Thursday, February 28, 2008
Audiosurf? More like Awesomesurf
To turn a phrase, and without any hyperbole at all, Audiosurf is the best thing to happen to music since music. What is Audiosurf, you may ask? Why, it's nothing more than a song analyzer/visualizer, that tacks on a curiously compelling game to the experience. With just enough visual pizazz to make you want to see what your favorite songs will look like in it and competitive online leaderboards to fight to the top of, it is easily the best $10 game you'll buy this year.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Dynasty Warriors 6, or: The Axes of Evil
When the jump to three-dimensional graphics was made, most western games went with either normal, up-is-up control for the vertical axis when moving the camera, or the inverted up-is-down. There were usually options to choose between the two, but even if there weren't, the universally agreed on method for the horizontal axis was direct left-is-left, right-is-right control.
For Japanese games though, for some reason, right-is-left became popular. And although there have been a number of titles where there were options to invert one or both of the axes, this little hanging point can throw things into disarray. Case in point: The Samurai Warriors 2 port to the Xbox 360. It had only two options: Invert or Normal. Picking Invert meant that both your up and down as well as left and right were reversed. Going with Normal, left and right were direct, but up and down were reversed. If you preferred your vertical axis inverted, there was no winning no matter what.
Seeing other Japanese-developed titles like Capcom's Dead Rising and Lost Planet deal with this issue correctly (simply offer the option to invert the axes independentely) and both had come out before the last Musou/Warriors game, Warriors Orochi, I was hoping that Koei/Omega Force would take that example and not make me choose which axis I would have to relearn with every play session. They didn't, so I was filled with dread as the approaching Dynasty Warriors 6 release loomed closer.
Now playing the title, I am happy to report that upon my first visit to the controller settings menu in Dynasty Warriors 6, I was greeted by that happiest of compromises: There are now independent axis inversion settings available, and I couldn't be happier. Well maybe if I was playing Devil May Cry 4, but I still have to try out this title. Either way, it's my hope that other Japanese developers (*cough*SONIC TEAM*cough*) learn from the people who are actually making money on games in the west and enable this easy fix to a fundamental problem in all of the titles coming out of the east in the future.
Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to get Chinese on some mofos.
For Japanese games though, for some reason, right-is-left became popular. And although there have been a number of titles where there were options to invert one or both of the axes, this little hanging point can throw things into disarray. Case in point: The Samurai Warriors 2 port to the Xbox 360. It had only two options: Invert or Normal. Picking Invert meant that both your up and down as well as left and right were reversed. Going with Normal, left and right were direct, but up and down were reversed. If you preferred your vertical axis inverted, there was no winning no matter what.
Seeing other Japanese-developed titles like Capcom's Dead Rising and Lost Planet deal with this issue correctly (simply offer the option to invert the axes independentely) and both had come out before the last Musou/Warriors game, Warriors Orochi, I was hoping that Koei/Omega Force would take that example and not make me choose which axis I would have to relearn with every play session. They didn't, so I was filled with dread as the approaching Dynasty Warriors 6 release loomed closer.
Now playing the title, I am happy to report that upon my first visit to the controller settings menu in Dynasty Warriors 6, I was greeted by that happiest of compromises: There are now independent axis inversion settings available, and I couldn't be happier. Well maybe if I was playing Devil May Cry 4, but I still have to try out this title. Either way, it's my hope that other Japanese developers (*cough*SONIC TEAM*cough*) learn from the people who are actually making money on games in the west and enable this easy fix to a fundamental problem in all of the titles coming out of the east in the future.
Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to get Chinese on some mofos.
Out with the old, in with the new?
Greetings, all. If there's one thing I can't stand, its when people call themselves a fighting game fan when they've never even heard of a fighting game developer by the name of Shin Nihan Kikaku, or as it is commonly abbreviated, SNK. Although as it stands, SNK's fighting games are generally recognized as fighters that just aren't as good as say, fighting games made by the leading contender in the genre, Capcom, it can still be easily said that SNK was a pioneer in the fighting game industry with their classic Neo-Geo arcade titles. SNK might have been the company that got me hooked on fighting games to begin with. I remember when I was younger, and I would walk into this arcade and pool hall called Hot Shots that was in one of the malls around here, and it had this weathered, beat up looking Neo-Geo arcade machine in it. It had two of the not so latest but greatest fighting games on it, the first Art of Fighting game, and the very first Samurai Shodown game, along with something called Bubble Bobber I think...moving on. I remember seeing the opening cinematic of sorts in Samurai Shodown time and time again, the image of the main character, Haohmaru, meditating in a forest, then the image of his silhouette suddenly unsheathing his sword and chopping down some small trees on either side of him. It really made an imprint on my fledgling fighting game psyche at that time.
That is until a fighting game called Marvel Super Heroes moved in. It was made by Capcom, and it was very much so open for business. I remembered coming in there at one point and I watched this one guy who was a lot older than me beat the entire game with the unstoppable Juggernaut, and I was just absolutely infatuated with not only his prowess, but the level of detail that went into this game in comparison to the old Neogeo titles I once gazed at in awe.
Years later, I would go on to purchase a fighting game called Capcom vs. SNK 2 before I ever bought an individual The King of Fighters game. It apparently featured some of SNK's most prominent and popular characters in it, and sure enough, I did recognize a plethora of their pantheon of legendary champions, such as Ryo Sakazaki, and none other than Haohmaru himself. However, most of Capcom's fighter's sprites did not look as gorgeous as I thought they would, considering I had already seen half of them in a little known Street Fighter installment called Street Fighter Alpha 3. I was also one of the few people lucky enough to possess one of the rare gems that is a Darkstalkers fighting game, so the character Morrigan's sprite did not look that new to me either. It was not until later that I would see The King of Fighters '99 on a shelf in the then known as Software Etc. store.
SNK's games were not generally released on mainstream consoles like the Playstation, so I picked it up in sheer anticipation of fighting with the giants I had grown so fond of in Capcom vs. SNK 2. Only to realize that the graphics still looked like they had from years ago. The difficulty of the game's final boss, Krizalid, was also astonishing, and really provided a challenge.
So where do I draw the line? SNK's fighting games are every bit as good as Capcom's, they just don't always *look* as good. SNK has been trying to come out of their shell to use the most up-to-date technology to make their games look good, but people seemingly just can't get over the Street Fighter III series of games and how animated Capcom's fighters look in general. And so the myriad of fighting games that SNK keeps producing and churning out will go on overlooked by most of the fighting game following. An unfortunate fate for the only company that is willing to stand up to Capcom.
That is until a fighting game called Marvel Super Heroes moved in. It was made by Capcom, and it was very much so open for business. I remembered coming in there at one point and I watched this one guy who was a lot older than me beat the entire game with the unstoppable Juggernaut, and I was just absolutely infatuated with not only his prowess, but the level of detail that went into this game in comparison to the old Neogeo titles I once gazed at in awe.
Years later, I would go on to purchase a fighting game called Capcom vs. SNK 2 before I ever bought an individual The King of Fighters game. It apparently featured some of SNK's most prominent and popular characters in it, and sure enough, I did recognize a plethora of their pantheon of legendary champions, such as Ryo Sakazaki, and none other than Haohmaru himself. However, most of Capcom's fighter's sprites did not look as gorgeous as I thought they would, considering I had already seen half of them in a little known Street Fighter installment called Street Fighter Alpha 3. I was also one of the few people lucky enough to possess one of the rare gems that is a Darkstalkers fighting game, so the character Morrigan's sprite did not look that new to me either. It was not until later that I would see The King of Fighters '99 on a shelf in the then known as Software Etc. store.
SNK's games were not generally released on mainstream consoles like the Playstation, so I picked it up in sheer anticipation of fighting with the giants I had grown so fond of in Capcom vs. SNK 2. Only to realize that the graphics still looked like they had from years ago. The difficulty of the game's final boss, Krizalid, was also astonishing, and really provided a challenge.
So where do I draw the line? SNK's fighting games are every bit as good as Capcom's, they just don't always *look* as good. SNK has been trying to come out of their shell to use the most up-to-date technology to make their games look good, but people seemingly just can't get over the Street Fighter III series of games and how animated Capcom's fighters look in general. And so the myriad of fighting games that SNK keeps producing and churning out will go on overlooked by most of the fighting game following. An unfortunate fate for the only company that is willing to stand up to Capcom.
Monday, February 18, 2008
antennasia: It's only my first post here...
...and I'm already showing that I don't have any respect for traditions. I'm not posting about gaming. That's right! And no, the fact that I don't have any "next-gen" console (are they not "cur-gen" now or something ?) or can't play recent PC games on my machine has nothing to do with that. Or does it ?
Anyway, as this blog is supposed to be "a blog for gaming, movies, music, TV, and whatever the hell else we want", I'm going for the third theme, music. But to prevent this introduction to go on for too long, I'll introduce (no pun intended) you to the sweet sound and weird hats of antennasia.
Sweet, or maybe sugary, are the words that in my mind describe their music best. They started making music in 1999, and overall they make a really enjoyable slow trip-hop. I'm not going to add much detail on why you should listen to their stuff, but let me say that even Ryuichi Sakamoto recommends their album. That's something!
Now, just because this first video up there probably wasn't enough, here's another short clip. Of course, you can go to their myspace page to listen to some complete songs. So I'm leaving you with "Sorrow (version about me)".
Anyway, as this blog is supposed to be "a blog for gaming, movies, music, TV, and whatever the hell else we want", I'm going for the third theme, music. But to prevent this introduction to go on for too long, I'll introduce (no pun intended) you to the sweet sound and weird hats of antennasia.
Sweet, or maybe sugary, are the words that in my mind describe their music best. They started making music in 1999, and overall they make a really enjoyable slow trip-hop. I'm not going to add much detail on why you should listen to their stuff, but let me say that even Ryuichi Sakamoto recommends their album. That's something!
Now, just because this first video up there probably wasn't enough, here's another short clip. Of course, you can go to their myspace page to listen to some complete songs. So I'm leaving you with "Sorrow (version about me)".
Labels: music
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Devil May Cry 4
Okay, so I don't have a Wii (HAHA, you get it?) and I thought Assassin's Creed was bad. Really bad. I'm going to have to blog about something 10 times cooler.
Picked up Devil May Cry 4 today for my 360, which has been collecting a nice amount of dust until now. Actually, this is a pretty good month for the 360. DMC4 and Lost Odyssey. I've been anticipating Lost Odyssey although I admit I haven't really been following it. The reviews seem pretty average stating that it's your typical JRPG standard fare and it really isn't anything new. I'll blog about that later when I pick it up next week.
Anyways, onto Devil May Cry 4. Initially, I was put off by the lack of Dante as the main character and the fact that he's.. much older. Dante takes the back seat in this game, while Nero is our new hero. In the two hours I've played, I've learned Nero is quite fun to use. He basically moves just like Dante but he has a power called the 'Devil Bringer.' The 'Devil Bringer' is Nero's demon arm that can grab and toss enemies around. It's actually quite fun to use. Mix that up with some fast and furious gun and swordplay and you've got an awesome combination.
I'm just a few missions in but so far, this is turning out pretty good. I had a blast with DMC3 when it came out, and man, that game kicked my ass so hard.
Picked up Devil May Cry 4 today for my 360, which has been collecting a nice amount of dust until now. Actually, this is a pretty good month for the 360. DMC4 and Lost Odyssey. I've been anticipating Lost Odyssey although I admit I haven't really been following it. The reviews seem pretty average stating that it's your typical JRPG standard fare and it really isn't anything new. I'll blog about that later when I pick it up next week.
Anyways, onto Devil May Cry 4. Initially, I was put off by the lack of Dante as the main character and the fact that he's.. much older. Dante takes the back seat in this game, while Nero is our new hero. In the two hours I've played, I've learned Nero is quite fun to use. He basically moves just like Dante but he has a power called the 'Devil Bringer.' The 'Devil Bringer' is Nero's demon arm that can grab and toss enemies around. It's actually quite fun to use. Mix that up with some fast and furious gun and swordplay and you've got an awesome combination.
I'm just a few missions in but so far, this is turning out pretty good. I had a blast with DMC3 when it came out, and man, that game kicked my ass so hard.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
The hosts of the IGN "Wii-k in Review" podcast have been raving about a Capcom title known in Japan as "Treasure Island Z" since they saw it under its new title at E3 this year. I've since kept it on my radar, and when I picked it up and played it recently, I approached it with as open a mind as possible.
Coming out of my play session two hours later, I must say that it is an exceptional title indeed. Bypassing the whimsical premise (consisting of sky pirate clans and flying monkeys), the gameplay could be described as a "wave-and-click" adventure. For example, one of the puzzles requires you to stack three portions of a broken statue on an altar. Selecting one of the parts from a pile, you twist the Wiimote to set the part's onscreen orientation before placing it on the altar. Set all three parts correctly and you proceed on to the next leg of the puzzle. The thing of it is, there's nothing in the scenario that explicitly tells you to do this, you're just put into the stage with the altar and the parts in a heap. There's just enough discovery involved in solving the puzzles that the payoff of following your intuition--and being right--drives you onward.
This is not to say that it is without its problems. Wiimote imprecision works against you in some of the unique actions you take now and then. When swimming, pathfinding doesn't seem to work as well as it does while walking. It's also worth noting that while I found the childish theme to be amusing, other gamers may be turned off by its younger-skewing stylings.
These are minor quibbles, however. I haven't played a better original third-party Wii title this year, and outside of Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy, I haven't played a better first-party title either. If you have a taste for contextual puzzle/adventure gaming, this game deserves your attention.
Coming out of my play session two hours later, I must say that it is an exceptional title indeed. Bypassing the whimsical premise (consisting of sky pirate clans and flying monkeys), the gameplay could be described as a "wave-and-click" adventure. For example, one of the puzzles requires you to stack three portions of a broken statue on an altar. Selecting one of the parts from a pile, you twist the Wiimote to set the part's onscreen orientation before placing it on the altar. Set all three parts correctly and you proceed on to the next leg of the puzzle. The thing of it is, there's nothing in the scenario that explicitly tells you to do this, you're just put into the stage with the altar and the parts in a heap. There's just enough discovery involved in solving the puzzles that the payoff of following your intuition--and being right--drives you onward.
This is not to say that it is without its problems. Wiimote imprecision works against you in some of the unique actions you take now and then. When swimming, pathfinding doesn't seem to work as well as it does while walking. It's also worth noting that while I found the childish theme to be amusing, other gamers may be turned off by its younger-skewing stylings.
These are minor quibbles, however. I haven't played a better original third-party Wii title this year, and outside of Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy, I haven't played a better first-party title either. If you have a taste for contextual puzzle/adventure gaming, this game deserves your attention.
Labels: 2007, adventure, first flirts, wii, wiki, zack
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