This is the type of spur-of-the-moment purchase I never make. Seeing this type of thing online almost never ends up being a purchase. However, yesterday, it was my treat. I allowed Aiden to pick a box (they’re all blind) and off we went to pay. I looked at the box (pic to the left) and pondered…Blanka, Chun, Guile…OK. I like Honda nowadays. Balrog (U.S. Vega) would be sweet. Ryu, Ken, OK. Sagat, Zangief or Dhalsim would be cool. The only one I wasn’t into was M. Bison (U.S. Balrog). His design (well, Mike Tyson), was never my favorite. I prefer Dudley as my boxer anyways. And you know it, the 1/40 chance (2.5%) came true to find an M. Bison. Ah well. He’s kinda cool and fits well with the small collection of SF toys I have. Most are still in boxes, but I’ve got some stuff on the shelf now. Ryu from the SFIV collector’s edition. Reko from Mushihimesama, Barrett from Final Fantasy VII and a handful of other SF chars. Oh, a Lego stormtrooper and a chocobo, too! Anyways, I’d love to go back and get another…I guess that’s how this stuff hooks you. That 1/80 is Vega (U.S. M. Bison). That would be cool too. Those Comic-Con ones are sweet too! Evil Ryu & Shin Gouki in particular.
Archive for the Games Category
Kidrobot x Street Fighter: The Odds
Posted in Best / Worst, Games, Street Fighter on August 14, 2013 by slatemanDuckTales Remastered
Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games on August 14, 2013 by slateman
With but one update in all of the month of July, I’m going to try anew to keep this site updated with the latest and greatest of my life. How great it all may be is up for debate, but I’ve had ideas of what to write…just not the inspiration to write any of it. Today, however, I downloaded DuckTales Remastered and thought I’d share some quick thoughts. First off, it’s all nostalgia-based. While I played the original back in the day, I don’t have those strong, fond memories of the theme song. I do, however, remember games playing like this one did and for that reason alone it’s a fun romp. Upon seeing Gamespot give it a 4.5/10, I was a bit shocked. Listen, this game really can’t be compared to anything but its ilk. You don’t review Scary Movie 5 compared to Gone With The Wind! You compare it to…Scary Movie 4 and The Naked Gun 33 1/3.
I had some fun going through the stages and memorizing the patterns. Let’s face it, that’s how games were and this remaster is just a visual overhaul. It’s not meant to be more. So, it looks pretty, it’s just like I remember and it’s kinda fun. It’s somewhat difficult but after a few runs through both the Amazon and Transylvania, I managed to come out alive.
There are so many complaints about these types of games but I never understand why. If it’s not for you, don’t buy it! With PS+, I got it for a discount (and with Ibb & Obb, got $3 back). The demand is there because our generation grew up on these things and now as 30 and 40-somethings, we pump the money back in. Nothing wrong w/ that. OK. That’s it for my 2nd update in two months. Pathetic. More soon?
The Last Of Us
Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, The Walking Dead with tags The Last Of Us on June 19, 2013 by slateman
So far, I’m not entirely sure what to think of this game. The basics are obvious. It’s gorgeous. The voice-acting is spectacular. It’s grueling and intense and conveys the most evident of facts: I want nothing to do with the undead…or whatever these infected are. The gameplay truly is intense and I’d much rather avoid combat entirely if at all possible. I don’t have enough bullets and it’s tiring fighting these guys. The downside of all of this is that for the first few hours, the game almost didn’t seem…fun. I want to go back to it because of all the polish, but the fun-factor is…strange. I’m scared to death of running around clickers. I don’t particularly want to go into that room! Scavenging materials is so essential; I’m thoroughly excited finding a few scraps of metal and half a pair of scissors. It’s insane!
But I am compelled to continue. I can’t wait to get a chance to sit down and play more. The audio is brilliant, with clear, crisp sounds coming from corners and every dialogue worthy of attention. I’m loving the relationship between Joel and Ellie and can feel the weight of the world. This is unlike any game I’ve played before, with the exception of The Walking Dead: The Game. It’s scary to think how vested we’re becoming with gaming characters; this is the true leap in gaming this generation IMO.
So…I’ve still got a long way to go…and I don’t see it getting any prettier as it goes along! That’s not to say it’s not worth it.
New Super Mario U: Done!!!
Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, High Scores/Accomplishments with tags Mario on April 21, 2013 by slateman
I went through the superstar road and got all the coins for a fourth star. That swimming level sucked. I used a P-Wing to get the last coin on the running stage for the last coin! This revealed the 9th superstar road stage. I was prepared for a nightmare.
Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult; it was just interesting…and cool. So, after beating that, I was pretty psyched but got nothing. This morning I went back and caught every Nabbit but still didn’t get the fifth star…Then I noticed I was missing one hidden exit (#94).
After zipping through and getting that, I was greeted with the above message – and have now completed the whole game!!! Sadly, I’ve had enough Super Mario Bros. U for a little while. That’s sad mostly because I have little reason to return to the Wii U. I’m looking forward to the new firmware upgrade coming shortly, however. Once again, I’m also excited for the DLC to return to Mario. 100%! Nice!!!
Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia Art
Posted in Artwork, Best / Worst, Blog, Castlevania, Game Art, Games with tags Castlevania on April 21, 2013 by slatemanI can’t say I even remember playing this. After completing Portrait Of Ruin twice, I vaguely recall something afterwards. If anything, it didn’t leave a lasting memory other than ‘Oh, maybe I played that…wasn’t as good as Portrait.’ In any event, I’m trying to go through some hard drive stuff and these two artworks are pretty sweet…so while the game may not have been so spectacular, the art here is. Enjoy!
New Super Mario U: Almost Done!
Posted in Blog, Games, High Scores/Accomplishments with tags Mario on April 20, 2013 by slateman
I’ve been going back to New Super Mario Bros. U here and there to collect the last remaining gold coins. I’ve always been a completionist when it comes to games like this and this one is good enough to warrant this dedication. I remember the first New Super Mario Bros. which may very well be the fourth-best Mario game ever. The Wii U version is good, hell, it’s great, but it’s not necessarily as legendary as the DS game. In any event, it’s great that I can play the game on my controller while the kids watch Shrek for the 199th time (this week). So, today I managed to get the last hidden stages and the last gold coins.
What does this leave? Well, I need to beat two more superstar road levels, collect the last one on the Run For Your Life level (which may require a P-Acorn) and then the ultimate, final superstar road level. These last stages will prove to be pretty difficult but I have faith I’ll beat them. Once again, I’ll have to admit, trophies/achievements would be awfully nice for this type of game. As lame as some people may think they are, they really motivate these types of endeavors. You know, the ones where you waste hours away trying to collect last coins by performing super-specific, rigid jumps and maneuvers. Yeah those. I look forward to getting these last 10 coins. Then, I think you beat the game and get something else…but by then, why will I care? Oh, maybe for the New Super Luigi U DLC this summer!!!
Guacamelee! Platinum!!!
Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Borderlands, Games, High Scores/Accomplishments, Personal, Uncharted with tags PSVita on April 17, 2013 by slateman
I grabbed Guacamelee! last week and thoroughly enjoyed playing through it on both my PS3 and PSVita. The game is classic in so many senses. The tight controls, fun combat and spectacular visuals all made this a joy to work through. The fact that it was a Metroidvania game only helped.
Being on vacation, I was able to grab the game and play whenever I had a free moment and the Vita’s suspend option made it perfect. After beating it and 100%ing it, I went on to hard mode. Some of the arenas and bosses were tough (and cheap) but it all felt like small victories. It reminded me of getting my first platinum on Uncharted. While some areas were really tough, all you had to do was beat that one section. Games save after everything nowadays. Though I don’t want to remember that blue water room in UC. Nightmare.
Anyways, Guacamelee! was a game I had on the horizon for a bit, and after getting another $10 free from PSN (that’s the third time they’ve given me free cash!!!) and a $3 PS+ discount (the best deal in gaming evah!) it was a no-brainer. Cross play only helped. I was uploading my save, playing on the PS3, uploading then playing back on the Vita. Brilliant. Well worth the cash and my seventh platinum!!!!
Speaking of: My other platinums: Uncharted 1-3, Borderlands, The Walking Dead and Resident Evil 5. All were worthy of my time.
And reflection time: We’re at the end of this cycle aren’t we? PS4/720 coming out in a few months. Looking back with a friend recently, this generation has had some *Great* games. I started writing an article on the best games of this generation. Never quite finished though. :)
Vampire Resurrection DLC: You’re Kidding…Right?
Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games with tags Darkstalkers, vampire on March 22, 2013 by slateman
I’ve supported Capcom since day 1. When the jokes about Super Street Fighter Zero Alpha Turbo II X kept coming, I would correct everyone about the Zero series, the differences between incremental updates, etc. And when Super Street Fighter IV came out for a mere $40, I bought that shit quick. Even the on-disc DLC from SFxT was fine by me (I didn’t buy it). And while I will not be buying the new Vampire Resurrection DLC, its entire existence is just a joke. For a mere $1 you can buy one of two cabinets or $2 for game rooms. That’s $6 of useless crap. Again, you can’t complain…just don’t buy it. But the fact that this even exists is pathetic. Whatever.
Mini-Review: Darkstalkers: Resurrection – Missing Something
Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Reviews with tags Darkstalkers, vampire on March 19, 2013 by slateman
I spent an awful lot of time a few months back working on an exhaustive Vampire Savior FAQ and I now will have to update it with Darkstalkers/Vampire Resurrection information. After a little while of testing things out, I have to say…it’s OK. My main concern was the port of Darkstalkers 3 – a game that never truly existed. Sadly, they didn’t take the ‘best of’ idea and include Vampire Savior 2 and Vampire Hunter 2 tweaks. This game appears to play just like the arcade version of VS without the Dark Force changes or the additional three characters. Why this is eludes me. The gameplay is spot-on, of course and all the usual perks are included. You gain points for completing challenges. You use this currency for the Vault – artwork and movies. Fortunately there is some new artwork included here not present in every other version. Unfortunately there is no sound test; this is a pity considering how the soundtracks to these two games may very well be the best Capcom has ever produced. The Japanese game was released in disc format and the first copies came with a bonus soundtrack CD. Sure I already have the soundtrack for VS but it’s just that good! AND, the game definitely features at least one new track – again, a sound test would have rocked.
And then I start doing tutorials/challenges. Now, can someone tell me why back in 1997 Arika was able to do the trial thing right and why now, 16 years later, we’re left with this? First off, there are only five for each character for each game. That still is a lot of challenges, I suppose. Street Fighter EX+A had…was it 15? 20? 25? And, since I’m not a fantastic player, I can’t perform half of them. Morrigan has the same trial for both VH and VS (screw this American naming convention). The same trial? Well, I can’t manage to chain a c.Short->c.Fierce->Darkness Illusion…so that means there are 2 of Morrigan’s 10 challenges. Great.
Now, the entire presentation is amazing. The HD makeover looks phenomenal (the game still looks like it always did) and when you switch from VH to VS, you remain in the last menu. I.e. if you’re about to start a ranked match and you change games, the menu places you in the ranked match area again. Small things like that are great. There’s also an info box giving you details about all the fighters. Developers, if you’re going to do this, please have at least 100 different quotes. I played for 10 minutes and felt like it was repeating already.
Online play was superb, zero problems and GGPO has treated me well with all recent fighters. I suck, so it’s no fun at all getting trounced by Gallon (Talbain) constantly. But, that’s my problem.
There’s a spot for the Playstation Store – so I don’t know what they’re planning on trying to sell us. $15 for this package is indeed good, but I’d be pissed if they asked me to shell out more for anything. Unless it’s the soundtrack – it’s just that good. Then again, I now have this game for the PS1, PS2, PS3, SS, PSP and arcade ROMS – just missing the DC game. I’m not paying anything more for Vampire/Darkstalkers until part four comes out. :)
Mini-Review: Tomb Raider – Oh Yes!
Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, Reviews with tags Tomb Raider on March 17, 2013 by slateman
It isn’t 1996 any longer. While there have been many Tomb Raider games since then, none have lived up to the standard set by the first two games. And with Uncharted coming to take the torch, how precisely can a reboot live up with the legacy of both UC and TR? By doing precisely what they’ve done in this game.
And Uncharted IS important because it took a formula and perfected it. Its second entry is probably my favorite game of this generation. Its third iteration, however, didn’t live up to the standard set by the first two games. Sound familiar? (Plus, we’ve talked about this…twice!) As Lara Croft scrambled to safety in the 2013 reboot, I was a character who was real. No more one-liners after murdering two dozen swarming enemies. It’s not that Nathan Drake is unlikeable; it’s quite the opposite. It’s just that by the third time, it was all expected. We knew we’d be dangling by one arm at least six times. Every action sequence felt familiar the intensity was thereby reduced. When Lara first killed a person, it was a big deal. The intense moments in Tomb Raider were intense! The entire journey was a remarkable one; even if it felt like UC a few times (which itself felt like TR a few times).
Lara was a mess. She was hurt. Her pain felt real. The visuals in the game were positively incredible, the sound outstanding. The gameplay was impeccable and FUN. The weapons were powerful. Their customizable evolution was perfectly executed. I felt a draw to the history, the lore. The locales were lush and vast. I listened to the audio logs. The collectibles fit within the world created. I went back to collect GPS caches, using my new-found abilities to unlock new paths. More than once during my adventure I stated, “This represents everything I love about videogames!”
This review is pretty simple. The game absolutely rules and is one of my favorites in a long time. In retrospect, I’m stuck trying to find a weakness. Perhaps more diverse enemies would be nice. I guess the biggest problem is how to deal with a sequel but who cares about that now? Tomb Raider has somehow returned to form, copying and trumping a game that copied and trumped it in the first place. This is just about perfect; it cannot be praised highly enough.