raised in the 21st century aren't cognizant to the fact that comics and gaming used to be associated with a pastime outsiders, geeks, and nerds participated in. It wasn't until about the late 90's that gaming became more accepted into the social consciousness as something people (particularly so-called "cool" kids) did. So having a place such as an arcade was an important place for gamers. Many kids didn't know anyone in their class who played games, so the only people they related to were the ones they met at arcades.

It was like physically being inside a message board.

Once the internet took off, gamers had more of an outlet to discuss games, one of the redeeming qualities of the arcade outside the games themselves. The latter factor soon followed.

Beginning with the Playstation, consoles began to catch up with arcades graphically. Again, a lot of people take for granted the fact that arcades used to be ahead of the curve when it came to graphics, which helped them stay alive and well along side console gaming. Games were engineered for a specific game, not a console, so developers could push the envelope for what was available at the time. But arcade life post-16 bit systems began looking bleak and arcade culture all but vanished once Playstation 2 and Xbox took over the scene. Sure, some fighters and shooters still survived, but those games could be (and were) easily ported to home consoles and looked just as good. Why would someone drive to a location to pay per game when they had the game in the comfort of their own home?

Especially when they had the cloak of anonymity. They could hurl insults and act as dishonorable as they wished with no consequence. It turned millions of otherwise decent gamers into blithering barbarians. Microsoft's Xbox Live sees the worst infestation, but it's everywhere. This more than anything else brings me to mourn the passing of the arcades.

Of course, Japan didn't quite suffer the arcade collapse that we did. It's only now that arcade attendence is starting to falter a little. Mostly what remains popular now are interactive games, though various shooting and fighter games from tried and true companies and franchises are still released. It's from this still-existing scene that we got games such as Dance Dance Revolution, which helped kickstart a near revival in the States.

Arcade gaming has become the cult culture now. The fun parks that do survive and thrive still keep arcade culture alive, but these places are few and far between and many of them do not get newer games such as Street Fighter IV, which will finally come to home consoles in February. A number of arcades have begun popping up across the country, mostly in urban areas as they can survive and deliver the more popular games.

For places like Spartanburg, we get establishments like Tilt. Tilt, despite it's obviously lower budget, is a valiant effort to bring arcade gaming back to the local Spartanburg area. Now it's overall selection may not be perfect, but they have one of my favorite fighting games Marvel vs Capcom. Really any game from that pitted the Marvel characters against Capcom franchises won my heart (X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom:Clas of Heroes, and Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Ageof Heroes). And it is this game that I have been frequenting over the past few weeks.

In a sense, arcade gaming serves as a religious experience of sorts for me.

Unlike when I'm gaming at home where the lives of my roommate and mine coincide with one another and my escapist concentration is temporarily broken, I enter an urban setting when I'm in the arcade, within the bowels of WestGate Mall. The muzak, the symphony of teenagers and their cell phones and the sizzling of the nearby Japanese fast food restaurant crash with the rings, buzzing and caffeinated soundtracks of the arcade's games. Upon entering this chapel of activity, I turn a mental noise filter on when I reach the lone Marvel vs Capcom machine nestled in the darkened corner of the arcade. The moment I press the button after inserting my quarter, the world around me melts away.

As I bask in the blue-lit glow of the screen, I am absolved.

All the problems plaguing me fade. My frenetic financial status, my dissatisfaction with my job(s), my disintegrating social life, and my everlasting creative rut...all of that ceases to exist for the brief moments I'm playing.

Brief as this reprieve may be, it is priceless.

Simultaneously, it serves as a nostalgic reminder of the bustling culture that thrived inside the confines of the arcade as opposed to outside of it. I really have no idea what kind of business Tilt does as I've never really gone on a weekend. I tend to go before what's generally dinner time for everyone else on school days when the lowest amount of people are likely to be at the mall. This way I'm pretty much guaranteed a space in front of the Marvel vs Capcom machine, which is the only game I've managed to get around to playing unless Bryant joins me and challenges me to SvC (SNK vs Capcom): Chaos (he completely buckles before my power in MvC, so SVC offers a level playing field).

All I can do is be thankful Tilt exists while it does. The gesture to revitalize a lost gamer culture should be applauded for its efforts. Here's hoping to see you at the arcade. First battle's on me.

Insert Coin.

P.S.
A sort of oral history of Arcade culture was just released entitled Arcade Mania. Not only is it a fantastic little read, but also features a bevy of vivid images to accompany the text.

Classic Gamer Brain Update and Notes

2009-01-08T11:32:00.008-05:00

A few notes:

1. Our friends over at Classic Gamer Brain have opened up a forum over the holidays. It's a bit sparse right now, but give it time to establish itself. I've already signed up (I'm Myles, obviously) and you should as well. At the very least it will give anyone who wants some intimate video game conversation a place to cool their heels in between posts.

2. As for posting, you'll notice the "Continue" link now at the end of all our posts. It's my feeble attempt to create expandable summaries so you can browse through out articles much more quickly. I can't really claim HTML to my geek repertoire, so 1) to avoid the "Continue" link being on every single article, I personally insert it in, which means it will still be present in the full article versions and 2) apparently it's at war with Apple because Bryant's posts refuse to behave. Any experienced advice is welcome

3. Speaking of Bryant. He's taken ill, which has rendered him completely and utterly useless (as well as making him act as if he were on his deathbed). Send him "Get Well" wishes...or ridicule him into angry tirades, which basically consists of him ending every sentence with your name to indicate he's be serious.\. That's what I do.

Gamers' Jihad: The Console Holy War

2009-01-05T13:27:00.019-05:00

I started this article last month as a testament of my relief for ridding myself of my Xbox 360 console. As I verbally meandered through the draft at various points through the Christmas season, I began to think about the state of gamers today and the ferocity with which console they pledge their allegiance.

It started as I became trading against the 360 and how Microsoft goes about managing their video game foray. Continue..

I'm sorry, but when a gaming console's colossal failures are indoctrinated and accepted into the social consciousness, a light bulb should have gone off in people's minds. Irks the living shit out of me.

But then I realized that not everyone who plays video games is as sanctimonious about their console decisions. And since Microsoft has offered a means to fix the flawed system, most 360 owners treat it like they would any broken pricey appliance and send off to have someone fix it. It's not that big of a deal to them. I get that.

And I'm not trying to shit on Seth's new toy (he got one for X-Mas, God bless him) nor am I going to decry the system no matter how sardonic my feelings are towards Microsoft a certain degree of mindless zombies they have heralding the thing like the coming of goddamn Thor. Until recently, I myself owned a 360.

When the dust settles, the 360 is by no means a bad or terrible system despite what hyperbole you'll hear from Sony, Nintendo, and the odd Apple supporters (who, I'm assuming, escaped from a top secret lab or alternative dimension in which Apple houses a gaming console).

I started this article the night I sold my 360, which I had dubbed "The Lawnmower," feeling free of the shackles of the system and angry towards Microsoft for knowing the 360's detrimental flaws in advance (and how could they not, really) and doing little to fix it before releasing the system.

But something happened between that night and now. I began to feel ashamed.

Why do we, as gamers, act like choosing a console is like choosing a Roman deity, doing everything possible to tear down another's system? Growing up, I had a Sega Genesis and my neighboring friend had a Super Nintendo. It wasn't as if we were on opposing teams at the fucking Super Bowl. He came over and played games with me when we wanted to play Genesis and when I wanted to play SNES, we went over to his house. Otherwise we shared our experiences.

So what the hell happened? When did buying a console become an act of drawling a line in the sand in this epic war for attention?

One theory I've come up with is the fear that "one ring will rule them all." I think that Sega bowing out of the console business after the unfortunate death of the Dreamcast placed the terrifying thought in the collective consciousness of gaming culture that whatever console one chose could end up meeting the same fate.

Gaming, as a result, has become another religion. Nintendo, of course, is Christianity. It is the most practiced and recognized. When someone thinks video games, Nintendo is what comes to mind to most people. Keep in mind, this includes non-gamers. To this day, regardless of what I'm playing, when an older relative or passerby comments on my gaming (console or portable), 80% of the time they ask if I'm playing Nintendo. While Nintendo fans do have evangelical sects, by and large, they are happy just spreading "the good word."

Sony remains akin to Buddhism. It is the enlightened path. It is the way. It is a meditative format that consistently achieves to shed itself of suffering and flaws. You may, of course, chose to delve into the other consoles if it will aide you on your path to enlightenment, however certain sects remain strictly exclusive and isolate themselves from all others with a slight scoff.

As for the Xbox 360? Islam. While not inherently bad by any means, a handful of screaming fundamentalist douche nuggets fuck it up for everyone and give the system a terrible reputation. In the name of their console, these close-minded zealots troll message boards, loudly argue in game stores, and spread poorly conceived untruths and misunderstandings. And while every consular "religion" is guilty of this, the 360's followers put the rest to shame in terms of blind devotion.

Are we that terrified that some great schism's going to come along and smite whatever system's making the least number of sales? All three of these systems are selling. Period. It doesn't really matter who's selling more so long as someone's making a sizable profit. That's like if someone handed Bryant a million dollars and then handed me 750,000. I'm not exactly upset, here nor am I hurtin' by any stretch of the imagination.

Maybe I'm aging, but I can certainly remember a time when playing video games was not an accepted thing to do. It wasn't cool. It wasn't trendy. After a certain age, it was deemed for outsiders, losers that stood around outside the arcade, and other various people who were often picked on due to their interests. A lot of kids playing now can't empathize with this, but I assure you, the social consciousness didn't always think video games were cool and finding someone who not only shared your interest but wanted to share it with you was sort of like looking for a vinyl copy of Blink 182's The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show.

Endlessly hounding someone for a console choice when you should be celebrating a fellow gamer just doesn't make sense to me.

So, it's a new year. Let's continue to play test the future in 2009...

...and let's do so without trying to take each others goddamn heads off.

Keep Dreaming...

2009-01-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

This weekend I've been playing and messing around with my Dreamcast a lot. It's been overstated but the system really was ahead of its time.

Even having the Sony PlayStation 2 and 3, the Dreamcast is the last system that had a true Japanese feel. While we didn't get all of those quirky and mostly insane Japanese titles, America did get Samba De Amigo, Chu Chu Rocket and Super Magnetic Neo. The system was compact enough to fit in the tiny Japanese apartments and it was a pioneer in online gameplay.

Two things killed the Dreamcast: DVD support as well as betrayed Sega fans. Back when Sega was going head-to-head with Nintendo as the console king, they pushed things too far. The Genesis was a fantastic system with great games. However, Sega ended up screwing over everyone when the 32X and the Sega CD came out. Those were expensive and unnecessary add-ons that really put them in the grave. When the Saturn came out people had already started to lean more towards the Sony PlayStation and N64. Even though the Saturn had arcade perfect ports and the best controller for fighting games, gamers were already tired of dropping hundreds on Sega. Sad story indeed.

While the Dreamcast feel to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, it will always have a fond place in my heart. For as long as I can, I will proudly keep my Dreamcast in my collection.

So, here's to Sega's last opus, the only console to truly think...

Doukutsu!

2009-01-02T08:26:00.004-05:00

It seems that I might be the only responsible morning person sometimes at work. I usually get here around 30 minutes before anyone else and end up being locked out in the main lobby. No places to eat are open but at least I can enjoy a few minutes of Cave Story!

Cave Story is a very simple, very fun freeware game released by a programmer going by the name Pixel. It's an homage to the 8-Bit era but done in the besway possible. And by the best way, I mean totally amazing. If you haven't played Cave Story yet, what's stopping you?

Download Cave Story for any platform and read up on it a little more here!

A Tattoo of One

2008-12-30T16:26:00.026-05:00

Right now I am, for the first time ever, playing Final Fantasy VII. Actually, I had played it before, once at Seth's house and once again when I bought a shitty PC port of the game. I have no idea how I avoided playing this for so long but here I am and god damn, it's fun.

I've put in around 23 hours or so, some of that will be times that I've stepped away or managing materia and such. So far I can see real link between my Final Fantasy VI and VII. As most people know I have been a huge fan of VI for years, proudly claiming it as my favorite. I was a doubter for sure about VII. I didn't think that the game could actually live up to it's hype. It's one game though that no one should miss out on.

While check online to see other opinions I stumbled upon a lot of others claiming that the game is overhyped and read their list of complaints.

"Too old!"

"Worst graphics ever!"

"Just another stereotypical story of a lone hero..."

While I haven't even come close to beating the game, I can clearly see the influence it has on modern games. This game cast a shadow that other games have tried to break out from. To me, that seems like a great thing! It means that developers worked that much harder to make games that truly shine. Before I get off on a tangent though, I would like to clarify something.

To all of the loose argument against this game I just need to ask, does anyone remember when this game was made? Okay, the graphics are nothing like Final Fantasy VIII but consider that this game was in production at the very early days of 64-bit graphics. In fact, I think this game looks great. The summons are fantastic as well as the backgrounds. And as for claims that the game is outdated and stereotypical I am confused. Isn't there a first for everything? Even if the story has common elements as other games, so what? That's true with any medium. Dragon Ball is based of the Monkey King, Street Fighter and King of Fighters are based on martial arts, and Clueless is just a Jane Austen story! Everything in this world is built off of something else and this is even more true in games. I think that this game deserves all of the praise it's been given of the years.

Off to figure out the mystery of the Cetra...

Christmas Bounty

2008-12-28T03:25:00.002-05:00

So of the people I know on here I am the only one who owns a 360. Thanks to Father Christmas. I grabbed up 6 games and after I finish with a few projects I'll give some input. For anyone interested my 6 are: Gears of War 1 & 2, Blue Dragon, Dead Space, Fallout 3, and Bioshock. So There's what to expect.

It's A Dream Paradox.

2008-12-25T13:39:00.004-05:00

I think it's only right to play this later on tonight.

Merry Christmas from Shoryuken!

2008-12-25T13:25:00.002-05:00

The Next Drink's On Me

2008-12-18T10:29:00.001-05:00

Today Mega Man turns 21! Let's all give respect to Capcom's Blue Bomber.

BALLS AWESOME!

2008-12-17T18:45:00.003-05:00

Today Konami made all of my head explode. So, exclusive to the mobile platform, all iPhone users will be able to play:

Dance Dance Revolution Lite

Frogger

Silent Hill: The Escape

And, most important of all...

Metal Gear Solid Touch!

Get Equipped with Awesome Picture

2008-12-14T14:20:00.004-05:00

I just saw this on GoNintendo yesterday and thought it was just amazing. It's not just awesome looking but it shows off all the master robot's weaknesses.

Zombie BBQ!

2008-12-14T12:57:00.003-05:00

Last night I picked up Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ! for the Nintendo DS. For $20 you can get a very solid, on-rail, twitch shooter. Spanish dev EnjoyUp built a fantastic game that could easily pass as another Japanese import. I think most people who check this out might have a DS already so this is one game that you shouldn't pass up. Check out the full Play review for more!

I Choose You, Norm McD!

2008-12-13T17:31:00.004-05:00

Muffins.

2008-12-12T16:34:00.003-05:00

Christ! Today has been so busy at wok. I came prepared to make some ground in Dragon Quest but I don't think that's going to happen. I just know that after Christmas I will be so bogged down and will probably forget where I'm at in the story. Maybe I can get some time in later tonight. It's either that or Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

At least there were muffins today.

Delicious muffins.

It's not a virus...It's evolution.

2008-12-12T16:19:00.002-05:00

Almost done with Parasite Eve. Now that I've been playing the first game I am really interested in the movie and the book. I've heard that the game is only loosely related to the Square game but I still think it's worth a try. I find it very interesting that such a notable game is based around a novel that was written only a few years prior. It's usually the case that stories shared between book, film, and print should remain separate but not in this case. So, hopefully I will have a chance to check both of the other works out and see what's up with them.

Now I've just got to decide if I want to drop $40 on a copy of Parasite Eve 2...

Good Weather for Melodrama

2008-12-11T09:39:00.003-05:00

Christ, all this rain is killing me. If it's not the inability to walk anywhere downtown, it's the fucking retarded drivers on 85. Hard to believe a little water added 20 minutes to my commute. If today is slow, expect me to churn out a few things for you kids to read.

All this rainy weather has me in the mood for a great RPG. Maybe I'll pick Persona 4 up on the way hone tonight...

Golden Sun: The Lost Age Review

2008-12-04T17:48:00.006-05:00

Golden Sun: The Lost Age Review

Back in 2003 GBA fans all over were graced with one of the Gameboy Advance's greatest RPGs. Golden Sun: The Lost Age, the sequel to 2001's Golden sun, Continued the tried and true formula while expanding its scope. It took the best of old school Final Fantasy and incorporated a great class structure and battle system. Let me break the game down for you.

Story:
The story continues where the first game left off. A group of magic users (adepts) left their hometown to stop a group bent on unleashing chaos on the world. The group of villains, led by Alex, stole the elemental stars from the adepts village of Vail. The villains, who captured a childhood a few childhood friends of the heroes and turned one of them to the bad side, use the stars to light the 4 elemental lighthouses. The Lost Age picks up right as the second one is lit. The player assumes the role as Felix, the boy from vail that joined Alex. He travels along side of his sister Jenna and Sheba, a shy wind adept. During their journey the get to travel the world and see how life has changed due to the lit lighthouses. Felix wants to continue lighting the towers while the heroes of the first game try to stop him.

Ultimately both groups clash together late in the game and join forces as the head for the finale.

Gameplay:
This game is HUGE. The battles are EPIC. Now that i have simply explained the two sides of gameplay to you let me expound upon them. The world that you will explore in this game is massive. The amount of territory to explore in this game is equal to any 2 or 3 early Final Fantasy games combined. The player will go from snow covered mountains to lost cities surrounded by a huge sea. The first play through could easily take you 55+ hours, and that is just the story. The locals switch up constantly keeping everything fresh, but not so often they feel inserted for the heck of it.

Battles on the other hand are a love it or hate it affair. Anyone who loves the old-school turn based Final Fantasy formula will love it. When a battle begins you are presented with your characters and the enemies in a pseudo-3d view. The player is then given the option to fight flee or check stats. Upon selecting attack the player is given further options of: attack, psyenergy (magic), items, Djinn (summons), items, or defend. Attack is your basic affair. Your character attacks and damage is based upon their strength plus the weapons strength and attributes. Psyenergy is where the game shines. Scratch that, its what the game is built upon. Psyenergy is the magic used for puzzles out of battle and everything else in battles. Characters selection is based upon their class. This is based upon what Djinn they have equipped. Djinn are elemental creatures that were let loose upon the stealing of the elemental stars. Characters can mix and match their Djinn to change stats and class. Every class has specific psyenergy that it can use. A combination of pure earth Djinn will result in attacks like Earthquake and Spire, while water Djinn will result in Cure and Blizzard.

Aesthetic:
For a GBA game this game is beautiful. Screenshots look amazing, but still do not do the game justice. The world map is massive and is brightly colored. The battles pseudo-3d art style is just gorgeous for a 2003 handheld game. The summons are worth looking up on youtube if you don't plan on playing the game. The music for the game is equally as beautiful. It might only be MIDI, but it will still evoke emotion.

Final Thoughts:
Play this game. Nough said. You will not be disappointed.
Story 8/10
Gameplay 9.5/10
Aesthetic 10/10 (for GBA)
Overall 9.5/10

Bustin' Makes Me Feel Good!

2008-12-04T14:50:00.005-05:00

It may well be that the extended break forced upon the Ghostbusters game did a whole world of good. While the physics and tech demos looked solid enough to satisfy me as a Ghostbuster fan, I could see how a casual gamer may pass it up.

The boys and girls at Terminal Reality deserve a pat of the back. They really spit-shined this baby into something legitimate. The style's much more prevalent as the rich colors really stand out and allow for the writers to excel with playing at offbeat comedy combined with moderate scares.

It's also the first time we really get to see Ray, Egon, Winston, and Spengler in action, all voiced by the original actors. As it stands, the following video doesn't just look like a hell of a fun game, but a bona fide Ghostbusters 3 trailer.

555-0000

Terror

2008-12-03T18:21:00.002-05:00

The Only Fantasy Here is Value

2008-12-03T15:48:00.004-05:00

After a discussion of SNES vs. PS1 RPGs last night with Bryant I mentioned that I was going to check out some ebay auction for PS1 games.

The system bore many games, one could say too many when you check the use of its bullshit meter. While plenty of mediocre and below games slithered their way into plenty of disc trays, there was also plenty of good stuff.

So I set out to quell my curiosity and possibly lighten my wallet when I discover the terrible judgment on pricing. Most lots contained bland games and were anywhere from $10 to $20 for 10 to 30 games. Fine. Anything with Final Fantasy in the name was anywhere from $60 to $80, pushing up to $200. I own most of these, yes, would I ever try to unload them onto a collector for that much. Fuck No.

Yes, Final Fantasy seems to be the top RPG series in the U.S. Yes, the games are fun and hold up with time. But they were made in such abundance. Copies of Final Fantasy VII are like stars in the sky. Bundling Final Fantasy VIII, seen as one of the weaker ones by fans (Sorry Myles), doesn't warrant the price to be that of a new-gen console.

I won't even get into how these lots still hold their price when the description informs you that you'll only get disc 2 and 3 of a 4 disc set. Or mention that the "Original RARE" Metal Gear Solid which is missing the first disc is still obviously a great buy for $20.

All I'll say is Fucking Idiots.

Apologies...

2008-12-01T09:45:00.006-05:00

Sorry to everyone for being M.I.A. last week and the lack of posting. Thanksgiving really didn't impede me much, but a brutally hectic work schedule (Fuck you, Black Friday) and the unexpected death of my friend, Crystal, kept my attention elsewhere.

I mention all these things for one specific reason: to make Bryant look like an asshole for his post below.

I like to think I succeeded.

We'll now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

More on Crystal over at my blog.

It Begins...

2008-11-28T17:27:00.003-05:00

It seems that everyone was too busy on Thanksgiving to post anything, myself included. I did take a few minutes out of the day to play Animal Crossing (but not enough time to actually save the holiday feast!)

So, now that Thanksgiving is over, it means that the onslaught of holiday shoppers, game deals, and gifts is upon us. So, Shoryuken! asks...

"What games have you asked for this holiday season?"

Just leave us a comment and let us know!

Check Me Into Arkham Asylum

2008-11-24T17:04:00.008-05:00

The following is a teaser for the Batman: Arkham Asylum, which is set to come out next year.

Paul Dini, creator of the classic Batman: The Animated series is writing the story. Additionally B:TAS vets Kevin Conroy (Bruce Wayne/Batman) and Mark Hamil (The Joker) will reprise their roles for the game.

As both an avid comic book fan and a gamer, I think this could shape up to be a unique superhero gaming experience. The best we've had is the free roaming in Spider-Man's adventures, but there's such a breadth of material and experiences out there. We haven't even scratched the surface.

This may be DC's first great game. Although, with DC's track record, even a good game will look positively glowing in comparison.

I often suffer epileptic flashbacks of Superman 64. I have my good days and my bad days, but the medication helps.

Does Sony Have A Head of Cockblock Division?

2008-11-24T11:39:00.006-05:00

These days, I like to imagine the execs over at Sony each have their own cavernous office where they sit and plot in a manner not unlike Montgomery Burns. After last week, it's probably not too difficult to hear the chorus of "Eeexcellent" around the Sony offices.

Why, you ask?

Microsoft unleashed their new dashboard upon the world last week. Among it's new bells and whistles is the ability to access Netflix and stream movies. Scores of gamers logged on only to discover some films wouldn't work. Turns out films such as Superbad and The Karate Kid have a little something in common: they're all Columbia Pictures films.

Columbia Pictures is owned by Sony.

I'm going to let that sink in for a moment.

When I first read of this, my jaw just dropped followed by my uttering of "Balls...awesome."I was on the phone with Bryant, who was talking to me about....something. I immediately shut him up to recite this news post at IGN, trying as best I could to hold in my laughter.

Of course, as "Tycho" from Penny Arcade states " You can use MediaMall's PlayOn to restore this functionality to your box, along with the other cool channels it has available. I don't know why people ever, ever try to stop nerds from doing things. It's really the most incredible waste of time."

While I do agree with this sentiment, as a Sony fan, the principal of the whole thing wins the day for me. Sony's blatant middle finger to Microsoft is perhaps one of the more magnificent public cockblocks in recent memory.

And the fact that Sony made no announcement beforehand makes it all the more sweeter. I imagine those execs in their offices poised with fingertips extended as they watched their screens and simply waited for the dashboard launch.

What balls.

Now, for fuck's sake, guys...give us Home already!

One Down...

2008-11-24T10:44:00.005-05:00

So the launch week of Shoryuken! went pretty smoothly. We still have a few ideas we're trying to work out, but we're very gracious towards anyone who's given us a read and participated so far.

We've been added to the blog roll of Sparkle City Blogs, a project by Steve Shanafelt that compiles local blogs in our native Spartanburg, SC. So if you're in the area, definitely give him a shout out and he'll include you. This particular club's all inclusive.

Since you're here, do our friends over at Classic Gamer Brain a solid and give them a look-see as well. These guys have been at this game for a bit longer than we have. They even have podcasts. Bastards.

Also, if you comment or have commented, it'd be a good idea to e-mail subscribe to the post. Part of entire mission here is to inspire conversation and promote community amongst gamers. While we appreciate your involvement, conversation is obviously more than saying one thing. We definitely intend to respond to you, and others may follow suit as well. So stay and chat for a while. Bryant bites, but I'll keep you safe.

That's it, really. Just wanted to thanks those who have helped make our launch promising. It's very encouraging.

Who knew? You guys really are good for something!

Ruffians?

2008-11-23T14:17:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend I had planned on using what little free time I had to play through Parasite Eve and Animal Crossing but last night there was a change in plans. When I met Seth last night at Wal-Mart I decided that I finally needed to pick up a classic controller. Before this I was using a Gamecube controller to play any of my Nintendo 64 games on the Virtual Console. But, after getting tired of having to sit so close to my television just for the cord to reach the top of my Wii, I finally dropped my $19.99 and went home happy.

I hadn't really planned on using t for much more that just maybe making a few runs through Sonic the Hedgehog and maybe a few plays through ToeJam and Earl. When I got home though, I noticed one game though that I had almost forgotten about purchasing. A little known Treasure (yes, lame pun intended).

Now, before I actually reveal the game I would like to say that one of my favorite game companies, Nintendo, is notorious for rehashing old franchises instead of creating new characters and IP. Since 2000, Nintendo has really only had to offer us Chibi-Robo, Animal Crossing, and Pikmin. However, there is one game that Nintendo published in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. Developed

by legendary studio Treasure, the company behind Genesis classic Gunstar Heroes and balls hard Ikaruga for the Gamecube, this game barely missed our shores.

However, in October 2007, importer and classic gamers rejoiced when Sin and Punishment finally appeared on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. Costing 200 more Wii points than a standard N64 game, Nintendo finally opened a door for everyone who missed out on this shooter. I am one of those people and I'll be damned if I say I wasn't ecstatic when I saw news of a US release. My seven years of patience was rewarded when I finally had a chance to play through the entire game. This game was perfect for the American audience and should have been poised for a release here. While the story is batshit insane and almost impossible to follow, the gameplay is true run-and-gun and a real rail rider. With all English voice acting with Japanese subtitles, I still wonder how it took so long for it to come to our shores.

X

2008-11-21T13:31:00.009-05:00

Today is a pretty monumental day in gaming history. Maybe this date slipped by everyone else but ten years ago it was impossible to stave off the excitement. That's because on November 21st, 1998 the highest rated game of all time was released in Japan.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

For the first time ever players were able to enter a fully three dimensional Hyrule, explore a world inhabited with different species and dungeons that pushed forward a new depth in gaming.

I plan on writing a full piece later tonight about Ocarina but I'm more interested in hearing everyone who reads this to leave a comment. Write about the first time you played the game, how you think it's held up over time, or finally admit to never playing this classic.

GOTY Material

2008-11-21T13:00:00.010-05:00

Thankfully this game will be out December 19th, just in time for the holiday season.

The description on EBGames.com is priceless.

Let's PLAY

2008-11-21T11:00:00.011-05:00

To reiterate Bryant's point, Play is one of, if not the, best English language video game magazines out there. Most certainly the best offering from the States. Other noteworthy titles are Edge and Game (or is it Gamer? I always forget). Play is written by gamers for gamers. That is not a sales pitch. Unlike magazines like Game Informer (who is partnered with GameStop), Play's not trying to whore out anything or steer you to a certain video game retailer. These people know their stuff, and while they may not always break out exclusive news on Stateside releases, they have their fingers on the pulse of video game culture and delve more into the things gamers care about.

I read Play like I was taught to read poetry. The first read is the "lost read." I skim the magazine in its entirety, only stopping to study something if something captures my complete attention. Over the course of the following weeks between issues, my exploration of Play deepens. The dense, well researched articles are a welcome pleasure to the vapid skeletal reportings often riddled with generally unfunny snark to hide the fact that the writers really don't have much to say (EGM, Game Informer). Another welcome feature is the lack of numerical ratings. Play dropped those like a bad habit in the print version (new, original website to be launched soon). You get the fleshed out review that speaks for itself instead of a judgmental numeric score that rarely reflects on the game itself. For those wishing to quickly see the writer's thoughts before choosing to delve into the review, Play writers offer a "Parting Shot" to the larger reviews.

But the most important difference between Play and nearly every other gaming publication/site is that every writer answers the most important gaming question in their review: Is this game fun?

Sure, you may able to to dart across a beautifully rendered open world and shimmy down a pole to deliver a killing blow to an unsuspecting target or watch Kat Williams on TV (WTF?) , but is it worth it? Do/Should you give a rat's ass?

The crew at Play take this heavily into consideration. For example, the resurrection of arcade and Sega Genesis classic Golden Axe for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 was universally met with rolled eyes. But Play kind of threw their hands up and said "Fuck it, this is fun."

Actually, the exact words were: "If you know who Frank Frzetta, Simon Bisley or Tarna are, or read Heavy Metal magazine, you don't need a parting shot; you need $59.99 plus tax and a car. For everybody else, if you like unsullied action games, beautiful heroines, large pissed-off beasts, or laying waste to evil undead hordes and the earth-plundering demons they work for, you will love Golden Axe: Beast Rider."

Sounds like a great time to me.

Play has everything I want in a gaming magazine: excellent, well-thought out opinions by good humored writers, people who investigate games coming (or not coming) from the game mecca of Japan, discuss gaming culture, good interviews with game developers, updates on cool swag, tech talk and just about anything I could think of outside Kristen Stewart (she has absolutely nothing to do with video games but I sort of throw her into any "Things I Want" list).

If you love video games and are looking for the right magazine or would like a snapshot of gaming culture at a particular month, I urge you: Read Play.

*Drool*

Winter Play

2008-11-20T08:50:00.002-05:00

Just a quick heads up that the December 2008 issue of Play is out. Cover story on Persona 4 and balls awesome review section. Just in case anyone is unfamiliar with Play, you're really missing out. It's less camp that EGM, better written than Game Informer and often times the polar opposite of IGN. All the writers seem to have a genuine passion for what they write about and it seems to show. I'm sure that Myles and I will sing their praises more in future posts.

On newstands now for $5.99, one year subscription for $17.99!

City Living

2008-11-19T01:34:00.000-05:00

Just to let everyone know, I just picked up Animal Crossing: City Folk this Monday. I'll try to do a few updates when cool events happen or whatever else I deem worthy of showing off.

However, I do have a busy game schedule I'm trying to work through. Parasite Eve, Valkyria Chronicles, Mirror's Edge, Dragon Quest IV, and (reintroduced!) Super Smash Bros. Brawl have been taking up a good bit of my time. But, there in lines the beauty of Animal Crossing. Some criticize saying that it's a game that makes you do chores in a virtual playground, I say it's just a nice digital vacation.

Welcome home.

In The Beginning...

2008-11-18T16:06:00.000-05:00

Shoryuken! is a blog about video games.

There goes about 75% of you right now.

The remaining 25% of you, I'm sure, are eager to read the latest in video game news, rumors, and gossip. Yeah. About that. You won't really find that here.

...and there goes another 24%.

Why, hello there 1%! I'm Myles. My cohorts and I will be delivering articles involving video games and the culture surrounding it. If you've read this far, then you likely have a similar curiosity or passion for video games...or you're really fucking bored (Yes, we swear. A lot. Deal.). Forgive the aesthetics, we're still working that out.

Now, come closer. I speak of video games...and I have beer.

Shoryuken! is a reprieve from the detrimental environment of most message boards. A place for video game conversation that's made up of a little bit more than deemings that something "sux" or "ownz." Anyone can offer a one-word review or pontificate over a zinger to tear down a game, but it's more often than not an attempt to look good in front of internet peers (or to agitate them).

We at Shoryuken! hope to spark a little life into video game conversation. There are dozens of news and rumor sites, but very few that really encourage thought about gaming. More often than not, people attempt impress their opinion upon you with their reviews.

We will too, don't you worry!

But most importantly, we want those who take the time to read what we have to say to respond. To engage themselves in conversation with those who love video games as much as you do.

Right now, the blog format suits our needs best. The future may hold a more legitamate website, or even our own *gulp* message board.

Until then, Shoryuken! as it is works for us just fine. Welcome to Shoryuken!

Press Start!