Metroid Fan Art

I am a huge Metroid fan, so I am very excited about Metroid: Other M. In Samus Aran's honor, I devote this gallery of fan art collected from Pixiv.
Enjoy!

My New Games

I decided to get some new PSP games today. My first game is the new Ys Seven. I bought the special edition since it reminded me of the old Working Design special edition games. The package art is sexy and comes with a CD, art book, and a cloth map! I haven't opened it yet, but the graphics look to be amazing for a PSP game.





I already owned Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, but I learned about a special edition with an art book and special case that was available in limited numbers. Being the Metal Gear fanboy I am, I tracked it down. A local GameStop still had a copy for 49.99. This will be on my shelf with my other Metal Gear goodies.



A few days ago I ordered a new, sealed copy of Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne on Amazon for 29.99. This copy will replace the one I sold several years ago. If you don't own this game, I suggest buying it now. It is one of the best RPG's on the PS2 and it will surely go up in value for the hardcore crowd.



Now if I could just work my way through StarCraft 2, I could play some new games after that :-p

Quick Movie Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

If you love gaming or indie music, then more than likely you will love the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The movie is a geek's dream come true with cool fight scenes, inside references galore, and brilliant special effects. The movie is based off a graphic novel which I never read so I can't make any comparisons to the book. However I can offer my kind words as a gamer and film buff.

The movie stars Michael Cera as the geeky bass player, Scott Pilgrim. He hasn't had a real girlfriend in over a year, so he takes up dating an underage Asian girl named Knives to boast his ego. He quickly finds her dull after seeing Ramona Flowers, a hot indie girl with an attitude. Eventually Scott wins her heart (much to the other girl's chagrin) and believes life will be good from then on. However, things take a turn for the worst, when an evil ex of Ramona crashes Scott's battle of the bands performance. The evil ex tells Scott he must defeat all seven evil exes to stay with Ramona, so like any fool in love would do, Scott begins whooping each of their asses when they appear to keep her affection.

The fights look fantastic, easily on par with the latest superhero flicks. Each fight seems like something out of an anime or a retro video game. Some effects seem a little cheesey at first, but for the most part this is done to make the viewer laugh. Any action fan will love these scenes.

Many game references appear through out the film. The movie even opens with the Legend of Zelda theme from Link to the Past. In a key scene, Scott tries to win Ramona's heart with a lame re-telling of the history of Pac-Man's name (with hilarious results.) Also for a really obscure reference, one band is named Clash at Demonhead...that's fuckin' hardcore.



The acting was terrific. Michael Cera was awkard (as usual) but also he some how pulls of being a badass at just the right time. The skilled actor, Jason Schwartzman, effortlessly plays a very cool and arrogant ex-boyfriend. The performance that really impressed me was from the unknown, Ellen Wong. She played the adorable Knives, the girl Scott puts on the back-burner for Ramona. She comes off as geeky and comical, which plays as a nice foil for the calm and collected Ramona.

The movie is funny as well. One portion parodies Seinfeld, which is a little lame, but for the most part the one-liners are hilarious and Scott's aloofness make for a fun viewing experience. Another thing that makes this movie so great is the soundtrack. I literally left the movie and went to Best Buy to buy the soundtrack. It is that good.

Go see this film! I read it is underperforming this weekend due to being released against the Expendables, Sly Stallone's new film. I would hate to see this movie bomb, because I fear we will never see anything like it again if that happens.

One last thing: Check out the game on PSN. It is a love letter to old school beat-em ups like River City Ransom and Double Dragon.

Shin Megami Tensei Fan Art Galley

Here is a massive fan art update for Shin Megami Tensei fans. I tried to collect art for all of the games in the series, but I may have missed one or two of the more obscure titles. Some of these pictures are really amazing and very detailed so feel free to use these for desktop wallpapers. Once again, these are from the artists of Pixiv. Enjoy.

Shenmue 2 and Kowloon: Preserved in Gaming

I was looking at Asian urban decay on the net today, and I came across pictures of Kowloon the Walled City. I remembered the city from Shenmue 2, but little did I know, the city no longer exist in the real world. Kowloon, was once a sprawling location in China nicknamed "the City of Darkness." In 1993 the infamous city was demolished due to it's lawless nature and network of criminal activity.

The city now exists only in the photos, videos, and memories of people who lived there or visited. I read it described as a chaotic world unto itself, akin to a cyberpunk landscape not unlike the world of Blade Runner. Sadly, I will never be able to go there. However, that is why a game like Shenmue 2 is so special to me. Kowloon exists there, preserved in 1987 (the time Shenmue's story occurs) forever for curious people to explore and behold. I cannot think of a better game to preserve it's glory either, as Shenmue's creators were meticulous in their efforts to recreate the time and places represented in the storyline.

Video games give us the chance to do things we could never do otherwise. I could never be a ninja or fight a dragon, but gaming allows me to do those things in a virtual world. What makes exploring Kowloon so special in Shenmue? It was a real place that can explored virtually for generations to come. You can explore Nazi Germany in Call of Duty, but are you really exploring or just wandering around killing enemies? Sega made the city as true to life as possible. When you play that section of the game, the city is crime ridden and it looks like another world.

If you haven't played the game or even if you have, this section of the game is worth another look if only to see a part of world that no longer exists preserved perfectly in 1987.

Leaked Games You Should Play

Cancellation is a sad word for gamers. I have lamented the loss of many titles like Castlevania for the Dreamcast and most recently the highly anticipated, Duke Nukem Forever. Sometimes, through various means, unreleased games get leaked to the masses. This offers a rare chance to play something you weren't meant to ever see in the first place, for good and possibly bad.
Trying to compile a list of every leaked game would be insane, so I can only point you to a few interesting prospects. (Note: These are all in complete English and playable)

Rent a Hero
This interesting adventure title is for the original Xbox. This wacky Sega game was canned after low retail orders showed there was little to no interest in the release. Rent a Hero was based off of the Sega Dreamcast version with some minor improvements made for the transition to the Xbox including a complete English translation. You will need a modded Xbox to play, but it is worth the effort as it is very strange and original.

Mother
The NES Earthbound prequel was ready to go out the door when it's release was canceled. It was cited that Nintendo didn't feel it would be commercially viable so close to the Super Nintendo's release in America, and axed the game. A few years ago, a finished prototype emerged, and fans have been enjoying the "lost" Earthbound ever since. Don't miss out on this unreleased classic.

Princess Maker 2
This game was originally going to be released for the PC in the Nineties. It is a great parent simulation developed by anime studio, Gainax. Unfortunately, the game was never released to retail in America. It was leaked however, and it is a fine game if you download DOSbox to enable play on modern versions of Windows. The creator of the English translation has shared his view that no one should download this version of the game, but I think it is a crime that this title was never released commercially (with the exception of a special copy given as a gift to the Japanese director of Princess Maker 2 from the translator himself.) It is the only Princess Maker of the series to receive a full English translation. Also, people will tell you the game is creepy, but it is not at all. In fact, the game is pretty wholesome by design as you can be a shitty parent, but your girl will die! No one should want that, so being a good parent is a must.

These are a few lost games that have been leaked for us lucky gamers that love obscurities and rarities. For even more fun look up the unreleased version of Sonic 2. It is almost completely different when compared to the one Sega actually released!

Dude Looks Like a Lady: Weird Fan Art from Japan

In Japan, fan art can range from really incredible and official looking to off the wall utter insanity. Today we will take a look at the latter of the two. Fighting game fan art is really popular there, but some folks wanna see their favorite male character as a female for some reason. Enjoy this odd look at gender bender fan art from Pixiv.

Jedah and Terry Bogard

Ragna the Blood Edge

Sol Badguy

Ryu, Ken, and M. Bison