Archive for the Best / Worst Category

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SFV: Giving Up Hope On Single-Player Content

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Street Fighter on April 22, 2017 by slateman

Had SFV launched with the full Story Mode, it likely would’ve gotten slightly better review scores. That would’ve led to better sales…but the game’s rush for CPT has been well-documented. It’s also known that Capcom underestimated the percentage of people who actually want an arcade mode/any single-player content. A majority of folks who own SFV would say that any developer time dedicated to single-player content is an utter waste.

So here we are with a few basic facts.

  • Capcom said they won’t repackage a Super SFV or anything. (I think it would be a good idea to refresh reviews and let people feel it’s a new start, but that’s a different discussion.)
  • Developer time is going to CFN, S2 re-balancing and four more S2 characters as well as another twelve Chun-Li costumes. Note that characters & costumes make Capcom money.
  • After that will hopefully come season 3 characters. And another dozen Cammy costumes.

Thus, I don’t see why Capcom would waste any more dev time on the small percentage of current owners who want single-player content. Without a repackaged SFV to draw in new buyers, I think it’s time to give up.

Time to give up on a basic arcade mode. Time to stop wishing they’d do anything with the dolls they already have mostly developed. Time to give up on anything but the Vs. CPU “feature” they gave us. There will be no Extra Battle. No Dramatic Battle. Nothing.

I get that I’m in the minority and I guess that’s what’s frustrating. I spent the same $120 as many of other gamers. But my import of Street Fighter Zero 3 for half the price almost 20 yrs ago gave me more replay value. (That’s unfair, I realize. The online component and continual development cannot be compared). But this is just the final acceptance that we won’t likely get any single-player content because it doesn’t make much sense financially for Capcom to work on it.

Horizon: Zero Dawn – Wow

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games with tags , on April 2, 2017 by slateman

I’m having troubles in Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. It’s not the game’s difficulty. It’s that I simply don’t care. The game looks dreadful. The entire world is fog and I haven’t a clue where to go. Despite wanting to like the game, I simply cannot.

After saving some pennies, I snatched up Horizon: Zero Dawn and OMFG it looks incredible! The gameplay is right up my alley, so that’s no surprise there. However, the lighting, the landscapes, the facial animations: all are top-notch and incredibly-detailed. I’m only a few hours in, likely already farther than I was in Zelda, but I cannot wait to play more…yet another thing Zelda fails to instill in me. Certainly it’s not fair to compare, but when Nintendo’s title wins GotY from every gaming outlet, compare they will. And for me, right now, it’s a no-brainer. I’m utterly impressed so far. Let’s hope this trend continues!!!

How Nintendo Fucked Up

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Hardware, Resident Evil with tags , on March 5, 2017 by slateman

Just four years after launching the Wii U, the system is effectively dead and Nintendo has shipped its last title for the platform. My Wii U collection now includes the free game I got with the system, a pair of Mario games and its swansong, the new Zelda game. The system was a gift given to me several years ago and beside the plumber’s usual excellent games, (already catalogued here) the only game I wanted was Zelda. It was scheduled for 2015.

Its delay was due to new hardware, there is simply no doubt. And that hardware has arrived. But I’m not spending $300 for a system to play Zelda when the last system was supposed to do so. But that’s OK. I have the option to play on my Wii U. So let’s.

But oh! my Wii U has decided to stop outputting audio. Now that’s not Nintendo’s direct fault. I mean, I didn’t really use the system that much, but hardware fails. I get it. But hey, I have this second screen. I could turn the volume up on the controller and maybe use it for a map or inventory screen. But oh no. Despite the second screen being about the only selling point on the console in its four miserable years, Nintendo opted not to utilize it at all for Zelda. Why? The Switch, surely. Can’t have the old system doing something the new system can’t, right? Screw you, fans! Buy the new hardware! And to answer the inevitable question, yes, I can play the game on the Wii U controller because that’s precisely why I bought a 55″ TV.

So, whatever, the Wii U is dead. Let’s look at the Switch. The future of gaming, certainly! Wait…did I hear that version of Zelda runs more smoothly when in handheld mode? You buy a new piece of hardware that only outputs the latest-and-greatest in 900P and it can’t do so smoothly? In the year 2017? Yup…so the best experience of Zelda is to play it on a handheld, 6.2″ screen running in 720P? What the fuck?

Now, the console itself is reasonably-priced. For a system that only outputs in 1080P and as a portable only has maybe 3-4 hours of battery life, $300 is the max price, really But the pricing on everything else is ludicrous. $70 for a pro controller? It was difficult to swallow when the 360 and PS3 introduced wireless controllers and they cost as much as a game…but $70? And what about another set of Joycon controllers? $80??? And what is this news of the controllers losing sync? So, if I want another set of controllers, my bill just went up nearly 1/3 of the price. And if I don’t want to hold them like miniature chopsticks, it’s another $30 for the grip? $110? Prices will come down, certainly, right?

Oh and as of this writing, save games are tied to the system, so you can’t back them up or transfer them? WAT? Only 32Gb of internal memory? Voice chat has to be done via an app on your phone? The list of WTF just grows inexplicably. No virtual store yet either. Wait, you can’t get new games or old games up and running properly for your launch? I love new HW, but I am not enthusiastic about this at all. It just feels like an awful lot of money for another system that’ll just have 5 games on the shelf. Barring some wonderful third-party exclusive, a thing Nintendo hasn’t hooked me on since Resident Evil 4 over a decade ago, give me one reason (whose name isn’t Mario) to get this system. Metroid? I’ll believe it when I see it.

Just a little disgusted on how they’ve handled the demise of the Wii U, the entirety of Zelda and the hardware of the Switch. I don’t doubt it’s some sexy-ass tech. But they screwed over Wii U owners and Zelda fans alike. Guess I’ll go play Breath Of The Wild on my 854 x 480 controller. Whatever.

Breath Of The Wild: Let Us Begin

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Lists with tags on March 3, 2017 by slateman

Despite the entire world thinking Zelda is the best thing ever, I only ranked it #7 of the best gaming series ever. That’s still impressive, no doubt, but that leaves a lot of room to grow. And the reasoning behind it being so low on the list? Let’s look at the history, shall we? Moving backwards, the main entries:

2013: A Link Between Worlds: Brilliant and wonderful
2011: Skyward Sword: OK – Never beat it.
2009: Spirit Tracks: Trains?
2007: Phantom Hourglass: Never touched it
2006: Twilight Princess: Got stuck in the middle. Lost interest.
2004: The Minish Cap: Spectacularrrrrr
2002: The Wind Waker: Got to the end, didn’t love it.
2001: Oracles Games: Always wanted to play
2000: Majora’s Mask: Never had interest, I know, I’m missing out.
1998: Ocarina Of Time: Remember the day I got that game. Classic.
1991: A Link To The Past: Legen…dary.
1987: The Adventure Of Link: It was bad then, it’s worse now.
1985: The Legend Of Zelda: My favorite back then. I knew it all.

That’s an awful lot of games and an awful lot of…”so-so”. I don’t care if it’s blasphemy to say so, but I only truly loved a handful of Zelda games. But the good were outrageously good. And that’s why I’m giving Breath Of The Wild a chance. It looks enormous, but nowadays, that’s not always a great thing. I’m just hoping that’s a perk and not a detriment.

So, wish me luck as I embark upon yet another Hyrule adventure. I can only hope it’s one I complete and maybe moves Zelda up on the list. That’s a tough one though.

Release Dates: 2017 Edition

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Books, Games, Lists, Movies, Music, Street Fighter, Tolkien, Uncharted on March 3, 2017 by slateman

The usual ‘post so I can check back and remember’ release-date listing! This is for my interests only, really. I should mention it’s been a good start, with a great Kreator record and a solid outing for Overkill. RE7 was a spectacular game as well. However, I’ll be honest, I don’t see 2017 as being a tremendous year. There’s no major music on the horizon and movies??? That’s kind of frustrating. Surely something will be announced at E3, right?

Today: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
07 Mar: The Americans (Season 5)
29 Mar: Proof Set 2017
14 Apr: Dimmu Borgir – Forces Of The Northern Night
16 Apr: The Leftovers (Season 3 – Final Season)
26 May: Bloodline (Season 3)
30 May: House Of Cards (Season 5)
01 Jun: J.R.R. Tolkien – The Tale Of Beren And Lúthien
23 Jun: Emperor/Slayer in Norway
30 Jun: Vintersorg – Till Fjälls Del II
xx Jul: Wintersun – The Forest Seasons
22 Aug: Uncharted 4: The Lost Legacy
19 Sep: Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite
31 Oct: Stranger Things
15 Dec: Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi

Other Records
–A Perfect Circle
–Arch Enemy
–The Black Dahlia Murder
–Dimmu Borgir
–The Haunted
–Satyricon
–Skeletonwitch?

Other Shows?
–Taboo (Season 2?)
–Westworld (Season 2 – 2018)
–The OA (Season 2 ordered)

Emperor: Anthems In Norway!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Music with tags on February 15, 2017 by slateman

A ticket has been secured. I am going to see Emperor reunite to perform one of the best albums ever in its entirety…In Norway! Its only a few hours north of me and I haven’t a clue how I’m actually getting to the place, but who cares? The show will be held in Frederiksten Fortress, a 17th-century fortress which was the site of no fewer than a half-dozen Swedish invasions! Oh, and I suppose it’s worth mentioning that SLAYER will be playing as well. (listens for someone yelling the band name in the distance.) It will be my 10th time seeing them, but let’s be honest: Emperor. Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk. I cannot explain this excitement. I hope to get a shirt this time around. :) So psyched!

Mini-Review: Resident Evil VII – Outstanding

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Resident Evil, Reviews on January 30, 2017 by slateman

“This is terrifying.”

I uttered those words no fewer than three times during my still-incomplete playthrough of Resident Evil VII. And that fear was due not to not only events or monsters. It was the darkness. It was the eerie sound. It was the jump scares as well as when nothing at all was happening. The tension this game builds is stifling. RE7 is an unbridled success by excelling in its audio, video, gameplay and story and for accomplishing what it set out to do.

From the compelling opening sequence to the tiptoe moments throughout, the game is crafted with care and meticulousness. Every room is beautifully detailed in its grotesqueness. The lighting, more important here than in almost every other game, is spectacular. As I huddle, scared to death of whatever is lurking in the next room, the sounds are as remarkable as the visuals. My breath, every step, creaky floors, creatures behind me…each is a requisite part of the immersive nature of RE7 and all add up to convey a tension I’ve rarely felt in gaming. The story, while absurd in its premise, is the perfect vehicle for such a tale. It moves forward at a steady pace, allowing you time to breathe and explore but always retrieves you to that state of unease.

While RE4 is still considered a major success, what is largely forgotten is how needed it was. After RE3 and Code Veronica, the series needed a change. And after RE4 brought an action-oriented focus to the namesake, 5 and 6 expanded upon that formula until yet again a change was necessary. Whether RE7 is a glorious return to the series’ roots or just a mostly-unrelated survival horror game isn’t the point. The series needed a shift and here we are. I, for one, am happy there’s no Wesker, no Redfields and no Raccoon City. While my last few hours may tie things together, I have thoroughly enjoyed this game, RE or not.

And reviews seem to agree. How rare is it that the first, the fourth and the seventh main entries into any series are so widely-heralded as a massive success? Each has a different vantage point, take on horror and yet all three are Resident Evil. Considering how many times I’ve beaten 1 and 4, I have a feeling a speedrun of RE7 is in my future. And I can’t wait.

Resident Evil VII: They’ve Done It Again

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Resident Evil on January 24, 2017 by slateman

I may have only just posted a list of the best moments of my gaming history wherein not one but two were dedicated to Resident Evil. But update that list I must because after today, the official launch day of Resident Evil VII, a third entry is a must.

Of course, that means we’ll descend into spoiler territory. But I’m only the first half hour in.

So when I find the love of my life locked in a cell, of course I release her. But rather than going back the way I came…clearly a better choice would be to follow this deranged girl. One thing leads to another and she’s gone again. But when she returns, the events that transpire truly were among the most impressive I’ve ever experienced in gaming. No doubt about it.

First she comes at me and attacks me. I am without weapons and I don’t really even know which button to press but press them I do, frantically, trying to get this woman off of me. She stabs me in the hand, it’s insanity. She wakes up from her zombie-like state and then knocks herself out.

Second she wakes from her self-induced slumber and performs some ninja handiwork, smashing me through walls and now, with a trusty axe, I strike her down…killing my videogame wife. Tragic indeed. Until…

Third she disappears, resurrects and comes at me brutally. She nails my left hand to a wall with a screwdriver. I press buttons trying to get out. I have to do something. This is friggin’ madness! And what then? She chops that hand off with a chainsaw. OMFG!!!

Fourth, because that clearly wasn’t enough, she bursts through a window and slices me in half, belly up, with said chainsaw, thus ending one of the most dramatic gaming sequences I can ever recall.

That entire thing impressed me the way few games have. I’m 40 now, feel like I’ve seen it all. But as that sequence ended, I was aghast…mortified, shocked and pleasantly surprised. The intensity can be rivaled by few games in memory. I don’t know how I would react to this in VR. And while I know the rest of the game simply cannot live up to that, it’s shown me that Resident Evil has morphed yet again. So far, I like what I see! Please don’t tell me there’s a fifth encounter!!! :D

Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog with tags on January 24, 2017 by slateman

Pondering that I vividly recall seeing Return Of The Jedi in theaters makes me marvel at the fact that 34 years later, Star Wars is not only good again, it’s conquering the world again. I only truly tasted the spectacle as a child, whose beautiful memory was marred utterly by prequels. And that memory somehow survived the dark years of SW wherein a vast majority of it was neither cool nor good. Now, after unbridled successes of Episode VII and Rogue One, this poster just excites and entices. We pore over meanings of The Last Jedi. Is it singular? Plural? Who is it? And then the questions turn back to The Force Awakens. Who is Snoke? Who was the old man from the beginning? What precisely did Kylo Ren do? (and what is J.J. Abrams going to do about the unfortunate and untimely death of my childhood love, Princess Leia?)

Regardless of how this movie turns out (it’ll be great), I find it amazing that Star Wars is reaching an entire new generation…again…but this time without the bitter taste of Jar Jar Binks, cheesy Anakin or midichlorians. I cannot wait for December to roll around. This ride is spectacular and one my kids (ages 5 and 9) will remember just as I did. There’s nothing better than that.

DoDonPachi Unlimited: WAT?!?!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, DoDon Pachi, Games on January 16, 2017 by slateman

For a company that’s been dead since DoDonPachi: Saidaioujou in 2013, they sure seem rather prolific. With DoDonPachi: Maximum, DoDonPachi: Ichimen Banchou, Don Paccin, a Steam release of DoDonPachi: Daifukkatsu and several more Mushihimesama ports since the company’s “demise”, I shouldn’t be surprised by the arrival of DoDonPachi: Unlimited, yet here I am! The good news is that it’s coming soon, like, real soon (in three days). The bad news is that Ichimen Banchou will be pulled from the IOS store. I haven’t played it since losing my work iPad upon leaving the school district in June, but it’s always sad losing the option to play something. But enough of the somber tone, this is a new motherfucking DDP game damnit!!!

Not much else is known besides the return of Shuri, Hikari and Maria (and seemingly, Saya, as a “hidden” character.) It’s going to be released worldwide, so seemingly nothing can stop me from playing the latest entry into #5 favorite gaming series ever! Oh man, I’m so psyched.

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