Marvel vs Capcom Stick Impressions

Today I bought the new Tournament Edition, Marvel vs Capcom Arcade Stick for my Xbox 360. I had a normal fightstick but this one is much sturdier, and heavier. It feels really nice as well. The stick is really great, and I didn't miss a beat playing Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Street Fighter IV earlier. What makes this stick unique is the nice art featuring many of the coolest characters from the Marvel vs. Capcom series. This is by far the best looking Mad Catz product yet, even beating out their recently released Femme Fatale stick.
The stick will set you back 159.00 at Gamestop ( I loathe that store, but it was the only place near my house selling it.) I am pretty certain these sticks are a limited run and should be bought quickly if you intend to buy one at normal price. I know the scalpers on eBay will have most of these in due time and the results will not be good for late buyers. From my experience with it so far the stick is top notch, and is a must have for comic and fighting game fans.

Final Fantasy Tactics Review (PSX)

Final Fantasy is one of the great RPG series of our times. In the 90's a great little title was released for the Super Famicom called Tactics Ogre. Squaresoft soon hired the genius behind it, Yasumi Matsuno, to craft a similar game for the Sony Playstation. The result was the strategy RPG, Final Fantasy Tactics.
As a strategy game, FFT will push your brain to find new tactics (no pun intended) for winning certain stages. Also, since it is a Final Fantasy game, the story is top-notch, although badly translated. This game has always held a warm place in my heart for these reasons. However, FFT was released in 1998, how does it hold up today?
Graphically the game looks like it belongs on PSP or DS ( I know there is a PSP port, I will go into that later) yet that is not a bad thing. The animations for each character is great, and it is rivaled only by the mighty 2-D RPG Suikoden 2 as far as this issue goes. Spell effects are a little cheesy, but no one wants to wait thirty minutes for a CG summon in a strategy game. All in all, the graphics are very good especially since the Saturn was supposed to be the 2-D powerhouse of the 32 bit era.
The music is incredible. This is one of my all time favorite game scores. From the sweeping melodies of the random field battle to the intense track played for battles with Zodiac demons, each song makes you love the game even more. Sound effects are cool, you will hear a little scream when characters are killed, and certain moves have cool and unique sounds like Night Sword. Squaresoft outdid themselves on this one, I would as far to say this soundtrack ties Final Fantasy 6 as all time best RPG soundtrack.
Strategy games most important ascpects are the gameplay and strategic conditions, and this game does not disappoint. Each character can change to a unique job such as knight, bard, samurai, and many more. You will need a varied army to tackle the difficult stages in the game. Grinding is advised in this game to gain better jobs and abilties, but it never feels like a lame chore to advance further. Stage maps can either be to your advantage, or disadvantage depending on your character's job.
Characters in this game are easily some of the best of the "tactics" genre. You will meet heroes, traitors, and evil scoundrels throughout the game's lengthy quest. The story will follow your character, Ramza, from being a teen soldier to being a general of his own army. Along the way Ramza will be branded a traitor, heretic, and savior in his mission to stop the destruction of Ivalice and save his loved ones.
Some gripes about the game do exist. The translation is not the greatest, but the PSP port did remedy this. Also some battles were unwinnable if you saved in the dungeon before that, not on the map, you may have to start all over with a new game to make a better team or Ramza. Also once you get the character, Orlandu, late in the game; winning becomes way to easy since he is basically a killing machine.
Oddly the PSP port did fix the translation; but did not fix the Orlandu thing or level the end game diffuculty. If anything Square-Enix made the game easier by adding two new characters that are in the same tier as Orlandu. Two new job clases were added as well, Onion Knight and Death Knight; but of which are kinda lame. The PSP port added new videos to the game which look nice, and they even added audio for some of the characters in the videos such as Ramza and Delita. While I prefer the PSX port, the PSP port is not bad and is easy to come by for cheap these days.
FFT stands as one of the all-time great strategy RPGs. Many would follow such as Disgaea, Makai KIngdom, and even FFT sequels for handhelds. As fun as some of these games are none hold a candle to their predecessor. Someday I hope to track down Tactics Ogre for PSX so I can compare the two. Until then, long live FFT!

Randomness:

• The world of Ivalice, from FFT, is also the world another classic game takes place in... Vagrant Story.
• http://www.ffhacktics.com/ <----- If you want to make the game even harder go here!
• Cloud and Aerith from Final Fantasy 7 make cameos. Cloud is also plyable if you meet certain requirements!

Awesome Game Fan Art Part II

Here is some more great fan artwork courtesy of Pixiv:
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE!

Holiday Gaming Madness -_-

I have never understood why game companies release all of the big titles during the holiday season. Gamers are left to pick only the titles they feel are most elite, and sadly many games get left in the dust. Huge launches for the new Call of Duty, Dragon Age, Left 4 Dead 2, and a new awesome Mario for Wii will leave smaller (albeit excellent looking) releases like Demon's Souls and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on shelves waiting for their eventual move to bargain bins. The holidays are fun, yet frustrating because of this crazy practice.
For a retro gaming fan like myself the holidays are equally frustrating for another reason. New "pretty" games make it almost hard to ask for a retro gift. Sure I would like to say," I have wanted Alien Solider for Megadrive for ten years," but I know if someone ask me for a gift I'd like to receive I will make it easy on them and say a game recently released. Sorry reto game collection, but I have to get some modern shit on the shelf...damn you fancy new consoles and your fantastic graphics!
I love to buy people games as presents for Xmas. Giving my sister a game we played as children together like Chrono Trigger brings nostalgia to the heart. I also like to get the girlfriend a cool little puzzle game or something, just to bring her into my little gaming world for awhile :-P. As cheesy as it sounds, giving can be as fun as receiving (especially when it means two player Magical Drop) .
The holidays aren't the only reason to be excited either. In January more huge titles release: Bioshock 2, Bayonetta (the demo is amazing btw), Tatsunoko vs. Capcom All Stars. and Mass Effect 2. Also in March for PS3 and 360 the much anticipated, Final Fantasy 13, finally arrives in the US. It is a good time to be a gamer...just not a poor gamer.

Is this dude the inspiration for Mike Haggar?

Many crappy violent manga and anime filled the 1980's. One example is the manga, Mad Bull 34. Mad Bull 34's title character, Mad Bull aka "Sleepy" is the guy with the mustache above. He is a hooker screwing, ultra-violent New York cop that's alway ready to remove his shirt for a brawl. This manga ran in Japan between 1986-1990, and Final Fight was released in 1989. Was this crazy character the basis for Mike Haggar?

Mad Bull looking fairly homosexual.

Mike Haggar being a true badass.

Both characters bare a striking resemblance. I have to wander if the designer at Capcom read this manga, and said, " This dude is awesome, let's design our main hero after him." It is very possible, or maybe he just thought his pro wrestling mayor would look really lame if he was a tiny guy in a suit. Either way, I think the resemblance is uncanny, and it is just a little funny that both Final Fight and Mad Bull 34 were released around the same time frame. Anyone know if Capcom used Mad Bull as an inspiration for Mike Haggar?

Mad Bull fighting in a subway like a certain level in Final Fight.

For more Final Fight rip-offs: http://fightingstreet.com/folders/variousinfofolder/ripofffolder/ripoffpage4.html

Pirate Megadrive Games from eBay

So I won auctions on a couple of odd titles for the old Sega Genesis the other day. One is a strange little game called Top Fighter 2005. It is a weird fighting game starring Goku (Dragon Ball Z), Ryu ( Street Fighter), Cyclops (X-Men), Michael Jordan (comically named Jodan), and a few more out of place fighters. It looks like a MUGEN game, but the controls stink. I may review it later on.
The other game I picked up is a bootleg of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker(complete with terrible artwork that makes no sense) . I haven't stuck this one in yet to see if it's just a simple clone of the original or a whole new hacked up game starring the King of Pop( my fingers are crossed for latter) . I will be sure to give an update on my findings once I play it.
Also here is a picture of my arcade machine running Street Fighter 2.

Reasons to Buy Mushihimesama Futari for Xbox 360

Mushihimesama Futari is another awesome shooting game coming from Japan's shmup powerhouse, Cave. Five reasons to import this:

!. IT"S REGION FREE!! It will play on any Xbox 360.
2. Cave has very limited print runs of it's titles, so this will be a collector's item for the hardcore crowd.
3. The graphics are beautiful 2-D, and the soundtrack sounds pretty awesome from I have heard of it in Youtube videos.
4. Cave is making this game region free to see how large of a consumer base they have outside Japan. If more people import then maybe we will finally see international versions of Deathsmiles or Ibara.
5. The artwork is amazing for this game, if you are a dork for that kinda thing like me, then get this game!


Available at Play-Asia: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-br-49-en-70-3cq6.html

Top Ten Scariest Games

In honor of Halloween, I am making a top ten for the scariest video games of all time. Some of these just made me uncomfortable, others made me jump like a scared schoolgirl.

10. Splatterhouse 3 (Genesis) - This was the first game to ever scare me as a child. The weird demonic enemies and dark storyline gave me chills. It is pretty tame these days, but still a very fun game to play.

9. Silent Hill 4 (PS2) - While this isn't the best Silent Hill, it does has some of the weirdest moments. First there was the whole voyeur angle when looking through to your neighbors to see the bloody rabbit doll occasionally move. The giant baby demons near the end of the game are also really odd. Then there is this part...
8. The Darkness (Xbox 360) - While on the whole this game isn't the scariest game, one part of the game puts it on this list. Your character wakes up at one point in the hell for World War I soldiers. The soldiers are unable to die and fight nonstop for eternity. This version of hell looks frightening, and the concept is very cool. I would recommend The Darkness if only for this one part.

7. Resident Evil 2 (PSX) - This game had some of the best random "scare the shit out of you" moments. I still remember jumping out of my seat when the lickers crash through the investigation window in the police station. This is survival horror done right.

6. Illbleed (Dreamcast) - The story here follows a girl trying to escape a trap filled haunted house with her sanity intact. The game was innovative for monitoring the girl's heart rate, which if it got to high she would actually have a heart attack and a blood loss gauge that monitored well...blood loss. The game has some really weird and scary moments. It is also notable for having a demonic version of Sonic the Hedgehog.
5. BioShock (Xbox 360) - Some people might not classify this as a horror, but I think it fits right in. Weird f**ked up enemies? Check. Killing little girls for power ups? Check. Bizzare story involving self mutilation and cannibalism? Check. It is one of my favorites games even though it so twisted.

4. Fatal Frame (PS2) - Taking pictures of ghosts to kill them is a pretty crazy concept, but this game does just that and it is actually really cool. The game take places in modern Japan, and feels alot like a horror movie from there. A dark and immersive game that really scares people with the lights out.

3. Rule of Rose (PS2) - The whole theme of this game is just nuts. You play as an abused orphan terrorized by evil kids in animal masks. The game isn't the greatest, but the weird atmosphere really leaves you feeling uncomfortable. This is a fun game to throw on, and watch your friends say," what the hell is this game dude?"

2. Clocktower (PSX) - Running from a murderer sucks. In this game, it is pretty the entire concept. A killer called Scissorman is chasing after you and he will catch you. When he catches you the game enters a "panic mode" where you have to fend off the maniac. The game is pretty hardcore, but it is worth playing for the scares Scissorman delivers.

1. Silent Hill 2 (Ps2) - I have played hundreds of games in my life, and this one is definitely the scariest. Your character James enters Silent Hill to find his dead wife, yet he finds only hell awaits him. The story is very dark, the atmosphere is tense, and the enemies are gory. The game's ending will not leave your head for weeks as well.

Rush Rush Rally Racing...Dreamcast Lives!!!

The Dreamcast is the system that refuses to die, and I love it. Homebrew fans will rejoice over the soon to be released racing game, Rush Rush Rally Racing. It is a top racing game that looks to be plenty of fun, and very oldschool. The Dreamcast has seen shooters and a nice little puzzle game released in recent years, but this is the first post death racer. The game includes a single player race mode, 19 tracks, and four player racing. The game is available for pre-order in a regular edition and special edition with soundtrack.
Be sure to give these guys support by visiting their site: http://www.senileteam.com/rushrushrallyracing.html

The Capcom 18 in 1

I now have a Capcom CPS-2 multigame. Let me just say: IT IS AWESOME!!! The board has so many classics and a few obscurities:
Marvel vs. Capcom
Street Fighter 2 X Anniversary Edition
Darkstalkers 1-3
Street Fighter Alpha 1-3
Mega Man Power Battles 2
Dungeons and Dragons 1-2
Alien vs Predator
Battle Circuit
Giga Wing
X-men
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
Puzzle Fighter
some wrestling game with Mike Hagger
I bought this from Jammaboards.com and I can say they were right on their advertisement of it. The games are not emulation each one is the real game represented in all it's glory. The board itself seems to be some CPS-2 board mixed with other board parts. I am not complaing though because I don't have to worry about the "Suicide battery", which kills older CPS2 games after a certain period. Each game can be set to another region as well.
I have been trying the games out most of the day, and have to say this a great purchase. If you are fan of older fighting games, in particular Capcom ones, then you need to get this. My only complaint is a small one. I wish some of the lamer titles like the wrestling game could have been switched for Progear or Marvel Superheroes vs. Streetfighter. That is just a gripe though, as this board is roughly $200 new, and way cheaper than the individual boards, if you can even find them.

Finally Got an Arcade Machine at Home

Yesterday I fulfilled one of my dreams by purchasing a Marvel Superheroes coin-op machine for my house. It is funny how much more awesome it feels to play a fighting game on the actual cabinet than on a console. I got a good deal on this one, and basically had to say something about it. For those who don't know, this is a fighting game by Capcom based on the Marvel comic heroes battling the evil Thanos. It is in great looking 2-D, and the music is pretty rocking too. When I am not so lazy I will post a pic of the actual cabinent. Now I just have to track down Dungeons and Dragons: Shadow Over Mystera (my favorite arcade game) and Super Street Fighter 2 ( my second favorite.) I am a happy gamer right now though :-)

Awesome Game Fan Art

If you have never been to the site, Pixiv, I highly suggest you check it out. Here are some fine examples of fan art from the site:

Selling My Capcom Art Books

If you are a Capcom or Street Fighter fan, and want some awesome art books check out my auctions on Ebay at the moment. I love this picture BTW :-)

http://shop.ebay.com/lastknight01/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=

Obscure Game Review: Pilot Kids

Recently I have been in a shmup mood. I mostly been playing Sengoku Ace and Dragon Blaze ( aka hardest game ever) on my PS2, and it made me curious to see if there were any Psikyo games I may have missed. After searching I found about this little shooter called Pilot Kids. This game was released on the M2 arcade system, the same system used for Daytona USA. For some reason or another, the game never recieved a home console port...so thank heavens for M2 emulation.
Pilot Kids doesn't really hold up to the crazy bullet hell stuff that Psikyo is known for but it still provides a nice (albeit short) ride. The game stars a boy riding in a tiny plane through his house and lawn. The set pieces are cool and the wacky enemies are hilarious like an angry garden gnome statue or a giant Bruce Lee action figure. Your plane has a normal shot and a lock-on attack that kills enemies very quickly... almost too quickly as it makes many bosses too easy.
The graphics are mostly great and hold up even today. Some ugly blockiness appear in enemies but the enemies are such a delight it is easy to overlook the occasional crappy looks. The music is mostly drowned out by the action, but the last stage's tune is eerie and fitting. The game's big downfall is it's shortness. Even for an arcade the game is too short, and the difficulty is cake. Only the last boss cranks up the difficulty playing like a true smhup boss. These faults may have been the reasons this game never recieved a port to any system. I would assume the Saturn would have been the top choice for the port; but by the time this game released it was already entering it's demise. Psikyo must have said screw it and moved onto Dragon Blaze's development.
This game is a fun little diversion and makes a good addition to a shmup fan's library. I have no idea what the PCB sells for on this one, but the rom is easy enough to track down along with the m2 emulator. This game should have been put on one of Psikyo's collection discs; but sadly it remains forgotten in the realms of obscurity. Be sure to give this old game a look.

Tetris on Steroids

Play Tetris and break a sweat at the same time :-)

Scribblenauts impressions

Yesterday I picked up the new DS game, Scribblenauts. The whole premise is solving puzzles or small action sequences by writing anything (not copyrighted) into a pad and watching it materialize. The game is very addicting, and long-lasting with tons of levels and possibilities limited only by your imagination. The game also allows you to build a level for your friends to play with it's level edit option.
I think I spent my first thirty minutes with the game just writing anything that came to mind to see if it appeared on the title screen. I summoned a lawyer, a mop, a Spartan with a spear, and even the Invisible Man. After fooling around with this I started to play the game and found that the game really gives you a lot of freedom in solving it's puzzles. Want some wings to fly over something? Go ahead. Want to summon a Cyclops to fight for you? Just write him in. I tried Hitler out of curiosity ( I was going to send in God to beat him up) but he was not available. For the most part anything you can think of is in this game.
My only complaint with the game is the control. The D-pad is used for the camera, and the touchscreen controls the rest. I have died several times due to the touchscreen's inaccurate precision in flying over an obstacle or navigating enemies moving faster than your character. The control is workable but is a definite flaw.
Overall the game is highly enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone with a DS. Here are a few of the wacky things I have found so far:

• You can write in a shrink ray to shrink objects or yourself (if you reflect the shot.)
• Want to kill a shark or other violent sea-life? Try dropping electronics in the water like a toaster.
• If you write in rally car you will get a race car with the developer's logo on it.
• Want to fly but you're tired of using wings or the jet pack? Try summoning Pegasus, the flying horse.
• Wanna look like a Jedi? Write in robe and laser sword. May the force be with you.
  

For Sonic Fans

Click on image!!



I found this on the MechaFetus Visual Blog today and had to share it. The comic is a pretty funny look at Sonic fans, or as I like call them Sega's beaten housewives.

I Heart Sega

A couple of days ago the Dreamcast's 10th anniversary marked a strange day of nostalgia for long time Sega fans. Many great games defined the system such as Skies of Arcadia, Shenmue, and the Power Stone series; but many more obscurities exist that I remember just as fondly like Blue Stinger and Chu Chu Rocket. The Dreamcast was Sega's farewell to the console wars, and marked their emergence as a third party developer. Some say the PS2 killed the system before it even had a chance; but I think rampant piracy also played a good hand in the Dreamcast's demise. The piracy thing is actually strange to me as the Saturn's game discs were almost impossible to copy. All rambling aside here is my personal top ten Dreamcast games:

10. Powerstone 2 - The perfect party game with insane characters and trap filled stages. Also did I mention there are hundrends of items scattered around each stage?

9. Sword of the Berserk - This game's story takes place after the Berserk anime as Guts searches for a cure for Caska. This is one of the goriest hack and slash games for any system, and the story rocks.

8. Marvel vs. Capcom - Everyone loves Marvel vs. Cpacom 2 since it has a million characters; but for me this is the better game... plus the music doesn't suck horribly like the sequel.

7. Sonic Adventure 2 - The last good Sonic game in my opinion. No werewolf Sonic bullshit here.

6. Skies of Arcadia - A beautiful RPG about sky pirates. The graphics are great, it has a memorable soundtrack, and cool skyship battles. It is way better than anything Square has done recently.

5. Bangaio - One of the wackiest and most fun titles for the system courtesy of Treasure. What other game let's you fill the entire screen with missiles?

4. Street Fighter 3 (series) - The Dreamcast remains the only system to have all three versions of this game. 3rd Strike was great...but checkout Hugo's stage in Double Impact, it is awesome.

3. House of the Dead 2 - This was my first game for the system and it is still one of my favorites. The game has some of the worst ( and funniest) dialogue ever record. It is a perfect port of the arcade game, so grab a buddy and kill some zombies!

2. Last Blade 2 - One of the best fighters for any system that no one has ever heard of. The game has nice 2-D artwork, and a great battle system. I wish this would get a port to Xbox live...

1. Shenmue (series) - The Dreamcast's finest hour, sure people may mock the game these days (where can I find some sailors?) but the storyline is epic. One of the most detail infused games I can think of, I mean what other game lets you work a job, talk to every townsperson, and drink a Coke afterwords? Too bad this series seems to have been put on indefinite hold to many fan's chagrin.

That's the list folks. Maybe one day Sega will get their shit together again and give us a new system. Till then I will only imagine the awesome launch titles they could start with : Shenmue 3, a Sonic sequel that doesn't suck, and Panzer Dragoon Saga 2 (I know that's from Saturn but a man can dream.)
One last thing: Support indie Dreamcast development! Checkout http://www.wind-water.net/

Sengoku Rance VII Review (PC)

Today I am going to review a PC ero-title called Sengoku Rance. Before you run away, this isn't your typical " get the chick in the sack and then her sister too" type game. Instead the game focuses pretty heavily on tactical army battles like a console strategy RPG... this one just has some naughtniess thrown in for good measure. This game was released only in Japan, but Yandere tanslations recently released a nearly complete English patch for the title.Sengoku Rance follows a warrior named Rance as he travels to Japan during the warring state era. He then meets Nobunaga Oda, who places him in charge of his army. From there the game follows Rance on his conquest of Japan and it's women. The story is often light-hearted with Rance being a huge pervert; but sometimes the game can be touching, such as when Nobunaga's young sister has to confront her own destiny.
The tactical game mechanics are highly addictive. The objective usually rest in conquering each family house of a certain state on the map. The family houses all have a leader that usually serves as a boss battle to conquer their state. The battles are fun and easy to learn. Some of the battles late in the game become very difficult but usually with perseverance your groups can take the remaining houses.
The game has well drawn graphics for the battles. The animation isn't very good but it is not overly noticeable. The music is pretty well done as well. Some of the hair metal boss tracks had me rocking out.
Minor RPG elements exist such as dungeons, a friend/ love system, and recruting missions. The dungeons are straight forward but often reward your group with rare equipment or items. Rance can gain the trust of his allies and increase their strength; for female party members he can usually romantically persuade them toward love for stat bonuses and upgrades. Rance can also recruit former enemies from the defeated houses which gives you strong allies and some unique abilities.
It easy to feel overwhelmed when initially staring at the map screen. You have plenty of states to conquer and time plays a big factor on if you will be able to conquer everyone. The game comes to a conclusion on the main route after a certain amount turns (there are other routes which I will discuss later.) The game becomes so addictive that it can be distracting when the storyline forces you to fight another house instead of the one you are currently attacking.
Through certain actions the game can follow multiple routes. This gives you plenty of replay oppurtnities with diferent endings for each one. The difficulty will also re-adjust on certain boss encounters if you are willing to admit failure, which I think is a nice feature seeing as how you will be underleveled in your first playthrough. anyhow Sengoku Rance is pretty lenient on the main route as long as you admit defeat.
Hentai elements are present throughout the game such as when you conquer the states, Rance usually beds down the princess or commander from that nation. The anime artwork is nice and the sex scenes are easily skipped through if it isn't your thing. The Rance games are Japan's premier ero series so everything is top notch in presentation. Be aware that this game can be very dirty as in foul language as well.
I enjoyed this game and hopefully this review will make some of you track this one down. It is a great strategy RPG with a fun story and some dirty elements. Sengoku Rance beats the hell out of every hentai game on the US market as far as gameplay and actual storyline go. Be sure to check this one out and get the translation patch as it is nearly finished.

Other Stuff:

• The game's translation: http://yandere.gray7.com/?page_id=90
• A walkthrough is avaiable here: http://alicesoft.wikia.com/wiki/Sengoku_Rance:Lore
• Video of gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4TgO35BiZs
  

Who is loving BlazBlue?

In honor of BlazBlue being so awesome I am going to present a cool picture of Taokaka I found on Pixiv. Taokaka's face is kinda cute, haha...