Due to unforeseen circumstances stemming from my own clumsiness (tripping over my laptop's power cord, causing the thing to fall off the table), my computer is nearly unuseable for now. I should be able to diagnose and solve the problem in a few days, but until then, I can't do very much. And I was going to review a PC game this week, so that plan has flown out the window.
See you next week!
--Kotaro
Friday, August 5, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Platform: GameCube
Genre: Action-Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 24 March 2003
Rating: Everyone
Price: $20
While most people name Ocarina of Time as their favorite in the The Legend of Zelda series, I personally name The Wind Waker. It took the excellent gameplay of Ocarina and brought it into a new setting with a very different feel to it. While many people complained about the supposedly "kiddy" cel-shaded graphics of the game at the time, they have aged very well, and it remains rather beautiful to this day.
As for the gameplay, it's a Zelda game, so if you've played any of the other 3D games in the series, Wind Waker is pretty much the same. The twist this time is that you need to use the eponymous Wind Waker, a baton that lets you control the weather, so that you can sail from island to island. While many people complained that the sailing was boring and monotonous, I found it rather relaxing, and the simple challenge of navigation provides a nice break from the standard dungeon-crawling. As for the dungeons, enemies are a bit weaker than usual in this game, but the dungeons themselves are larger and more complex, so it evens out. There are also a lot of side-quests (almost every one of the numerous islands has at least one), so there's a lot of game in this game. It plays very well, and that's really the most important piece.
The story is simple as video games go: hero wants to rescue his kidnapped sister, and ends up wrapped up in the traditional save-the-world quest. The setting is a series of islands within the "Great Sea," which is refreshing, as this is only the second time the Zelda series has left the traditional setting of Hyrule.
There's one other thing I need to bring up: don't be fooled by the cartoony visuals and lighthearted feel. When you think about it, this is one of the darkest installments in the series. (WARNING: If you don't want spoilers, even minor ones, then please skip this next paragraph.) About halfway through the game, it is revealed that the series recurring villain, Ganondorf, actually won the last time he attacked the kingdom of Hyrule, and in a last-ditch effort to stop him, the gods flooded it all. That's right: the ocean that you've been sailing? It's the post-apocalyptic kingdom of the previous games. Now that is pretty dark.
The Wind Waker is an exemplary installment in the really damned good The Legend of Zelda series, and $20 at GameStop is a pretty good deal for anyone who hasn't played it already.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action-Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 24 March 2003
Rating: Everyone
Price: $20
While most people name Ocarina of Time as their favorite in the The Legend of Zelda series, I personally name The Wind Waker. It took the excellent gameplay of Ocarina and brought it into a new setting with a very different feel to it. While many people complained about the supposedly "kiddy" cel-shaded graphics of the game at the time, they have aged very well, and it remains rather beautiful to this day.
As for the gameplay, it's a Zelda game, so if you've played any of the other 3D games in the series, Wind Waker is pretty much the same. The twist this time is that you need to use the eponymous Wind Waker, a baton that lets you control the weather, so that you can sail from island to island. While many people complained that the sailing was boring and monotonous, I found it rather relaxing, and the simple challenge of navigation provides a nice break from the standard dungeon-crawling. As for the dungeons, enemies are a bit weaker than usual in this game, but the dungeons themselves are larger and more complex, so it evens out. There are also a lot of side-quests (almost every one of the numerous islands has at least one), so there's a lot of game in this game. It plays very well, and that's really the most important piece.
The story is simple as video games go: hero wants to rescue his kidnapped sister, and ends up wrapped up in the traditional save-the-world quest. The setting is a series of islands within the "Great Sea," which is refreshing, as this is only the second time the Zelda series has left the traditional setting of Hyrule.
There's one other thing I need to bring up: don't be fooled by the cartoony visuals and lighthearted feel. When you think about it, this is one of the darkest installments in the series. (WARNING: If you don't want spoilers, even minor ones, then please skip this next paragraph.) About halfway through the game, it is revealed that the series recurring villain, Ganondorf, actually won the last time he attacked the kingdom of Hyrule, and in a last-ditch effort to stop him, the gods flooded it all. That's right: the ocean that you've been sailing? It's the post-apocalyptic kingdom of the previous games. Now that is pretty dark.
The Wind Waker is an exemplary installment in the really damned good The Legend of Zelda series, and $20 at GameStop is a pretty good deal for anyone who hasn't played it already.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, July 22, 2011
Neverwinter Nights 2: Platinum
Platform: PC (Windows)
Genre: RPG
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Atari
Release: 31 October 2006
Rating: Teen
Price $20
Neverwinter Nights is a game that is often fondly remembered, but which, to be honest, has not aged well. It was a hit-or-miss translation of the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition rule-set to PC format, and the party system (what little there was) left a lot to be desired.
Neverwinter Nights 2 is, gameplay-wise, everything that Neverwinter Nights wanted to be. It is a near-perfect transfer of the D&D 3.5 rules, and it has a rather well-implemented party system that feels a lot like Knights of the Old Republic.
At the time of its release, NWN2's visuals were stunning, but only if you had a high-end computer. The necessary specs are far easier to achieve with modern PCs, so the visuals, while slightly aged, are still very nice to look at.
The plot is very much a storm of cliches: You're an ordinary person growing up in a tiny village, but when the village is attacked, you need to take the magical silver shard that they were after and take it to the eponymous city of Neverwinter so you can get another shard from your uncle and we've all seen this sort of thing before. What makes the story interesting is that the writers seemed to know how cliche it was, so they took every opportunity to poke fun at themselves for it.
Of course, the most important part of any story is its characters, and this game certainly delivers on that front. You will gather the standard Ragtag Bunch of Misfits, but they're all surprisingly well-developed and interesting.
Instead of the kind of "Morality" system that's common to modern RPGs, Neverwinter Nights 2 opts for an "Influence" system instead. Based on your actions, you may curry either favor or scorn from various members of your party, and their actions are determined by how much they like you. This will mainly affect dialogue, but it can affect gameplay as well (having high influence with Neeshka can get her to poison a certain foe, making that boss fight easier, for example). Some allies may even leave the group if they dislike you enough.
The main complaint that I can draw against Neverwinter Nights 2 is the sheer number of game-breaking bugs that it contained upon release. In the years since, most of them have been patched, but not all of them. It's not enough to be a deal-breaker anymore, however.
The Steam-exclusive "Platinum" release also contains both expansions to the game: Mask of the Betrayer and Storm of Zehir. Both of them are excellent and well worth your time once you've completed the main campaign. As a whole, the Platinum version is a great investment if you like Dungeons & Dragons or RPGs. There's a lot of game here, and since it comes with the tools to build your own adventures, there's the fan-made content as well.
You can get Neverwinter Nights 2: Platinum on Steam for $20.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: RPG
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Atari
Release: 31 October 2006
Rating: Teen
Price $20
Neverwinter Nights is a game that is often fondly remembered, but which, to be honest, has not aged well. It was a hit-or-miss translation of the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition rule-set to PC format, and the party system (what little there was) left a lot to be desired.
Neverwinter Nights 2 is, gameplay-wise, everything that Neverwinter Nights wanted to be. It is a near-perfect transfer of the D&D 3.5 rules, and it has a rather well-implemented party system that feels a lot like Knights of the Old Republic.
At the time of its release, NWN2's visuals were stunning, but only if you had a high-end computer. The necessary specs are far easier to achieve with modern PCs, so the visuals, while slightly aged, are still very nice to look at.
The plot is very much a storm of cliches: You're an ordinary person growing up in a tiny village, but when the village is attacked, you need to take the magical silver shard that they were after and take it to the eponymous city of Neverwinter so you can get another shard from your uncle and we've all seen this sort of thing before. What makes the story interesting is that the writers seemed to know how cliche it was, so they took every opportunity to poke fun at themselves for it.
Of course, the most important part of any story is its characters, and this game certainly delivers on that front. You will gather the standard Ragtag Bunch of Misfits, but they're all surprisingly well-developed and interesting.
Instead of the kind of "Morality" system that's common to modern RPGs, Neverwinter Nights 2 opts for an "Influence" system instead. Based on your actions, you may curry either favor or scorn from various members of your party, and their actions are determined by how much they like you. This will mainly affect dialogue, but it can affect gameplay as well (having high influence with Neeshka can get her to poison a certain foe, making that boss fight easier, for example). Some allies may even leave the group if they dislike you enough.
The main complaint that I can draw against Neverwinter Nights 2 is the sheer number of game-breaking bugs that it contained upon release. In the years since, most of them have been patched, but not all of them. It's not enough to be a deal-breaker anymore, however.
The Steam-exclusive "Platinum" release also contains both expansions to the game: Mask of the Betrayer and Storm of Zehir. Both of them are excellent and well worth your time once you've completed the main campaign. As a whole, the Platinum version is a great investment if you like Dungeons & Dragons or RPGs. There's a lot of game here, and since it comes with the tools to build your own adventures, there's the fan-made content as well.
You can get Neverwinter Nights 2: Platinum on Steam for $20.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
/Rant: Capcom and MegaMan Legends 3
Capcom, you're all a bunch of assholes. And it's not even like canceling Legends 3 was your first mistake either. No, you've been in a downward spiral for a while now, haven't you? First was the departure of Keiji Inafune, then came the Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D debacle, and now this? We've been waiting for Legends 3 since 2000! That's a little over a decade since you ended the thing on a cliffhanger. Is a resolution too much to ask? Apparently so.
Capcom, as of right now, you've lost my support entirely. If I buy any Capcom game from this moment onward, it will be secondhand, so that I'm not giving you bastards any of my money. Because frankly, you don't deserve it. You don't deserve your fans. You don't deserve any business any more.
Remember when I reviewed Devil May Cry 4 a while back and encouraged everyone to buy it? Well, now I redact that statement. Everyone, either buy it secondhand, or don't buy it at all. Either way, don't give these jerks at Capcom your hard-earned money.
Though I have come up with four things that you can do, Capcom, to start repairing your relationship with your fans. And none of them are particularly difficult. Sound good? Alright then:
Method #1: Release MegaMan Legends 3
For those unaware, MegaMan Legends 2 was released back in the year 2000, and while it never sold too well, it became a fan favorite, and its characters have appeared in nearly every Capcom vs. Whatever crossover since. Yet they consistently denied us a sequel for years. But then, it was announced that 3 was in development, and to look forward to it on the Nintendo 3DS! But that all changed yesterday when the project was unceremoniously dumped without any warning whatsoever. Why? What reason could there be to deny us this? There isn't any. It's impossible to justify teasing us like this, Capcom. So just finish this damned game and all will be well.
Method #2: Make a proper Darkstalkers sequel
Remember Darkstalkers, Capcom? Your cult-classic fighting game franchise whose characters still make cameos in your games today? Well, the last one came out in 1998. Since Darkstalkers 3, we haven't seen hide nor hair of this franchise, excepting a remake for the PSP. You've been ignoring Darkstalkers' sizable fanbase for far too long. So give us a sequel, and all will be well.
Method #3: Calm down with the fighting game upgrades
This is actually the easiest of the four methods. Stop releasing updated versions of your fighting games every few months! It's pointless, and all it means is that people have to either shell out full price for a newer version of the same game, or wait several years for the updates to end before they shell out. Street Fighter II, the most successful Capcom fighting game, got no fewer than eleven different versions over the years. Eleven different versions of one game. And four of those were all in the same year! What. The. Hell. Even Street Fighter IV, which hasn't been out for very long, has been released three times. And we're also getting a new version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Sure, make all these expansion packs and cancel everything else. Nice move, Capcom. If you can restrain yourself to releasing each game just once, and if you feel you need to update it, make it fairly-priced DLC or something, then all will be well.
Method #4: Localize Ace Attorney Investigations 2
You remember how popular the Ace Attorney series is in the US, right, Capcom? It has a pretty large following, all things considered. You took a chance on the series when it first started, and it paid off, remember? So why the hell did you decide not to localize Investigations 2? Like canceling MegaMan Legends 3, there was no reason whatsoever for it. Plus, you also refused to translate the upcoming Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney crossover, leaving that to Level 5 (who plan to do so). Is this a new pattern? Are you going to stop bringing this series over here? If so, then you can go to hell for all I care. But if you can bring over Ace Attorney Investigations 2, and all the future games in the series, then all will be well.
There we go, Capcom. Four ways to fix all of this, and three of them can actually be profitable for you guys. So why haven't you already done this? Get to it! Go! Until you do, then I encourage everyone who reads this to stop giving your money to Capcom.
Thank you and goodnight.
--Kotaro
Capcom, as of right now, you've lost my support entirely. If I buy any Capcom game from this moment onward, it will be secondhand, so that I'm not giving you bastards any of my money. Because frankly, you don't deserve it. You don't deserve your fans. You don't deserve any business any more.
Remember when I reviewed Devil May Cry 4 a while back and encouraged everyone to buy it? Well, now I redact that statement. Everyone, either buy it secondhand, or don't buy it at all. Either way, don't give these jerks at Capcom your hard-earned money.
Though I have come up with four things that you can do, Capcom, to start repairing your relationship with your fans. And none of them are particularly difficult. Sound good? Alright then:
Method #1: Release MegaMan Legends 3
For those unaware, MegaMan Legends 2 was released back in the year 2000, and while it never sold too well, it became a fan favorite, and its characters have appeared in nearly every Capcom vs. Whatever crossover since. Yet they consistently denied us a sequel for years. But then, it was announced that 3 was in development, and to look forward to it on the Nintendo 3DS! But that all changed yesterday when the project was unceremoniously dumped without any warning whatsoever. Why? What reason could there be to deny us this? There isn't any. It's impossible to justify teasing us like this, Capcom. So just finish this damned game and all will be well.
Method #2: Make a proper Darkstalkers sequel
Remember Darkstalkers, Capcom? Your cult-classic fighting game franchise whose characters still make cameos in your games today? Well, the last one came out in 1998. Since Darkstalkers 3, we haven't seen hide nor hair of this franchise, excepting a remake for the PSP. You've been ignoring Darkstalkers' sizable fanbase for far too long. So give us a sequel, and all will be well.
Method #3: Calm down with the fighting game upgrades
This is actually the easiest of the four methods. Stop releasing updated versions of your fighting games every few months! It's pointless, and all it means is that people have to either shell out full price for a newer version of the same game, or wait several years for the updates to end before they shell out. Street Fighter II, the most successful Capcom fighting game, got no fewer than eleven different versions over the years. Eleven different versions of one game. And four of those were all in the same year! What. The. Hell. Even Street Fighter IV, which hasn't been out for very long, has been released three times. And we're also getting a new version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Sure, make all these expansion packs and cancel everything else. Nice move, Capcom. If you can restrain yourself to releasing each game just once, and if you feel you need to update it, make it fairly-priced DLC or something, then all will be well.
Method #4: Localize Ace Attorney Investigations 2
You remember how popular the Ace Attorney series is in the US, right, Capcom? It has a pretty large following, all things considered. You took a chance on the series when it first started, and it paid off, remember? So why the hell did you decide not to localize Investigations 2? Like canceling MegaMan Legends 3, there was no reason whatsoever for it. Plus, you also refused to translate the upcoming Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney crossover, leaving that to Level 5 (who plan to do so). Is this a new pattern? Are you going to stop bringing this series over here? If so, then you can go to hell for all I care. But if you can bring over Ace Attorney Investigations 2, and all the future games in the series, then all will be well.
There we go, Capcom. Four ways to fix all of this, and three of them can actually be profitable for you guys. So why haven't you already done this? Get to it! Go! Until you do, then I encourage everyone who reads this to stop giving your money to Capcom.
Thank you and goodnight.
--Kotaro
Friday, July 15, 2011
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Platform: DS
Genre: Strategy/RPG
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
Release: 23 June 2009
Rating: Teen
Price: $18
The Shin Megami Tensei metaseries* has had some of the best RPGs I've ever played, encompassing Digital Devil Saga, Persona, Strange Journey, DemiKids, Devil Summoner, and many, many more. It's a long, and venerated series on par with giants like Final Fantasy (some would even say it's better). While (like the aforementioned Final Fantasy) most of the SMT games are separate from one another, they do share many common themes and gameplay elements. Most of them are fusions of disparate genres, the spell names remain mostly consistent, and almost all of them involve making contracts with demons to fight with you. They also tend to be brutally difficult, but what do you expect from Atlus?
Moving on to Devil Survivor. It's good. The game is a fusion of traditional turn-based RPG and turn-based strategy RPG. Think of it as Final Fantasy Tactics meets Dragon Quest. Essentially, battles start on an isometric grid, but when an attack is executed, it switches into a first-person perspective for a single round of RPG combat, before returning to the grid. This may sound a bit roundabout, but there's no denying that it works to give Devil Survivor a surprising amount of depth.
Even the character-growth mechanics are deep and interesting. Your human characters gain new spells via the "Skill Crack" system, wherein you steal techniques from your defeated foes MegaMan-style. And you can get new demon allies by either buying their services at auction, or by fusing two demons to create a single stronger one (another staple of the SMT games).
As for the plot, demons have overrun Tokyo, and the military has issued a lockdown: no one can enter, or leave. In order to survive, you need to ally yourself with various demons, and other people trapped in the city. The story is rather non-linear. While the basic plot remains the same from playthrough to playthrough, which of the five endings you can get, as well as which characters survive to the end, is all dependent on the choices you make. Be careful though, as everything you do eats up a little bit of your time, and you only have seven days.
While Devil Survivor is rather short, that's actually a point in its favor. There are five vastly different endings (which I won't spoil here), and the game actively wants you to see them all, each one unlocking new powerful demons that you can obtain for your next playthrough.
It's heavy on the grind and the difficulty, and may be a little too complex for a newcomer, for strategy or RPG aficionados, but I highly recommend Devil Survivor. There's also the updated rerelease on the 3DS coming out soon, so if you'd rather spring for that version... Regardless, a used copy of this one from GameStop will come in at $18.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*A series which contains many smaller series within it.
Genre: Strategy/RPG
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
Release: 23 June 2009
Rating: Teen
Price: $18
The Shin Megami Tensei metaseries* has had some of the best RPGs I've ever played, encompassing Digital Devil Saga, Persona, Strange Journey, DemiKids, Devil Summoner, and many, many more. It's a long, and venerated series on par with giants like Final Fantasy (some would even say it's better). While (like the aforementioned Final Fantasy) most of the SMT games are separate from one another, they do share many common themes and gameplay elements. Most of them are fusions of disparate genres, the spell names remain mostly consistent, and almost all of them involve making contracts with demons to fight with you. They also tend to be brutally difficult, but what do you expect from Atlus?
Moving on to Devil Survivor. It's good. The game is a fusion of traditional turn-based RPG and turn-based strategy RPG. Think of it as Final Fantasy Tactics meets Dragon Quest. Essentially, battles start on an isometric grid, but when an attack is executed, it switches into a first-person perspective for a single round of RPG combat, before returning to the grid. This may sound a bit roundabout, but there's no denying that it works to give Devil Survivor a surprising amount of depth.
Even the character-growth mechanics are deep and interesting. Your human characters gain new spells via the "Skill Crack" system, wherein you steal techniques from your defeated foes MegaMan-style. And you can get new demon allies by either buying their services at auction, or by fusing two demons to create a single stronger one (another staple of the SMT games).
As for the plot, demons have overrun Tokyo, and the military has issued a lockdown: no one can enter, or leave. In order to survive, you need to ally yourself with various demons, and other people trapped in the city. The story is rather non-linear. While the basic plot remains the same from playthrough to playthrough, which of the five endings you can get, as well as which characters survive to the end, is all dependent on the choices you make. Be careful though, as everything you do eats up a little bit of your time, and you only have seven days.
While Devil Survivor is rather short, that's actually a point in its favor. There are five vastly different endings (which I won't spoil here), and the game actively wants you to see them all, each one unlocking new powerful demons that you can obtain for your next playthrough.
It's heavy on the grind and the difficulty, and may be a little too complex for a newcomer, for strategy or RPG aficionados, but I highly recommend Devil Survivor. There's also the updated rerelease on the 3DS coming out soon, so if you'd rather spring for that version... Regardless, a used copy of this one from GameStop will come in at $18.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*A series which contains many smaller series within it.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Portal
Platform: PC
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Release: 9 October 2007
Rating: Teen
Price: $10
I personally find it astonishing that there are still people who haven't played this amazing game, which is why I am taking the time to review it. Given its memetic status, you have almost certainly heard of it if you've had any contact with the internet whatsoever in the past three years.
Portal is a difficult game to classify. While it uses a first-pirson perspective, and the engine of a first-person shooter, there is very little combat, and your main tool is a gun that creates wormholes (up to two at a time). Whatever goes in one comes out the other, be it enemies, items, or even you. While this isn't your only tool (you will also use boxes and switches), it is a unique mechanic that you will have to master in order to reach the end of the game and the frankly amazing final boss (which I will not spoil here).
As for the plot, there really isn't a lot. Portal is set in the Half-Life universe, though it has nothing to do with the Half-Life games. You are Chell, a silent test subject in the Aperture Science Laboratiores, where the insane Artificial Intelligence known as GLaDOS guides you through the test chambers (while simultaneously trying to get you killed).
There really isn't anything else I can say about Portal. There really isn't much to it. My one complaint is that it's really short, only about three hours long. But you're only paying $10 for it on Steam, so it's not that big a problem. (There's also a sequel now, but it's best to play this one first.) Regardless, if you're one of the few people out there who hasn't yet played Portal, play Portal, and you will see why the internet was so obsessed with it when it first came out.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Release: 9 October 2007
Rating: Teen
Price: $10
I personally find it astonishing that there are still people who haven't played this amazing game, which is why I am taking the time to review it. Given its memetic status, you have almost certainly heard of it if you've had any contact with the internet whatsoever in the past three years.
Portal is a difficult game to classify. While it uses a first-pirson perspective, and the engine of a first-person shooter, there is very little combat, and your main tool is a gun that creates wormholes (up to two at a time). Whatever goes in one comes out the other, be it enemies, items, or even you. While this isn't your only tool (you will also use boxes and switches), it is a unique mechanic that you will have to master in order to reach the end of the game and the frankly amazing final boss (which I will not spoil here).
As for the plot, there really isn't a lot. Portal is set in the Half-Life universe, though it has nothing to do with the Half-Life games. You are Chell, a silent test subject in the Aperture Science Laboratiores, where the insane Artificial Intelligence known as GLaDOS guides you through the test chambers (while simultaneously trying to get you killed).
There really isn't anything else I can say about Portal. There really isn't much to it. My one complaint is that it's really short, only about three hours long. But you're only paying $10 for it on Steam, so it's not that big a problem. (There's also a sequel now, but it's best to play this one first.) Regardless, if you're one of the few people out there who hasn't yet played Portal, play Portal, and you will see why the internet was so obsessed with it when it first came out.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Saturday, July 2, 2011
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: 26 January 2010
Rating: Mature
Price: $12-13
Goichi Suda is the foremost auteur game developer of today. The man is an insane genius, known for occasionally sacrificing fun for the art. While this is not usually the way to go, I have to accept that with Suda, it's certainly worth it to see just what goes through his head. No More Heroes and its sequel can be considered the first time that he was able to find a good balance between the art and the fun. And yes, they are awesome for it.
The first No More Heroes told the story of one Travis Touchdown, a complete nerd who managed to somehow become the eleventh-best hitman in the country. So he decided to take out the ten above him, aiming for the top. Despite being about assassination, the game managed to be hilarious, parodying everything from sandbox video games to anime to life in America. It also constantly poked fun at games that rely on sex or gore to sell, by taking both to a ridiculous level (enemies die with about three gallons of blood spurting out, and sexual innuendo can be found in nearly every line). It was a ton of fun, but way too short, and with a lot of repetitive grind.
No More Heroes 2 removes nearly all of the grind in addition to increasing the length of the game, remedying both issues. It also tweaked many aspects of the combat, making it feel a bit more fluid overall. On the flip-side, while keeping the sense of offbeat humor, it took a turn down gritty and dark, which makes the tone rather inconsistent. When Travis' best friend is murdered, he vows revenge against his killer, and has to climb the ranks again (this time from #51) to get to him. While still not perfect by any means (the two missions played as ally Shinobu include some very awkward platforming), NMH2 is altogether a brilliant example of the hack-and-slash genre, with colorful and cartoony visuals (which purposefully clash with the game's theme), an interesting story, well-executed boss fights, and altogether fun gameplay that manages to use the Wii's control scheme rather well. Check it out if you can. It'll cost $13 for a new copy, or $12 used.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release: 26 January 2010
Rating: Mature
Price: $12-13
Goichi Suda is the foremost auteur game developer of today. The man is an insane genius, known for occasionally sacrificing fun for the art. While this is not usually the way to go, I have to accept that with Suda, it's certainly worth it to see just what goes through his head. No More Heroes and its sequel can be considered the first time that he was able to find a good balance between the art and the fun. And yes, they are awesome for it.
The first No More Heroes told the story of one Travis Touchdown, a complete nerd who managed to somehow become the eleventh-best hitman in the country. So he decided to take out the ten above him, aiming for the top. Despite being about assassination, the game managed to be hilarious, parodying everything from sandbox video games to anime to life in America. It also constantly poked fun at games that rely on sex or gore to sell, by taking both to a ridiculous level (enemies die with about three gallons of blood spurting out, and sexual innuendo can be found in nearly every line). It was a ton of fun, but way too short, and with a lot of repetitive grind.
No More Heroes 2 removes nearly all of the grind in addition to increasing the length of the game, remedying both issues. It also tweaked many aspects of the combat, making it feel a bit more fluid overall. On the flip-side, while keeping the sense of offbeat humor, it took a turn down gritty and dark, which makes the tone rather inconsistent. When Travis' best friend is murdered, he vows revenge against his killer, and has to climb the ranks again (this time from #51) to get to him. While still not perfect by any means (the two missions played as ally Shinobu include some very awkward platforming), NMH2 is altogether a brilliant example of the hack-and-slash genre, with colorful and cartoony visuals (which purposefully clash with the game's theme), an interesting story, well-executed boss fights, and altogether fun gameplay that manages to use the Wii's control scheme rather well. Check it out if you can. It'll cost $13 for a new copy, or $12 used.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, June 24, 2011
Blade Kitten
Platform: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Atari
Release: 22 September 2010
Rating: Teen
Price: $10
Blade Kitten is a side-scrolling platformer based on a webcomic of the same name. It's mostly standard stuff, but there are two twists to make it different: the protagonist Kat can climb walls and ceilings, and her weapon can move independently of her. These ideas don't quite mesh, but manage to create an interesting experience.
The levels are mostly linear, but there is a bit of Metroidvania*-style exploration via the two aforementioned features, so you can find hidden items and money. Unlike most games of that style, there's no real backtracking, which keeps the levels fresh.
The control can be rather floaty at times, and you're going to want a gamepad for the PC version, but it's not bad enough to be deal-breaking. The game is also really easy: Kit's health regenerates when you're not fighting, and there's no limit to your number of lives (unlimited lives is always an appreciated feature, though).
While Blade Kitten is very hit-or-miss, it's amusing, and it tries some new things in an industry that's become increasingly stagnant in recent years.
The game is available in the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Arcade, and on Steam, for $10.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*For those uninformed, the term "Metroidvania" refers to the exploration-heavy gameplay style of the Metroid series and the Castlevania series (post-Symphony of the Night).
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Atari
Release: 22 September 2010
Rating: Teen
Price: $10
Blade Kitten is a side-scrolling platformer based on a webcomic of the same name. It's mostly standard stuff, but there are two twists to make it different: the protagonist Kat can climb walls and ceilings, and her weapon can move independently of her. These ideas don't quite mesh, but manage to create an interesting experience.
The levels are mostly linear, but there is a bit of Metroidvania*-style exploration via the two aforementioned features, so you can find hidden items and money. Unlike most games of that style, there's no real backtracking, which keeps the levels fresh.
The control can be rather floaty at times, and you're going to want a gamepad for the PC version, but it's not bad enough to be deal-breaking. The game is also really easy: Kit's health regenerates when you're not fighting, and there's no limit to your number of lives (unlimited lives is always an appreciated feature, though).
While Blade Kitten is very hit-or-miss, it's amusing, and it tries some new things in an industry that's become increasingly stagnant in recent years.
The game is available in the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Arcade, and on Steam, for $10.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*For those uninformed, the term "Metroidvania" refers to the exploration-heavy gameplay style of the Metroid series and the Castlevania series (post-Symphony of the Night).
Friday, June 17, 2011
Review Schedule
My computer is currently being repaired, so I am unable to review the game I wanted to this week. Reviews will continue once I have my computer back up and running, and in the meantime, here's a list of the next eight games I will look at:
Blade Kitten
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Portal
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Neverwinter Nights 2: Platinum
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Braid
Silent Hill 2
This month's "Pennypincher's Corner" will be looking at the indie darling Knytt Stories and my next Top Ten list will be the "Top Ten Greatly-Improved Sequels."
See you all soon!
--Kotaro
Blade Kitten
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Portal
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Neverwinter Nights 2: Platinum
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Braid
Silent Hill 2
This month's "Pennypincher's Corner" will be looking at the indie darling Knytt Stories and my next Top Ten list will be the "Top Ten Greatly-Improved Sequels."
See you all soon!
--Kotaro
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sonic Mega Collection Plus
Platform: PlayStation 2/Xbox/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Release: 2 November 2004
Rating: Everyone
Price: $10-13
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of gaming's Long Runners, and like his rival Mario, Sonic himself is immediately recognizable to most. While the series hasn't been relevant in years--most likely due to horrible game after horrible game--the original games remain classics. They're all very flawed, but are still worth playing, if for no reason other than their enormous place in gaming's history. Personally, I hold that most of the games up through Sonic Adventure were quite enjoyable*, and many of them are collected here. The original Sonic Mega Collection contained seven Genesis (or "Mega Drive" if you're outside the United States) titles:
While still incomplete, this updated collection is still an excellent value (containing both the gems and the crap) and since Sonic Gems Collection holds most of the missing games, the Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a worthwhile part of gaming history.
Over a dozen games on one disc for a price of $10 on the PC
or PS2, or $13 on the Xbox makes this an excellent deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Release: 2 November 2004
Rating: Everyone
Price: $10-13
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of gaming's Long Runners, and like his rival Mario, Sonic himself is immediately recognizable to most. While the series hasn't been relevant in years--most likely due to horrible game after horrible game--the original games remain classics. They're all very flawed, but are still worth playing, if for no reason other than their enormous place in gaming's history. Personally, I hold that most of the games up through Sonic Adventure were quite enjoyable*, and many of them are collected here. The original Sonic Mega Collection contained seven Genesis (or "Mega Drive" if you're outside the United States) titles:
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3
- Sonic & Knuckles
- Sonic 3D Blast
- Sonic Spinball
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (which was actually Puyo Puyo, given a Sonic-themed "makeover" for its release outside Japan)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear version)
- Sonic Chaos
- Sonic Drift
- Sonic Labyrinth
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Game Gear version)
- Sonic Blast
While still incomplete, this updated collection is still an excellent value (containing both the gems and the crap) and since Sonic Gems Collection holds most of the missing games, the Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a worthwhile part of gaming history.
Over a dozen games on one disc for a price of $10 on the PC
or PS2, or $13 on the Xbox makes this an excellent deal.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, June 3, 2011
Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Platform: PC (MS-DOS/Mac OS)
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: id Software
Release: 23 December 1994
Rating: n/a*
Price: $5
Doom remains one of the most well-made first-person shooters of all time, and thus, its engine was used in other games for years afterward. Heretic is one of them, and as such, its gameplay is heavily derived from Doom itself. So if you like Doom, you'll enjoy Heretic.
That's not to say that Heretic is a carbon-copy of Doom. It's in a fantasy setting (with weapons to match), and has several features that Doom does not, namely interactive environments, inventory management, the ability to look up and down (that may not seem like much today, but in '94, it was a big deal), and limited flight.
There isn't much else to say about Heretic, so I'll talk about its sequels instead:
Heretic was followed by HeXen: Beyond Heretic, which itself was followed by HeXen II. Both take the basic gameplay of Heretic and add features of their own. A class-system was added in HeXen, with the original Heretic character filed under the Mage class. Fighter and Cleric are also available. Each class was given a unique set of weapons, and different physical stats. HeXen II increases the number of classes to four, with an entirely new set (Paladin, Crusader, Assassin, and Necromancer), and layers RPG-elements on top of that. In addition, HeXen and HeXen II added multiplayer co-operative modes.
This is one of the few cases where talking about the sequels is appropriate, since not only can you buy Heretic (complete with DOS emulator so it can run on Windows) from Steam for $5, or all three games for $10. Either way, it's an excellent deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*Heretic was never rated by the Electronic Sofware Ratings Bureau, as the ESRB was only three months old when the game was released, and at the time, it was impossible for them to rate every game.
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: id Software
Release: 23 December 1994
Rating: n/a*
Price: $5
Doom remains one of the most well-made first-person shooters of all time, and thus, its engine was used in other games for years afterward. Heretic is one of them, and as such, its gameplay is heavily derived from Doom itself. So if you like Doom, you'll enjoy Heretic.
That's not to say that Heretic is a carbon-copy of Doom. It's in a fantasy setting (with weapons to match), and has several features that Doom does not, namely interactive environments, inventory management, the ability to look up and down (that may not seem like much today, but in '94, it was a big deal), and limited flight.
There isn't much else to say about Heretic, so I'll talk about its sequels instead:
Heretic was followed by HeXen: Beyond Heretic, which itself was followed by HeXen II. Both take the basic gameplay of Heretic and add features of their own. A class-system was added in HeXen, with the original Heretic character filed under the Mage class. Fighter and Cleric are also available. Each class was given a unique set of weapons, and different physical stats. HeXen II increases the number of classes to four, with an entirely new set (Paladin, Crusader, Assassin, and Necromancer), and layers RPG-elements on top of that. In addition, HeXen and HeXen II added multiplayer co-operative modes.
This is one of the few cases where talking about the sequels is appropriate, since not only can you buy Heretic (complete with DOS emulator so it can run on Windows) from Steam for $5, or all three games for $10. Either way, it's an excellent deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
*Heretic was never rated by the Electronic Sofware Ratings Bureau, as the ESRB was only three months old when the game was released, and at the time, it was impossible for them to rate every game.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Pennypincher's Corner IV - Double Feature: Alter A.I.L.A. & Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis
Genre: RPG
Developer: Neok
Sturgeon's Law shows up in spades when looking at games made in RPG Maker (I, myself, have fallen to it, which is why I haven't actually released any of the games I've made). Alter A.I.L.A. and its remake, Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis, both fall into that other 10%. They're both really good, if almost different games.
Both versions of Alter A.I.L.A. take place in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world, in which a group of nine prisoners fight for their lives for the public's amusement (kind of like the late Roman Empire). When circumstances allow them to escape, they find new lives for themselves. And this is where the two games differentiate themselves.
The original Alter A.I.L.A. presents three different storylines: serve the Empire, join the rebellion, or try to ignore the conflict and live as a normal citizen. Clearing all three unlocks a fourth, and this gives the game great replay value. You can find it here.
The remake, Genesis, only has one storyline, but this allows for more detail in its plot, and more character development. It also has an improved combat system. Get it here.
Which version you'll want to play all comes down to what you'd prefer. Myself, I love them both equally well, as they're both well-made RPGs. So I say, try them out.
--Kotaro
Note: Both Alter A.I.L.A. and Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis were made using RPG Maker 2003, and thus require the program to be installed on your PC before they will run. Fortunately, RPG Maker 2003 is now officially freeware, so you can easily download it.
Developer: Neok
Sturgeon's Law shows up in spades when looking at games made in RPG Maker (I, myself, have fallen to it, which is why I haven't actually released any of the games I've made). Alter A.I.L.A. and its remake, Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis, both fall into that other 10%. They're both really good, if almost different games.
Both versions of Alter A.I.L.A. take place in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world, in which a group of nine prisoners fight for their lives for the public's amusement (kind of like the late Roman Empire). When circumstances allow them to escape, they find new lives for themselves. And this is where the two games differentiate themselves.
The original Alter A.I.L.A. presents three different storylines: serve the Empire, join the rebellion, or try to ignore the conflict and live as a normal citizen. Clearing all three unlocks a fourth, and this gives the game great replay value. You can find it here.
The remake, Genesis, only has one storyline, but this allows for more detail in its plot, and more character development. It also has an improved combat system. Get it here.
Which version you'll want to play all comes down to what you'd prefer. Myself, I love them both equally well, as they're both well-made RPGs. So I say, try them out.
--Kotaro
Note: Both Alter A.I.L.A. and Alter A.I.L.A. Genesis were made using RPG Maker 2003, and thus require the program to be installed on your PC before they will run. Fortunately, RPG Maker 2003 is now officially freeware, so you can easily download it.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Psychonauts
Platform: Xbox/PlayStation 2/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Release: 19 April 2005
Rating: Teen
Price: $10-15
It's always a horrid shame when a beautifully-original game like Psychonauts fails to sell, until years later when the entire world simultaneously discovers it. While yes, it's a good thing that the game is finally being bought, the initial lackluster sales tend to really hurt the publisher.
Tim Schafer is a brilliant man, and has created some of the wackiest games this side of Grasshopper Manufacture. Psychonauts was the first time he worked outside the genre of adventure games, and the result is unpolished, but still genuinely fun. The premise of the game is that the hero, Raz, is a kid at a summer camp for psychics. When a conspiracy comes to light, it's up to him to save his fellow campers by using his powers to explore the minds of other people. So each level has an entirely different feel, and they can get rather surreal at times. The conspiracy theorist's mindscape is a warped version of an American suburb with trenchcoat-wearing, CIA-looking guys all over the place; The boot-camp-style counselor's brain is a war-torn battlefield; and the retired actress' subconscious has actors reliving her life in the form of a stage play.
While the difficulty curve is inconsistent, and the gameplay has a slightly unfinished feel, Psychonauts is still a colorful adventure with an insane cast and is definitely worth a look.
GameStop sells the Xbox and PS2 versions of the game at $13 and $15 respectively, while Steam and GOG offer the PC version for $10.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
Release: 19 April 2005
Rating: Teen
Price: $10-15
It's always a horrid shame when a beautifully-original game like Psychonauts fails to sell, until years later when the entire world simultaneously discovers it. While yes, it's a good thing that the game is finally being bought, the initial lackluster sales tend to really hurt the publisher.
Tim Schafer is a brilliant man, and has created some of the wackiest games this side of Grasshopper Manufacture. Psychonauts was the first time he worked outside the genre of adventure games, and the result is unpolished, but still genuinely fun. The premise of the game is that the hero, Raz, is a kid at a summer camp for psychics. When a conspiracy comes to light, it's up to him to save his fellow campers by using his powers to explore the minds of other people. So each level has an entirely different feel, and they can get rather surreal at times. The conspiracy theorist's mindscape is a warped version of an American suburb with trenchcoat-wearing, CIA-looking guys all over the place; The boot-camp-style counselor's brain is a war-torn battlefield; and the retired actress' subconscious has actors reliving her life in the form of a stage play.
While the difficulty curve is inconsistent, and the gameplay has a slightly unfinished feel, Psychonauts is still a colorful adventure with an insane cast and is definitely worth a look.
GameStop sells the Xbox and PS2 versions of the game at $13 and $15 respectively, while Steam and GOG offer the PC version for $10.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, May 20, 2011
Super Meat Boy
Platform: Xbox 360/PC (Windows)
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Team Meat
Publisher: Newgrounds
Release: 20 October 2010
Rating: Teen
Price: $15
Meat Boy was an interesting little platformer published on Newgrounds.com. It possessed an ungodly level of difficulty, but due to several design choices (levels are short, you respawn immediately, and you have unlimited lives), it never really got frustrating. It was a short, but fun, game. And then Steam and Xbox Live Arcade saw its successor: Super Meat Boy. And it's also really fun. Very similar to the original, Super Meat Boy features the same level of difficulty and the same "anti-frustration features." Is it worth $15, though, while the first game is free? Well, SMB is certainly a bigger game: it has more levels and several unlockable characters from other games (such as Commander Video from BIT.TRIP, and Tim from Braid).
Super Meat Boy's insane difficulty is offset by the typical humor of Newgrounds developers, which is a selling point for some people (myself, I don't find it that funny). And the game is fun, so what more could you want? Try the original on Newgrounds, and if you like it, pick this one up. $15 on Xbox Live or Steam isn't too bad a price for it. And I always say to "support the indie developers," so that answers that, I suppose.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Team Meat
Publisher: Newgrounds
Release: 20 October 2010
Rating: Teen
Price: $15
Meat Boy was an interesting little platformer published on Newgrounds.com. It possessed an ungodly level of difficulty, but due to several design choices (levels are short, you respawn immediately, and you have unlimited lives), it never really got frustrating. It was a short, but fun, game. And then Steam and Xbox Live Arcade saw its successor: Super Meat Boy. And it's also really fun. Very similar to the original, Super Meat Boy features the same level of difficulty and the same "anti-frustration features." Is it worth $15, though, while the first game is free? Well, SMB is certainly a bigger game: it has more levels and several unlockable characters from other games (such as Commander Video from BIT.TRIP, and Tim from Braid).
Super Meat Boy's insane difficulty is offset by the typical humor of Newgrounds developers, which is a selling point for some people (myself, I don't find it that funny). And the game is fun, so what more could you want? Try the original on Newgrounds, and if you like it, pick this one up. $15 on Xbox Live or Steam isn't too bad a price for it. And I always say to "support the indie developers," so that answers that, I suppose.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
NOTE: As those who follow my Twitter account are aware, this entry is a day late due to technical problems with Blogger. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Platform: PlayStation Portable
Genre: Strategy/RPG
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software/otwo
Publisher: NIS America
Release: 30 October 2007
Rating: Teen
Price: $19
It may come as no surprise that I love offbeat humor in my games. Which also means it should be no surprise that I am a huge fan of the Disgaea series. Excellent turn-based tactical RPG combat stuffed with some of the most clever humor to ever come out of Japan? I'm all over it. I even gave Disgaea the #2 spot on my Top Ten Weird Japanese Games.
All of the Disgaea games are great, but the best place to start is with the first. And when it comes right down to it, the PSP version is the best one.
The PlayStation 2 original was fantastic, sure, but the PSP port adds several new features, including an alternate story mode, and multiplayer. While the later Nintendo DS remake adds even more features, the graphics were downgraded and most of the voices removed, to the point that it loses some of its charm. So my opinion is to stick with the PSP version.
As for the game itself, there's not much to say about it. Anyone who's played Final Fantasy Tactics or any other turn-based strategy game will know basically what they're in for. Disgaea does bring some new things to the table, though. There's a unique equipment system that allows you to level-up your equipment as you play, you can create and customize your units however you want (to an almost ridiculous extent), there's an unending supply of randomly-generated dungeons to explore, and the level cap takes things beyond the insane: it's not 50, or 99, or even 100. It's 9999 (no, that is not a typo).
Disgaea is downright fun, and it never takes itself seriously at all. It's a lighthearted romp through Hell (literally) that will make you laugh until you cry. It's a game well worth the admission price of $19
.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Platform: PlayStation Portable
Genre: Strategy/RPG
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software/otwo
Publisher: NIS America
Release: 30 October 2007
Rating: Teen
Price: $19
It may come as no surprise that I love offbeat humor in my games. Which also means it should be no surprise that I am a huge fan of the Disgaea series. Excellent turn-based tactical RPG combat stuffed with some of the most clever humor to ever come out of Japan? I'm all over it. I even gave Disgaea the #2 spot on my Top Ten Weird Japanese Games.
All of the Disgaea games are great, but the best place to start is with the first. And when it comes right down to it, the PSP version is the best one.
The PlayStation 2 original was fantastic, sure, but the PSP port adds several new features, including an alternate story mode, and multiplayer. While the later Nintendo DS remake adds even more features, the graphics were downgraded and most of the voices removed, to the point that it loses some of its charm. So my opinion is to stick with the PSP version.
As for the game itself, there's not much to say about it. Anyone who's played Final Fantasy Tactics or any other turn-based strategy game will know basically what they're in for. Disgaea does bring some new things to the table, though. There's a unique equipment system that allows you to level-up your equipment as you play, you can create and customize your units however you want (to an almost ridiculous extent), there's an unending supply of randomly-generated dungeons to explore, and the level cap takes things beyond the insane: it's not 50, or 99, or even 100. It's 9999 (no, that is not a typo).
Disgaea is downright fun, and it never takes itself seriously at all. It's a lighthearted romp through Hell (literally) that will make you laugh until you cry. It's a game well worth the admission price of $19
.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, May 6, 2011
StarCraft: Battle Chest
Platform: PC (Windows/Mac)
Genre: Strategy
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Release: 31 March 1998
Rating: Teen
Price: $16
StarCraft is often considered to be the greatest real-time strategy game of all time. Nothing else need be said. If you haven't already, play this game. You are missing out.
StarCraft doesn't do much that hasn't been done before, but it does it so well, what more could you want? I'll allow the game's legacy to speak for itself:
-It remains one of the most popular games online to this day, thirteen years later.
-It has become the standard to which all modern RTS games are compared.
-The phrase "Zerg Rush" (named for one of StarCraft's playable factions) has become an oft-used gaming term.
-StarCraft has been used by the US Air Force to teach new recruits how to plan under stress.
I can't say anything about StarCraft that hasn't already been said many times. But if my words can get more people to play this excellent game, then I will say it: buy StarCraft
.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Strategy
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Release: 31 March 1998
Rating: Teen
Price: $16
StarCraft is often considered to be the greatest real-time strategy game of all time. Nothing else need be said. If you haven't already, play this game. You are missing out.
StarCraft doesn't do much that hasn't been done before, but it does it so well, what more could you want? I'll allow the game's legacy to speak for itself:
-It remains one of the most popular games online to this day, thirteen years later.
-It has become the standard to which all modern RTS games are compared.
-The phrase "Zerg Rush" (named for one of StarCraft's playable factions) has become an oft-used gaming term.
-StarCraft has been used by the US Air Force to teach new recruits how to plan under stress.
I can't say anything about StarCraft that hasn't already been said many times. But if my words can get more people to play this excellent game, then I will say it: buy StarCraft
.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Pennypincher's Corner III: Tyrian 2000
Platform: PC
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Eclipse Productions
Publisher: Eclipse Productions
Release: 30 November 1999
Tyrian may be one of the greatest vertical-scrolling shoot-em-ups ever made. It is fun, challenging, and never takes itself too seriously (one of the unlockable ships is a carrot, for instance). It's far more forgiving than most games in the genre, but makes up for the slightly lessened challenge with depth. Similarly to Raptor: Call of the Shadows, you can purchase new weapons and upgrades between levels, customizing your ship to suit your play-style. And you will need to upgrade if you want to survive the later levels.
Tyrian 2000 has a decent length, consisting of five "episodes" that comprise the plot. Each episode contains several levels, some of which have branching paths. While the game may only take a few hours to complete, the sheer variety of weapons to use gives it high replay value for those who want to try out different strategies.
For a game originally made for DOS, the visuals are beautiful, and everything shows a remarkable attention to detail. There is little in Tyrian about which I can complain, and it stands as one of my favorite "shmup" games.
The version you can download from Good Old Games is already set up to play (with the DOSBox emulator included). At a grand price of $0, you can't refuse Tyrian. Give it a shot.
--Kotaro
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Eclipse Productions
Publisher: Eclipse Productions
Release: 30 November 1999
Tyrian may be one of the greatest vertical-scrolling shoot-em-ups ever made. It is fun, challenging, and never takes itself too seriously (one of the unlockable ships is a carrot, for instance). It's far more forgiving than most games in the genre, but makes up for the slightly lessened challenge with depth. Similarly to Raptor: Call of the Shadows, you can purchase new weapons and upgrades between levels, customizing your ship to suit your play-style. And you will need to upgrade if you want to survive the later levels.
Tyrian 2000 has a decent length, consisting of five "episodes" that comprise the plot. Each episode contains several levels, some of which have branching paths. While the game may only take a few hours to complete, the sheer variety of weapons to use gives it high replay value for those who want to try out different strategies.
For a game originally made for DOS, the visuals are beautiful, and everything shows a remarkable attention to detail. There is little in Tyrian about which I can complain, and it stands as one of my favorite "shmup" games.
The version you can download from Good Old Games is already set up to play (with the DOSBox emulator included). At a grand price of $0, you can't refuse Tyrian. Give it a shot.
--Kotaro
Friday, April 29, 2011
.hack//G.U. vol.1: Rebirth
Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai
Release: 24 October 2006
Rating: Teen
Price: $20
While the first .hack series was decidedly mediocre, the G.U. follow-up trilogy is an excellent series of action RPGs. The premise of a game-within-a-game as a setting is brilliant. .hack takes place within an MMORPG called "The World." G.U. picks up several years after the origial series, in the sequel: "The World:R2." The aesthetic is steampunk this time rather than high fantasy, and it works very well. The cast is mostly new, but has many old characters returning--with new avatars in the game.
The plot is excellent, though following it in its entirety requires playing all three G.U. games and watching the tie-in anime ".hack//Roots," which functions as a prologue for the games (you can understand the games' plot without watching the anime, but it does answer a few questions).
As for how G.U. plays, it functions somewhat like a standard RPG, with towns and party members, and all the trappings. Combat, however, is in real-time, and is quite fun. There isn't very much variety in the dungeons, and the whole series reeks of repetitiveness, but the gameplay is still fun, and the plot is gripping enough to keep you playing.
While the first of the three, Rebirth, is very much flawed (swapping weapons mid-combat feels sticky, for example), the sequels improve on it. I would say that the third volume, Redemption, is the best gameplay-wise, but the story there isn't quite as good as it is in the first two (with a few plot twists coming completely out of nowhere). Averaging them all together, though, the G.U. trilogy is a landmark example of a fun, engaging action RPG.
Start off with the first volume, which GameStop offers used for $20.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai
Release: 24 October 2006
Rating: Teen
Price: $20
While the first .hack series was decidedly mediocre, the G.U. follow-up trilogy is an excellent series of action RPGs. The premise of a game-within-a-game as a setting is brilliant. .hack takes place within an MMORPG called "The World." G.U. picks up several years after the origial series, in the sequel: "The World:R2." The aesthetic is steampunk this time rather than high fantasy, and it works very well. The cast is mostly new, but has many old characters returning--with new avatars in the game.
The plot is excellent, though following it in its entirety requires playing all three G.U. games and watching the tie-in anime ".hack//Roots," which functions as a prologue for the games (you can understand the games' plot without watching the anime, but it does answer a few questions).
As for how G.U. plays, it functions somewhat like a standard RPG, with towns and party members, and all the trappings. Combat, however, is in real-time, and is quite fun. There isn't very much variety in the dungeons, and the whole series reeks of repetitiveness, but the gameplay is still fun, and the plot is gripping enough to keep you playing.
While the first of the three, Rebirth, is very much flawed (swapping weapons mid-combat feels sticky, for example), the sequels improve on it. I would say that the third volume, Redemption, is the best gameplay-wise, but the story there isn't quite as good as it is in the first two (with a few plot twists coming completely out of nowhere). Averaging them all together, though, the G.U. trilogy is a landmark example of a fun, engaging action RPG.
Start off with the first volume, which GameStop offers used for $20.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Top Ten Weird Japanese Games
10. .hack//INFECTION
It's a game that takes place inside an online game. Hard to pull off, but the .hack series manages to do it well. We will never see anything else like it.
09. Kingdom Hearts
Disney + Final Fantasy = Crazy Awesome. Seeing Cloud Strife fighting alongside Mickey Mouse is just damned cool. Weird, but cool.
08. The World Ends with You
I think the gameplay alone is enough to warrant a spot on this list. You use pins (the kind you wear) to unleash psychic attacks on graffiti-looking enemies. And you control two characters at once, one on each screen of the DS. It's unique, and one of the best things Square Enix has ever made.
07. Ico
An escort mission that makes up an entire game sounds like a bad idea, but Ico makes it work. I can't say much about it, because the game is rather minimalist. But look up some footage on YouTube, or play it if you can find a copy. It's worth experiencing.
06. Katamari Damacy
I don't think anything needs to be said about why this is here.
05. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
CSI meets Judge Judy with a wacky cast and the most insane, mind-bending cases ever. More like an interactive movie than a game, but still very fun and worth a try.
04. Bayonetta
A game about a witch who straps guns to her feet and summons demons using her hair. Sure, why not?
03. No More Heroes
Simultaneously a celebration and parody of American geek culture, with no Fourth Wall, and some of the most insane boss fights ever. This game came from the mind of Goichi Suda, so there's no doubt about its strangeness.
02. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Think Final Fantasy Tactics, but even more so. The level cap is 9999. You can make your own overpowered gear. You can abuse any of the game's systems (and are even encouraged to do so). And did I mention the offbeat humor?
01. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
A group of high school students solve a murder mystery by visiting a world inside television. Yes, it's like that.
It's a game that takes place inside an online game. Hard to pull off, but the .hack series manages to do it well. We will never see anything else like it.
09. Kingdom Hearts
Disney + Final Fantasy = Crazy Awesome. Seeing Cloud Strife fighting alongside Mickey Mouse is just damned cool. Weird, but cool.
08. The World Ends with You
I think the gameplay alone is enough to warrant a spot on this list. You use pins (the kind you wear) to unleash psychic attacks on graffiti-looking enemies. And you control two characters at once, one on each screen of the DS. It's unique, and one of the best things Square Enix has ever made.
07. Ico
An escort mission that makes up an entire game sounds like a bad idea, but Ico makes it work. I can't say much about it, because the game is rather minimalist. But look up some footage on YouTube, or play it if you can find a copy. It's worth experiencing.
06. Katamari Damacy
I don't think anything needs to be said about why this is here.
05. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
CSI meets Judge Judy with a wacky cast and the most insane, mind-bending cases ever. More like an interactive movie than a game, but still very fun and worth a try.
04. Bayonetta
A game about a witch who straps guns to her feet and summons demons using her hair. Sure, why not?
03. No More Heroes
Simultaneously a celebration and parody of American geek culture, with no Fourth Wall, and some of the most insane boss fights ever. This game came from the mind of Goichi Suda, so there's no doubt about its strangeness.
02. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Think Final Fantasy Tactics, but even more so. The level cap is 9999. You can make your own overpowered gear. You can abuse any of the game's systems (and are even encouraged to do so). And did I mention the offbeat humor?
01. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
A group of high school students solve a murder mystery by visiting a world inside television. Yes, it's like that.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Mass Effect
Platform: Xbox 360/PC (Windows)
Genre: Shooter/RPG
Developer: Bioware/Demiurge Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios/Electronic Arts
Release: 20 November 2007
Rating: Mature
Price: $15-19
It is hard to think of a game developed by Bioware that has not been excellent. While very different from their other fare, Mass Effect contains the same brilliant dialogue and world-building that all their games do. A hybrid third-person-shooter/RPG, Mass Effect shakes up even that formula, by emphasizing the RPG over the shooter aspects. Most are shooters with occasional RPG elements, but Mass Effect is more like an RPG that happens to have shooter combat.
The only complaint I have against this game is the awkwardness of inventory management. Swapping out weapons, armors, and upgrades can be rather annoying once you've built up a large stock, and the shopping system only services to make obtaining the items you want more aggravating.
Almost everything else about Mass Effect is excellent, however. A gripping plot, likable characters, an enormous and atmospheric galaxy to explore, and a well-made dialogue and choice system all make it a worthwhile game.
Mass Effect 2 is far more streamlined than this one, but one should definitely play the first game first, because every choice made here does affect the plot of the next game, giving an entirely different (and much greater) experience.
The original Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect costs $19, and the improved PC port costs only $15.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Shooter/RPG
Developer: Bioware/Demiurge Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios/Electronic Arts
Release: 20 November 2007
Rating: Mature
Price: $15-19
It is hard to think of a game developed by Bioware that has not been excellent. While very different from their other fare, Mass Effect contains the same brilliant dialogue and world-building that all their games do. A hybrid third-person-shooter/RPG, Mass Effect shakes up even that formula, by emphasizing the RPG over the shooter aspects. Most are shooters with occasional RPG elements, but Mass Effect is more like an RPG that happens to have shooter combat.
The only complaint I have against this game is the awkwardness of inventory management. Swapping out weapons, armors, and upgrades can be rather annoying once you've built up a large stock, and the shopping system only services to make obtaining the items you want more aggravating.
Almost everything else about Mass Effect is excellent, however. A gripping plot, likable characters, an enormous and atmospheric galaxy to explore, and a well-made dialogue and choice system all make it a worthwhile game.
Mass Effect 2 is far more streamlined than this one, but one should definitely play the first game first, because every choice made here does affect the plot of the next game, giving an entirely different (and much greater) experience.
The original Xbox 360 version of Mass Effect costs $19, and the improved PC port costs only $15.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Gamers Without Borders: Episode Seven
Yes, I was on it again. This time, we discuss the rumored Wii-successor "Project Cafe," the Portal 2 ARG, and the recent Garry's Mod counter-piracy measures!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
Genre: Platformer
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release: 10 September 2002
Rating: Everyone
Price: $3-5
Usually when I go back and play a game from my childhood, I turn it off in just a few minutes and say "I used to like this?" That's never really happened with Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. I have always been fond of a good 3D platformer, and Ty delivers. It's flawed, yes, but still a good time. The plot is cliche, and the characters shallow, but the setting is really nice; it actually feels like Australia, despite being highly fictionalized. Your main weapon is even a pair of boomerangs.
There's a rather cheesy humor throughout, which, while juvenile, manages to keep the game lighthearted and amusing. And sometimes all you want is a lighthearted romp in between other, darker games.
The gameplay is not without its flaws. Some of the puzzles leave you wondering how exactly a kid was supposed to figure them out, while others are no challenge at all. Combat can be frustrating, since a missed throw leaves you without your boomerang until it comes back (you can still bite, but it's somewhat unreliable). And there is a certain enemy which can only be hurt by a certain kind of boomerang, but is thrown at you right up until the end of the game, long after you have obtained more powerful boomerangs, leaving you mashing the button to change 'rangs until you get the one you need.
Despite its flaws, though, Ty is a decent game that speaks to the child in all of us. Besides, it will only cost you $3 on the GameCube or PlayStation2, and $5 on the Xbox.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release: 10 September 2002
Rating: Everyone
Price: $3-5
Usually when I go back and play a game from my childhood, I turn it off in just a few minutes and say "I used to like this?" That's never really happened with Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. I have always been fond of a good 3D platformer, and Ty delivers. It's flawed, yes, but still a good time. The plot is cliche, and the characters shallow, but the setting is really nice; it actually feels like Australia, despite being highly fictionalized. Your main weapon is even a pair of boomerangs.
There's a rather cheesy humor throughout, which, while juvenile, manages to keep the game lighthearted and amusing. And sometimes all you want is a lighthearted romp in between other, darker games.
The gameplay is not without its flaws. Some of the puzzles leave you wondering how exactly a kid was supposed to figure them out, while others are no challenge at all. Combat can be frustrating, since a missed throw leaves you without your boomerang until it comes back (you can still bite, but it's somewhat unreliable). And there is a certain enemy which can only be hurt by a certain kind of boomerang, but is thrown at you right up until the end of the game, long after you have obtained more powerful boomerangs, leaving you mashing the button to change 'rangs until you get the one you need.
Despite its flaws, though, Ty is a decent game that speaks to the child in all of us. Besides, it will only cost you $3 on the GameCube or PlayStation2, and $5 on the Xbox.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, April 8, 2011
Final Fantasy: 20th Anniversary Edition
Final Fantasy: 20th Anniversary Edition
Platform: PlayStation Portable
Genre: RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release: 26 June 2007
Rating: Everyone 10+
Price: $10
Final Fantasy is undoubtedly the most classic of all classic console RPGs. Along with Dragon Warrior, it practically defined the genre for the next three decades. Surprisingly, it still holds up pretty well today, which is probably why it's been remade so many times. But the PSP version--releaed to commemorate the games' 20th anniversary--is by far the most definitive. Visuals that are more impressive than in any previous version of the game, some new animated cutscenes, a remixed soundtrack, and five bonus dungeons, one of which is exclusive to the PSP.
One thing that bewilders me, though, was the decision to release the 20th Anniversary editions of Final Fantasy I and II as separate games, when they could easily have fit on one disc. I guess Square just likes to milk us for our money. Though both of them are now ten dollars each, so it's not really a big deal.
If you own a PSP, then go out and get Final Fantasy now. For those that have never played the game before--though most people probably have--you really should. And if you're in the other camp, those who remember the original NES version from their childhood, you should still pick this up. It's a great nostalgia piece, and seeing an old 8-bit game come to life with modern graphics... That never gets old.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Platform: PlayStation Portable
Genre: RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release: 26 June 2007
Rating: Everyone 10+
Price: $10
Final Fantasy is undoubtedly the most classic of all classic console RPGs. Along with Dragon Warrior, it practically defined the genre for the next three decades. Surprisingly, it still holds up pretty well today, which is probably why it's been remade so many times. But the PSP version--releaed to commemorate the games' 20th anniversary--is by far the most definitive. Visuals that are more impressive than in any previous version of the game, some new animated cutscenes, a remixed soundtrack, and five bonus dungeons, one of which is exclusive to the PSP.
One thing that bewilders me, though, was the decision to release the 20th Anniversary editions of Final Fantasy I and II as separate games, when they could easily have fit on one disc. I guess Square just likes to milk us for our money. Though both of them are now ten dollars each, so it's not really a big deal.
If you own a PSP, then go out and get Final Fantasy now. For those that have never played the game before--though most people probably have--you really should. And if you're in the other camp, those who remember the original NES version from their childhood, you should still pick this up. It's a great nostalgia piece, and seeing an old 8-bit game come to life with modern graphics... That never gets old.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, April 1, 2011
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
Platform: PayStation 3/Xbox 360/PC (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Genre: RPG
Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: Hothead Games
Release: 21 May 2008
Rating: Mature
Price: 2 parts for $8 each
Penny Arcade is the original--and best--gaming webcomic out there, and their video game, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, carries the same brand of black humor that makes the comic such a hit. While the gameplay is rather hit-or-miss (essentially Paper Mario as an Active Time Battle), the plot, characters, and humor are enough to make Rain-Slick worth playing.The game throws our heroes, Tycho and Gabe (and the player), into 1920's America, as supernatural detectives fighting against evil gods. It may sound dark, but Rain-Slick never takes itself seriously. What kind of humor can you expect? The final boss of the first episode is a giant wooden statue of a mime with an octopus head that attacks you by dancing. Yes, it's like that.
There is bad news about this game, and it is very bad. It was intended to be released episodically, in four parts, but only the first two were finished. While this leaves the series without a real conclusion, it still should not be missed.
On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness can be bought on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, or Steam, for $8 an episode. The Steam version also has both episodes as a $12 bundle.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: RPG
Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: Hothead Games
Release: 21 May 2008
Rating: Mature
Price: 2 parts for $8 each
Penny Arcade is the original--and best--gaming webcomic out there, and their video game, On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, carries the same brand of black humor that makes the comic such a hit. While the gameplay is rather hit-or-miss (essentially Paper Mario as an Active Time Battle), the plot, characters, and humor are enough to make Rain-Slick worth playing.The game throws our heroes, Tycho and Gabe (and the player), into 1920's America, as supernatural detectives fighting against evil gods. It may sound dark, but Rain-Slick never takes itself seriously. What kind of humor can you expect? The final boss of the first episode is a giant wooden statue of a mime with an octopus head that attacks you by dancing. Yes, it's like that.
There is bad news about this game, and it is very bad. It was intended to be released episodically, in four parts, but only the first two were finished. While this leaves the series without a real conclusion, it still should not be missed.
On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness can be bought on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, or Steam, for $8 an episode. The Steam version also has both episodes as a $12 bundle.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, March 25, 2011
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Platform: Gamecube
Genre: Survival Horror
Developer: Silicon Knights
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 23 June 2002
Rating: Mature
Price: $15
Eternal Darkness is a horror game done well. It's not exactly scary, but it's creepy and unsettling. Not the kind of game you want to play at night, at least. It's rather original as horror games go, in the way it tells its story.
The plot revolves around one Alexandra Roivas, whose grandfather has just been murdered. The police being left without any clues, Alex decides to investigate herself. In her grandfather's mansion, she finds a mysterious book: the Tome of Eternal Darkness. As she reads the Tome, she learns of those who have owned it before, and of the ancient evil they have combated. I will not reveal any more, but this serves as the basis for the gameplay. The mansion functions as a hub, and Alex as your gate to the other characters. As you begin each new chapter, you take control of a different character, and see what they lived through. Each character has their own stats and weapons, as well as one of several different locations to explore.
There is one other feature that makes Eternal Darkness unique: sanity. As you encounter monsters, your character's sanity meter will drain, and it can be restored by finishing off those monsters decisively. But if your sanity gets too low, you will start to experience hallucinations. These can range from the music changing, to hearing voices, to the game pretending to glitch (one particularly memorable one has your memory card pretend to erase itself). These break the Fourth Wall brilliantly, and leave you questioning your own sanity as well.
As a whole, Eternal Darkness is a very creepy and memorable experience. If you have $15, pick it up.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Survival Horror
Developer: Silicon Knights
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 23 June 2002
Rating: Mature
Price: $15
Eternal Darkness is a horror game done well. It's not exactly scary, but it's creepy and unsettling. Not the kind of game you want to play at night, at least. It's rather original as horror games go, in the way it tells its story.
The plot revolves around one Alexandra Roivas, whose grandfather has just been murdered. The police being left without any clues, Alex decides to investigate herself. In her grandfather's mansion, she finds a mysterious book: the Tome of Eternal Darkness. As she reads the Tome, she learns of those who have owned it before, and of the ancient evil they have combated. I will not reveal any more, but this serves as the basis for the gameplay. The mansion functions as a hub, and Alex as your gate to the other characters. As you begin each new chapter, you take control of a different character, and see what they lived through. Each character has their own stats and weapons, as well as one of several different locations to explore.
There is one other feature that makes Eternal Darkness unique: sanity. As you encounter monsters, your character's sanity meter will drain, and it can be restored by finishing off those monsters decisively. But if your sanity gets too low, you will start to experience hallucinations. These can range from the music changing, to hearing voices, to the game pretending to glitch (one particularly memorable one has your memory card pretend to erase itself). These break the Fourth Wall brilliantly, and leave you questioning your own sanity as well.
As a whole, Eternal Darkness is a very creepy and memorable experience. If you have $15, pick it up.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, March 18, 2011
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Platform: PC (Windows)
Genre: Action/Platformer
Developer: Sunstorm Interactive
Publisher: ARUSH Entertainment/Apogee Software/3D Realms Entertainment
Release: 21 May 2002
Rating: Mature
Price: $6
With Duke Nukem Forever finally on the horizon, now is the perfect time to become reacquainted with some of Duke's old adventures. Following the success of Duke Nukem 3D, Manhattan Project returned Duke to his side-scrolling roots. It is a well-made 2.5D action platformer, albeit slightly repetitive. The level design is rather well-done, however, ranging from New York's sewers, to the streets of Chinatown, to the city's rooftops, and manage to keep things interesting.
Most of the bosses are uncreative (being little more than souped-up versions of normal enemies), every level has an annoying keycard puzzle, and enemy placement can border on unfair at times, but the gameplay is tight and fun, so it's easy to look past Manhattan Project's faults.
Duke himself is the same humourously chauvinist character we've come to know and love, helping to push the game (and all of his games, in fact) from "average but fun" into "hilarious and awesome."
As a whole, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is the same flawed-yet-fun kind of game we have always expected from Duke (and can likely expect again in Forever), and it's hard to lose when it's only $6 on Good Old Games.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action/Platformer
Developer: Sunstorm Interactive
Publisher: ARUSH Entertainment/Apogee Software/3D Realms Entertainment
Release: 21 May 2002
Rating: Mature
Price: $6
With Duke Nukem Forever finally on the horizon, now is the perfect time to become reacquainted with some of Duke's old adventures. Following the success of Duke Nukem 3D, Manhattan Project returned Duke to his side-scrolling roots. It is a well-made 2.5D action platformer, albeit slightly repetitive. The level design is rather well-done, however, ranging from New York's sewers, to the streets of Chinatown, to the city's rooftops, and manage to keep things interesting.
Most of the bosses are uncreative (being little more than souped-up versions of normal enemies), every level has an annoying keycard puzzle, and enemy placement can border on unfair at times, but the gameplay is tight and fun, so it's easy to look past Manhattan Project's faults.
Duke himself is the same humourously chauvinist character we've come to know and love, helping to push the game (and all of his games, in fact) from "average but fun" into "hilarious and awesome."
As a whole, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is the same flawed-yet-fun kind of game we have always expected from Duke (and can likely expect again in Forever), and it's hard to lose when it's only $6 on Good Old Games.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, March 11, 2011
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale
Platform: PC (Windows)
Genre: Action/RPG/Simulation
Developer: EasyGameStation
Publisher: Carpe Fulgur
Release: 10 September 2010
Rating: n/a
Price: $20
One thing that always bugged me when playing RPGs was how shopkeepers would never just give you stuff, even though you were trying to save the world. Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale made me realize why. The game puts you on the other side of the counter, where there's no point to saving the world if you're left broke afterward.
Having been saddled with an enormous debt by her missing father, Recette converts her house into a shop, to sell items and equipment to the townspeople and to adventurers passing through. To make the money you need to meet the weekly payments, you'll have to buy, sell at a profit, and hire adventurers to escort you into various dungeons.
The gameplay combines standard trading-simulation game mechanics with top-down action-RPG dungeon-crawling, and it works surprisingly well. There are several adventurers to befriend and hire, each with a unique play-style, and hundreds of different items to find and sell.
That's pretty much all there is to Recettear, and it can get very repetitive after a while. But so many things about the game, from its lovable characters, to its brightly-colored world, to its whimsical story, are all so charming and downright fun.
For the amount of play I got out of Recettear, $20 on Steam was a fantastic deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action/RPG/Simulation
Developer: EasyGameStation
Publisher: Carpe Fulgur
Release: 10 September 2010
Rating: n/a
Price: $20
One thing that always bugged me when playing RPGs was how shopkeepers would never just give you stuff, even though you were trying to save the world. Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale made me realize why. The game puts you on the other side of the counter, where there's no point to saving the world if you're left broke afterward.
Having been saddled with an enormous debt by her missing father, Recette converts her house into a shop, to sell items and equipment to the townspeople and to adventurers passing through. To make the money you need to meet the weekly payments, you'll have to buy, sell at a profit, and hire adventurers to escort you into various dungeons.
The gameplay combines standard trading-simulation game mechanics with top-down action-RPG dungeon-crawling, and it works surprisingly well. There are several adventurers to befriend and hire, each with a unique play-style, and hundreds of different items to find and sell.
That's pretty much all there is to Recettear, and it can get very repetitive after a while. But so many things about the game, from its lovable characters, to its brightly-colored world, to its whimsical story, are all so charming and downright fun.
For the amount of play I got out of Recettear, $20 on Steam was a fantastic deal.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Pennypincher's Corner II: Irisu Syndrome
Platform: PC
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Katatema
Publisher: Katatema
Release: 5 October 2008
Irisu Syndrome is a very difficult puzzle game starring the bunny-girl/witch Irisu. As you play the game, a story of three college students on a camping trip unfolds, told with both images, and text files that slowly appear in the game folder. The ending differs based on the scores you get. I cannot say anything more, for fear of spoilers (and trust me, you do not want it spoiled) For reference, here is how the game works:
-Colored blocks slowly fall from above and pile up on the ground. You can left-click to shoot up a white block, or right-click to shoot up a faster white block. Your goal is to destroy the colored blocks to get points and replenish your slowly-emptying life bar. You can do this in two ways:
1. Knock them into same-colored blocks already on the ground, destroying both.
2. Knock them into same-colored blocks still in the air, causing them to fall and explode.
-Be careful, though, as each block that falls to the ground damages your life bar, and if your life bar empties, the game is over.
-There is also an unlockable "Metsu" mode, which adds some new twists to the gameplay, and expands the story.
Irisu Syndrome, as well as a fan-made English patch, can be downloaded here.
--Kotaro
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Katatema
Publisher: Katatema
Release: 5 October 2008
Irisu Syndrome is a very difficult puzzle game starring the bunny-girl/witch Irisu. As you play the game, a story of three college students on a camping trip unfolds, told with both images, and text files that slowly appear in the game folder. The ending differs based on the scores you get. I cannot say anything more, for fear of spoilers (and trust me, you do not want it spoiled) For reference, here is how the game works:
-Colored blocks slowly fall from above and pile up on the ground. You can left-click to shoot up a white block, or right-click to shoot up a faster white block. Your goal is to destroy the colored blocks to get points and replenish your slowly-emptying life bar. You can do this in two ways:
1. Knock them into same-colored blocks already on the ground, destroying both.
2. Knock them into same-colored blocks still in the air, causing them to fall and explode.
-Be careful, though, as each block that falls to the ground damages your life bar, and if your life bar empties, the game is over.
-There is also an unlockable "Metsu" mode, which adds some new twists to the gameplay, and expands the story.
Irisu Syndrome, as well as a fan-made English patch, can be downloaded here.
--Kotaro
Friday, March 4, 2011
Kingdom Hearts II
Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix/Buena Vista Games
Release: 28 March 2006
Rating: Everyone 10+
Price: $18
One wouldn't think that a game about Disney characters could be in any way dark. The Kingdom Hearts games prove that not only can it be dark, but epic in scale. The first Kingdom Hearts was a mediocre action-platformer. Its follow-up, Chain of Memories (essentially Kingdom Hearts 1.5), was not very good either, relying on a rather annoying card-based system. Two less-than-stellar games, and it was easy to write Kingdom Hearts off as a failed experiment.
Then came Kingdom Hearts II.
With a renewed emphasis on the action rather than platforming, KH2 gave the series the kick it needed to become actually good. And it was great! All of the Kingdom Hearts games since have been very much worthwhile, though none more-so than II itself.
As for how it plays, you use your ship to travel from world to world, exploring different Disney settings (re-visiting the ones from the first game, and adding several new ones), killing both Heartless, and the new villains, the Nobodies.The controls are solid, though the action can decline into button-mashing at times. However, there is a good amount of tactical variety, as you not only have your main weapon, the Keyblade, but elemental magic, summon spells, combination attacks with your party, and super-forms.
The plot is also well-made. We start off with a new protagonist, with events seemingly unrelated to the previous games. Then plot twists take place and we see where we are in the grand scheme of the overarching plot. One year after the events of the first game, the evil Heartless from the first game are still around, but a new enemy--Organization XIII--has surfaced as well. We return to our original hero, Sora, and take on both of these threats. I will not spoil anything further, but trust me when I say that I fully enjoyed watching the story unfold.
As a whole, if you like action/RPG hybrids, or have enjoyed any of the other games in the series, then give Kingdom Hearts II a shot. $18 well-spent
.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix/Buena Vista Games
Release: 28 March 2006
Rating: Everyone 10+
Price: $18
One wouldn't think that a game about Disney characters could be in any way dark. The Kingdom Hearts games prove that not only can it be dark, but epic in scale. The first Kingdom Hearts was a mediocre action-platformer. Its follow-up, Chain of Memories (essentially Kingdom Hearts 1.5), was not very good either, relying on a rather annoying card-based system. Two less-than-stellar games, and it was easy to write Kingdom Hearts off as a failed experiment.
Then came Kingdom Hearts II.
With a renewed emphasis on the action rather than platforming, KH2 gave the series the kick it needed to become actually good. And it was great! All of the Kingdom Hearts games since have been very much worthwhile, though none more-so than II itself.
As for how it plays, you use your ship to travel from world to world, exploring different Disney settings (re-visiting the ones from the first game, and adding several new ones), killing both Heartless, and the new villains, the Nobodies.The controls are solid, though the action can decline into button-mashing at times. However, there is a good amount of tactical variety, as you not only have your main weapon, the Keyblade, but elemental magic, summon spells, combination attacks with your party, and super-forms.
The plot is also well-made. We start off with a new protagonist, with events seemingly unrelated to the previous games. Then plot twists take place and we see where we are in the grand scheme of the overarching plot. One year after the events of the first game, the evil Heartless from the first game are still around, but a new enemy--Organization XIII--has surfaced as well. We return to our original hero, Sora, and take on both of these threats. I will not spoil anything further, but trust me when I say that I fully enjoyed watching the story unfold.
As a whole, if you like action/RPG hybrids, or have enjoyed any of the other games in the series, then give Kingdom Hearts II a shot. $18 well-spent
.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Devil May Cry 4
Platform: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/PC (Windows)
Genre: Action
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release: 5 February 2008/8 July 2008
Rating: Mature
Price: $16-18
Devil May Cry has always touted some of the best brutal action combat in games (except for 2, but we don't talk about that one). The formula was perfected in DMC3, and 4 simply expands that even further. If you've seen my Top Ten Replacement Protagonists, you'll know that the new lead, Nero, has replaced recurring protagonist Dante in this game, and frankly, I thank Capcom for that. Because while controlling Dante for the second third of the game is fun as ever, Nero's "Devil Bringer" ability makes pulling off combos much easier. Which was really the main problem that 3 had.
Ever played God of War? While a great game in its own right, its combat is--when you think about it--little more than a dumbed-down version of Devil May Cry, with the emphasis on combos and damage-avoidance ripped out. And to be honest, the style-obsessed, combo-heavy combat is what makes DMC so great.
Devil My Cry 4 is by no means perfect. The level design can be rather obnoxious at times, and there is a large amount of backtracking (though given that DMC originally grew out of Resident Evil, that's little surprise). But the combat is just so much fun that the level design is simply a minor complaint.
The game is also brutally difficult. At least there's an Easy mode, for those who can't master the higher difficulties.
All three versions of DMC4 are great, but I have to recommend the PC version, since it has slightly fancier visuals. And a new difficulty mode, "Legendary Dark Knight," which multiplies the number of enemies, and is a nice challenge for those that have already mastered the game.
All three versions of Devil May Cry 4 are available on Amazon: the PS3 version is $16, the Xbox 360 version is $17, and the PC version
$18.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
P.S.: I apologize for the lateness, but things came up. I think I will start uploading them in advance so they can update automatically.
Genre: Action
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release: 5 February 2008/8 July 2008
Rating: Mature
Price: $16-18
Devil May Cry has always touted some of the best brutal action combat in games (except for 2, but we don't talk about that one). The formula was perfected in DMC3, and 4 simply expands that even further. If you've seen my Top Ten Replacement Protagonists, you'll know that the new lead, Nero, has replaced recurring protagonist Dante in this game, and frankly, I thank Capcom for that. Because while controlling Dante for the second third of the game is fun as ever, Nero's "Devil Bringer" ability makes pulling off combos much easier. Which was really the main problem that 3 had.
Ever played God of War? While a great game in its own right, its combat is--when you think about it--little more than a dumbed-down version of Devil May Cry, with the emphasis on combos and damage-avoidance ripped out. And to be honest, the style-obsessed, combo-heavy combat is what makes DMC so great.
Devil My Cry 4 is by no means perfect. The level design can be rather obnoxious at times, and there is a large amount of backtracking (though given that DMC originally grew out of Resident Evil, that's little surprise). But the combat is just so much fun that the level design is simply a minor complaint.
The game is also brutally difficult. At least there's an Easy mode, for those who can't master the higher difficulties.
All three versions of DMC4 are great, but I have to recommend the PC version, since it has slightly fancier visuals. And a new difficulty mode, "Legendary Dark Knight," which multiplies the number of enemies, and is a nice challenge for those that have already mastered the game.
All three versions of Devil May Cry 4 are available on Amazon: the PS3 version is $16, the Xbox 360 version is $17, and the PC version
$18.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
P.S.: I apologize for the lateness, but things came up. I think I will start uploading them in advance so they can update automatically.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Top Ten Replacement Protagonists
This is something new that I'm going to try. Maybe it will become a regular thing.
Often, a successful game is given a sequel. Usually, that sequel continues the first game's story. But sometimes that requires a new protagonist. Many of these characters are hated, but some are loved. For what it's worth, here are my personal Top Ten Replacement Protagonists.
Number 10: Malcolm Somerset (7 Days a Skeptic)
Trilby, Trilby, Trilby. 5 Days a Stranger introduced us to this gentleman thief who found himself in a classic horror setup. The sequel, 7 Days s Skeptic, however, gives us Doctor Malcolm Somerset, the psychologist on a spaceship several hundred years in the future. While Malcolm himself is a rather shallow character, he did give us a rather unintentionally funny line, which has become a minor meme:
"I JUST WANTED TO GO INTO SPAAAAAAAAACE!!"
And good times were had by all.
Number 9: Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 2)
Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike Chris or Jill at all. But giving Chris two fewer inventory slots in a game filled with item-based puzzles gave those of us who prefer male characters a harder time playing the game. Resident Evil 2's Leon Kennedy, however, didn't have that problem. Plus, Leon reappeared in 4, and we all know what a great game that was.
Number 8: Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin's Creed II)
I love you, Altair, I really do. But Ezio is just a far more detailed character. Assassin's Creed II shows us his slow shift from innocent young man to vengeful assassin, and we really get to know the guy over the course of the game. This kind of depth created one of the best characters ever to grace an action game.
Number 7: Haseo (.hack//G.U.)
Haseo is perhaps my favorite Jerk-with-a-Heart-of-Gold of all time. Much of his development is, admittedly, not in the games themselves, but in the tie-in anime, .hack//ROOTS. But after both watching the anime and playing the three games, one can look at the full story of Haseo's experience in "The World." They paint a rather detailed picture of the boy's rise, fall, and redemption. We get to see him start off as a kind, naive teen, spiral down into madness after losing everything, and then return from that madness, stronger than ever.
For all that Kite was a fun guy, Haseo has a lot more depth and development to him.
Number 6: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days)
358/2 Days is an interesting case. It starts off with a very happy, feel-good plot, but then it falls and finishes with one of the most tragic endings I've ever seen in a game. Simply getting to know Roxas makes the tragedy all the more pronounced. With the ability to read his journal, and know his innermost thoughts, I found that I came to understand him far more than Sora himself.
Number 5: Trevor Belmont (Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse)
While I don't much care for Trevor himself, I can't deny his importance to the Castlevania series as a whole. It was the switch from previous hero Simon to his ancestor Trevor in III that started the detailed series timeline that spans over a millennium. By changing protagonists between games, Castlevania was able to innovate and evolve, creating some fantastic gameplay features, such as Soma's Tactical Souls or Shanoa's Glyphs. We have Trevor to thank for that.
Number 4: Adell (Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories)
It's tough to beat Disgaea protagonist Laharl as a character. He's a kindhearted demon prince who wants nothing more than to be the most evil bastard ever, and he fights his way through Hell, Earth, and Heaven to do so. He's awesome. Adell somehow managed to be a worthy follow-up. Why? Let me put it this way:
Adell is, in fact, a damned genius. So why is he more concerned with honor than acting smart? He doesn't act stupid to be crafty; he just thinks it's more fun to solve problems with his fists. I don't know about you, bit I think that's hilarious.
Number 3: Nero (Devil May Cry 4)
Dante is a fun, great character (which is why his re-imagining by Ninja Theory pisses me off so much). But Nero is just so much more admirable. The boy's entire motivation is to protect his childhood friend cum love interest, Kyrie. Nero fights his way through a city filled with demons. He gets stabbed, shot, beaten, and otherwise brutalized. He punches out a physical god. All to save her. That is dedication to one's love. And that is impossible to resent.
The demonic arm doesn't hurt, either.
Number 2: Raiden (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but hear me out. The only reason that no one liked Raiden is that they never gave him a chance. No, he isn't Snake, but he isn't supposed to be. Sure, he starts out playing just like our main hero, but that changes later. Once Raiden gets his hand on his sword later in the game, the entire gameplay style changes. The overarching theme is Raiden finding his own identity, and tying that into the gameplay was a brilliant move. Snake is great and all, but Raiden has his own special place in my heart.
And the Number 1 Replacement Protagonist: James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)
I don't think I need to explain my reasoning for this here, but I will anyway.
Silent Hill introduced us to Harry Mason, an everyman who went to extraordinary lengths to save his daughter. Admirable in the manner of Nero, above. But the sequel shifts its focus to James, a tragic hero with a dark history, and numerous psychological problems. Through the game, we get to live his denial and psychosis. This is the kind of thing that great horror is made of: psychology.
Peeling back not only the layers of illusion created by the town itself, but James' delusion as well, to find the truth, creates a very compelling narrative. And as any fan of Silent Hill 2 will tell you, the narrative is where the game truly shines. James is complex, tragic, and most of all, believable: we all have our demons to deal with. But it takes a special kind of inner turmoil that brings those demons to life, and that is what makes James number one on this list.
I hope you enjoyed this Top Ten, and maybe the next time your favorite series is given a new hero, you'll be more inclined to give him a chance.
--Kotaro
Often, a successful game is given a sequel. Usually, that sequel continues the first game's story. But sometimes that requires a new protagonist. Many of these characters are hated, but some are loved. For what it's worth, here are my personal Top Ten Replacement Protagonists.
Number 10: Malcolm Somerset (7 Days a Skeptic)
Trilby, Trilby, Trilby. 5 Days a Stranger introduced us to this gentleman thief who found himself in a classic horror setup. The sequel, 7 Days s Skeptic, however, gives us Doctor Malcolm Somerset, the psychologist on a spaceship several hundred years in the future. While Malcolm himself is a rather shallow character, he did give us a rather unintentionally funny line, which has become a minor meme:
"I JUST WANTED TO GO INTO SPAAAAAAAAACE!!"
And good times were had by all.
Number 9: Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 2)
Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike Chris or Jill at all. But giving Chris two fewer inventory slots in a game filled with item-based puzzles gave those of us who prefer male characters a harder time playing the game. Resident Evil 2's Leon Kennedy, however, didn't have that problem. Plus, Leon reappeared in 4, and we all know what a great game that was.
Number 8: Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin's Creed II)
I love you, Altair, I really do. But Ezio is just a far more detailed character. Assassin's Creed II shows us his slow shift from innocent young man to vengeful assassin, and we really get to know the guy over the course of the game. This kind of depth created one of the best characters ever to grace an action game.
Number 7: Haseo (.hack//G.U.)
Haseo is perhaps my favorite Jerk-with-a-Heart-of-Gold of all time. Much of his development is, admittedly, not in the games themselves, but in the tie-in anime, .hack//ROOTS. But after both watching the anime and playing the three games, one can look at the full story of Haseo's experience in "The World." They paint a rather detailed picture of the boy's rise, fall, and redemption. We get to see him start off as a kind, naive teen, spiral down into madness after losing everything, and then return from that madness, stronger than ever.
For all that Kite was a fun guy, Haseo has a lot more depth and development to him.
Number 6: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days)
358/2 Days is an interesting case. It starts off with a very happy, feel-good plot, but then it falls and finishes with one of the most tragic endings I've ever seen in a game. Simply getting to know Roxas makes the tragedy all the more pronounced. With the ability to read his journal, and know his innermost thoughts, I found that I came to understand him far more than Sora himself.
Number 5: Trevor Belmont (Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse)
While I don't much care for Trevor himself, I can't deny his importance to the Castlevania series as a whole. It was the switch from previous hero Simon to his ancestor Trevor in III that started the detailed series timeline that spans over a millennium. By changing protagonists between games, Castlevania was able to innovate and evolve, creating some fantastic gameplay features, such as Soma's Tactical Souls or Shanoa's Glyphs. We have Trevor to thank for that.
Number 4: Adell (Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories)
It's tough to beat Disgaea protagonist Laharl as a character. He's a kindhearted demon prince who wants nothing more than to be the most evil bastard ever, and he fights his way through Hell, Earth, and Heaven to do so. He's awesome. Adell somehow managed to be a worthy follow-up. Why? Let me put it this way:
Adell is, in fact, a damned genius. So why is he more concerned with honor than acting smart? He doesn't act stupid to be crafty; he just thinks it's more fun to solve problems with his fists. I don't know about you, bit I think that's hilarious.
Number 3: Nero (Devil May Cry 4)
Dante is a fun, great character (which is why his re-imagining by Ninja Theory pisses me off so much). But Nero is just so much more admirable. The boy's entire motivation is to protect his childhood friend cum love interest, Kyrie. Nero fights his way through a city filled with demons. He gets stabbed, shot, beaten, and otherwise brutalized. He punches out a physical god. All to save her. That is dedication to one's love. And that is impossible to resent.
The demonic arm doesn't hurt, either.
Number 2: Raiden (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but hear me out. The only reason that no one liked Raiden is that they never gave him a chance. No, he isn't Snake, but he isn't supposed to be. Sure, he starts out playing just like our main hero, but that changes later. Once Raiden gets his hand on his sword later in the game, the entire gameplay style changes. The overarching theme is Raiden finding his own identity, and tying that into the gameplay was a brilliant move. Snake is great and all, but Raiden has his own special place in my heart.
And the Number 1 Replacement Protagonist: James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)
I don't think I need to explain my reasoning for this here, but I will anyway.
Silent Hill introduced us to Harry Mason, an everyman who went to extraordinary lengths to save his daughter. Admirable in the manner of Nero, above. But the sequel shifts its focus to James, a tragic hero with a dark history, and numerous psychological problems. Through the game, we get to live his denial and psychosis. This is the kind of thing that great horror is made of: psychology.
Peeling back not only the layers of illusion created by the town itself, but James' delusion as well, to find the truth, creates a very compelling narrative. And as any fan of Silent Hill 2 will tell you, the narrative is where the game truly shines. James is complex, tragic, and most of all, believable: we all have our demons to deal with. But it takes a special kind of inner turmoil that brings those demons to life, and that is what makes James number one on this list.
I hope you enjoyed this Top Ten, and maybe the next time your favorite series is given a new hero, you'll be more inclined to give him a chance.
--Kotaro
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Guinness World Records' Top 50 Game Characters: A Rebuttal
Here's Guinness' list and my thoughts on it:
I need to lie down.
--Kotaro
- 1. Mario (Donkey Kong, Nintendo, 1981)
- Mario really isn't much of a character. He's just bland. Luigi has more personality!
- 2. Link (The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, 1986)
- A Silent Protagonist does not an interesting character make.
- 3. Master Chief (Halo: Combat Evolved, Microsoft, 2001)
- No. Just no. My deep-seated hatred of all things Halo is well-known, but Master Chief? Come on! He's just a boring Mary Sue.
- 4. Solid Snake (Metal Gear, Konami, 1987)
- Snake really does deserve a spot on the list. Very true.
- 5. Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII, Square, 1997)
- Out of all the characters in Final Fantasy VII, Cloud is actually the least interesting. Hell, any given character in VI was more fun!
- 6. PAC-Man (PAC-Man, Namco, 1980)
- Does Pac-Man really count as a character? He's just a ball with a mouth.
- 7. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider, Eidos 1996)
- Gaming's first sex symbol. While she isn't very deep, she does deserve props for being so influential.
- 8. Gordon Freeman (Half-Life, Valve, 1998)
- Gordon doesn't count as a character. He never says one. Single. Word. Throughout the series! Alyx, Barney, or even D.O.G. should have been here.
- 9. Kratos (God of War, Sony, 2005)
- Kratos was very well-defined in the first God of War, but the sequels pretty much erased all his character development, so I'm not sure he should be here.
- 10. Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega, 1990)
- Considering that i like the character more than his games, I have to agree with this one.
- 11. Crash (Crash Bandicoot, Sony, 1996)
- Seriously? Do I even need to say how ridiculous this is?
- 12. “Soap” MacTavish (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision, 2007)
- I could never get into Modern Warfare, so I don't know much of the character.
- 13. Nico Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar, 2008)
- See my comments on MacTavish above.
- 14. Samus Aran (Metroid, Nintendo 1986)
- Samus really should have been higher up on the list. While we are all still hurting from Other M's brutal desecration of her image, she remains one of gaming's leading ladies.
- 15. Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank, Sony, 2002)
- I cannot voice my support for Ratchet enough. God was this guy fun.
- 16. Nathan Drake (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Sony, 2007)
- Honestly, I think Nathan should be in the top 5 or so. I've never actually played Uncharted but even I know that Nathan has more personality than almost every other game protagonist ever made.
- 17. Captain Price (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision, 2007)
- See my comments on MacTavish above. Again.
- 18. Kirby (Kirby’s Dream Land, Nintendo, 1992)
- Kirby has no personality!
- 19. Marcus Fenix (Gears of War, Microsoft, 2006)
- Once more, see my comment on MacTavish above.
- 20. Pikachu (Pokemon Red/Green, Nintendo 1996)
- Uh, no. I like you, Pikachu. I love you, little guy. But you're not much of a character. Sorry, buddy.
- 21. Yoshi (Super Mario World, Nintendo, 1990)
- What can be said about Yoshi's character? "He eats people." And that's about it. He doesn't belong here.
- 22. “CJ” Johnson (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar, 2004)
- Again, see my comments above on MacTav... f*ck it. You know the drill.
- 23. Mega Man (Mega Man, Capcom, 1987)
- Yeah. Every incarnation has had a unique personality. From the kindhearted classic Mega Man, to the reluctant hero X, to the antisocial Star Force Mega Man, he's always been a beloved icon.
- 24. Sam Fisher (Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Ubisoft, 2002)
- Another game I never played.
- 25. Shadow (Sonic Adventure 2, Sega, 2001)
- I never had much love for Shadow.
- 26. Jak (Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Sony, 2001)
- While he was bland in the original Jak & Daxter, he became one bad-ass dude come Jak II, and has remained a memorable character ever since.
- 27. Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem, Apogee, 1991)
- One-dimensional, yes. But he has a lot of personality.
- 28. Dante (Devil May Cry, Bandai, 2003)
- Kind of like Duke Nukem, but add a bit more depth.
- 29. Naruto (Naruto: Konoha Ninpoch, Bandai, 2003)
- Anime characters do. Not. Count.
- 30. Altair (Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, 2007)
- I wholeheartedly agree.
- 31. Zelda (The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, 1986)
- While she's got more character than Link, she's still usually bland.
- 32. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII, Square, 1997)
- Er, no. Kefka was a much better villain. As was Garland. Sephiroth is the same generic bad guy we've seen time and again.
- 33. Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong, Nintendo, 1981)
- Yet another mostly-character-less character.
- 34. The Prince (Prince of Persia, Broderbund, 1989)
- The Prince really should be near the top, as anyone who's played The Sands of Time will tell you.
- 35. Ezio (Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft, 2009)
- Why is he below Altair? Love you, Altair, but Ezio was much more interesting.
- 36. Leon S (Biohazard/ Resident Evil, Capcom, 1996)
- It's "Leon S Kennedy." And he's from Resident Evil 2. But I can't disagree with him being here.
- 37. Ash Ketchum (Pokemon Red/Green, Nintendo, 1996)
- Ash isn't even in any of the games, just in the anime. Do they maybe mean Red? Even he was just a silent avatar for the player.
- 38. Guybrush Threepwood (The Secret of Monkey Island, LucasArts, 1990)
- Oh yes.
- 39. Spyro (Spyro the Dragon, Universal, 1998)
- Agreed.
- 40. “Ghost” Riley (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Activision, 2009)
- Um, no. Hailing from Modern Warfare II's insane clusterf*ck of a worthless plot automatically disqualifies one from being a decent character. Sorry.
- 41. Goku (Dragon Daihikyoe, Epoch, 1987)
- See the entry on Naruto above.
- 42. Max Payne (Max Payne, Rockstar, 2001)
- Would you believe I've never played this one either?
- 43. Jill Valentine (Biohazard/ Resident Evil, Capcom, 1996)
- Personally, I found Barry "Jill Sandwich" Burton to be more memorable.
- 44. Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros., Nintendo, 1985)
- Peach has literally no personality aside from being kidnapped. She's more a plot device than a character.
- 45. Larry Laffer (Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, Sierra, 1987)
- Interestingly enough, the entire motivation for everything Larry does in his games is the desire to get laid. No joke. At least he's interesting.
- 46. Augustus Cole (Gears of War, Microsoft, 2006)
- Still haven't played Gears.
- 47. Bowser (Super Mario Bros., Nintendo, 1985)
- Well, well, well. One of the most inconsistent characters ever. Sorry, Bowser, but if you're going to waver between "grave threat" and "minor annoyance," you're not a good villain.
- 48. Eddie Riggs (Brutal Legend, EA, 2009)
- He was written by Tim Schafer and voiced by Jack Black. What's not to love?
- 49. Ryu (Street Fighter, Capcom, 1987)
- Who the heck plays fighting games for the story?
- 50. Sackboy (LIttleBigPlanet, Sony, 2008)
- Hey! It's another silent player avatar! In this case, he's literally a blank slate.
I need to lie down.
--Kotaro
Friday, February 18, 2011
Odin Sphere
Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Action
Developer: Vanillaware
Publisher: Atlus
Release: 22 May 2007
Rating: Teen
Price: $15
Sometimes I miss the days of 2D video games. I mean, there are a lot of things you can do in 2D that just don't work as well in 3D. With most console developers having jumped into 3D for the most part, the only place to really get a good selection of 2D games is on the portable systems.
Odin Sphere on the PlayStation 2 is one of the exceptions. Developed by Vanillaware, who have more recently made Grim Grimoire and Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Odin Sphere features overwhelmingly beautiful hand-drawn artwork. It's lovingly-rendered, and looks one hundred times better than any given 3D game on the system. The drawback to this is, of course, loading times. But really, it's an even tradeoff, given how damn good the gameplay is.
It's a typical side-scrolling action game, but with some features that set it apart from the crowd:
*Five playable characters, each with a very different play style.
*An interesting leveling system that increases your maximum health as you use healing items and improves your special powers as you absorb the 'ammunition' for them (It may sound like Final Fantasy II, but it works so much better).
*A gripping plot based loosely on the Norse myths of Ragnarok.
*And a unique crafting system with 26 potions to create, one for each letter of the alphabet.
If you own a PS2 and haven't already played Odin Sphere, you're really missing out. Despite its monumental and sometimes frustrating level of difficulty, the game is charming and unique, a shining example of just what cane be done with games.
Plus, GameStop offers used copies at a price point of $15, so you have even less excuse to pass it up.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action
Developer: Vanillaware
Publisher: Atlus
Release: 22 May 2007
Rating: Teen
Price: $15
Sometimes I miss the days of 2D video games. I mean, there are a lot of things you can do in 2D that just don't work as well in 3D. With most console developers having jumped into 3D for the most part, the only place to really get a good selection of 2D games is on the portable systems.
Odin Sphere on the PlayStation 2 is one of the exceptions. Developed by Vanillaware, who have more recently made Grim Grimoire and Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Odin Sphere features overwhelmingly beautiful hand-drawn artwork. It's lovingly-rendered, and looks one hundred times better than any given 3D game on the system. The drawback to this is, of course, loading times. But really, it's an even tradeoff, given how damn good the gameplay is.
It's a typical side-scrolling action game, but with some features that set it apart from the crowd:
*Five playable characters, each with a very different play style.
*An interesting leveling system that increases your maximum health as you use healing items and improves your special powers as you absorb the 'ammunition' for them (It may sound like Final Fantasy II, but it works so much better).
*A gripping plot based loosely on the Norse myths of Ragnarok.
*And a unique crafting system with 26 potions to create, one for each letter of the alphabet.
If you own a PS2 and haven't already played Odin Sphere, you're really missing out. Despite its monumental and sometimes frustrating level of difficulty, the game is charming and unique, a shining example of just what cane be done with games.
Plus, GameStop offers used copies at a price point of $15, so you have even less excuse to pass it up.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, February 11, 2011
Left 4 Dead 2
Platform: PC (Windows/Mac)
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Release: 17 November 2009
Rating: Mature
Price: $20
If you ask me, Valve has not made a single bad game. So it follows that Left 4 Dead 2 is good. Actually, it's great. Valve deserves some kind of award for creating two of the best teamwork-based games out there (L4D2 and Team Fortress 2). There's not much to say about Left 4 Dead 2, since it's remarkably simple. Up to four players can play as four "survivors" (with AI controlling those unclaimed) who have to fight their way through a variety of campaigns after the zombie apocalypse. There's a pretty good variety of weapons to choose from, which is the biggest improvement over the first Left 4 Dead, which only had a handful. Only by working together with your allies will you be able to survive the innumerable hordes of zombies that will come after you.
There's also a Versus mode, where some players control the zombies instead, and try to kill off the survivors. There's actually a fun kind of satisfaction in leaping out of nowhere and clawing your hapless victim's face off.
If you like first-person shooters--and Valve's in particular--the download on Steam is priced at $20, so you should really go check it out.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Release: 17 November 2009
Rating: Mature
Price: $20
If you ask me, Valve has not made a single bad game. So it follows that Left 4 Dead 2 is good. Actually, it's great. Valve deserves some kind of award for creating two of the best teamwork-based games out there (L4D2 and Team Fortress 2). There's not much to say about Left 4 Dead 2, since it's remarkably simple. Up to four players can play as four "survivors" (with AI controlling those unclaimed) who have to fight their way through a variety of campaigns after the zombie apocalypse. There's a pretty good variety of weapons to choose from, which is the biggest improvement over the first Left 4 Dead, which only had a handful. Only by working together with your allies will you be able to survive the innumerable hordes of zombies that will come after you.
There's also a Versus mode, where some players control the zombies instead, and try to kill off the survivors. There's actually a fun kind of satisfaction in leaping out of nowhere and clawing your hapless victim's face off.
If you like first-person shooters--and Valve's in particular--the download on Steam is priced at $20, so you should really go check it out.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Gamers without Borders: Episode 2
I appeared as a guest (one of three) on this episode of "Gamers without Borders," so I figured I'd share it here. Enjoy.
--Kotaro
Pennypincher's Corner I: Cave Story
Platform: PC
Genre: Action-Platformer
Developer: Studio Pixel
Publisher: Studio Pixel
Release: 20 December 2004
Cave Story is notable in that it was made by one person over the course of five years. It was a labor of love, and it shows. Cave Story is brilliant, and is in fact more well-made than many AAA titles. An updated version is available for download on WiiWare, but the original PC version of the game remains free.
As for the plot, the main character wakes up in a cave with amnesia, and saying anything more would be a spoiler. Half the fun of the game is simply figuring out what happened that lead up to the events occurring in-game. A brilliant cast of characters and lots of nice world-building make it a very worthwhile plot, as well.
Gameplay? Excellent. Comparisons have been drawn to Metroid, which is rather appropriate; the biggest difference from Metroid is in difficulty. Cave Story starts out rather easy, but quickly becomes downright brutal. And if you want the good ending, you have to work for it (you will not get the good ending your first time through, so don't worry about it and just enjoy the game).
While flawed (but isn't every game?), Cave Story is a game certainly worth experiencing. It can be downloaded here.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action-Platformer
Developer: Studio Pixel
Publisher: Studio Pixel
Release: 20 December 2004
Cave Story is notable in that it was made by one person over the course of five years. It was a labor of love, and it shows. Cave Story is brilliant, and is in fact more well-made than many AAA titles. An updated version is available for download on WiiWare, but the original PC version of the game remains free.
As for the plot, the main character wakes up in a cave with amnesia, and saying anything more would be a spoiler. Half the fun of the game is simply figuring out what happened that lead up to the events occurring in-game. A brilliant cast of characters and lots of nice world-building make it a very worthwhile plot, as well.
Gameplay? Excellent. Comparisons have been drawn to Metroid, which is rather appropriate; the biggest difference from Metroid is in difficulty. Cave Story starts out rather easy, but quickly becomes downright brutal. And if you want the good ending, you have to work for it (you will not get the good ending your first time through, so don't worry about it and just enjoy the game).
While flawed (but isn't every game?), Cave Story is a game certainly worth experiencing. It can be downloaded here.
--Kotaro
Friday, February 4, 2011
Chrono Trigger DS
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release: 25 November 2008
Rating: Everyone 10+
Price: $15
What can I say about Chrono Trigger? It remains one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Lighthearted and clever, it is one of Square's best works, beating out any given Final Fantasy game (aside from VI, but that's another matter entirely). The game sports a smartly-written time travel plot with a cast of well-developed characters. The DS version has everything that made the original Super Nintendo game a classic, as well as the improvements made in the PlayStation remake. But what makes it the best version overall is that it's portable. Admittedly, the additions made to this version (the Hidden Sanctum, Dimensional Vortices, and Monster Arena) are vestigal at best and boring at worst, but they're completely optional and very easy to just pass by without a second thought. At its heart, Chrono Trigger remains at the apex of classic SNES RPGs. Instead of artificially lengthening the game with forced level grinding or pointless fetch-quests, Square used the extra space on the cartridge to give the game excellent graphics for the time (which still stand up well; it looks right at home on the DS), a slew of impressive tag-team attacks you can use, and twelve different endings. It was also the first game to feature a New Game + feature, which many games since have copied.
If you've never played Chrono Trigger, you owe it to yourself to check it out. And even if you have, the DS remake is easily the best version of the game to date, and a fantastic addition to your library.
Best of all, it will only cost you $15
.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: RPG
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release: 25 November 2008
Rating: Everyone 10+
Price: $15
What can I say about Chrono Trigger? It remains one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Lighthearted and clever, it is one of Square's best works, beating out any given Final Fantasy game (aside from VI, but that's another matter entirely). The game sports a smartly-written time travel plot with a cast of well-developed characters. The DS version has everything that made the original Super Nintendo game a classic, as well as the improvements made in the PlayStation remake. But what makes it the best version overall is that it's portable. Admittedly, the additions made to this version (the Hidden Sanctum, Dimensional Vortices, and Monster Arena) are vestigal at best and boring at worst, but they're completely optional and very easy to just pass by without a second thought. At its heart, Chrono Trigger remains at the apex of classic SNES RPGs. Instead of artificially lengthening the game with forced level grinding or pointless fetch-quests, Square used the extra space on the cartridge to give the game excellent graphics for the time (which still stand up well; it looks right at home on the DS), a slew of impressive tag-team attacks you can use, and twelve different endings. It was also the first game to feature a New Game + feature, which many games since have copied.
If you've never played Chrono Trigger, you owe it to yourself to check it out. And even if you have, the DS remake is easily the best version of the game to date, and a fantastic addition to your library.
Best of all, it will only cost you $15
.Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Game of the Year Edition
Platform: PC (Windows)
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: Bethesda Game Studio
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks/ZeniMax
Release: 1 May 2002
Rating: Teen
Price: $10
Perhaps a bit lacking by today's standards, but easily one of the greatest games of its time, Morrowind is a first-person action/RPG set on the eastern province of a fantasy empire. The character models are blocky, and the textures somewhat low-res, but the game's sprawling open-world and countless quests are simply enthralling.
Morrowind is one of the few sandbox games that actually lets you do anything--and I do mean anything--that you want. Only here for the main storyline? Fine! Want to run around and explore the world? Sure! Want to sneak into places and steal everything that isn't nailed down? Nothing stopping you! Want to find a vampire and have him turn you into one? That's also okay! Morrowind actually feels like a role-playing game, because you can play pretty much any role you want in it.
It's a fantastic game, and the Game of the Year Edition includes both expansions. The above alone would make Morrowind worth buying, but here's the real hook: the fairly easy-to-use modding tools ensure that there will always be new content, giving Morrowind infinite replay value.
And as of right now, Amazon.com is selling this game for just under $10.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: Bethesda Game Studio
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks/ZeniMax
Release: 1 May 2002
Rating: Teen
Price: $10
Perhaps a bit lacking by today's standards, but easily one of the greatest games of its time, Morrowind is a first-person action/RPG set on the eastern province of a fantasy empire. The character models are blocky, and the textures somewhat low-res, but the game's sprawling open-world and countless quests are simply enthralling.
Morrowind is one of the few sandbox games that actually lets you do anything--and I do mean anything--that you want. Only here for the main storyline? Fine! Want to run around and explore the world? Sure! Want to sneak into places and steal everything that isn't nailed down? Nothing stopping you! Want to find a vampire and have him turn you into one? That's also okay! Morrowind actually feels like a role-playing game, because you can play pretty much any role you want in it.
It's a fantastic game, and the Game of the Year Edition includes both expansions. The above alone would make Morrowind worth buying, but here's the real hook: the fairly easy-to-use modding tools ensure that there will always be new content, giving Morrowind infinite replay value.
And as of right now, Amazon.com is selling this game for just under $10.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
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