Mario Villain Shakeup

Mario has traversed the Mushroom Kingdom quite a few times, but it seems to fall back to a similar plot each time. Peach is kidnapped, Mario fights his way through 8 worlds only to find Bowser in the last castle with Peach hanging from a cage completely helpless. Tried and true, and a storyline nobody seems to criticize Nintendo for milking beyond it's worth.

So how do you provide some sort of shakeup to the Mario universe? Well, the easiest would be to provide a different villain of course. Most of the spin-off games have done so whether it be Smithy from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Tatanga from Super Mario Land, or even the lame Princess Shroob from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Is it impossible for Bowser to be knocked from the antagonist to no role at all in a main Mario game?

I think there are several characters that Nintendo can use that would allow for them to keep a familiar formula, but shock players when they reveal the new villain at the end. Here are some characters I wouldn't mind seeing replace Bowser:

Donkey Kong

Perhaps everyone forgot a particular game from the arcades featuring a monkey who kidnapped a woman and decided to wreak havoc on a known plumber using barrels? Well, that wasn't Donkey Kong. No, that honor would go to his father/grandfather (games conflicted with what his relationship was exactly) Cranky Kong. And while the original Donkey Kong arcade game wouldn't provide a good enough motivator for Donkey Kong to seek his revenge on Mario, the followup game does. In Donkey Kong Jr., Mario kidnaps Cranky and locks him in a cage and whips creatures at Donkey Kong Jr. to impede his rescue. Even though his revenge hasn't been sought out in the main continuity, he has done everything in his power to get back at Mario through karting and tennis matches...

Shadow Mario

Super Mario Sunshine gets a bad rap. Yes the overall idea was pretty stupid in which you jump around different world and clean up goo, but it was enough of a departure to provide an interesting take on Mario and his platforming. But I became most fascinated with the game when you notice a creepy Mario jumping around painting the world with gunk. And while the reveal of what Shadow Mario really was disappointed me and led me to more questions about potential Bowser relationships, the idea of a dark world-esque Mario hit a soft spot in my heart. He has since found a way to be incorporated into Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D Land, but not as the main force against Mario and minor differences to distinguish each version. Shadow Mario could be the Bizarro villain that Mario needs, but I guess they feel they already have that with Wario...another underutilized enemy....

Bowser Jr.'s....uh...whatever?

I really wish Nintendo would clear up everything with Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings. It was first thought that the Koopalings were his children, then his nephews, then some clones that had some extra splice to differentiate them. Then Bowser Jr. makes an appearance into the fiction and causes even more confusion. Which poses the question, what is his relationship to Bowser? If there is some creepy turtle mama out there that got the dirty on with Bowser, I would like to potentially see who that is. I see that turning out horrifically bad, so they could go the other route of him being a clone. Now, while Bowsers dark magic was able to cause the Mushroom Kingdom to be Mario's playland of killing innocent Toads and eating them (a much forgotten plot from the manual of the original game), he could have had some sort of scientist help create Bowser Jr. And in doing so, have a potential bad guy in the likes of Dr. Wily or Dr. Robotnik for the Mushroom Kingdom. Not my favorite idea, but it's still some sort of change...

Pauline

The original "princess" who wasn't really a princess. Pauline was the first love of Mario and the female who had no luck with monkeys. While she has made appearances since the Donkey Kong arcade game, she hasn't quite hit the same importance that Peach or Daisy have had. So what could possibly make her rotten against Mario? How about Mario being a "playa" who leaves Pauline for Princess Peach causing some jealous animosity between these characters. What if Pauline, who is still smitten for this world-renown kingdom-saving plumber, decides that she wants that attention back and the only way for her to get it is to remove the princess from the equation? There is absolutely no chance Nintendo would go the psycho bitch route with Pauline, but it's the one option that I'm somehow proud with coming up with.

Yoshi

Mario has put Yoshi through some shit. Not only does he donkey punch Yoshi on a regular basis, he does so to force Yoshi to eat various creatures in some awful carnivorous eating behaviors. I do believe Yoshi may very well be an herbivore as he doesn't mind eating the plants around his home. There's no creatures there, so clearly that's what they eat. But Mario don't care. He will continue smacking Yoshi on the top of the head to eat Spinies that Lakitu tosses down, he'll casually cast Yoshi off to his doom knowing there's another Yoshi egg around the corner, and force Yoshi to swim although we know he's a terrible swimmer and will die if Mario hops off. There are no characters in the Mario continuity that are treated as poorly as Yoshi. And with his fellow colorful brethren, he has the potential to overthrow (and eat) the entire Mushroom Kingdom to earn respect. And I would love seeing every moment of it.



I somehow doubt Nintendo would put any beloved characters in the villain status of a future Mario game, but there are so many choices to make it not only interesting but a huge change of pace. I'm tired of Bowser. I want someone new to make Mario's life a living hell, because he's kind of a dick. And these characters would be my choice to add some more life to the head rogue gallery of Mario.

Wii U? More like...Pii U!!!

Sorry, but the title was so dumb I had to put it. It in no way speaks for my personal beliefs on the console as they are still up in the air until I see more about it. I just found it so stupid that it made me chuckle.

So that's it. The Wii U has come to light more now than ever before. What once was shrouded in mystery is now revealed, or at least, most of it is. After Nintendo's conference last Thursday, the console has now impressed or shunned the audience at hand with both great news and less than stellar news. Here is a quick roundup of both news and my personal thoughts.

 1. The Release Date: November 18th

It is coming. Less than a week before Black Friday, Nintendo will drop the Wii U into the hands of gamers who pre-ordered the system months ahead of time. Because that's probably the only chance of getting one come November 18th as it'll take a page out of the Wii book and sell out instantly. Best of luck folks.

2. The Price: $299.99 - $349.99

There you have it. The price of the new console that we have all been curious about since the announcement back at E3 2011. Nintendo decides to go with two different versions. The first is the $299.99 Basic set which includes the staples that you should expect. A white Wii U (8 GB internal storage) with GamePad, AC adapters, an HDMI cable and a Wii Sensor Bar.

The second set would be the Premium or Deluxe version which also has the items from the Basic Set, but the Wii U itself will be black and have 32 GB of internal storage, a copy of it's mini-game bundle Nintendo Land, a stand and charging cradle for the GamePad, a stand for the Wii U, and a "Deluxe Digital Promotion" that seems to act like similar to Nintendo Club rewards in a way. When you purchase content through the eShop, you receive points that can be used on other things later.

3. The Game Lineup

The Wii U will have an explosion of games coming out within it's launch window which features more than 50 titles. Now, that launch window is a tad wide, so expect these to launch anywhere from November 18th - March 2013. While some aren't that exciting as they have released on other consoles such as Darksiders 2, Madden 13, Mass Effect 3 and Batman: Arkham City (Armored Edition); the Wii U does have more games that other consoles won't have such as the Premium/Deluxe set game Nintendo Land, Pikmin 3, Game & Wario, New Super Mario Bros. Wii U, and the most surprising, Bayonetta 2.

Also, whereas the Wii had games no higher than $49.99, the Wii U will continue the tradition set by other consoles and have them start at $59.99.

Backwards compatibility doesn't seem to be a worry as they have confirmed that both disc and digital versions of Wii games will be playable using the Wii U. However, Gamecube games will not be as fortunate, so don't expect to be able to pop in a disc of Super Mario Sunshine and play it come November 18th.

You can find the full list of launch games HERE at Joystiq.com

4. Controllers and Accessories

Other than the previously mentioned items such as the stands for the GamePad and console, the charging cradle for the GamePad, and sensor bar; the Wii U will also allow for gamers to use Nunchuks and Wii Remotes (w/Plus) as well. On top of that, they are also offering a new controller, that looks vaguely familiar to another controller from a different console, at a cost of $50 called the Pro Controller.

The GamePad themselves will not be sold separately at this time for reasons unknown. Some have speculated it's because of the potential cost (conversion from Japan price would have it at $170) and would turn away some consumers. Of all the rumors, that seems the most plausible.

The storage can also be expanded using SD memory cards or USB hard disk drives.

5. TVii

Shocking news. Wii U will support the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and more. The biggest difference is that it is a feature that allows the GamePad to be used to watch these programs, but it also allows for TiVo as long as you have the necessary box that allows TiVo. Regardless of what cable or dish company you may use, Nintendo has confirmed that all in the US will support TVii and that it will be available come launch.

My Thoughts

So all in all, quite a bit of news and reveals for this console. But...somewhat underwhelming. With the console itself barely better than the PS3 or 360, it's hard to say that this will have the stopping power to hold up to the next consoles when they release.

While many have praised the quality of the GamePad, only having one makes me wonder what kind of couch co-op games I can play where one person has more options than other players. And when Nintendo won't announce a specific price for the GamePad, and not having any extra available, it should raise a red flag as to how they are approaching it. They just recently announced that replacing them if broken will have a "fee", but didn't comment on that price even.

Having TVii isn't that big of a deal as using a controller is hardly a pain to get through different apps like Netflix or Hulu, but perhaps I would need on hand experience to understand that fascination some have with it.

The game list is as expected. Lots of games I either don't really care about or have already played on a different console. Expecting gamers to jump at the chance to play an older game again seems absurd, but they do turn it around by having some nice additions such as ZombiU, Rayman Legends, and again (the one I would look forward to the most) Bayonetta 2. It shows they are trying to reach out to the hardcore fans, but at the same time, keep it's own player base. Regardless, the problem is that there is no wallet-wrencher of a game that will have players foaming at the mouth to purchase a new console. While the game list doesn't look bad, it just isn't solid enough to justify a purchase, especially with a launch window as large as this one.

Lastly...the price. $300-$350 seems like quite a bit for a console that many developers have said is just barely more powerful than what is already out there. It appears a chunk of that may come from the GamePad itself, it's also a deterrent when the sweet spot for most gamers will be around $250. Nintendo may have a similar road ahead with the Wii U that they did with the 3DS, and a potential price drop may happen the following year. But seeing that this is their next big console, I have a feeling that they will make a stand at keep it at that price for a while. And considering how many pre-orders have been made through Gamestop, I think they won't have to worry about sales for quite some time.

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale: My Want List

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale is scheduled to ship to stores on November 20th here in the United States. Even though it faces a tough release schedule falling in the same month that Black Ops 2, Hitman: Absolution, Halo 4 and Resident Evil 6 all hit; I have been eagerly anticipating this game to play as some of my favorite characters in gaming. While it is clearly a rip-off of that Nintendo game that comes to every one's mind, it's the character list that seems to attract the most talk and attention of gamers.

While the roster list has more than likely been finalized, the following is a list of characters I think could be worthy additions to the game.

1. Raziel (Legacy of Kain)

 
 The Legacy of Kain series has been ignored and almost forgotten by most people, despite having one of the best looking video game character designs in Raziel. His overall moves are simple hack and slash, but being able to use the Soul Reaver and telekinetic blasts are other pluses that could be added to his move list. Also, being able to suck the soul out of Fat Princess would be quite satisfying.


2. Dart (Legend of Dragoon)

Legend of Dragoon came out to what felt like positive reviews, but over the years has received quite a bit of harsh criticism. One of which was the battle system that, like a rhythm game, relied on precise button presses at the right times to have the move extended. Take out the button combos, leave in the Dragoon transformation, and you have a great character ready for this game.


3. Vincent (Final Fantasy VII)

That's right, Vincent. Not Cloud, not Sephiroth, hell, not even Tifa. Vincent. The coolest looking character in Final Fantasy VII that I feel would suit the game best. He would have both ranged and close combat attacks, but the best reason for his inclusion would be his Limit Break transformations. Hard to deny that they would work well for the Super attacks in the game. Plus, I'm tired of Cloud and Sephiroth.


4. Spyro (The Legend of Spyro)

When you think of Playstation characters, two should come to mind immediately. Spyro should be one of those two. With the resurgence of Spyro in the Skylanders game, it feels like not only the right addition to the game, but an almost necessary one at that. While older gamers are familiar with the character, the younger Skylanders crowd would possibly help boost sales with this lovable purple dragon on the cover. Anyway, how do you not love Spyro?


5. Crash Bandicoot

Speaking of characters that should be synonymous with Playstation, Crash Bandicoot should (and rumored to) be included in Battle Royale. But I don't want the Naughty Dog version of Crash. They already have one character in the game. No, I want commercial Crash Bandicoot. Have him skydive, use a megaphone, whatever is necessary to make his character fun and interesting. If they include game Crash, I want commercial Crash as an alternate costume. Let me see that human face!


6. Nemesis (Resident Evil 3)

Nemesis is sort of the Cloud/Sephiroth of Resident Evil. He may not be the best character the series has, but he's quite well known and I feel would fit better than other villains. He has a sort of distinctive look that isn't pure mutation, plus...rocket launcher. I would much rather see Nemesis in the game not only because he was my first Resident Evil experience, but also because I don't know how a character like Chris or Jill would be fun in a game like Battle Royale.


7. Vahn (Legend of Legaia)

Yet another character from a game that has "Legend" in the title. Vahn isn't the most well known character, however he would have specific button combos that would make some fighting gamers blush. Include Super moves that feature the monsters he could summon using Meta and he could turn into one of the more different, and fun, characters in the game.


8. Ezio (Assassins Creed 2)

 I believe it's just a matter of time, but thanks to the minor exclusivity agreements Ubisoft has with Sony, Ezio from Assassins Creed would seem like a shoe-in for this game. Despite not being able to easily counter attacks in this game, having the assassin use his various arsenal in the game and call for help would make him a viable threat to other characters.


9. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

When the roster announcements came out, I don't think Lara Croft crossed anyone's mind. But she had a huge role in Sony's success thanks to her numerous games. I don't recall her being an amazing fighter in the game (as I could never finish them), she does have other items to inflict damage. As long as she doesn't moan in pain that would cause fanboy hatred to flood the Internet, she should be okay.


10. Kevin Butler

Easily the best character this game could include. He could be the man who "only does everything" by copying the moves of other characters in the game. Or if that wasn't enough, use Sony branded products at his disposal like the PS Eye or PS Move. The utter ridiculousness and the possibilities that could stem from his character being in the game are unfathomable, and for that, I hope to god Superbot adds him at least as DLC. But, I doubt it would ever be as good as what we envision him to be...




As of now, the roster looks like this (after leaked information):

• Big Daddy (Bioshock)
• Colonel Radec (Killzone)
• Dante (DMC)
• Evil Cole (Infamous)
• Fat Princess (Fat Princess
• Good Cole (Infamous)
• Heihachi (Tekken)
• Jak (Jak & Daxter)
• Nariko (Heavenly Sword)
• Nathan Drake (Uncharted)
• Parappa the Rapper (Parappa the Rapper)
• Raiden (Metal Gear Solid)
• Ratchet (Ratchet and Clank)
• Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet)
• Sir Daniel Fortesque (Medievil)
• Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper)
• Spike (Ape Escape)
• Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal)
• Toro (Sony Macot)

Two characters have still not been shown, but there's no reason to believe at this point that the list isn't accurate. However, with the characters I have stated above, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale could be the game to give Super Smash Bro's a run for it's money. But it has to take itself less seriously, inject more fun and crazy into the formula, and add more characters that has helped define the Playstation brand in the past 18 years.

Video Game Easter Eggs

While this list would be better suited come April, a podcast brought the idea of video game Easter eggs up in my head to do this before it would escape my memory. Easter eggs are common in both video games and TV/film, and upon seeing them can either be groan inducing or something that causes you to point at the screen and applaud the inclusion of said Easter egg. Here is a list of Easter eggs that I, although not having experienced them all, was the most interested in hearing about:




Adventure - Warren Robinett

While it's nothing spectacular, it gets nods as the original video game Easter egg. Now whether or not this is true, this secret room that says "Created by: Warren Robinett" is credited as the first. In a game where you play as a dot escaping from a duck looking dragon (the original Pokemon?), I guess this could have been seen as a cool bonus. But at this point in gaming, its kind of...well...whatever?





Portal - The Cake May Not Have Been A Lie

We all know the meme. The cake is a lie. Thanks to the amazing experience of Portal, that has been hammered into the heads of gamers since it's release. However, after escaping from the test chambers, there's a screen with scrolling yellow text. Upon looking at it carefully and overlooking the computer gibberish, you can find a recipe for a Black Forest cake with ingredients hidden in it.

Super Mario Bros - Minus World

While I'm not sure if it should be considered an Easter egg instead of a glitch, it's something I would slap myself for not including as the mythical Minus World in the original Super Mario Bros. Many strive to see this level in which you swim, and swim, and swim but only few would actually see. At least, until later on when it became common knowledge of getting there in World 1-2 after jumping backwards while crouched and going down a pipe. Not the greatest Easter egg, because games where you swim are rarely fun.





Grand Theft Auto: No Easter Egg

The people at Rockstar do love their Easter eggs. So much so that they will actually include an Easter egg...as an Easter egg. This however is probably my favorite. The image says it all.





Halo: Combat Evolved - MEGG

Some people try to immortalize their love for one another by taking pictures, recording videos, writing poems, etc. In the case of Jamie Griesemer, a level designer for Halo: Combat Evolved, he decided to add the love of his life, Meg Pallor, into the game. In doing so, it caused frustration to Halo players as a damn near impossible Easter egg to reach. But in doing so, you get to see a bloody heart with a bullet-hole letter M in the middle of it. Unfortunately, after seeing this, you are treated to a gruesome death at the hands of some Invulnerable Marines. Was it worth it?





Super Mario RPG - Link, Samus, and F-Zero

Super Mario RPG broke away from the normal platforming that made the Mario games great and went a different route in an RPG game. It worked, and worked well. While the Final Fantasy influence from Culex will usually be mentioned first, Nintendo also wanted to include some of their own franchises to the mix with nice nods. Thus, you can find both Samus and Link taking naps in the game (Samus in Peach's castle and Link in Rose Town) and F-Zero model cars in Hinopio's shop. Some may say Smash Bros was the game to bring it all together, but...

Just Cause 2 - Lost

Remember Just Cause 2? That game you ran around and blew things up because the story was completely forgettable? Well, this is one of those reasons it's such a great game. While I could have posted the mechanical shark or the beached whale, instead the game gets it's due with the island from Lost. Approach it with a plane and watch it get shot down. Escape before it blows and witness the weather change and see strange stuff on the island. Besides a plane wreckage with an SOS type message, there is also a chance to run into a monster of sorts...





Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - The End

Hideo Kojima thinks outside the box. That was evident enough in Metal Gear Solid especially during the Psycho Mantis fight. He does a similar thing here with the villain The End in Snake Eater but in a slightly different way. See, The End is a pain in the ass. For an old man, he is fast and sneaky and caused much more frustration with me than I thought possible. Had I known there were two other methods to beat him, I would have been fine. One included sniping him from afar when you see him at the warehouse, or the more Kojima way, save during the battle and turning the system off. When you come back a week later or move your date settings forward a week, The End will have died of old age during battle. I applaud you Kojima.





Batman: Arkham Asylum - Arkham City

Rocksteady sure knows how to hide them. Before Arkham City was ever announced, they had an Easter egg hidden in Arkham Asylum hinting at what a sequel would entail. While most collapsible walls were shown in detective vision, one room in particular didn't. This is a secret room in the Mansion that Batman has to use the explosive gel on three times before it will be discovered. On the wall is a poster showing a Arkham stamp over part of Gotham City. With Rocksteady saying the biggest secret in Arkham City hasn't been discovered yet, it makes me wonder what that could possibly be and when we will find it...





Saints Row 2 - I don't want to see those Easter eggs...

The craziness in Saints Row 3 isn't completely out of nowhere. If you want to put a little effort getting to a specific location, you can see a giant bunny rise out of the water. I'm not sure exactly what it's purpose is, but Saints Row 3 did follow up on it as they have the captured bunny on a boat in the game as well.




There are a ton of Easter eggs in games, some somewhat lame, others really cool and interesting. I've always had an interest in these as they are fun to find especially if they are more off-the-wall once you see them. I hope developers continue to add these to their game, because they are nice to find and talk about with other players not to mention extend the longevity of the game trying to discover them.

REVIEW: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

I love Final Fantasy. My first experience was with Final Fantasy 7 for the Playstation shortly after it's release. No game prior to that, for the most part, blended in cinematics with storytelling that well in a graphically stunning way that it had. While most of it doesn't particularly hold up well to today's standards, it holds the soft spot in my heart as my favorite Final Fantasy game. And with the much criticized XIII and XIII-2, every game that has Final Fantasy in the title causes people to pause before jumping to any potential conclusions.

Theatrhythm, a title I have to slowly type out and proofread, brought Final Fantasy into the rhythm genre while mixing in the familiar RPG elements in a surprisingly pleasant way. It has the same elements most rhythm games on the DS have as you use the bottom screen of the DS to do the tapping to the music while actions occur on the top screen. It adds more to the gameplay by including many characters from the Final Fantasy franchise along with songs from said Final Fantasy's and allows players to level up the characters making them stronger. Equipping items and moves can change the outcome of the sequence getting further into it and rewarding you with items.

The end goal of the game is to collect as much Rhythmia as possible, which acts as a kind of currency in the game. You don't buy anything, but the amount of Rhythmia you receive also dictates the unlockable characters and songs you can receive. It's not difficult to to accumulate, but it's a grind to have enough to unlock everything.

You start the game selecting the four characters you want to take with you in the series. There are two characters per Final Fantasy game, including the FFXI MMO (but shockingly, not XIV....) They appear as doll-like Chibi models that make me think the kid from Limbo would look like this if that game had light. You can equip them with items such as potions or gear to boost stats, but everything is a one-time use item. It's not a big deal as you gain more of the same quite easily during your playthroughs. As the characters level up, you will notice the normal stats like HP, speed, attack, defense, etc all rise. A stat like Agility speeds up the character allowing you to witness more in a level and HP allows for more mistakes before it's game over. The next question is what Final Fantasy game you want to journey through. Each features music from that game (1-13) and a boost in Rhythmia is given if you have a member in your party from that game. Not something to concern yourself over.

The game has three different type of sequences you play through. The first is a Field Sequence which shows your character traversing the landscape of the selected Final Fantasy. During this, the character will move from left to right as notes approach the right side of the screen. The notes indicate how the player should react by either swiping a specific direction, tapping on the screen, or holding the stylus down and move based on the connected dots on the top screen. At the end of the level, if you reach it, a different character will give you a gift.

The second sequence is an Event sequence, which plays out part of the story (usually cut scenes in later Final Fantasy games) and like the Field sequence, you either tap the screen, hold it down, or swipe. You don't really do anything different here, and instead of seeing your character on the top screen, you are treated to a nice little "movie" consisting of scenes from the Final Fantasy game you selected.

The third, and my favorite, sequence is Battle. Like the name implies, your party of four sit on one side of the screen in classic Final Fantasy battle setup and fight enemies. You deal damage based on your timed accuracy of the previous methods. While the gameplay itself is still the same, I enjoy seeing my characters deal damage based on how well I do. The enemies you fight will occasionally die and be replaced by a new enemy. I don't think there's any rhyme or reason to them as they appear to be randomized. My first time playing FF7's Battle sequence, I fought the One-Winged Angel Sephiroth himself as the third or fourth enemy. Hadn't seen him on later playthroughs.

Each sequence also has what is called a "Feature Zone" which causes different actions on the screen to occur. In the Field sequence, you will jump on a Chocobo and the notes will turn gold. The Event sequence will extend the length of the song and change a different color as well, and finally the Battle sequence summons a monster. I've only seen Ifrit, Shiva, and Odin, but Ramuh and Bahamut are summons as well. Each Feature Zone provides more points which ultimately lead to increased Rhythmia.

There is also a introduction and ending screen in which music notes circle around and touch a crystal. You gain Rhythmia here by tapping the stylus as the notes hit the crystal. It's a simple way to receive Rhythmia, but I simply didn't care enough to sit there and do it. These screens also do a poor job explaining the story of the selected Final Fantasy game, but since this is a game that the devout Final Fantasy player would play, there's a good chance they already know the story.

Sadly, that's the gist of what the game is. You can increase the difficulty of it in the Challenge mode and select what songs you want to play, but what you do in them is the exact same thing. The other mode is the Chaos Shrine which has a field sequence followed by a battle sequence with 99 possible level formations. It poses more difficulty and has the possibility for different boss characters in the battle sequence which yields better and rarer rewards, and is something you can streetpass other Theatrhythm players.

The song selection in the game is nothing to scoff at with over 70 songs playable and more downloadable songs coming. The DLC songs provide the biggest laugh with Type-0 and Versus, two games that haven't been released yet, each having one song while the MMO Final Fantasy XIV is nowhere to be seen. But you can expect to find many fan favorites on here such as "One-Winged Angel", "Battle with the Four Fiends", and many main themes.

Overall, it's hard to recommend this game to just anybody. I'm not the biggest rhythm game fan as I find them quick to please, but hard to retain. Speeding up the game and adding more notes doesn't make me want to go back and replay them, and that's the only thing the game really does. The RPG elements are there, but don't sustain my interest as I don't want to slog through yet another field sequence for Final Fantasy X to level up my characters to get 5 seconds further into a song and grind for hours on end to unlock Kain from Final Fantasy IV. It's hard not to love the song selection, especially as a Final Fantasy fan, but you need to ask whether or not rhythm games are for you. If you don't particularly enjoy them, a Final Fantasy one isn't going to engulf you for more than a few hours. But if you love them, then Final Fantasy adds enough to keep you wanting more.

REVIEW: Spec Ops The Line

Shooters are not an easy genre to dominate. Thanks to the success of Call of Duty and Battlefield, most shooters don't do particularly well. They also don't create memorable stories that resonate with players past the occasional set piece action moments. Spec Ops The Line is the answer to that dilemma pitting the player in a foreign country where things aren't what they seem. But despite it's movement in improvement on the campaign side of the genre, the solid gameplay can not make up for a predictable ending with an illusion that choices matter.

Spec Ops the Line revolves around a group of Delta Operatives who have been sent in Dubai to investigate a radio message received from the 33rd Battalion, a group of soldiers who lost contact six months prior to the games opening sequences. Captain Walker of the Delta Operatives is sent in to search for the leader of the 33rd Battalion, John Konrad, who had saved him in Kabul years ago. Upon their arrival, they notice things are awry and are surrounded by death and despair. The team of three push on witnessing and experiencing things that should tear at the human soul, but in an effort to find answers, they continue the trek to find Colonel Konrad.

Whereas in most shooters the characters themselves never change throughout the story, Spec Ops The Line has you witness the wear and tear of the characters emotional state. What starts out as friendly banter between the protagonists ends with them almost blowing each others heads off. The things they run across throughout the game causes them to slowly crumble and it is evident in the dialogue and behavior of the characters. Instead of calm tactical speak like they do in the beginning, the end has each of them barking expletives and frustrations. Their bodies gain soot and burns from their journey, and you genuinely feel terrible for what the characters are going through. Gamers who want a change of pace from the usual bad ass they play as, Spec Ops The Line use the emotions, look, and dialogue of the characters in a way that games in the shooter genre (first or third person) should take into consideration.

The gameplay, however, isn't anything groundbreaking. It's solid, handles well, and I couldn't find any complaints with it. Everything felt fine. One would suspect that the actual shooting may suffer due to the focus on narration, but all of the staples are there. You run forward in linear levels with more open areas for bad guys to shoot as you hide behind cover. You poke out and shoot or blind fire before moving forward. Let me tell you, there are a LOT of people to shoot and kill. But that's the point of that, and you realize it later on in the game. More on that in a bit.

When asked about what separates Spec Ops The Line from other shooters, the folks at Yager would inform you of how the setting can play a large part in the game. In a way they are right. Some levels have enormous dust storms crop up in the middle of battle causing firefights to be a tad more intense as it's more difficult to pick out enemies. So you risk moving forward at easier shots. Luckily, the same trouble you have with seeing, the enemies do as well. There are also many parts in the game where the sand from Dubai can change the outcome of a shootout. Since the dust storm that cut off the 33rd Battalion was the biggest one in recorded history, many places in Dubai are covered with sand and sometimes buried in it. This allows for players to shoot out vents or windows that cause billows of sand to flood into the room and daze or even engulf enemies. While this option sounds good, I found myself using it very little and it rarely crossed my mind during my time with the game. More often than not, it was mainly used as the way to get from one moment to the next.

There is also one other thing that caused some people to be off put by the game. The executions. Melees in the game do not kill, they stun. Enemies fall to the ground, and if nothing is done, they regain composure and stand back up to continue their assault. So you can run up to the enemies while they are on their ground and given a prompt to execute. Depending on where you are in the game, the executions vary. These executions take the form of the emotions the character is going through at the time. Butting the rifle in the head of the enemy is one thing, but near the end you shove a shotgun to their head and let go a round. While it feels like the violence is going a tad far, it's just one more extreme Yager takes to show the state of the players.

But if there's one thing that was touted above everything else, it would be the choices made in this game. We were told that repercussions would occur based on decisions made by the player and the ending would be different based on them. Well...yes and no.

There are really only two choices that matter, and four endings for the game. Both choices come in the last chapter and the epilogue, and the rest do nothing to affect the storyline of it. Instead, they are shown as flashbacks as what you did when confronted with those situations, but don't warrant the back of the box bullet point. The choices help put you in the shoes of the character, forcing you into difficult decisions that will make you feel lousy regardless of the choice. Of all the choices, there is one in particular near the end that I knew I shouldn't do...but damnit I wanted to. Just let loose with a barrage of bullets to teach these folks a lesson. Either way, it doesn't matter. Nothing changes because of what you do, it only effects how you feel when you do it.

The ending itself is predictable. When weird things start happening, it felt like there would be one logical conclusion to it because it's the same safe conclusion games like this make. It's the lead-up to it that makes it worthwhile. There are moments where the character and game itself breaks the fourth wall and they are great moments. Some are during actual gameplay, that if you die and replay, are not the same. I don't know if this is an error on the games part for not loading up the same experience correctly, but if so, I hope it's not patched. The loading screen illustrates a moment where the fourth wall is broke when, instead of tips on how to play the game, they ask the gamer questions like "The US Military does not condone the killing of unarmed combatants, but this isn't real so does it even matter?" or "Do you feel like a hero?" Just little touches like that really help nail the point home that yes, there are a lot of people to kill, but the game wants you to feel that. It wants you to question what you are doing and why you do it. Does it even matter how you feel while doing it and whether you should get joy out of killing the people you do on a video game? Little things, not even part of the game, that really left me looking at the screen like a five year old in Philosophy class. Other moments don't break the fourth wall, but have you questioning how much of a "realistic" approach this game takes. One section of the game has you by yourself and a heavy troop notices you. As he attacks, the lights overhead start flickering and you are trying to take out this armored man in the flashes of light you can. But something happens during it that causes you to freak out.

And it's moments like that, that pain me to say that Spec Ops The Line is a sub-par game hidden by one of the better stories a shooter has provided. The veil of choices-make-a-difference that the developer alludes to in interviews is pretty much a joke, but do put the player in circumstances that they don't feel like a winner with regardless of the outcome. If you enjoy shooters but would like them to have a campaign that feels like it matters, Spec Ops The Line is a good choice. Where it lacks in gameplay, it makes up in story, characterization change, and one hell of a roller coaster ride up to the end...where it sadly falters.

Series that I Want Resurrected

Publishers have been pushing old games on us with HD Remakes and digital re-releases. I think they are trying to find cheap ways to make a buck, but they should also be looking at potential games that still interest gamers. I want to run through a list of series and/or games that I want to make a return and bring something new to the table. It's time to get away from the same games that we continue to add a number to every two years or so. If new IP's aren't selling points to publishers, perhaps bringing back nostalgic games can do the trick.



Comix Zone

 I started reading comics when I was six years old. I grew fond of the artwork and storylines that were only held back by imagination and time-sensitive deadlines. It gave me an escape in a way no movie or TV show could. So when a game like Comix Zone was released, I was eager to see how they adapted a comic book feel in a game. Sadly I would never get to really know as it was a brutally hard game that I have never passed the second level. But the game had a beautiful look to it and the comic book feel of jumping between panels and choosing which way you wanted to go was a blast. And although there have been games to try and capture a similar feel, none have felt quite on par with the feeling Comix Zone gave me.




Mother/Earthbound

 Whenever I feel I can add the Mother series onto my list, I will do it. Earthbound is my favorite game of all time, and I am currently working my way through Mother 3. I tried the original Mother, and while I found the premise of the story intriguing, the enemies and random encounters killed my interest in finishing it. Luckily they made improvements on the encounter mechanic but kept the dark but light-hearted feel of the original. The setting, characters, mood and music all contributed to my love of the series and I am saddened that the US has really only had Earthbound to play with. I never purchased a N64, and part of it was...Earthbound 64 was never released. And while I know there's probably no chance of a new Mother game being released, I hold hopes that there's still potential to do it or even a re-release of the original games.

Chrono Trigger/Cross

There are very few RPG's that have had a lasting impact on players like Chrono Trigger. Even if you stripped away the time travel aspect, music, the number of endings, battle system, story, and the art style, you are still left with some of the best characters in any RPG, and some could argue, gaming in general. While Chrono Cross tried to live up to it's predecessor, it failed in many respects but still has a cult following among many gamers, myself included. Yet, there haven't been many games that I get lost into but the Chrono games pull it off with ease. Not only is the world itself large, but when you factor in the time travel, it expands it so much more. Chrono Trigger is considered to be one of the greatest RPG's of all time, and to a much lesser extent Chrono Cross as well, and adding to the Chrono fiction is something I thought Chrono Break would accomplish before it was swept back under the rug.






Destruction Derby

Before the Burnout series impressed gamers with it's fun and ridiculously good looking crash modes, Destruction Derby was the game that helped make car games fun again. Simulation games can be fun and all, and so can shooting missiles, but there's an inner joy I get when I can ram my car into other ones in a last-car-driving match. Despite it's terrible graphics and a difficulty I could never surpass, Destruction Derby gave me a car game I wanted. Don't make me race around in a circle for 3 laps. Put me in a coliseum and let me play chicken with the cars across from me. And although Burnout's crash mode is incredible, it doesn't satisfy me in the same way a new Destruction Derby game would.

Killer Instinct

Let me preface this by saying: I hate fighting games. Loathe them. If there's not an easy mode, I rarely can get past the second fighter. I'm terrible with combos, I'm awful with defense and counters, and I can not pull out special moves for the life of me. Despite my hesitation with fighters, I would leap all over a new Killer Instinct. The look of the characters and the characters themselves were only held back by the limited number of games they released. Even the music, which in fighters I would normally disregard, came with a CD entitled "Killer Cuts" which was surprisingly solid. The number of times I listened to "K.I. Feeling" is embarrassing. The recent resurgence of fighting games thanks to Street Fighter 4 made me believe we would see another Killer Instinct considering the last one was on the Nintendo 64. No such luck. Killer Instinct has not made a return and it baffles me the same way Darkstalkers fans are with a new release (or any release for that matter) of their games.

Rocksteady and Silver Age Batman

So news was released this week that the developer behind Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are set to release a new Batman game in 2014. There is one catch though! It's going to be a more stylized version than the past two games were. This is due to it being a prequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and set in the Silver Age backdrop.

Well what does that mean exactly? For those who aren't familiar with the term Silver Age, this was an era in comics where everything was more lighthearted and goofy. Before the Frank Millers of comics decided to brood everything up, comics were over-the-top and weird. To use the best example, the 60's Adam West Batman is a good idea of what the Silver Age represented. Shark repellent, quippy dialogue, running around with a large bomb, and being punny are all things that the Silver Age of comics boiled down to.

The question is, why would Rocksteady go this route? After two successful games with a grim and gritty realistic Batman, why go the route of the 60's and more recent Brave and the Bold cartoon? It would seem that would possibly turn off a lot of fans that don't want a more comedic take on Batman. But perhaps they have a plan on how to make it work, especially if it will be a sequel. Here's what I think could happen...

If the game is indeed a prequel, why would they offer such a drastic change of appearance to it? The city of Gotham feels to dark to ever have been a colorful and chipper city to begin with. But Rocksteady does have something they can fall back on to bring this different world into the game and have it still fit in. Enter Batmite.

Similar to Superman's magical 5th dimensional imp Mr. Mxylt...spt..lck...the big headed floating man in a derby......Batmite is a creature with magical powers that from time to time would come and cause mischief with Batman. Batmite is a character who grew to love Batman and idolize him. So every once in a while he would make an appearance and change a lot of weird things to see his hero in action. At one point he even changed the characters to reflect their name counterpart. So someone like Catwoman was actually a cat. Stuff like that. He even can make appearance in the DC offices and force them to write a book with him in it. His reality-warping seems to know no bounds.

So it would seem to introduce a character like Batmite could give the Arkham series a different look with the more simplistic artsy appearance of the Silver Age. But there's one other route they could go which seems to be the one more possible. A few years back, a writer found a way to incorporate all of Batman's history into the life of one man. As this writer (Grant Morrison for those of you wondering) has experienced trippy hallucinations due to drugs in the past, he wrote a story that found an explanation for the weirdness of the Silver Age and an incorporation of Batmite into it as well.

In the flashback, Batman was attempting to understand the psyche of his villains, most notably the Joker. To do so, he subjected himself to not only sense deprivation but also many drugs to figure out how the villains think. Thus, the psychedelic experiences that many Silver Age books inflicted to Batman. The man who overlooked these happenings also implanted a hypnotic trigger in Batman, that when triggered, caused Batman to pretty much lose it. He changed costumes and became more violent and had Batmite following him around.

If Rocksteady goes with an approach to the next game, I'm going to say this will be it. A villain is able to get into the head of Batman which changes the entire world and seems to set it in the Silver Age era. This would excuse the style change and maybe explain the Justice League involvement. And if one were to suspect the beginning of Arkham Asylum as a clue, then the Joker would be involved as well. Which would tie in what caused the Joker to be taken in at the beginning of Arkham Asylum in the first place.

In truth, it doesn't matter to me how they decide to do this game. Rocksteady made two amazing games with Batman, something that I don't think anyone expected them to do. This new route of Silver Age and inclusion of the Justice League sounds like them ramping up their game and testing the waters for some other possibilities. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and for those cautious about a drastic change, I think it's in capable and trusting hands.

The Backwards Compatibility Enigma

The recent talk about the looming next generation of consoles have brought up a topic that has led to heated discussions. It involves the ability to play games one already owns on a new system that is being released. Many have gone on record saying that if the new systems are not capable of playing older games then they will not bother purchasing them. We all know how that will turn out, but for the sake of argument, let's say that's true. I want to quickly go over the backwards compatibility discussion and state that it shouldn't matter whether or not it's available in upcoming systems.

1. If you have the games, keep the system

There's this false assumption that with every iteration of a new console, the big three companies MUST put backwards compatibility in it. I think what most of these gamers forget is that backwards compatibility is a luxury, not a standard for consoles. Think about it. To my knowledge, the PS2 was the first console to really allow gamers to play games from the previous generation. We never had that with the transition to other consoles like the NES to SNES, the Genesis to Saturn, SNES to Gamecube, etc. You could argue that handhelds for the most part has been able to do that, but there's iterations there where that isn't true.

The problem is, most companies hear consumers complain about the price. In their effort to make the systems cheaper, they have to cut out parts of the system. If gamers are concerned about playing old games, shouldn't they have the system for those games already? If not, why get rid of it since there shouldn't be any guarantee the new system can play them? Companies are not held to any obligation to keep old system hardware in a new hardware iteration. This isn't anything new, and has happened for quite some time. The transition from VHS to DVD. Cassette tapes to Cd's. This is just going to be another transition where they held on to the ability to do it for a while, but it's time to phase that option out. Gamers need to get over it and keep the system they want those games on or realize that companies need money to function. One of their ways to capitalize on this idea, is by offering new methods to pay for old games.

2. Collections and Classics

There's been an influx of video games coming both digitally and retail involving the purchasing of old video games from previous generations. For example, you can purchase old Final Fantasy games on PSN from the PS1 Classics part of the store. If you enjoyed games like God of War or Devil May Cry, both have had HD collections of past games on a disc. Gamers who've already played these games see it as a money grab from them, but they forget there's new gamers who have never experienced these games. If anyone should be buying these, it's those gamers. Not the smitten ones.

This is yet another reason why the companies will keep the systems from having backwards compatibility. Why allow them to play old owned games from systems they didn't feel were worth keeping around when they can release them again to be purchased? Final Fantasy 4 is the perfect example of this as it's released on practically everything. It's become such a staple for a console/handheld that it should be mentioned up there with the likes of Ridge Racer and it being a release day game.

It's easy for them to make money off of love for old games. Add in something like achievements or better graphics in parts (not all, even) of the game, and it's likely to still sell. That will be one benefit the companies see in phasing out backwards compatibility and offering these games again for not only cheap, but slightly better versions of the game graphically.


3. Forced to Buy

Customers have this warped sense of logic when it comes to re-release of old games. They believe that if a company removes backwards compatibility and releases the game digitally or on disc, then they MUST purchase the game. Customers apparently have all free-will stripped from their souls when companies do this, because they have no choice but to purchase these games they release.

It's all utter nonsense as the companies aren't forcing gamers to purchase anything. Just because they don't allow the game to be played on a new system and are releasing it in new formats doesn't mean it's the only way to play it now. If you have the game, go play it on the system it was created for. This selfish and ridiculous belief that the game you own is unplayable now and the new release is the only method to experience it is possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

It's one thing to dislike the company for removing something you felt was a bonus, but it's something else entirely for an idiotic notion that it's the only way to play the game now. These gamers need to rethink what they say before they spout these imaginary realities of how consumerism works.


4. It's a Bonus

I have to reiterate this. These console developers are not obligated by any means to incorporate ways to play old games. The consoles are being created to play new experiences with possible means to play older games. If those means are to repurchase the games, then so be it. That is their decision to make. If consumers don't like it, they have other means to play the games. Either by the console the game was created for or emulation. The first option would be preferred, but some games I can't really frown on by using the latter.

If this generation of consoles didn't allow for users to play old games like the original models allowed (which didn't work on 100% of games anyhow), would this still be a problem? Probably. The Internet wasn't really available to everyone in earlier years of gaming, so I'm not sure how loud the outcry is over backwards compatibility between consoles, but I'm sure it was still there. But it's loudest now because it became a reality. But it's something the companies gave their consumers as a bonus and never once did they say they will continue to release consoles with the ability to play older games. We as fans seem to ignore that and expect it. We are greedy, but like to project our greed on companies to make them seem greedier.


5. Fans Do Have a Point...

Companies shot themselves in the foot by showing it's possible. They can't really blame the consumers for wanting something as great as backwards compatibility for new consoles when they showed it's possible to do so. Gamers want a reason to buy a new console and ditch the old one. Why do they want 8 different consoles in their home when they can condense it down to two or three? And why would they want to purchase the same game on different platforms when they already own a copy?

Piracy and emulation is something that a lot of publishers and developers may frown on, but when gamers already own one (or in some cases many) copies of a game, they don't want to purchase it once again. They will go to more extreme measures to play the game especially if they feel cheated by big wigs who don't look at it from their point of view. You take into consideration that some of these games are no longer in print, their copy has stopped working, or any other potential problems, the fallback solution may not rub those looking to sell another copy the right way.

Consumers should be heard. It's their money being spent on games that are changed very little but have the same going price as a brand new game from 15 years ago. If they can purchase a used game off eBay for $5 for the Gamecube, why would they want to then spent $29.99 on the same game for the WiiU especially if there were no changes other than it being put on a different disc format? Fans are not hesitant to verbalize their feelings on the statement, and it's not unreasonable for them to do so either.

As a fan, backwards compatibility is fantastic. It allows me to sell or trade in an old console and buy a new one and reduce the number I have lying around my TV or shoving into the back of my closet. I can spend my money on newer games instead of games I already have in my collection and I also have games to fall back on while newer games are in production. But as someone who also sees the side of the companies, it makes sense for them to take the option off. It lowers the price of the console like most gamers want and gives them the ability to re-release games to not only give the experience to new gamers, but also make money off of anyone who wants to play the game on the new system. However, it is their right to take out backwards compatibility and re-release old games whenever they want. It is their product and they can make it however they choose.