Month Overview: March

Games completed in March:
 Little Big Planet(PSP)                                                                                       5.0
 Mimana: Iyar Chronicle                                                                                     3.0
 Shinobi                                                                                                             8.0
 Kirby's Return to Dreamland                                                                             7.0
 Tales of VS                                                                                                      6.5
 Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy                                                                                9.0
 Tales of Destiny II                                                                                             7.5
 Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS - Full Boost                                                   9.5

Overview:
 College has started, which means less gaming time, yay? Let's see, I played three PSP games this month, and logged about 60 hours in Dissidia, and still not done with all the post-game! Gundam Extreme VS Full Boost, a game I've been anticipating for about 2 years, I kid you not, I'd visit the GameFaqs boards and the community boards for this game every single day just for any news regarding new units for Full Boost or a Console port. And hey, I'm doing the same for Maxi Boost now!

Game of March:

 Was there any surprise? I've been in love with the series ever since Federation VS Zeon, it's like these games are tailor-made for me! What else can I say? If it only had a more robust single player offering, I could've easily given it a 10, y'see, while it is a better game than vanilla Extreme VS in almost every single way, comparing the previous' Mission Mode against this one and seeing just how lazy the DLC units are when, once again, compared to vanilla's DLC, kinda makes you wonder if they couldn't have done more? They also took their sweet time porting it, and the Online pass is bullsh!t... But as annoying as those things are, the core game is just so darn fantastic!

Runner-up:

 Not gonna lie, I knew Dissidia was gonna be great. Some things did take me by surprise, and I'm not totally OK with having to equip my characters with stuff in order to keep up with the opposition, but after I put my "I WANT A TRADITIONAL FIGHTER, WITH DEFINED MOVESETS AND SKILL DOING ALL THE TALK" behind, I could enjoy the game. The fact that I logged over 60 hours in about 15 days is proof to that.

Review #106: Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS - Full Boost

 "Kamille's a man's name, and I'm a man!"

  Finally, after two years of waiting, the sequel to one of my favorite games of the last generation arrived(And the sequel to this sequel got announced at the same time the PS3 port was announced, fun!). The sequel boasts tweaks to the 60+ returning cast, over 30 new mobile suits(20 if you bought the DLC from the previous game) for a total of 97(Not counting DLC), and a revamped system, but does it completely over shadow its prequel?

 Extreme VS is an Arcade Game through and through, there's no real story to it, but it doesn't need one, and it's the kind of game that you can just pick up and play, even though mastering its nuances, like properly managing your boost gauge to make the most out of your movement will take a while. The game boils down to a two on two arena fighting game, though that's selling it a bit short. There's a 6000 point gauge for each team, and you pick from 90+ units with different costs(1000, 2000, 2500 and 3000), where dying deducts from the 6000 point gauge, your objective? Drop your opponent's gauge to 0.

 You get four buttons: Boost(Used to jump or dash), Beam Rifle/Projectile, Beam Saber/Melee and change lock on. The change lock on button changes who your target is. The other three are pretty self explanatory, but certain mobile suits have up to three other sub weapon gauges(Sometimes there are more than one sub weapon for a single gauge) that are used by mixing either of the other three buttons, and sometimes they get different moves that need charging either the Projectile or Melee button. Most weapons have ammo counts that recharge either by swapping the weapons cartridge, through time or only start recharging after the ammo counts goes to 0. Boost also has its own Gauge, so you have to be mindful not to enter "overheat", which means breaking to a stop wherever you are, and having to wait about a second for the gauge to fully recharge. Resource management is the name of the game. There's a secondary Gauge, the Burst gauge, that increases as you take and deal damage, you can either pull a Half Burst, when the gauge is at 50%, or a Full Burst when it's at 100% that lasts longer and gives better bonuses(Plus, can be activated while taking damage), by pressing the three buttons at the same time. The previous game had  a single Burst Mode, but now you get to choose Assault Burst or Blast Burst, the former favoring rush-in units, while the latter helps units that prefer to fight at a distance.

 Arcade Mode got completely revamped, while it plays just like vanilla Extreme VS did, all routes are different now. There are five routes with 8 stages each, plus, alternate, harder unlockable EX stages. Arcade Mode can be played in Single Player or Multiplayer, both on-line and off-line. Off-line means split screen, which tends to have some framerate issues, not as bad as the previous game though! I also experienced a couple of instances of slowdown in Single Player, but these cases were very rare, and only when a lot of stuff was going on at the same time. Mission Mode also makes a return, but it's a shadow of its former self...

 In vanilla Extreme VS, Mission Mode gave you around 300 different missions to be played in Single Player. Out of the box, now you get 45 missions, but they've been unlocking some every now and then, and we are up to 65 at the moment. These missions tend to be much shorter than the ones before, and they tried to overcompensate the lack of missions by forcing you to play them on four different difficulty settings. Forcing? You see, in Mission Mode you can level up your mobile suit of choice, thing is, there is a level cap unless you unlock its figure, and these are unlocked by playing a certain mission at a certain difficulty(Luckily the game tells you what the price is for each difficulty setting). Another thing you have to unlock are the skills themselves, which are the stats that you can level up. So you'll be playing and replaying each missions for a while, not cool. A small, and probably worthless, bonus, is that using specific mobile suits on specific missions(If you are familiar with Gundam, you'll probably notice on your own which unit to use), which toggles special dialogue between your pilot and the enemy pilot!

 So yeah, the lack of missions is a problem, know what else is? On-line Pass. The developers gave some very lame excuses, but the thing is, in order to access any on-line mode, you need an on-line pass. Mission Mode has exclusive missions for On-line play, and know what's hilarious? You can play these with a CPU partner, but you still need to go on-line to do so, with an on-line pass. And you have to do these missions in order to unlock every upgradeable skill in Mission Mode! Very, very cheap. Another change for the worst, in the previous game you could earn upgrade points with any unit, and they went into a pool that could be spent on anyone. Now each unit earns points towards themselves, want to upgrade your partner's suit? Too bad, you have to play as it in order to earn points for it. Arcade mode? As good as before. Mission Mode? Terrible, when compared to the last game's. On-line Mode? Got better, a ton of new bells and whistles, and you can play every mode on-line now, but Off-line mode got the short end of the stick by a long shot.

 Visually, it's the same game as before, it's a very flashy and colorful game, even if some of the special effects could've been better. It's no graphical marvel, that's for sure, but it allows the game to maintain an steady pace, so I'd say it's worth it. Music... is a somewhat different selection from before, but it's overall pretty good, and no, the Premium G sound edition isn't worth it, it doesn't really add songs as much as replace the other ones. Plus, they are accessible from the disc, it's just a piece of paper with a code! As for the voice acting, every voice actor reprises their role from the anime series, pretty cool.

 As lacking as the Single Player offerings are, I'd say the game is still worth it over vanilla EX anyways. I loved playing with the newly rebalanced units, some even got new moves! The game mechanics also got a bit of an overhaul, the game does feel different. And I had fun playing with the new units, I have a new favorite! The game's focus was never Single Player Mode, not that it's an excuse for such a shallow Mission Mode when the last game's was so robust, but Mission Mode was never the go-to mode for this game and never will be.
 9.5 out of 10.

Gundam Extreme VS Full Boost Impressions Final(12) Part!

Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash

NEW Xi Gundam

 Has a Gerobi beam, Rockets that track(They basically work just like funnels, they track, stop on a stop and then fall down on the enemy). The tracking on the normal Beam Rifle is pretty weak, but two missiles go out whenever you shoot! Lastly, it has a sub weapon that enhances its dash. Alright unit, I don't see myself playing it again though!

Gundam Seed Astray

Gundam Astray Red Frame

  It has more HP, and received a fair amount of tweaks, and a couple of new moves, including one where he throws a giant Katana while in Burst Mode!. It has a very low amount of tools, but it is a close range specialist, plus, Burst Mode turns it into Powered Mode. I love playing as this one, even if I don't find it very useful.

Gundam Astray Blue Frame 2nd L

 It has 20 more HP, just like Red Frame, and a couple of small buffs here and there. Its basic melee consists of it attacking with it knives, very low range, but it can actually use its massive sword to deal loads of damage, at the cost of it having a very slow start up. It's actually pretty fun to use, after you get the hang of it!

NEW Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu

 Looks impossibly badass! It has an invisible dash(Pressing Shoot makes it jump and you can then follow up with a melee combo). It can also sap HP(20-30 HP), which is pretty cool. It has an Stun Shot an a Stun Cable, but all of its ranged tools are pretty weak. Still, I had fun using it, and it looks so badass.

Gundam EXA

Gundam Extreme Type-Leos General:
 All Extreme versions share these traits: Firstly, they start in the very weak Phase 1, it's the same for all units, same weak beam gun, same beam saber combos and a AoE stun. Even though they have 500+ HP, their tools and damage output is like a 1000 cost unit. Over time a gauge increases, can be hastened by dealing or receiving damage, once it reaches 100, it enters Phase 2. Phase 3 works similarly, however, the "evolution" doesn't happen naturally, you have to activate it. Phase 2 and Phase 3 tend to be very similar, but there are subtle differences, so you may not want to go to Phase 3, Phase 3 does behave like a 3000 unit, all of them have loads of tools and very high damage output. Respawning sets you back to Phase 2 and the Gauge at 0. Lastly, all Extreme versions share the same burst Attack, not cool.

NEW Eclipse Phase

 As soon as it enters Phase 2, it loses all melee attacks, but gains missiles and dual beam rifles. Phase 3 grants it a huge Gerobi beam, a exploding ball of energy that stuns, and improved beam rifles and rockets. It also has a 1 time use Gerobi beam to the ground that produces a Nuke, just like one of the Boss' Phases.

NEW Xenon Phase

 Phase 2 turns the Beam gun into a projectile energy ball, 1 ammo, but reloads really fast, and can also be charged for a bigger, faster version. It gains stronger melee combos with a giant beam saber! Phase 3's energy balls gets bigger and stronger, but it takes longer to reload. Charging it produces a shockwave attack, like one of the Boss' Phases. Melee combos get longer, and trades the beam saber(Actually, it uses it on one or two of its strings) for fists and kicks, and an energy cloth just like Master Gundam's. It gets a new very amusing projectile where it throws and energy ball to the sky, which then shoots little energy pellets towards your target! It also gets a Beam sword sweep or stab, depending the direction you are holding.

NEW Aios Phase

 Eclipse Phase was a long range unit, and Xenon Phase was a melee unit, Aios is in-between. Phase 2 and 3 have, basically, the same moveset, but Phase 3's is better. For example, Phase 2 can shoot its funnels toward the opponent, Phase 3 can do it as well, or just place them behind it, so that they shoot when it shoots. Phase 2 gets two rounds of a rather small Gerobi beam, while Phase 3's only has 1 ammo, but it's much bigger. Lastly, Phase 3 gets to shoot "funnel barriers", like the Boss, or throw a spinning beam saber. Probably the one I liked the most!

DLCs

NEW(?) Lacus' Infinite Justice

 The perfect example of why Full Boost's DLC sucks(Or is actually good, since players don't buy "power", as in, those that can't afford them, or just don't want to, don't need to try them out to be competitive?), Lacus' Infinite Justice is exactly like Arthrun's, minus the Assist Call that was switched to Kira and the burst attack that summons Kira as well, but at a 1000 cost. This also means that it's much slower and weaker, and has less ammo. This one is a waste of a slot, at least it's free, but I still don't recommend getting it.

NEW Johnny Ridden's Zaku 2 Kai

 This one was being touted as a clone... it's not! It plays completely different from the other Zaku 2s, and is actually fun to use! It has grenades, like Bernie's Zaku 2, but he throws three at a time, and they explode as soon as they touch the ground. It has few tools, but the damage output is very high!

NEW Gundam Sentinel

 Eh, I didn't care much about this one, but it was highly requested! The only mobile suit in the game without a pilot or a voice, the devs made a bit of a big deal about it, but it isn't, though they shouldn't have placed a black outline for a pilot, it looks silly!. It's certainly a... different type of unit, that belongs at long range. Its melee is very slow and weak, although it has a hilarious grab that has it headbutting the opponent. Its overall mobility is also fairly low, although it has a Mobile Armor Mode. I don't know, I didn't like it too much, has a couple of tools that behave like the Rozen Zulu's, another unit I didn't care much for.

Gundam Extreme VS Full Boost Impressions part 11

Hildolfr

 It got a fair bit of changes on how the guns work on Tank Mode, plus, a new weapon on it. As a whole, it received a ton of nerfs everywhere. I don't really like it too much, movement is awkward, and it's kinda hard to use.

Mobile Suit Gundam Crossbone

Crossbone Gundam X-1

 Received a ton of little buffs. X-1 is a really fun unit to use, it has a badass one-time mantle(Cloth) that can shield for up to 120 in beam damage, and some pretty kick ass melee tools. It works pretty well at mid range to close-range.

Crossbone Gundam X-2

 Bumped down to 2000(Booo!), which also means the corresponding nerfs to its overall output. Just like X-1, it has a badass cloth that protects from beams, only 100 damage, but it can be taken on and off at will, plus, it regenerates after it breaks! The way it takes it off is really badass. It got a couple of buffs to the reloading of its subweapons. It's a pretty decent suit, not as fun to use as X-1, and no noteworthy melee tools, but it has plenty of mid range and long range projectiles, including a pretty decent Gerobi.

Crossbone Gundam X-1 Full Cloth

 Full Cloth was, in my opinion, the best Mobile Suit in Vanilla Extreme VS, it was really friggin' good, had a cloth beam-shield, and could buff, temporarily both its melee and or its beam crossbow. It received a couple of nerfs, noticeably, lower health, and if under cost-over, the Cloth doesn't respawn. Bummer, still real good.

NEW Crossbone Gundam X-3

 Finally we got the last, but certainly not best, Crossbone Gundam! X-3 is a pretty good all-around unit, unlike its brethen, it doesn't wear a cloth, but it has some pretty hilarious moves. It can throw burning logs of wood, it also throws some type of Mobile Armor after spinning by its tail. Finally, it has the same temprorary buff to its melee that X-3 has, and a one time nuke shot. I like it!

Mobile Suit Gundam SideStory: Blue Destiny

NEW Efreet Kai

 Eh, it's... different. For starters, very little ammo on its two projectile weapons, every shot must count! It's pretty fast for a 1000 unit, and it has a System subweapon that grants it a swift dodge towards the opponent. Its melee is pretty decent, as it should be, since it has so little ammo.

NEW Blue Destiny

 Eh, it feels a tad weak for a 2000 unit. It has a decent variety of tools in its movesets, from missiles that allow from set upping, to a jump-slide type move. Its melee, however, is incredibly weak and slow... until you enter Burst, where it suddenly gets a completely different, and way stronger, melee moveset.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Beltorchika's Children

Hi-Nu Gundam

 Even though this one always scores lower on Tier Lists than Nu Gundam, I've always preferred it much more. Why? The Funnels can be placed behind Hi-Nu, so that they shoot when it shoots, instead of just being able to send them towards the target. It received a couple of adjustments, but it feels just like it used to.

Archile's Grab Bag: Grey skies edition

 Sure looks like it's gonna rain today, dang it!

  Bravely Default: Often referred as the true successor to the Final Fantasy series, I've been keeping an eye out on it, and the demo was fantastic. Oh, and the how censorship debacle? It's ridiculous how people would complain when it's merely cosmetic, and simply desexualizes some very stupid looking costumes, it makes the girls look better, and it's not like they removed content, geez.

  Aquapazza: My quest to own all fighting game continues, scratch another one off the list.

  Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX: Street Fighter 3 is my favorite Street Fighter series, but very close second is the Alpha series, with Alpha 3 on top. I understand mos people prefer 2, due to balancing issues, but I love the huge amount of characters and the variety of modes you can use each character with.

  Orphen - Scion of Sorcery: Since I've been getting reacquainted with the anime series, might as well do so with the game as well. I remember it being terrible, a terrible, terrible RPG, but the series is quite good(So far, Nostalgia don't fail me) so maybe I can tolerate it. Hopefully.

  Dungeon Explorer: Back when the DS was my main system of choice, Dungeon Explorer quickly became my favorite game on the System back when it was released, I would play it and replay it many times over and with multiple classes, yet, whenever I saw videos of the PSP version, it just looked so much better. Looks can be deceiving, true, but I just need to give this one a whirl!

 Patapon/Loco Roco Dual Pack: I don't have much to say about these, it was a cheap package, and it included some fairly unique games.

Gundam Extreme VS Full Boost Impressions part 10

Zaku II Kai

 Poor Zaku II got a couple of nerfs to how the grenades work, the damage they deal, and the fact that they only start reloading after you go out of ammo, but then again, Zaku II Kai was, probably, the best 1000 unit in Vanilla. This is a great mid-close range 1000 unit with a hilarious Santa decoy.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

GP 01 Zephyrantes Full Vernian

 It got minor buffs to its mobility and its charge weapons, plus a new subweapon. It works best at close-mid range. I don't know, it's a very straightforward and plain unit, I don't like it too much, although the Izuna drop is pretty cool.

GP 02 Physalis

 It's now a 2500, with the appropriate buffs, more Hp, faster(It's still a very slow unit!) and a longer red lock on target. It works fine at close range and long range, but his start-up on his stronger long range weapons is probably a bit too long for mid range. It's alright.

NEW GP03 Dendrobium Stamen

 This unit has tools to work at any range, and what's more, it has a fairly unique moveset, plus, it looks like a total badass when it holds both cannons on its arms. I loved playing as this one!

NEW Gerbera Tetra

 Fantastic mid-range unit that is very fun to use(Maybe it's not that good, but I enjoyed using it). Has two machine-gun tools that work pretty well and a one time timed mobility boost.

The 08th MS Team

EZ-8 Gundam

 Many buffs, including to its health. It has two modes, a Cannon for mid-range combat and a more balanced beam rifle/machine gun set-up, none are timed and can be switched at will. I guess it's a bit fun to use.

Gouf Custom

 Got a couple of tweaks here and there. It has to be said, zipping up and down with the cable is so much fun(Even thought boost doesn't regenerate while you use it anymore), and the melee combos look pretty badass. Speaking of Badass, it can use a piece of broken bridge as a projectile weapon. Lastly, it has a 50 Ammo minigun, and once it's used up, it starts using a 10 ammo(that reloads) mini minigun.

BONUS

MS Igloo

Zuda

 Received a ton of tweaks, both buffs and nerfs, to how its weapons operate. IT has plenty of tools, they are weak, but he has plenty of them. Its gimmick is that it can use a Kamikaze attack, but I don't like this one too much, there are just so many better and deadlier 1000 units...

Now Playing: Shadow Madness

 I used to play this one early in the mornings, back when I was younger.

 Well, the first thing I noticed? This game looks awful. I mean, it was never a good looking game, but man, has it aged badly. The next thing that happens, is that the game thrusts you into combat and... man, is this needlessly complicated! As you go through menus, the enemies will pound you into the floor, since it takes place in real time! Who came up with this?!

 It's not all bad, the music is fairly good, and the writing is pretty sharp(Sounds like I'm quoting the back of the box, but I swear the writing is pretty fun, there are some very witty lines and exchanges).

 I've gone through the second boss(Counting Red Tom, who I think I wasn't supposed to be able to beat so early(I'm playing on Normal difficulty), since it could one shot Dart when it did its strongest move, but by spamming reviving items, using the Twitch attack and the summoning magic, I persevered and got some pretty strong armor. Then I beat Rockra, who guarded the road to Karillion and... saved right outside its doors. I'm having more fun than I was expecting!