Fanart Sunday V: Xbox 360 - A Love and Hate Relationship

I bought a used 360 with a warranty to replace my RROD unit yesterday. Either I am an idiot or I just love the Xbox 360's games. This fanart week is dedicated to why I keep getting Xbox 360's even though they seem to self destruct regularly.





Next week I intend to review Deadly Premonition for the 360. It is the most insane game I have ever played, and it is only $20 bucks! If you are curious about it head over to Destructoid, they seem to love it.

Games That Need to Be Made: A New Golgo 13

Golgo 13 has a long running history in Japan and the US. From live action movies to comics to anime to various retro games, he has done it all. Golgo 13 aka Duke Togo is a James Bond type guy that works in the field of assassination. His past and identity are a mystery but none of that matters since he is a such a badass. Duke Togo does three things well: Making impossible sniper shots, hand to hand combat, and sleeping with every hot woman he meets.
Golgo 13 appeared on NES in two gritty, adult oriented titles. The first simply titled Golgo 13 is a pretty sweet side scroller/ maze game/ sniper game/ adventure game. The 3-D sections are confusing as hell, but overall the game is pretty cool in short bursts. The second game is the Mafat Conspiracy. It is very similar to the first game but the combat is a little worse and the game is overall more difficult. Both are not bad games, and can be found pretty cheaply as well. On a side note, if you want to see a sex scene on your 8-bit system you should check these games out...it is pretty hilarious and awesome.
Duke has also appeared in some obscure arcade games and some DS novel titles. If anyone has seen the Golgo 13 anime or manga, you have to wonder though: why do we not have a modern Golgo 13 action game? Duke's cool style and insane enemies would make for a perfect Metal Gear Solid type game. Golgo 13 deserves better than a DS "interactive novel."

Elements that would create an incredible Golgo 13 game:

• Cool sniper missions like the stories from the comics, ex. shooting from a impossible distance to hit a moving airplane or shooting through a sign to reach a target in another building
• Metal Gear Solid like boss fights featuring infamous madmen like Silver and Gold from the first Golgo 13 anime
• Extracting information from ladies by...um...any means possible
• Stealth could also play an interesting part

I maybe one of the few Golgo 13 fans in the US, but I am sure people would buy this game with word of mouth. I see so many bad licensed games published like Avatar and wish someone would give something a little more obscure a shot. With a decent budget, Golgo 13 could make for an amazing game. Although to be made properly the game would have to be rated Adults Only. Duke Togo's typical ultra violent attacks and sexual escapades would make Grand Theft Auto look like Tickle Me Elmo.

For more Golgo game info:
http://www.giantbomb.com/golgo-13/62-255/

RROD: The Tale of One Man Buying Multiple Faulty Consoles

My third Xbox 360 got the Red Ring of Death today. I have gotten power problems galore these days. My Wii's power cable died recently, my PS2 has been on the fritz, and now my 360 is taking a shit on me too. They do not make systems like they use to. My SNES still runs, and it is from 1992!

Everyone says to go with the Jasper chip 360, but it is sad to me that I have to find the "right" Xbox 360 or else I will have a higher chance of my system dying yet again. Microsoft really owes the world an apology. I love their games, but I am really considering just getting a PS3. The RROD problem is getting very old, and Sony seems to make better consoles.

I bought the launch 360 with a friend in 2006. We saw red light issues within the first week. Thankfully we sold it before the problem was well known. The next year I bought a new one. The system died the same year. In 2008 I finally conceded and bought one more Xbox system, the one I currently own. It lasted longest...almost two years. Pathetic.

Now I am faced with trying to send the system to Microsoft (the power cord is cracked), buying a new 360, or just selling my 360 games to fund a PS3 purchase. I am angry about the whole situation. Between the infamous blue screen of death and the RROD, Microsoft isn't exactly committed to quality assurance. To make matters worse my copy of Espgaluda 2 will be arriving soon. Thanks Bill Gates, you greedy, greedy man...I bet your 360 works.

Fanart Sunday IV: STG Time

I am excited for Espgaluda 2's release this week. To celebrate here is a nice STG themed fanart Sunday:

Retro ReMakes

New Super Mario Bros, Bionic Commando, and Mega Man 9's rather unprecedented success seems to have spurred an interest in creating retro games on modern systems. Sega has commissioned Dimps to make Sonic 4. Capcom is quickly busting out the retro-tastic Mega Man 10. Even more obscure titles are getting in on the act like Rocket Knight.

I am all for this awesome resurgence if it is done right. Sonic 4 is going to be episodic, the rumor being four stages per entry. I think each Sonic game should be same contained. Why can't Sega ever make shit simple? One self contained game that sells well could spur the way for many sequels. Each "episode" better be truly outstanding.

Capcom is going for the same "NES" nostalgia with Mega Man 10. I wish they would go the SNES route graphics wise, or better yet high def 2-D. It is lazy of them to assume people don't want to see a new direction for the Mega Man series simply because Mega Man 9 sold well. Capcom needs to realize they will never make another Mega Man 2 again no matter how much they want to do so.

As much as I bitch, I will probably end up buying both of these games. Rocket Knight seems to be heading in a nice direction with a cool 3-D/2-D hybrid. The game play also looks much like the original game. I would have rather seen Sparkster get a new sequel; but beggars can't be choosers I suppose.

Hopefully developers realize 2-D isn't dead, and people want to see the old classics updated.
Here is my sequel dream list:

Earthworm Jim 3
Dynamite Headdy 2
Gunstar Heroes 2
MegaMan X
Valis V

It would be incredible to see one of these games get a cool retro-style sequel. For older gamers this is a great time to be alive. I really can't wait to see the future for us if the new Sonic sells well. Even fans are getting in on the action. Check out this fan's progress on a re-done Metroid 2 at his site: http://metroid2remake.blogspot.com/

Fanart Sunday III: Valentine's Day Edition

Well it is Valentine's Day, so I decided to go with somewhat more unconventional fanart for today. Most of the pictures are downright funny in fact. On a side note my Wii is working again. It was the power cable that broke, so I simply replaced it. Next week I should be getting Battle Mania 2 in the mail, it is going to be awesome. Till next time...

My Wii Died

Last night I noticed my Wii was not lit at all. When I went to power the system, it was dead. I tried unplugging it and putting the plug into a new socket but nothing worked. I researched a little on Google and found that the Wii seems to have a big problem with the power cable blowing a fuse. Some compared the problem to the RRoD...it is just easier to fix and a little less common.

I am going to Gamestop later to see if a new cord fixes the system's power issue. I really hope it does, because I am sure Nintendo charges out the ass for repair services. I do not want to lose all my downloads on WiiWare as well. I am pretty frustrated with this since I just got the Wii two months ago. I guess I should have got the "extended warranty."

Anyone else ever had this issue?

Games That Need to Be Made: Cowboy Bebop

This is a new blog post idea I want to start doing regularly: games that need to get made (or sequels that need to be made.) Cowboy Bebop, for those not in the know, is a hit series anime starring bounty hunters that want to get rich and kick ass along the way. The series had some of the most memorable characters ever. The action, story pacing, and drama all fit perfectly into each episode of the show. Only 26 episodes and a feature film were made, but any true fan wanted it to go beyond this.The cover looks good, but do not trust it!

A weak Playstation import game was created early on. The game featured the main character flying his ship, The Swordfish, in shitty Ace Combat type gameplay. Thankfully this turd stayed in Japan. A second Cowboy Bebop game appeared on PS2. It featured an original story and focused on 3-D action gameplay. The game was announced for US localization, but due to the game sucking pretty hard it never happened. I bought the limited edition import box set of it, and I still regret that decision. Why can't an anime of such a legendary status receive a better video game? Here are some ideas for a better Cowboy Bebop and for argument's sake on PS3 and the 360:

• Spike should fight swiftly and skillfully like Law from Tekken. In gunfights, the game should play like Mass Effect with guns and ammo being selectable easily with taking cover also playing a vital role in combat situations.
• The graphics should be cel shaded using a high quality engine such as Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm. It should look as close to the anime as possible.
• The story could be original, but I think fans would rather replay classic episodes. Who wouldn't want to fight Vicious in the chapel or shoot Rat gangsters in a space casino? As a bonus, beating the story mode could open an additional stage where you could play through the movie's plot as well.
• Each of the main characters should have an ability. Spike should be fighting with Jeet Kune Do. Faye should have flying sections. Edward's ability would be hacking...once again something like Mass Effect. Jet can fight and use detective skills in certain situations. For fun, mini games are available for the dog, Ein.
  
• The soundtrack has to be done by Yoko Kanno. Period.

These are all ideas I think would contribute toward being a badass game. Give the job to someone like Namco, Konami, or Capcom, I am sure they could make it really nice. I have a bad feeling we will get a new Cowboy Bebop game that sucks if this Keaneau Reeves as Spike bullshit I have been hearing is true. If Hollywood can fuck up Street Fighter the movie they will almost certainly mess up Cowboy Bebop the live action film. I hope my predictions are not going to become reality.God help us all.

Fanart Sunday II

Well here is some nice fanart for the week. My favorite is this LUNAR picture. I want Lunar 3 so bad...sucks it will never happen.

Thrift Store Adventures

Today I went to the local thrift stores to look around. I do not venture there often, but after today I`m thinking I should start. I found some really cool stuff...

Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land is a little known Sega Genesis game by Wisdom Tree. It is an unlicensed cart starring everyone's favorite water parting hero, Moses. The game sucks honestly, but it worth a little money since it is rare...also you don't get much more strange than a Bible themed game with church trivia as a bonus round. The AVGN had plenty to say about this one.I found a NES Powerglove. The glove looks rad and totally reminds me of "The Wizard". I think it is missing some sensors though and I really do not even know how to use it. I love the retro look of it however, and for collection purposes it was a good find I think.My second find of the day was a copy of Super Magnetic Neo for Dreamcast. I played the demo back in the day and remember it being a pretty slick platformer. Sadly there was only a disc without a case, but I will live. I can't wait to try this one out later.

Another game I picked up was Under a Killing Moon. The game is a 90's adveture game for PC. The game is supposed to be a FMV game; but I won't hold that against it. I got it for 99 cents, so I won't complain at all (unless it doesn't work.)

Another sweet game I picked up was Super R Type for the SNES. The game was never one I got a chance to play as a kid, so I am pretty excited to add it to my shooter collection. The cartridge art looks impressive as well.

My last pick up wasn't game related, but it is still nice rarity wise; it happened to be a VHS copy of the long out of print, Tetsuo 2 Body Hammer. It is a famous neo punk film from Japan that saw limited release here in the states. This movie is pretty obscure, so it was insanely neat to find it buried among movies like Driving Miss Daisy and Apoll0 13 :-p.I love Japanese cinema.