The gameplay feels repetitive. I've only played two levels, but.... I don't think I'm gonna enjoy this one. It's different, that's for sure, but not my kind of different.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
First Archimpressions: Kirby's Epic Yarn
I don't think this is my kind of game...
Yeah, I don't like it too much. I applaud Nintendo for trying something different, but this is not for me. And it's not like I hate "cutesy" stuff, I adore Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story, and I think the look of the game is pretty neat, it's the gameplay that fails to attract me. For starters, Kirby borrows some of Wario's classic mechanics, namely, he can't die. Instead, when he get hits he losses some of the gems he has collected. However, unlike Wario, there are no puzzles here, sure you can manipulate some of the backgrounds elements, but it's very straightforward. Then there's the music, it's too relaxing. Kirby always has upbeat "happy" music, the music in this game is way more "laid back" so to speak. I don't like it.
The gameplay feels repetitive. I've only played two levels, but.... I don't think I'm gonna enjoy this one. It's different, that's for sure, but not my kind of different.
The gameplay feels repetitive. I've only played two levels, but.... I don't think I'm gonna enjoy this one. It's different, that's for sure, but not my kind of different.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Entry Number 100: Archile's Top 10 Favorite Games
This is so happening. But first, honorable mentions, I really wanted to put these two in, but there simply was
no room for them. Eternal despair.
Honorable Mention #1: Zone of the Enders 2(Playstation 2, ZoE HD Collection on PS3/X360)
I've played this game many times, and it never gets old. It has some of the most amazing set pieces I've ever played in my life, like the air battle in which you must take down the Battleships with the cannon, the epic battle on the dessert or just how badass using 0 Shift makes you feel. Epic falls short when describing this game.
Honorable Mention #2: Gundam Extreme VS(Playstation 3)
Everything I love in a game is here. Basically a fighting game, has a very arcade-like feel, pick-up-and-play but with many nuances to master, loads of playable units(Over 60!) and loads of content. This game is a blast to play, every time.
Honorable Mention #3: Resident Evil 4(Nintendo Wii, also on PS2, PS3, X360, PC, GC)
Everyone knows about this one, but why do I like it so much? Let's just say I didn't like Resident Evil(And I played all of the numbered ones, including Code Veronica) until I played this one.
Honorable Mention #4: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne(Playstation 2)
What I love the most about JRPGs is character developement, so I was a bit scared, with the HitoShura being the only playable (demi)human character, and he being a silent protagonist... Well, it didn't matter, the whole story of the game was incredible. From the world getting devastated, to how the few surviving humans saw the world and how they were motivated... it was a fantastic RPG from beginning to end.
And now that that is out of the way, onwards with the list!
Number #10: Orcs And Elves(Nintendo DS also on Mobile Phones)
I first came across the series when I played Doom RPG(A Mobile Phone game). It was fantastic, a grid turn based, first-person RPG based on the Doom series, and it fit the mobile platform so well. On Mobile Phones, controls always suck, so being turn based, you never never handicapped by them. You could save anywhere and anytime. Needless to say, I played it many times, and never grew tired of it. Eventually I saw a trailer for a new game that would be coming out in a couple of months, Orcs and Elves, "Oh! Reminds me of Doom RPG", so I did some research and it turned out that Orcs and Elves were made by the same people and using the same engine, and this DS game was an enhanced port of the mobile version, which meant, I had to get it!. I played the hell out of Orcs and Elves Mobile, I liked it even more than Doom RPG.
I bought the DS version at launch, and never regreted it. While I played and finished the mobile version way more times, it's due to it's more "I take my cellphone everywhere" nature, I finished the DS version loads of times on all difficulties.If I were to choose between versions, I'd go with the DS version anytime. Everything that made the original so good is here(Even the save anywhere anytime feature) but with better graphics(way better) and more content, it's a no brainer. It also had a sequel on mobile phones, and I also played it many times, however, making it work on my phone was a bit of a pain in the butt, so I never grew as attached to it as I did with the first one.
Number #9: Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga(Playstation 2)
SMT: DDS(Known simply as Devil Turner in Japan) is a two part game, so I picked it as one game. However, I find the first part to be more enthralling. The first part is the set up, you are introduced to a cast of entraniable characters, you'll soon grow fond of each every member in your party, even Cielo. In this first part, you take the role of Serph, the leader of Embryo, one of the many tribes fighting for dominance in a crapsack world. At the start of the game, everyone gets branded with a Demon Virus, which makes them turn into demons, and now have to devour each other if they are to grow stronger. The story is very interesting, and the way they are presented is incredibly memorable. One of my favorite scenes is during the ending, when a really short, but fantastic, musical piece plays as the whole cast gets separated... it's one of the best scenes I've ever scene, and I doubt I will ever forget about it!
Part 2 takes off right after the first game ended, and provides characters with incredible moments of badassery and tearjerker scenes. It's, emotionally, a much stronger game, but I kinda missed the world from the first game. Also, I felt the last parts of the game got a little too insane, but it hardly blemishes this fantastic game. The second part also rebalanced all the skills, so you can't cheap out the extremely hard optional bosses like you could on the first game, heck, even the main game is more challenging.
Digital Devil Saga is highly recomendable as a whole, but no part should be played without the other!
Number #8: Half-Life 2(PC also on PS3, X360)
I really don't know why I bought this game. I wasn't fond of the first part(Now that I've played it, I can say that it was quite good, but at the time I felt it was meh) so I don't know what got into my head, but thank god it did. This game has one thing in common with entry #5, which is something I love... It's one huge world, and you are constantly moving forward, with no "breaks" or stage transitions. It's hard to explain, but it feels epic, it feels like a nonstop adventure!
To be fair, I was never an Alyx fan or whatever, I just loved the game. The weapons, the setting, the gameplay, everything felt so good, I still have fond memories of bringing down the barriers that cut your way through the water. And the Magnum? My favorite weapon in an FPS, heck, it made me favor the Magnum in every other game I play. And who can forget the beginning of the game, when you are unarmed and must escape from the guards? The fact that the game never takes you away from Gordon's eyes helps get you invested in the game, even when the NPCs are talking and you've nothing to do but wait until they are finished, but hey, you can run around and throw things at them while they run their mouths. The game started with a bang and it only got better.
Number 7: Pokemon HeartGold(Nintendo DS also on GB/GBC as Pokemon Gold)
Look at that cover. It's one of my favorite covers of all time(It looks better in real life, trust me). I've said many times what Pokemon Gold means to me. I dare say that it was the best Pokemon game until Heart Gold came out. Sure, Ruby/Saphire/Emerald/FireRed/GreenLeaf and Pearl/Diamond/Platinum introduced many new things and commodities, but did any of them have two big regions to explore? Did any of them have better pokemon than the second generation(This is a matter of taste, and in my opinion, no they don't)? With every new Pokemon generation, you get more ZigZagoons and the value of legendary pokemon diminishes(Seriously, there's like 30 legendaries now).
Regardless, I'm here to talk about what makes Heart Gold so awesome, and that I will. For starters, Pokemon Gold in it's entirety is here, looking better than never. All the commodities that the games after Gold introduced are added. And, for the first time since Yellow, you can have a Pokemon follow you around. This is the only Generation to include two regions, and if you grew up with Pokemon, there's the whole Nostalgia factor of seeing it again. Heck, it also worked for Pokemon Gold, going back to see what happened to the world you had explored in Red/Blue/Yellow!
If you ever liked Pokemon, or had a passing interest in it, this is the game to play.
Number #6: No More Heroes(Nintendo Wii and PS3, X360) / No More Heroes 2(Nintendo Wii)
I remember reading about this game even before I had a Wii, but I didn't really care about it, seems it was touted as the next big Wii game or something, and it had fairly divisive reviews. Eventually, I bought it and I played it... and I fell in love with it. Never had I played a game with so much personality. Every boss had an introductory secuence and a death secuence, and in just a couple of minutes, the game managed to make each one very memorable. And the main character, Travis? He is my favorite video-game character of all time, from his look to the fantastic work done by Robin Atkin Downes as his voice actor. This game just oozes style everywhere.
It also got a Sequel and... I loved it as much as the first one. To be fair, No More Heroes 2 lost a bit of it's personality, the bosses are not as memorable(Not to say they are not, but I'm comparing it to the first NMH) but the gameplay got better. Heck, even the graphics got better, probably one of the best looking Wii games. I really couldn't pick one above the other, sure No More Heroes 2 lacks some of the style and personality( The game has so much of it that I just can't stop saying the word) the first one had, but it feels much better, as a game, it's better.
Eventually, the first game was ported to the HD consoles, alongside some of the bosses from the second game and... I'd pick the Wii version over them. As incredible as it sounds, the motion controls on NMH feel very responsive and satisfying, while the analog sticks on the PS3 didn't feel as such. And while NMH Wii had slowdown... the HD port has it too, and it's simply inexcusable here, the game doesn't even look that good. Oh, and they gave Travis abs. Travis is a nerd, he doesn't have abs. Unforgivable.
Number #5: Dungeon Siege 1(PC)/ Dungeon Siege 2(PC)
Since I let NMH 1 and 2 take the same spot, I just had to make another exception for Dungeon Siege. So, without further ado, here's my story with Dungeon Siege. So I was young, and I saw this cover with a redhead holding a flaming sword and I said "I need to play this" so I bought it. This was the second RPG I ever played online and did I have adventures. I hold many memories of Dungeon Siege 1, I've played it a dozen of times, and I tried to replay it last year before the bugs, due to it's conflict with Windows 7, made me abandon the game. Sad times. But what sets it apart from other hack and slashes? The same thing I love so much about Half Life 2, you are always moving forwards. Sure, you can go back, but enemies don't respawn. There's no central Hub, there's nothing, it's an epic adventure to stop the Krugs.
Dungeon Siege 2, just like No More Heroes 2, is a better game. They polished up the engine, made it prettier, added new weapons, new companion times, new spells and added special skills. It's a much better game... however, now it's just another Diablo 2 clone. The towns, one per chapter, act as hubs, and every time you reload your game, everything respawns. DS 2 is a better game, but it lost DS 1's personality... still, I had a blast playing it, and that's what matters.
There's a PSP game, that I haven't played, and a third game, which I own but have yet to play. I did play the demo, and I liked it a lot, but I felt it was a Dungeon Siege game in name only. Still, they made a reference to the mules, so you gotta give'em points for trying.
Number #4: Tekken Tag Tournament 2(Playstation 3 and X360, WiiU)
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The most recent game on the list, and the only fighting game(And I call myself a Fighting Game Lover!) featured here. Tekken Tag 2 is the ultimate Tekken game. My story with Tekken is a bit... odd. The first Tekken game was 2, and I didn't even know it was Tekken, I just knew it as "that arcade game with the guy that has the head of a tiger((It's a leopard, by the by)) and the robot with the hat" and I never payed much attention to it. Then I played Tekken 3, and it was one of the reasons I decided to ditch Nintendo, and instead to upgrading to a Gamecube, I jumped ship to the Playstation 2. I loved both Tag and Tekken 4, but since my PS2 was KIA, I never got to play 5 until much later. By the time I played 5, 6 was already out, but I only had a PS2. I didn't really like it too much, so I never cared much about it. Fast forward a couple of years later, a friend got a 360 and I played Tekken 6, and suddenly my love for the series returned, Tekken 6 was the reason I decided to get a next gen console.
Tekken Tag 2 is the culmination of everything that is and was good about the series. Almost every character that appeared in the games is here, with rare exceptions( And they would've been clones anyways). It's also the second game to have tag mechanics in more than 10 years since Tekken Tag 1. And, hate the tag mechanics? You can play as one versus two. Or one versus one. This game has it all. And I'm not even mentioning the stuff that is a given on any Tekken game, the great character designs and their incredibly long movelists. The graphics are great, with each character having it's own unique musculature. There's also the tried and true gameplay that has been forged through over 7 iterations of the series....
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is, quite likely, the best Fighting Game that came out of this generation, and I doubt it'll be topped any time soon.
Number #3: Super Mario Bros.(Gameboy Color and virtually every Nintendo console has it in some shape or form)
I'm pretty sure this is the first game I've ever played, but seeing how I was about 3 and we had many of those bootleg 400-in-1 carts, I could be wrong. Super Mario Bros is a timeless classic, it doesn't matter how old it grows, it will never be obsolete. There's something elegant to the simplicity of it's premise and controls, this game comes from simpler times, and it's fun in it's purest form. To this day, at least for me, the game keeps being as fun as it was 20 years ago, and at this point, I seriously doubt I'll ever grow tired of it.
As for why I picked GBC version, I feel it has the most content. Sure, I could've gone with All-Star Super Mario Bros+Mario World, but seeing how I never really owned it, I'm going to go with the version I actually own. Super Mario Bros Color has extra features, like racing against boo, or 3 hidden red coins on each level. Super Mario Bros 2(AKA The Lost levels) are also included, so really, what's to hate about it? Oh yeah, the screen was compromised, since the GBC's screen was a wee bit too small, but it never bothered me.
Number #2: Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4(Playstation 2 and Playstation Vita)
This was my introduction into the Shin Megami Tensei series, and what an introduction it was. Confession time, I got so hooked into it, that I would actually lock myself in my room, close all curtains and turn off every light source in order to better enjoy the game. I would actually tell my friends that I was "Busy" or "couldn't go out due to X reason" in order to play this game. I soaked in a good 80+ hours in my first run, and I enjoyed every last one of them.
What made it so good? The setting. The believable characters. The mechanics. The presentation. Everything. Unlike other JRPGs, this one was set in a highschool. Every character in the main cast, heck, some of the minor characters too, got a lot of developement, and they were very believable, they made sense. And the mechanics? Brilliant. The One More was a fantastic idea, which I later found out was borrowed from Shin Megami Tensei 3(And Digital Devil Saga too). Then there was the presentation, from the JPopish music, to the bright colors everywhere, the game was very loud, in a good way.
For a time, this was my favorite game ever, until I replayed Number 1 and realized that, nope, I liked number 1 a tiny bit better...
Number #1: Final Fantasy VII(Playstation and PC, PS3)
Was there any doubt? I mean, seriously. I've mentioned my love for this game time and time again. I've mentioned my story with the game time and time again. So I'm just gonna leave some closing words here.
Final Fantasy VII is a game that I know almost by heart. I can recognize almost every song, I know almost every step in the game from memory, few secrets escape me. Last year, after I finished the game, for many days there after, I'd think to myself "Ah, I'll play some FF7 now" only to remember, and disappoint myself, that I had already finished it.
I adore Final Fantasy VII.
no room for them. Eternal despair.
Honorable Mention #1: Zone of the Enders 2(Playstation 2, ZoE HD Collection on PS3/X360)
Honorable Mention #2: Gundam Extreme VS(Playstation 3)
Honorable Mention #3: Resident Evil 4(Nintendo Wii, also on PS2, PS3, X360, PC, GC)
Honorable Mention #4: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne(Playstation 2)
And now that that is out of the way, onwards with the list!
Number #10: Orcs And Elves(Nintendo DS also on Mobile Phones)
I bought the DS version at launch, and never regreted it. While I played and finished the mobile version way more times, it's due to it's more "I take my cellphone everywhere" nature, I finished the DS version loads of times on all difficulties.If I were to choose between versions, I'd go with the DS version anytime. Everything that made the original so good is here(Even the save anywhere anytime feature) but with better graphics(way better) and more content, it's a no brainer. It also had a sequel on mobile phones, and I also played it many times, however, making it work on my phone was a bit of a pain in the butt, so I never grew as attached to it as I did with the first one.
Number #9: Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga(Playstation 2)
Part 2 takes off right after the first game ended, and provides characters with incredible moments of badassery and tearjerker scenes. It's, emotionally, a much stronger game, but I kinda missed the world from the first game. Also, I felt the last parts of the game got a little too insane, but it hardly blemishes this fantastic game. The second part also rebalanced all the skills, so you can't cheap out the extremely hard optional bosses like you could on the first game, heck, even the main game is more challenging.
Digital Devil Saga is highly recomendable as a whole, but no part should be played without the other!
Number #8: Half-Life 2(PC also on PS3, X360)
To be fair, I was never an Alyx fan or whatever, I just loved the game. The weapons, the setting, the gameplay, everything felt so good, I still have fond memories of bringing down the barriers that cut your way through the water. And the Magnum? My favorite weapon in an FPS, heck, it made me favor the Magnum in every other game I play. And who can forget the beginning of the game, when you are unarmed and must escape from the guards? The fact that the game never takes you away from Gordon's eyes helps get you invested in the game, even when the NPCs are talking and you've nothing to do but wait until they are finished, but hey, you can run around and throw things at them while they run their mouths. The game started with a bang and it only got better.
Number 7: Pokemon HeartGold(Nintendo DS also on GB/GBC as Pokemon Gold)
Regardless, I'm here to talk about what makes Heart Gold so awesome, and that I will. For starters, Pokemon Gold in it's entirety is here, looking better than never. All the commodities that the games after Gold introduced are added. And, for the first time since Yellow, you can have a Pokemon follow you around. This is the only Generation to include two regions, and if you grew up with Pokemon, there's the whole Nostalgia factor of seeing it again. Heck, it also worked for Pokemon Gold, going back to see what happened to the world you had explored in Red/Blue/Yellow!
If you ever liked Pokemon, or had a passing interest in it, this is the game to play.
Number #6: No More Heroes(Nintendo Wii and PS3, X360) / No More Heroes 2(Nintendo Wii)
It also got a Sequel and... I loved it as much as the first one. To be fair, No More Heroes 2 lost a bit of it's personality, the bosses are not as memorable(Not to say they are not, but I'm comparing it to the first NMH) but the gameplay got better. Heck, even the graphics got better, probably one of the best looking Wii games. I really couldn't pick one above the other, sure No More Heroes 2 lacks some of the style and personality( The game has so much of it that I just can't stop saying the word) the first one had, but it feels much better, as a game, it's better.
Eventually, the first game was ported to the HD consoles, alongside some of the bosses from the second game and... I'd pick the Wii version over them. As incredible as it sounds, the motion controls on NMH feel very responsive and satisfying, while the analog sticks on the PS3 didn't feel as such. And while NMH Wii had slowdown... the HD port has it too, and it's simply inexcusable here, the game doesn't even look that good. Oh, and they gave Travis abs. Travis is a nerd, he doesn't have abs. Unforgivable.
Number #5: Dungeon Siege 1(PC)/ Dungeon Siege 2(PC)
Dungeon Siege 2, just like No More Heroes 2, is a better game. They polished up the engine, made it prettier, added new weapons, new companion times, new spells and added special skills. It's a much better game... however, now it's just another Diablo 2 clone. The towns, one per chapter, act as hubs, and every time you reload your game, everything respawns. DS 2 is a better game, but it lost DS 1's personality... still, I had a blast playing it, and that's what matters.
There's a PSP game, that I haven't played, and a third game, which I own but have yet to play. I did play the demo, and I liked it a lot, but I felt it was a Dungeon Siege game in name only. Still, they made a reference to the mules, so you gotta give'em points for trying.
Number #4: Tekken Tag Tournament 2(Playstation 3 and X360, WiiU)
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Tekken Tag 2 is the culmination of everything that is and was good about the series. Almost every character that appeared in the games is here, with rare exceptions( And they would've been clones anyways). It's also the second game to have tag mechanics in more than 10 years since Tekken Tag 1. And, hate the tag mechanics? You can play as one versus two. Or one versus one. This game has it all. And I'm not even mentioning the stuff that is a given on any Tekken game, the great character designs and their incredibly long movelists. The graphics are great, with each character having it's own unique musculature. There's also the tried and true gameplay that has been forged through over 7 iterations of the series....
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is, quite likely, the best Fighting Game that came out of this generation, and I doubt it'll be topped any time soon.
Number #3: Super Mario Bros.(Gameboy Color and virtually every Nintendo console has it in some shape or form)
As for why I picked GBC version, I feel it has the most content. Sure, I could've gone with All-Star Super Mario Bros+Mario World, but seeing how I never really owned it, I'm going to go with the version I actually own. Super Mario Bros Color has extra features, like racing against boo, or 3 hidden red coins on each level. Super Mario Bros 2(AKA The Lost levels) are also included, so really, what's to hate about it? Oh yeah, the screen was compromised, since the GBC's screen was a wee bit too small, but it never bothered me.
Number #2: Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4(Playstation 2 and Playstation Vita)
What made it so good? The setting. The believable characters. The mechanics. The presentation. Everything. Unlike other JRPGs, this one was set in a highschool. Every character in the main cast, heck, some of the minor characters too, got a lot of developement, and they were very believable, they made sense. And the mechanics? Brilliant. The One More was a fantastic idea, which I later found out was borrowed from Shin Megami Tensei 3(And Digital Devil Saga too). Then there was the presentation, from the JPopish music, to the bright colors everywhere, the game was very loud, in a good way.
For a time, this was my favorite game ever, until I replayed Number 1 and realized that, nope, I liked number 1 a tiny bit better...
Number #1: Final Fantasy VII(Playstation and PC, PS3)
Final Fantasy VII is a game that I know almost by heart. I can recognize almost every song, I know almost every step in the game from memory, few secrets escape me. Last year, after I finished the game, for many days there after, I'd think to myself "Ah, I'll play some FF7 now" only to remember, and disappoint myself, that I had already finished it.
I adore Final Fantasy VII.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
"First" Archimpressions: The Legend of Dragoon
I liked it more than I remembered liking it. Actually, I think I liked it more than I thought I did.
I'm almost 3 hours in(2:57), with Dart at level 7 and both Lavitz and Shana at 6 and about to enter Indels Catle at Bale's. It's... fun, the additions system is interesting, but I feel it may make grinding a bit of a pain later on, since for optimal damage output, your brain's going to have to be on all the time.
Things I like? You start with small number. You start at level 1, with 60 HP and deal less than 10 damage per attack. That's cool. Few RPGs work with the full spectrum of numbers, often times starting you at level 5 to 7, and with hundreds of HP. I also dig how the game starts with a bang, no silly caves or forests, oh no, the first dungeon of the game is a Prison Escape.
Things I dislike? Limited item capacity. The worst part, is that you won't even know what's inside the chests, a simple "Inventory is full" prompt will pop up and that's it. You have to discard something and hope that whatever is inside is better. Not cool. Another thing I dislike, but haven't encountered yet(But I remember it!) is how in order to backtrack you have to traverse the whole dungeons again, if they stand in your way. And the game will have you backtracking, I remember it so.
Ah well, so far it seems like a pretty decent game.
Things I like? You start with small number. You start at level 1, with 60 HP and deal less than 10 damage per attack. That's cool. Few RPGs work with the full spectrum of numbers, often times starting you at level 5 to 7, and with hundreds of HP. I also dig how the game starts with a bang, no silly caves or forests, oh no, the first dungeon of the game is a Prison Escape.
Things I dislike? Limited item capacity. The worst part, is that you won't even know what's inside the chests, a simple "Inventory is full" prompt will pop up and that's it. You have to discard something and hope that whatever is inside is better. Not cool. Another thing I dislike, but haven't encountered yet(But I remember it!) is how in order to backtrack you have to traverse the whole dungeons again, if they stand in your way. And the game will have you backtracking, I remember it so.
Ah well, so far it seems like a pretty decent game.
Archview #35: Rival Schools
Moero Moero MOEEEROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Played on: PS1 game played on a PS2
Rival Schools is a 2-disc, 3D 2 on 2 fighting game in which you pick a team of highschool students(Or teachers. Or one of each.) and are tasked with finding out the mistery of the disappearanced. Obviously, this being a fighting game, the only way you are going to find out anything is by punching the living hell out of everyone in the most badass way possible. Interestingly, there is no tagging mechanic, but you can change to your partner character, if you want, after every round and there's a team up attack(Each character has his/her own unique team up move) too.
Unlike most Capcom fighting games, there's only four buttons at play here: Weak Punch, Strong Punch, Weak Kick and Strong Kick. Obviously, there's your assortment of Special and Super moves for each character. By double tapping forward you can dash, and double tapping back you get a small backdash. Throws are done by pressing both punch buttons, and you can even grab crouching opponents! You can dodge moves by pressing both kick buttons, time it right and it gets you right on your enemy's back. This is a very fast paced game, it has it's own physics which give certain weight to the characters and it feels awesome, heck, air and ground recovies, while being a shared animation among all characters, looks incredible, and it borrows a lot from the Marvel VS Capcom series, you launch your opponent into the air by pressing diagonal forward and down+SP or SK(Depends on the character, just like MvC!). Lastly, by using two energy bars and pressing a punch and kick button, you can use the Team Up attack, if you land it, you call upon your partner and execute the move.
As mentioned before, it is a 2-disc game. The first disc, dubbed the Arcade Disc, touts itself as being an Arcade perfect convertion of the game. This disc has three Play modes, Arcade mode, Versus(2P only) and Training. In Arcade Mode, if you pick two characters from the same school, you actually get voiced dialogue before and after every fight that help tell the story of said school, voices are in japanese, but the dialogue is kinda interesting. Each character also gets two ending, both voiced unlike the Arcade Version.
The Evolution Disc is a more multiplayer friendly disc. The Booklet mentions that it has been "adjusted for optimum balance" but I didn't notice any different property on the moves. Training mode is gone, but Versus Mode and Arcade mode remains, however, all dialogue in the Arcade Mode is now gone, and while the endings are still here, they are not voiced, but there are two new animated endings that play every time you beat the game and they are pretty decent. This Disc includes many modes like Group Battle(2 Player only), League Battle(Team vs Teams on a round robin format), Tournament battle, Cooperate Battle(2 Player only, each character takes control of each character of the team) and finally, Lesson Mode, which is a 1 Player tutorial of sorts. Finally, this disc has many extras, each female(But Akira and Sakura) gets a new costume(Costume, not pallette), there are four minigames and 24 "Students"(Generic characters that borrow moves from the main cast) to unlock.
Graphically, characters are extremely blocky, although a bit charming, but they have a lot of personality, hands are huge(Like the official art) and the faces are pretty expresive in spite of being so simple. Regardless, the official art by Edayan is amazing and is easily 50% of what makes the cast of Rival Schools so appealing, they are all school stereotypes, you have the Delinquent, the Jock, The Cheerleader and so on. Voice Acting is amazing, albeit in japanese, further making each character stand out from the others. The music is pretty upbeat and lends itself to the action niceley, and the SFX are very Capcomish. If you've played other Capcom games from the era, you know what I mean.
Rival Schools is the Bancho of all fighting games, it may not be the best fighting game, nor prettiest, but it has so much soul pourn into it, from the characters to the setting. Sadly, it was probably a bit too japanese, and therefore fell off people's radars... which is a shame, Rival Schools needs to Return!
9 out of 10.
Rival Schools is a 2-disc, 3D 2 on 2 fighting game in which you pick a team of highschool students(Or teachers. Or one of each.) and are tasked with finding out the mistery of the disappearanced. Obviously, this being a fighting game, the only way you are going to find out anything is by punching the living hell out of everyone in the most badass way possible. Interestingly, there is no tagging mechanic, but you can change to your partner character, if you want, after every round and there's a team up attack(Each character has his/her own unique team up move) too.
Unlike most Capcom fighting games, there's only four buttons at play here: Weak Punch, Strong Punch, Weak Kick and Strong Kick. Obviously, there's your assortment of Special and Super moves for each character. By double tapping forward you can dash, and double tapping back you get a small backdash. Throws are done by pressing both punch buttons, and you can even grab crouching opponents! You can dodge moves by pressing both kick buttons, time it right and it gets you right on your enemy's back. This is a very fast paced game, it has it's own physics which give certain weight to the characters and it feels awesome, heck, air and ground recovies, while being a shared animation among all characters, looks incredible, and it borrows a lot from the Marvel VS Capcom series, you launch your opponent into the air by pressing diagonal forward and down+SP or SK(Depends on the character, just like MvC!). Lastly, by using two energy bars and pressing a punch and kick button, you can use the Team Up attack, if you land it, you call upon your partner and execute the move.
The Evolution Disc is a more multiplayer friendly disc. The Booklet mentions that it has been "adjusted for optimum balance" but I didn't notice any different property on the moves. Training mode is gone, but Versus Mode and Arcade mode remains, however, all dialogue in the Arcade Mode is now gone, and while the endings are still here, they are not voiced, but there are two new animated endings that play every time you beat the game and they are pretty decent. This Disc includes many modes like Group Battle(2 Player only), League Battle(Team vs Teams on a round robin format), Tournament battle, Cooperate Battle(2 Player only, each character takes control of each character of the team) and finally, Lesson Mode, which is a 1 Player tutorial of sorts. Finally, this disc has many extras, each female(But Akira and Sakura) gets a new costume(Costume, not pallette), there are four minigames and 24 "Students"(Generic characters that borrow moves from the main cast) to unlock.
Rival Schools is the Bancho of all fighting games, it may not be the best fighting game, nor prettiest, but it has so much soul pourn into it, from the characters to the setting. Sadly, it was probably a bit too japanese, and therefore fell off people's radars... which is a shame, Rival Schools needs to Return!
9 out of 10.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Archview #34: State of Emergency
Viva la revolution.
Played on: PS2
State of Emergency, even though it has the Rockstar Games logo, was developed by VIS, but many suckers bought it thinking it came from GTA III's daddy. This led many to disappointment, not me though, not back then at least. In this arcadey action game you play as 1 of 5 identical(Minus the appearance) characters, taking part of Freedom a rebel group that fights for... freedom against the evil corporation known as... The Corporation. Yeah, the game's sense of humor is similar to that of GTA.
There are two different modes, Chaos and Revolution. Chaos is a very arcade-like mode, with focus on points, while Revolution has a bit of story as you free the city from the Corporation by taking missions from NPCs. In both modes you have the same 4 medium sized areas, but they are not too different from each other, nor memorable in the least. Stages are filled with running citizens, it is a state of emergency after all, that do nothing but run and the Corporation enforcers. There are also many pieces of furniture that can be used as weapons, such as benches, and on Chaos Mode, there are a multitude of weapon spawn points through each stage.
Of those two modes, Chaos is the most fun, you can pick from: Kaos(Start with three minutes, killing enforcers or time pick ups gives you extra time), fixed 3 minutes, fixed 5 minutes, Last Clone Standing(Hundreds of harmless clones run amok the stage and you must off them), Timed Last Clone Standing and Unlimited time. In this mode, every now and then small missions will pop up, like "Destroy X building" or "Kill X NPC" which grant you even more points, and certain events like "Murderous citizens" or "Corporation Riot Control Squad" will pop up, it's a very frantic and arcadey mode. It's no surprise that this is the mode highlighted whenever you boot up the game, as it's the most fun.
Revolution Mode on the other hand... There are about 50 missions per stage, but they are very repetitive. Most of them consist of escort missions or protection missions. Both kind can get very frustrating, as you are usually to protect an unarmed ally, few times do NPCs give you weapons(And there are no weapon spawn points in this mode) agains many armed enemies. There's also the fact that some missions, specially the "Follow" missions tend to get bugged. If you have to follow an enforcer NPC and there's a fight close by, there's a high chance they will get involved, die, and the game will say "You killed X before he bla bla" when you did nothing wrong! Needless to say, many missions feel like a matter of luck whether you succeed or not.
Even worse, the controls are passable at best. Y'see, there's no real targeting. You can strafe by holding L1 or R1 or aim to the sides by holding R2 or L2, but it's not precise, there's no targeting reticule, no feedback of where your shots are going to go. Even worse, to hit a downed enemy you must press Punch or Kick while being above them, but sometimes you'll hit the air. And sometimes, when fighting a mob, your character might, out of the blue, start hitting a downed corpse as you get hit. Even worse, every now and then the camera will do a 180 turn when you least need it to. It's a rare ocurrance, but it happens.
The presentation is also bad, but supposedly, it was a budget game. Regardless, characters models are very simple, NPCs rarely have more textures than their faces. On the bright side, thanks to it, there can be hundreds of NPCs on screen, still, every now and then there is slowdown. The few voiceacting there is is but serviceable, and the music is quite forgettable. As for unlockables, nothing much, 3 out of the 5 characters and most of the submodes in Chaos Mode must be unlocked.
State of Emergency is not a good game, but it's not too bad either. Chaos Mode can actually be kinda fun, when the controls are not messing with you.
5 out of 10
State of Emergency, even though it has the Rockstar Games logo, was developed by VIS, but many suckers bought it thinking it came from GTA III's daddy. This led many to disappointment, not me though, not back then at least. In this arcadey action game you play as 1 of 5 identical(Minus the appearance) characters, taking part of Freedom a rebel group that fights for... freedom against the evil corporation known as... The Corporation. Yeah, the game's sense of humor is similar to that of GTA.
There are two different modes, Chaos and Revolution. Chaos is a very arcade-like mode, with focus on points, while Revolution has a bit of story as you free the city from the Corporation by taking missions from NPCs. In both modes you have the same 4 medium sized areas, but they are not too different from each other, nor memorable in the least. Stages are filled with running citizens, it is a state of emergency after all, that do nothing but run and the Corporation enforcers. There are also many pieces of furniture that can be used as weapons, such as benches, and on Chaos Mode, there are a multitude of weapon spawn points through each stage.
Revolution Mode on the other hand... There are about 50 missions per stage, but they are very repetitive. Most of them consist of escort missions or protection missions. Both kind can get very frustrating, as you are usually to protect an unarmed ally, few times do NPCs give you weapons(And there are no weapon spawn points in this mode) agains many armed enemies. There's also the fact that some missions, specially the "Follow" missions tend to get bugged. If you have to follow an enforcer NPC and there's a fight close by, there's a high chance they will get involved, die, and the game will say "You killed X before he bla bla" when you did nothing wrong! Needless to say, many missions feel like a matter of luck whether you succeed or not.
The presentation is also bad, but supposedly, it was a budget game. Regardless, characters models are very simple, NPCs rarely have more textures than their faces. On the bright side, thanks to it, there can be hundreds of NPCs on screen, still, every now and then there is slowdown. The few voiceacting there is is but serviceable, and the music is quite forgettable. As for unlockables, nothing much, 3 out of the 5 characters and most of the submodes in Chaos Mode must be unlocked.
State of Emergency is not a good game, but it's not too bad either. Chaos Mode can actually be kinda fun, when the controls are not messing with you.
5 out of 10
Monday, June 17, 2013
Progress Report 6/17/2013
Status:
Rival Schools: I'm playing through the Arcade Mode, getting both good and bad endings for all characters. I love the story mode and how they made it. So far, Batsu, Hinata, Kyosuke, Hyo, Raizo, Sakura, Akira(Helmetless), Hayato and Daigo done. Also, I played the evolution disc for kicks and finished it with Batsu, not that it matters.
State of Emergency: I'm halfway through revolution mode, gonna do the third stage in a few minutes. I will probably finish this one this week
Justice League Heroes: Well, I might have to replay it later, since I'm playing it co-op with my sister, it means we are skipping cutscenes and paying no attention to other stuff. I know the characters are talking, we make fun of what they say, but I'm not paying attention to the delivery nor anything! It also means that it could take a while before I finish it...
Next gamez: SMT: Devil Survivor 2, I swear I'm gonna finish you one of these days! I'll play The Legend of Dragoon after I'm done with either Rival Schools or State of Emergency.
State of Emergency: I'm halfway through revolution mode, gonna do the third stage in a few minutes. I will probably finish this one this week
Justice League Heroes: Well, I might have to replay it later, since I'm playing it co-op with my sister, it means we are skipping cutscenes and paying no attention to other stuff. I know the characters are talking, we make fun of what they say, but I'm not paying attention to the delivery nor anything! It also means that it could take a while before I finish it...
Next gamez: SMT: Devil Survivor 2, I swear I'm gonna finish you one of these days! I'll play The Legend of Dragoon after I'm done with either Rival Schools or State of Emergency.
First Archimpressions: Tekken Revolution
I'm so doing this.
First things first, the Theme Song is amazing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KeKGVpMJnI, you're welcome. Second of all, what is Tekken Revolution? A free to play online game.
The first question that popped into my mind, as I saw the trailer, was "Why do I want this if I have Tag 2?". After playing it, the same question remains. Almost 90% of the assets are from TTT2, even the menus look familiar. Character models are almost the same, I've seen some sort of cell-shading on screenshots, but I guess you need an HD TV to notice them( I could see some very thin lines, I think, but you have to search for them). I think Asuka actually has a different face.... Anyways, stages look the same as TTT2, but they have new lightin effects, not enough to feel different though.
So, what's the difference between this game and TTT2? You only have 6 characters(At the moment) to pick, and some are unlockable by amassing points. The tag and bound mechanics are gone, instead, there are new unblockable and special moves, and they look fantastic. I only played Lars, and most of them are older existing moves, but they have some amazing FX that makes them look powerful and pretty. Are the new mechanics better? As a matter of fact, I like them, they make the game more approachable, due to their usefulness(Plus, characters with alternate stances are nowhere to be seen, dunno if Kazuya kept the Demon transformation, guess I oughta check!) plus, the effects are pure eye candy.
Negatives? You enhance your character. So that will give unfair advantages to higher level players. Also, you can't play as much as you want. Arcade mode is governed by Arcade coins, up to 2 of them, and you get a new one every hour. Player matches consume Tickets, and they too refresh every now and then(And you get new ones by clearin arcade mode). And you there's no offline Multiplayer, plus, you can't play offline, not even Arcade mode.
So, first impressions? I like the new special moves. I like the new lighting effects, makes the game a whole lot more colorful. I don't like the online requirement and the limitation on play time.
The first question that popped into my mind, as I saw the trailer, was "Why do I want this if I have Tag 2?". After playing it, the same question remains. Almost 90% of the assets are from TTT2, even the menus look familiar. Character models are almost the same, I've seen some sort of cell-shading on screenshots, but I guess you need an HD TV to notice them( I could see some very thin lines, I think, but you have to search for them). I think Asuka actually has a different face.... Anyways, stages look the same as TTT2, but they have new lightin effects, not enough to feel different though.
So, what's the difference between this game and TTT2? You only have 6 characters(At the moment) to pick, and some are unlockable by amassing points. The tag and bound mechanics are gone, instead, there are new unblockable and special moves, and they look fantastic. I only played Lars, and most of them are older existing moves, but they have some amazing FX that makes them look powerful and pretty. Are the new mechanics better? As a matter of fact, I like them, they make the game more approachable, due to their usefulness(Plus, characters with alternate stances are nowhere to be seen, dunno if Kazuya kept the Demon transformation, guess I oughta check!) plus, the effects are pure eye candy.
Negatives? You enhance your character. So that will give unfair advantages to higher level players. Also, you can't play as much as you want. Arcade mode is governed by Arcade coins, up to 2 of them, and you get a new one every hour. Player matches consume Tickets, and they too refresh every now and then(And you get new ones by clearin arcade mode). And you there's no offline Multiplayer, plus, you can't play offline, not even Arcade mode.
So, first impressions? I like the new special moves. I like the new lighting effects, makes the game a whole lot more colorful. I don't like the online requirement and the limitation on play time.
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