Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Suikoden Tierkreis, Review by LoC

Title: Suikoden Tierkreis


Genre: Turn-based RPG

System: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Konami

Release Date: 2-17-2009

Review by LoC



When I first heard that Suikoden would be coming to the Nintendo DS, I was overjoyed, but when I found out that this game would be a spin-off with few if any ties to the main series, my expectations lowered considerably. That said I still considered the game to be a high enough priority, that I actually pre-ordered it, and how are the results? The answer is quite excellent, and possibly the best RPG to date for the Nintendo DS. When most other RPG's on the DS are either ports or remakes of older games, or simply games that settled for mediocrity, Suikoden DS has much higher goals, and it actually plays like a good RPG should, with an expansive world, a storyline that actually seems to serve more of a purpose than just background filler, and a sizable quest which may be the longest game for the whole system. Series fans will be pleased with the return of the 108 stars recruiting system, the upgradable castle, and team attacks, but other returning elements are few and far between. Prehaps the largest change is that the game takes place in a different world than the numerical Suikoden series, and the strategic battles and duels are also absent, as is the runes system. The magic is called marks of the stars, and seems to function more like traditional magic systems, with MP dictating how many times different skills/spells can be used. The battle system on the other hand is pretty much unchanged from the other games, with group attacks and different weapon ranges still featured, although you can only have 4 people in your party, with a 5th person who helps in a support role. Another big addition is the new jobs system, where you can take on various optional quests for a prize of money, items, or sometimes even recruitable characters. Despite all these changes and an entirely new cast and setting, the game still feels a lot more like a traditional Suikoden game than I expected. Also Suikoden DS is something of a technical marvel, with many anime cut-scenes and a lot of voice acting, which are things you don't really see too much of on the DS. All in all, this is an excellent game, and my early pick for DS game of the year, and I highly advise everyone pick this up. While I sincerely hope that the numbered Suikoden series continues as well, I wouldn't mind a sequel to this game at all either.  

Phoenix Wright: Trials&Tribulations, Review by LoC

----------

placeholder for picture

----------

Phoenix Wright: Trials&Tribulations 


Review by LoC

Genre: Adventure

System: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: 2007

The Phoenix Wright series has been something of an unexpected success in the United States, not the least of which because it's a part of a genre of games which hasn't been very popular in recent years, that being a point and click Adventure game. One of the reasons that Phoenix Wright works where many other games have failed is because of the fairly unique setting, memorable characters, and well executed storyline. All of these elements are of course featured in this final outing of the Phoenix Wright trilogy: Trials&Tribulations, which is quite possibly the best game in the series. People who played Justice For All and were let down by the lack of improvements or new gameplay mechanics will still be let down with Trials, as absolutely nothing has been changed with the core gameplay. That isn't to say that there aren't any clever twists, as Trials has some cases where you will play as a lawyer other than Phoenix Wright, which is a very welcome addition. The story is probably the best yet, and helps close out the trilogy on a very high note, but I still can't help but wish that there could have been more games starring Phoenix Wright. All in all, this game is an absolute must for series fans, and I even found it to be emotionally moving at times. The Ace Attorney has since been continued with a new character named Apollo Justice at the helm, although it seems to be missing some of the magic found in the Phoenix trilogy, but that is a story for another Review. 

Children Of Bodom - BloodDrunk, Review by Rugter

Artist: Children Of Bodom

Album: BloodDrunk

Year Of Release: 2008

Genre: Heavy Metal with Mallcore influences

"It had the potential. But it fell flat on it's face."


Children of Bodom has arguably been one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade: With 11 years of being active with the name "Children of Bodom", and even more years if you count their early days as "Inearthed", they've been a force to be reckoned with, with their first 3 albums being considered classics. Now, I'm not gonna lie, I prefer the sound of their recent stuff (Are You Dead Yet?, Hatecrew Deathroll), to the one of their old stuff. I must even admit that Are You Dead Yet? is what I consider their best album. Being heavier and more complex than their old stuff while keeping a lot of melody was definitely something I quite enjoyed. Songs like the title track and Thrashed, Lost & Strungout kept calling me for playing them again. But let's get back on track, a review of Are You Dead Yet?, this is not.

Now, this album keeps the same formula as AYDY?... So why is it I don't rate it as highly? Well, to start with, I must admit that the quality of this album keeps jumping from song to song. The album opens in a good note with the fast, thrashy Hellhounds on My Trail. This song feels just like the kind of progression they needed, cool keyboard that makes atmosphere here and there. But if there's something interesting about this song, it is the solo. The solo of this song jumps back to the 80's thrash era, it is dissonant, fast, completely insane, yet it fits right in the madness. Even the keyboard solo is completely crazy. But it fits. And then, the title track. Blooddrunk is quite a good song, the keyboard intro is amazing, the solos are more like classic Bodom, and there's more melody here. Alexi's vocals are stronger than they were on AYDY?, and in both of this songs they fit perfectly. Sadly, this 2 songs might be the only ones of the album I can say that, and maybe Tie My Rope. Both songs are great, but I can't say that with the rest of the album so easily.

You see, one of the biggest problems here comes from Alexi's vocals. In the songs that were previously mentioned, his vocals felt right were they belonged. But in the other songs, he sounds overbearing. Since Hatecrew Deathroll, Alexi started changing his vocals from a harsh black metal like screech to a mid-range scream which you could actually understand and also was more powerful than his screech of early albums, and far better than his attempt at a low growl in Something Wild, which was, admittedly, quite laughable. But in this album, he tries to get his vocals to take over: In songs like Lobodomy and Roadkill Morning, his vocals are overbearing and annoying, you just get to wish he shuts up. Alexi has never been one of the most appreciated vocalists out there, but this album definitely won't help those who hate his vocals at all. 

Musically, this album lacks an edge: While there are some seriously awesome songs like Hellhounds on My Trail, Blooddrunk, Tie My Rope and Banned From Heaven, there are some terrible ones like Lobodomy and Smile Pretty for the Devil, and the others are just... there, they are neither good nor bad: They're just forgettable. This album suffers from feeling like a collection of B-Sides instead of an actual album, and that quite damages the quality, making it quite jumpy. The riffs in this album are mostly great, going from highly melodic to thrashy, and that is one of the high points of the album. Same cannot be said about the lead guitar work, though: As good as Alexi is, the solos feel recycled and repetitive, with certain exceptions: Hellhounds on my Trail has that insane Slayer-like solo and Blooddrunk is quite good. But the rest of his solos are lacking the feeling of the ones in earlier stuff. Drumming isn't anything really special, but it's good. Jaska could do more creative stuff, but he does a good work. The bass has some cool parts like in Smile Pretty for the Devil, where it sounds cool in the intro, that is admittedly the best part of that weak song, but overall it is M.I.A. during all the album. The keyboards aren't as prominent as they used to be, usually now they just follow the notes, but they shine at times.

Lyrically, this album is simply disastrous. I can't keep it any longer, this album might as well be considered their lowest point lyrically. AYDY? got some of their best lyrics to date, this is totally the opposite. Take, for example, the great Hellhounds on My Trail:

Watching the c***
But before I'm into worries
I do better think fast
Step beyond the legs
Risk selfdestruction
One more sucker
Wait again
To the wrong turn
To the right direction
Too many ****ing gonna turn
Going too fast
When you call me outrageous
As a questioner 

Now, asides from making NO SENSE AT ALL, they are plain terrible. Luckily, that is one of the songs where musically you won't care about the lyrics. But there are cases, like Lobodomy, where you'll hope "Well, at least this song might have good lyrics". Well, let's look at the source:

You mother****ers wanna give me, a lobodomy?
**** no, then you know who I am?
Well we're about to ****ing see
You started messin with death
No one said?
I'm a Maniac
Fuck yeah, you have no power to ask why!
Then I will give you a turn

Well, you get your answer, and it is a no. And don't expect the rest of the album to be any better lyrically, it's just plain terrible in that sense.

In short, this album had potential, but it ended up falling flat in it's face. Alexi tries to hard to take over with his vocals, the songwriting keeps jumping in quality, the lead guitar works usually feels like more of the same, the keyboards which used to give an extra edge to earlier albums aren't there for a good part, and the lyrics are horrid. Their worst album to date, though it has songs like Hellhounds on My Trail, Blooddrunk, Tie My Rope and Banned From Heaven that save it from being downright terrible. I don't know how their next album will turn out, but I do hope it ends up being better than this one.

Rugter's favorite tracks:

As mentioned before, Hellhounds on My Trail, Blooddrunk, Tie My Rope and Banned From Heaven. Because those are actually awesome.

-----

(Editor's Note: LoC would just like to point out that this Review is the opinion of the author, Rugter, and his alone.  Personally I can't stand anything CoB released after Follow The Reaper, although I do enjoy the first 3 albums. - LoC )

Friday, March 20, 2009

pre-order Flight of the Conchords Season 2 DVD


When season 2 started up, Amazon already had pre-orders going, well we now have a release date for the DVD set, which this time, will have extras. The set will be released sometime in August 4th, yes August; It seems like such a distant future, but I'm sure everyone can wait while they perfect the set and its extras. The DVD set is said to cost $29.98, but that's most likely at HBO, while at Amazon you'll be able to grab it for a nice $18.99. Pre-order from Amazon.

Source TV shows on DVD

Friday, March 13, 2009

Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels - Split CD, Review by LoC



Panopticon/Wheels Within Wheels - Split CD 

Label:Lundr Records

Release Date:  February 2009

Review by LoC



Panopticon and Wheels Within Wheels are two bands that you are likely to have never heard of before, but these two bands are among the best upcoming bands in todays Metal scene, or anywhere else for that matter.While this is the first official release by Wheels Within Wheels as far as I know, Panopticon had one full album that was released last year, but it looks to be already sold out unfortunately. Anyway, let's move on to the review!


The CD arrived in my mail this afternoon, and as I write this review, I am only on my second listen through, but I will do my best to give a coherant description 

This split record has 2 songs contributed by each band, but don't let the tracklisting fool you, as there is plenty to hold your attention through the splits duration.

Panopticon is a band that defies descriptions, although there are many Black Metal elements(more prevalent on the ghosts of haymarket square) , there is also some Folk and even a little bit of Bluegrass style Banjo playing featured in their first song of the split '...Speaking...(collapsed version)', but any description I can give to their style won't be giving it proper justice. Wheels Within Wheels have a somewhat different style, but with enough common ground between the 2 artists to make the CD flow together perfectly.

Wheels Within Wheels style is like a cross between Folk Black Metal, Post-Rock, and Ambient, but you would have to listen on your own, and you tell me what it sounds like. Where Panopticon features some vocals, Wheels Within Wheels features none, outside of some television or talk radio soundbites featured on their second song 'What light Reigns Down On...', but this CD truly contains some of the best music that I have heard in a long time, and I think it should appeal to both Black Metal fans, along with people who like artists such as The Angelic Procress, The Swans, and some Post-Rock such as Godspeed! You Black Emperor. 


No review of this album would be complete without making mention of the beautiful and unique packaging that it comes in, and each copy is numbered from 1 to 100, and even comes with a cool patch, all for a pretty low cost , or at least that's what I paid for my copy. 

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Leapin' Leprechans, the Top Ten Green Video Game Characters

As St. Patrick's day approaches and allows everyone to get drunk off of green beer and demand kisses from strangers for being Irish, I decided to give a toast to the top ten green characters, or characters who wear green, in the video game world. Now while I'm pretty sure they have nothing to do with the holiday, I felt like they deserved to be mentioned.

10. Mr. Tingle


Here we have Mr. Tingle, one of many residents in the world of Hyrule. While this guy might be questioned about his sanity and/or his preference of company, no one questions his ability to party. This guy is the life of a party, sober or drunk.

9. Blanka


Now we have Blanka and don’t he look like someone you’d hate to see at a party. But this isn’t the case. No sir, the more Blanka drinks the friendly he becomes. And when I say friendly, I mean he’s smacking girls’ behinds and calling them “Suga Lips.”

8. Gex


Gex, being the stylish lizard that he is, has yet to be seen not at some form of a party. A hit with the ladies, he knows how to make any party into a wild and crazy event. But for every party he shows up at, there are ten more that he declines by replying, “No booze? Then no Gex!”
7. Yoshi


Ah, Yoshi. Our cute little dinosaur buddy. He’s always a great addition to the party. He knows when to hand over his keys and he will do it with a smile and a little something spilled onto your shirt. You know, that new one you just spent fifty dollars on, hoping to impress Miss Peach with. Yeah, Yoshi won’t remember ruining your chances or how your hundred gallon fish tank wound up in one of his eggs.

6. Link


Link, he come to partay! He come to save the last bottle of rum! No seriously, when he is of age to drink (and this has been often, I noticed), he can throw down with the best of them. Even after his tenth round, the guy can hit an apple of the top of a Redead and not blink an eye.

5. Bowser


Bowser isn't a lightweight in the drinking department. Ever since Princess Peach chose the small red jumpsuit-clad plumber, Bowser has been drowning his sorrows into a huge bottle of vodka. On any night you can catch him at the local bar, belting out one of many Hank Williams songs.

4. Luigi



Ah, the oft-neglected brother of Mario. Luigi rarely drinks, not because he don't like to but because he is always designated as the driver at any parties he's invited to. In fact, that's the only reason he's invited. That and he can buy the alcohol for underage drinkers (something he does so they might like him more than Mario.)

3. TMNT


These crime fighters might like you to think they don't drink but they tend to put some actresses out there to shame with how hard they can party. Most nights end with two or three fighting over who April the reporter likes more.
2. Yoda


Ah, Yoda. This Jedi Master is skilled in the art of drinking. He knows the best way to outdrink anyone willing to challenge him. Though, it is up for debate if he uses his Jedi mind skills for making the contest easier on him.

1. Master Chief


All hail the Chief! King of the Keg! And one of the few people that can outdrink Yoda (not sure why that is). He is one of those guys you don't want to upset when he's sitting back, drinking a cold one. He can become a very mean drunk. But as long as you stay on his good side, he's loads of fun.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Forumwarz, Article by LoC


ForumWarz 

Platform: Computer/Browser

Genre: RPG

Developer: Crotch Zombie

Article by LoC

Way back in early November of 2008, Wiki(a friend of mine) told me about how he discovered a game called ForumWarz, and how fun it was. Although I had known of the game since early in the year, I had never bothered to try it out, until Wiki encouraged me to. Almost immediately I became hooked, and I especially loved the concept of a browser based RPG that was a parody of various forums, and internet culture in general. Even more than a game though, ForumWarz is also a community in and of itself, and it is this community that has kept me playing this long, probably more than anything.The game itself is simple enough to play, and most of the gameplay revolves around visiting various fictional forums and Pwning them, often for a reward of Flezz(ForumWarz version of money), and for the opportunity of picking up rare items that will boost your characters statistics. What makes ForumWarz work so well is just how community centered the game is, and how easy they have made it for players to contribute their own content, such as new forums, or the enemies encountered at said forum. Besides this, there are other numerous ways to keep yourself busy on ForumWarz. One of the most entertaining is a ladder system called Domination, where whoever has the most scoops on your current team will be awarded a medal, or possibly even 2 or 3 of them, depending on which conditions are met. Another fun minigame, although not as rewarding, is called Incit, and it involves writing a caption for a randomly chosen picture, with the winners decided by voting. Part of what makes ForumWarz so consistantly entertaining is the fact that new content and features are always being worked on, and few games are as rewarding, or get the community involved quite like ForumWarz does. Although the first episode of the game is free, and still lets you use most features of the game, you do need to pay $10 dollars to gain access to the second episode, or $5 if you want to make a second character on your account.  

The game can be found at http://www.forumwarz.com

but be warned, the game is not for those whom are easily offended, as it is a parody of internet culture, and also quite far from being politically correct, so play at your own risk.

Should you decide to play however, be sure to check out and join our guild: Fallen Knights Honor Guard


Monday, March 9, 2009

Dawn Of Tears: Dark Camber Litanies Review, by Rugter


Dawn Of Tears: Dark Camber Litanies

Review by Rugter


[Awesome Melodic Death Metal band from Madrid, Spain they are. This EP is just a show of what they got. Could be hailed as a classic in some years.]

For those who do not know the band, Dawn of Tears are:

J. Alonso - Vocals
A. Perez - Guitar
J.L. Trebol - Guitar
Konrad - Bass
I. Perez - Drums

Spain has many great things. They have a great soccer league (Atletico de Madrid por siempre!), they have Gaudi's architecture, they got that Arabic culture infusion in Sevilla, La Puerta De Alcala in Madrid... A great country indeed. But Madrid has other things asides from 2 great soccer teams: They got Dawn of Tears, one of the most promising bands of recent years. Formed in 1999, this band didn't really do much until 2007, when they released their first LP, Descent. That LP was quite a great debut, with really few flaws. 2 years later, they've come and released an EP that displays their great potential. Being a band that leaves their albums free for download over the internet and having only one LP and 1 EP, asides from being very much unknown, you might think they're amateurs, but it's far from that: They are at the level of some of the best melodeath bands, and maybe even better. Their sound could be described as if Children of Bodom, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and Cradle of Filth decided to do an EP toghether, but each one being on top of their game: The music is at the same time melodic, aggressive, technical and catchy. They manage it all at the same time, and with no flaws at all, I must admit. It's enough to listen to the opener, Cadent Beating, to witness how do they get it all done at once.

This band has it all: A great vocalist who ranges from sounding like an improved version of Anders Frieden from In Flames when using his Death Grunt at times sounding like Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity in his Damage Done era, going to a Danni Filth like low whisper, all the way to some impressive clean vocals that normally harmonize with some grunts and at times with some female vocals for a great effect, normally that being in the choruses, which are really memorable. Dual lead guitars are obligatory for a melodeath band, and they keep that with no problem, the solos in this album are mindblowing, showing some great technical proficiency, keeping the melody with no problem. The riffs are also great, they can go from quite heavy to light power-metally ones. The bass manages to stand out enough, mainly in the song Winds of Despair, where you can listen to it quite clearly under all the madness. The drumming is quite good, keeping double bass most of the time, and there are some cool fills here and there, but in all honesty, it's the least memorable part of the album. I think Perez could do more interesting stuff. Lyrically, I have yet to figure out the lyrics, and they aren't up in their site yet, so I doubt I can comment on it any soon.

From the intro of the amazing 7 minute long Cadent Beating, you will be blown away. Starting with some toy-piano like effects, it goes and builds up before finally exploding into a massive tremolo-picked riff. From that very moment, you will notice something: Dawn of Tears mean serious business. Alonso enters showing a great vocal performance, and about 3:05 into the song, you'll listen to the first chorus: Melodic and memorable, simply awesome. The keyboards (Who I do not know who takes care of it) keep the atmosphere for it. By 4:05, the first solo hits, and man, is that a great solo. This song alone is not only a great intro to the EP, but possibly their best song to date. The riffs, the solos, the vocals, the drums, everything about it is as perfect as possible. Since They're Gone opens with a great piano intro, and the awesomeness is kept throughout. This song features some audible bass, and Alonso enters the vocals in a Danni Filth-like whisper, which is great. The chorus of this song is massive, with clean vocals harmonizing with death grunts. They sound simply perfect. After the relative calmness of the last song, Winds of Despair opens with a heavy tremolo picked riff, yet the keyboard simulating violins behind it gives a good amount of melody to it. The drumming in this one is a bit faster than in last 2 songs. With some female operatic vocals in the background in some parts, it gives it more power. Some tempo changes here and there, and yet another amazing chorus. The solo in this song fits the atmosphere perfectly. And the last chorus is sang acapella, a big plus. And in harmonized clean vocals, kinda sounding like Vortex from Dimmu Borgir.
Next song, As My Autums Withers opens with a heavy riff that once again gains the melody it has thanks to some background violins. This song has what I consider the best solo of the album, it's simply too damn good. Yet another solid, memorable song, every riff is great, and the solo is... well, THE solo. It finishes slowly fading out, making it's way to the next and last song. Mr. Jarrod opens with one insane intro: Distorted guitar and piano at the same time have never sounded so good. And suddenly, the song explodes into the main riff, which is basically the intro with tremolo pick and without the piano. Alonso's vocals in this song are outstanding: Death metal growl, black metal shrieks, to whispers, some drowned all clean vocals at the end, and all perfectly done, I must add. The solo is epic, and fits perfectly the song. If goes from melodic to fast and back to melodic again. It closes with just violins, drums, and drowned out clean vocals. This is simply a perfect closer for a great album.

Now, I've praised this album quite a bit, but why do I give it a 4.5? Well, for one, it leaves you wishing for more, Mr. Jarrod is a great closer, but still leaves you waiting for a next song first time around. And to be honest, the drumming could be quite better, it is just... repetitive. Other than that, this band is a clear winner for me: The know how to be epic, when to, they got one hell of a vocalist who knows when to do each thing, they got a pair of amazing guitar players, and they are at a really high level for a band with so few records. This album is a clear 4.5 for me, would be a 5 if not for the above mentioned flaws. Every song is a 5/5 for me. This band has some serious potential, which I am sure we're yet to see.

P.S.: This EP and their debut LP are free for download in their site: http://www.dawnoftears.com/descarga.html

Phoenix Wright: Justice For All Review, by LoC


Phoenix Wright: Justice For All

Nintendo DS

Capcom

2007

Review by LoC


Phoenix Wright is a game series that I have been a fan of ever since the first game was released here in the U.S, but I didn't get to finally buy the games until I purchased my Nintendo DS last summer, and the original Phoenix Wright was one of my very first game purchases, and the first game that I had played through for the system. Shortly afterwards, I also purchased used copies of the second and third games, but I only started to play them within the past month, and I beat Justice For All only about 2 days ago, and am currently playing Trials&Tribulations, but that is a story for another time.

Justice For All is frequently considered the weakest part of the original trilogy, which is a verdict that I don't entirely agree with. While the game may be little more than a rehash of the first game with new cases, the same is also true for Trials&Tribulations, which was recieved considerably warmer. The graphics for all 3 titles are often reused in all of the games, and none of them exactly reinvents the wheel created in the first game, but the fact remains that the entire series is highly enjoyable, filled with memorable characters and plot-lines. Part of the backlash against Justice For All has to do with the fact that the game only had 4 cases, and lacked any DS exclusive cases, like the first one had. To further worsen the problem, only 2 of the cases were actually relevent to the series ongoing storyline, but that doesn't stop the other two cases from being very enjoyable in their own right. 

The only real gameplay changes of note are that you can know present character profiles as evidence, and the new Psyche Lock system on certain characters when they are asked questions they don't want to answer. These psyche locks are broken in much the same way that you would advance the game during the court segments, by presenting evidence to the witness in question. 

Anyone who loved the first Phoenix Wright should still find plenty to enjoy about Justice For All, as long as you aren't expecting any major innovations. Any of you who didn't care for the first game won't have their mind changed with this one. 

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix


Street Fighter is one of those franchises that it seems like anyone that's ever played a video game has either played or at least knows about, which it's legendary "Hadouken" becoming one of the most memorable quotes from any game that's ever existed. As the years have gone by, it's seen tons of sequels and spin-offs, but after all these years, one of the finest versions has finally received an amazing overhaul, both visually and mechanically. SSF2THDR represents a culmination of fighting game enthusiasts dreams (rebalancing, tweaking and adding in moves, etc), while giving the game a much needed graphical overhaul to make it home on next gen consoles while still managing to capture the true spirit that made the original release of SSF2T so great in so many players eyes.

Gameplay – 10/10

There’s a reason why every Street Fighter game is highly anticipated, then continues to be the fighting game to beat for years after it comes out. Super Street Fighter II Turbo was the pinnacle of everything we thought a 2d fighter could be back when it came out, and though many new mechanics have been introduced over the years, SSF2T continues to be one of the highest regarded fighting games ever. The original kept the combo system introduced in SSF2, but added an extra layer of depth by allowing fighters to pull off a devastating super move after accumulating enough energy in a gauge in the lower corner of the screen, which was strong enough to turn the tides of battle in a players favor, but took a while to charge which kept it from being cheap. Still, despite that huge gameplay addition back in the day, little was done to rebalance the game. Enter our challenger, SSF2THDR. Instead of just altering the graphics and keeping everything the same, various characters were rebalanced and had some moves and frames changed to make every character seem a lot more worthwhile if you invested the time. While they could have called it quits with the amazing new art style and the moves, there’s an added online mode that allows you to play ranked and unranked matches with people from all over the globe. The two most creative however are the return of quarter matches (2 players fight, winner stays, loser goes, and next in line challenges them) and tournament mode (…it’s a tournament mode.), which gives you tons to come back for especially if you don’t have any friends that are actually willing to come by to play in person.


Graphics – 8/10

Playing the original Street Fighter II series on an HDTV just doesn’t hold up as well as one might wish, which was why this game received a complete graphical overhaul. The art style captures a more comic book art style instead of being anime influenced (ala Guilty Gear, King of Fighters, etc), which looks great on any tv, especially if yours supports any HD mode. On the downside, while the art does look great once you adjust to it, some people are going to have a hard time accepting the fact that the game has an almost cartoon look to it, but once you accept that, you’ll realize that all of the hitboxes and everything is pretty much the exact same. The backgrounds were all redone too, and while there’s nothing new here, what is there is very easy on the eye and actually works perfectly fine in widescreen hd resolutions, meaning that your fights will take up the whole screen instead of having random background images there.

Sound – 8/10

There’s no denying that the one of the most remembered phrases in all of gaming is that arcade staple, the hadouken. All of the sound effects that have lodged there way into your hearts and brain over the last 20+ years are all back, meaning that you’ll still get a kick out of trying to figure out what in the world Ryu and Ken are saying when they do their hurricane kick. While the sounds may all be the exact same, the soundtrack itself is the most notable feature here. As the years have gone buy, the ladies and gentlemen over at Overclocked Remix have constantly put out some amazing songs either based on games or remade songs that they’ve really latched on to, with some of them actually sounding superior to the original composition. A while back, they put out a Street Fighter II remix cd, which is what the score for HD Remix happens to be, fitting in flawlessly with the redone art style with all the songs still sounding somewhat similar, meaning you can still hum along to your favorite characters theme. Personally, I love the soundtrack, but it might be a disappointment to some who were looking for the original versions of the songs.


Overall – 9/10

Since I’m writing this a few months late, Street Fighter IV has already hit store shelves and been snatched up by the masses, but even among all of the excitement about the new game, HD Remix feels like it’s going to be a game people will continuously come back to since it’s almost an unchanged experience compared to the original with enough tweaks to the gameplay to make it feel like it’s the finest moment of the Street Fighter II series. The online options are actually more extensive than what’s currently available on SFIV, and the simplicity of knowing that everything you loved about the game back in the 90’s is still here, before the genre was introduced to parries, reversals, and the like might actually make this a much better purchase for many people. While some may be put off by the price tag, you’ll eventually realize that your money was well worth it as you slowly start losing hour after hour to this title, playing against either friends or competitors from all around the world and learning how to benefit from all the new character changes made here.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Bobhead's Top 10 Beat-Em-Ups

Anyone that grew up in the 90's would have a hard time forgetting all of the arcane knowledge Beat-Em-Ups taught you. Only in that genre is punching a trash can a viable option to looking for a fresh cooked turkey that's still intact on the platter and everything. You also learned one of life’s most important lessons: whenever you're walking down a street, that guy reading the newspaper is waiting to kill you. This is ALWAYS true, along with the fact that if you manage to kill him in combat, and...let's just say his name was Dave for simplicities sake, if you run into someone that looks just like him with a different colored t-shirt, his name is probably going to now be Rave and he's going to be even tougher than he was previously. Unfortunately as the years have gone by and technology has advanced, beat-em-ups have started to become a dying breed, with titles occasionally popping up and reminding us why we loved the genre before also fading into obscurity. For those that loved the genre and still hold a candle for some sort of revival, I present you with my list of Top Ten Beat-em-ups!


10. The Warriors (PS2, PSP)

Only Rockstar would think that it would be a good idea to resurrect a 30 year old movie that's been a cult classic since it came out, then combine it with a genre that's almost been completely dead since the dawn of 32-bit consoles back in the mid 90's. Luckily for gamers everywhere, that combination proved to be the recipe for pure gold. The movie was about one gang (The Warriors) attempting to escape from a failed meeting where they were blamed for the assassination of the most powerful boss in the city, which was supposed to be a modern day version of the same story as 300. The game, since it was released decades after the movie it was based on, took some liberties and told an alternate version of the story, mostly dealing with the gang trying to take over the city block by block. For fans of the movie or people that really get into the game, there are several bonus missions that you get to take part in if you wish that helps explain the back story for characters and the gang in general. Of course, strong storytelling isn't the only aspect that makes this title especially memorable. You have plenty characters to choose from, earning more as you get further into the game, a leveling system, some creative missions that mix pure, all-or-nothing brawling with stealth or escaping an area, a money system that you can use to earn spray paint and a drug that gives you a stat boost, and some of the most satisfying combat ever to grace a beat-em-up. Most people missed out on the game, but if you ever come across it and are hungering for some of that old school action with a modern twist, you'll find a lot to love in The Warriors.


09. The Simpson’s (Arcade)

There was a time when it was possible for licensed games to not suck or be horrendously mediocre. In those golden years, arcades everywhere saw this amazing 4 player cabinet based around America’s favorite cartoon family, The Simpson’s. Instead of trying to base the game itself off of any particular episode, the game took you through several locations from the game while forcing players to fight against enemies from the show. While the storyline wasn’t particularly compelling (save Maggie), there are few games that come close to capturing that same feel of you and 3 of your best friends gathered around the cabinet and working together using team attacks until you reach the end of the game. The animation and graphics still hold up well to this day and really do manage to look exactly like the cartoons, which was no easy feat for when this title was actually new. Unfortunately, the game never made it to consoles, meaning the only way to play it now is to find it in an arcade (PROTIP: Check Chuck E Cheese) or emulation. On the positive side, once you do track it down and get your friends to play it, you’ll find every moment was worth it in the end.


08. Alien Vs. Predator (Arcade)

It’s a shame the movies were so terrible, because the arcade version of Alien Vs. Predator was amazing. Unless there had been a comic released around this time, Alien Vs Predator was a completely original title that was developed by Capcom. Instead of trying to force the player to play as an alien, you picked one of three original characters that appeared nowhere in the movies, then went through several stages beating the crap out of any alien that was foolish enough to cross your path. It wasn’t exactly a terrifying experience, but you really did start to feel the pressure as hordes upon hordes of aliens descended upon you, often times making you wonder if you’d make it far enough to grab that health pickup that you knew was going to be on the next screen. The storyline itself wasn’t bad, especially since it was all new content. Throughout the levels, you’d randomly come across different weapons that you could use for a temporary amount of time that greatly aided in combat. The only downer was that the game was only 3 players, which seems like an odd selection looking back at things, but it worked out fine here since there had only been 3 characters to select. Each of the levels seemed varied enough, using plenty of colors with a almost hand drawn look to all of the sprites that would appear, keeping you compelled to play past the end of each level even if it was just to see what the next would be.


07. Battletoads (NES)

Everything about Battletoads screams of the early 90’s. Take an animal, give it some “‘tude”, throw in some incredibly frustrating levels that can make a grown man cry (speederbikes, anyone?), gameplay that was simplistic at its core, and a hot female villain that most of us never made it halfway to. What do you get? A game that has become one of the most memorable Beat-Em-Ups of the 8-bit years. Letting players choose between the titular Battletoads named Zitz, Rash, or Pimple was just the start. Each level had you briefed by your leader, which was a …bird or something, then you were dropped into the game. One of the most memorable aspects of the game was the satisfaction you got from destroying any of the enemies and hearing that classic “thwap” sound when you made that final hit, with your fist growing 4 times its normal size. Other trademarks of the series were the speederbikes, the ability to hit an enemy into the ground, then run at them and kick them like a football off of the screen, and the walker robots (including a memorable boss fight on the first level) that you could beat down, then take their legs and use them to club other enemies to death. Chances of us ever seeing another Battletoads game are slim to none, but the games that are out in the series still stand the test of time and are a true test of any gamers skill and patience, while still being satisfying for every level you make it through. Combine that with a co-op mode that let you work together with your friend to thwart foes or even use THEM as a weapon by throwing them into enemies (hey, it’s called taking one for the team!) makes this game number 7 on the list.


06. Double Dragon (NES)

Double Dragon is probably the first game everyone cut their teeth on when it comes to all out brawling action. Taking you through several levels that ranged pretty dramatically from scenery was only the beginning of this titles epic adventure. It started out with one of the most memorable scenes from a game of all time: Screen comes on, you pick which mode you want to play, then you see about 4 guys standing around and a girl standing there. From that point, one of the guys steps forward and punches the crap out of her in the stomach, then throws her over his shoulder and walks away. My logic has always been that she probably deserved it and the last fight of the game just reinforced my theory over how she was a complete b**** (spoiler coming in a few sentences!). There was a lot of stuff that happened in this game that kind of paved the way for other future beat-em-ups, such as beating up women with really bad hair that HAD to carry whips (seriously, go play a few of these games and any time you see a woman, she almost ALWAYS has a whip), weapons in general, simultaneous 2 player that also included a mode where you could beat down on your friend, one of the first games I can remember that showed me that changing your clothes made you a tougher person, and....the genre staple: a last fight that turns you against the person you've been playing with for the love of a woman. The enemies themselves are all pretty amazing, especially the huge hulking guys that you fight throughout the game that seem to easily be able to beat the crap out of you. Either way, for pure fun, a memorable soundtrack, and nostalgia, there's no way Double Dragon could NOT make it up here.


05. Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow of Mystara (Arcade)

This is one of those games that I know a lot of people probably never played or maybe heard about and thought it was a generic rpg or something. While the previous title in this series was amazing, this one was pure concentrated Awesome In A Can®! Shadow of Mystara might have only been a 4 player game, but it featured 6 characters that you could play as and level up throughout your journey and forced players to actually consider what class they were going to be and play them accordingly. The graphics are still amazing to witness since it capitalized on that completely hand drawn look that is a trademark of arcade beat-em-ups that were developed by Capcom at the time. Many games in this genre have players mashing on one or two buttons, but D&D: SoM had players using their classes skills in addition to various items in order to make it through the adventure. As you traversed environments, you could potentially come across a treasure chest, which was fine if you had a key on you, but if not, you better have a thief! Mages had the ability to cast powerful offensive and defensive magic, the warrior was a beast, etc. The last major difference between this and other games on this list is this is one of the few games that would occasionally give you the option to take a branching path towards the end of your epic quest. If you come across this or whatever, definitely give it a shot. If you have the time, make sure you also have 3 friends in tow to play it to it's maximum potential.


04. Final Fight 2 (SNES)

Ahh. The Final Fight franchise. This was THE pinnacle of fighting games back in the 16 bit days for most gamers. While the original is a lot more memorable with its cast and the introduction of the franchise, I still believe the second game refined everything that made the first game great, then expanded on it which is the formula for making any solid sequel. While Guy and Cody are notably absent from this game, two new characters were introduced: Maki, who was essentially a female version of Guy, and Carlos, which was a South American guy...BUT WITH A SWORD! Rounding out the cast was everyone's favorite barreled chested bad ass: the mighty Haggar. The actual gameplay itself was pretty much the same as any of the other games in this franchise, but it's amazing how well it holds up for reasons unknown. While the 3rd game had it's AI mode that let the computer take over as the second player which was creative at the time, the game itself seem kind of bland in comparison to the first two. If you go back to the first game, while the gameplay itself was fine, the color palate seems kind of bland and doesn't feel like it holds up to the test of time graphically. Personally, Final Fight 2 was the one I completely latched on to for whatever reason, making this my number 4.


03. Castle Crashers (Xbox 360)

Beat-em-ups were almost dead for about 10-15 years. As time has gone by, people have clamored for a Streets of Rage 4, or just something that wasn't Dynasty Warriors or the convoluted character action games that are so popular nowadays (God of War, Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, etc). Out of the blue a few years ago, Castle Crashers appeared at various press conferences, making gamers everywhere super excited to know that there was going to be a classic co-op beat-em-up coming out in the future. As time went by though, the title saw more and more delays, making it look like it could potentially become vaporware, but at the end of August 2008, the wait proved to be well worth it as Xbox Live Arcade saw the release of what is easily considered to be the best beat-em-up in years: Castle Crashers. The game, which was developed by Behemoth (developer of Alien Hominid and Newgrounds classic Dad 'n Me) brought back all of the classic simplistic fun that made the genre so great back in its heyday.Instead of just having fun gameplay, it's one of the most enjoyable games to actually look at, has loads of unlockables, 4 player online or offline co-op, a few different modes, and it brought back fighting your best friend for the love of a woman yet again. While people had issues when the game came out with 4 player online co-op, the game has since been patched and had a small expansion that appeared. If you aren't a fan of downloadable content, there are loads of different weapons to be found in the game and you'll have a lot of fun just going through the story as many times as you want, leveling up your characters as you progress.


02. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (SNES/Arcade)

Turtles in Time took everything that makes beat-em-ups incredible, evolved on its own 4 player formula that was made in the TMNT arcade game, then threw in some of the most amazing levels seen in the genre. Once you actually reach the time traveling parts of the game, you know you're in for an amazing experience. The 4 turtles are all still there and while your standard hits are all the same, there were a few changes that blew gamers away back in the day. If you managed to get in close to your enemy, not only could you beat the crap out of them with your weapon, but you could also throw them. That's not all folks! With a well timed throw, you were able to grab an enemy and literally throw them into the screen, watching their sprite grow larger until they eventually just disappeared. No beat-em-up would be worth anything if there weren't enemies there, and this game featured tons of enemies that made the cartoon so great, from foot soldiers to the classic duo of Bebop and Rock Steady. The level designs themselves all fit in with the time periods you were being transported to, from pirate ships to trains, fighting dinosaurs, and even riding hover boards down a neon futuristic highway in the unforgettable Neon Night Riders stage. While it's not the easiest game, the amazing level designs, gorgeous graphics, and fast and frantic gameplay has held up remarkably well over the years, making this number 2.


01. Streets of Rage 2 (Sega Genesis)

While the game itself is one of my favorites of all time, the reason that makes this stand out above everything else is how memorable the soundtrack was. Instead of going on for hours about how great that single aspect of the game was, I'd rather talk about some of the other parts. The box art alone was simply amazing and I fondly remember seeing it in stores and being completely impressed already, especially after being a huge fan of the first game. Only two of the characters from the first game return, which sets up the plot for the game. Adam Hunter, the third member of the original title, was kidnapped, which was discovered by one of the most amazing characters of a beat-em-up ever: Eddie Hunter. Eddie Hunter's only rival I can think of off the top of my head is the Kangaroo from Streets of Rage 3, but more people remember this guy simply as "Skate". Skate...is the epitome of companies capitalizing on the 90's: an African American character with a backwards hat and he fought through the entire game on frickin' roller blades(!!!), making him the fastest character out there. The other new character was Max, who was SoR's unstoppable powerhouse that fought similar to Final Fight's Haggar, but did it in the most ridiculous looking pants and boots I've ever seen in my life. Luckily, his size and power more than made up for it, which brings us to another reason why this game was so great. Unlike most beat-em-ups where you could choose different characters that looked different but ultimately played the same, all of the characters in this title had their own stats, meaning that you could actually find someone that you felt fit your own play style. The last major gameplay change was the removal of the original games special attack that consisted of you calling a police car in that would perform a random attack across the screen. Instead, your character had their own special moves which helped to expand the movelist and give them their own unique attacks that helped to define who they were instead of just being generic characters like so many other games. The levels all were amazing with some incredible bosses and gorgeous graphics, all backed by one of the most amazing game soundtracks ever. While everyone is still holding out some sort of hope that maybe one day there will actually be a true sequel, fans have taken matters into their own hands and developed Beats of Rage which is a completely customizable beat-em-up. While the entire series was amazing, everything meshed together to make my favorite beat-em-up of all time in Streets of Rage 2.

*Honorable Mentions*
*River City Ransom*
*Die Hard Arcade*
*Dynasty Warriors whatever (its all the same game)*