Dramatic Battle Group Stages

While my Street Fighting skills are not the sharpest, I thought I should at least go up and support the cross border scene that has developeed between the border of both Irelands. I was not alone as six of us formed a travel group to the North. Arriving at Queen’s University Belfast, we were just in time to see the ending of Blazblue. However our minds were more focused on the main event of the day Street Fighter IV; there were an estimated 30 entries and they certainly weren’t short of talent.

Unfortunately for yours truly, I was only able to win one out of three matches. However I did learn a large amount based on the mistakes I made during the game and since then developed much more as a player of Bison. So next time, I’ll be able to perform a Devil’s Reverse instead of a Psycho Crusher! (Scrub City featuring me)

Third Strike Fans!

As it went on three out of our six managed to proceed to the next round. Two of them were knocked out due to some excellent talent in the shape of some of Northern Ireland’s best players, however through all the hardship one of our group made it to the finals! Whilst he was able to roll his Viper right to the final, the subsequent winner, (going by the name Chuu) played a very skilled Blanka and it will be very interesting to see how he performs over in Super Versus Battle!

Overall it is was a success. The hall used was open and never felt stuffy. Equipment, as far as I’m aware, never had any faults (take that EVO!) and our hosts were nothing but welcoming the whole day. A big thank you the organisers and crew for our invites and no doubt this will be my first write up of many about great hosted events from the Northern Irish fighting scene!

Everyone Loves Street Fighter!

These sort of games have really began to hit their heights in this day and age. With no monthly payment (or game time purchased, as it’s bought in the East), these games offer a decent and chunky piece of gaming for everyone in the family. All genres are covered and I’ve yet to come across a graphics card-demanding game to this date. With these sort of requirements, any sort of recession can be averted and you won’t need to watch the pennies. In fact, assuming you can hold onto a broadband speed Internet connection, you’re generally all clear to play anything and everything. It’s a good deal all round.

I know you’re thinking, “Wowzer, that’s too good to be true! What’s the catch?” Well the point is, there isn’t a catch. Generally games will offer items or special abilities for sale, it’s no different from the extra content offered on the Playstation Network or Xbox Live (by the way, free to play games have already started to appear on Xbox 360; for example Doritos Dash of Destruction), and it’s really up to you whether you wish to gain these items for an advantage. This isn’t to say that you are certain to dominate all gaming situations should you decide to purchase anything, however it would give you a nice edge and possibly enhance your experience of the game.

With more companies seeing this sort of business through advertising and microtransactions it would be no surprise to see this as the future of all gaming platforms in the future. Even arcades such as Taito Game Stations in Tokyo offer a simple and quick reflex game on most of their doors to attract potential customers into their arcades. Xbox announced the free to play Joy Ride, showing that even the biggest of companies are willing to go into the business of free to play in order to grow their user base. And while I believe a fully packaged game is important for the industry I certainly think there’s some room for “Free To Play” games to expand and maybe one day even dominate.

A new entry onto the Xbox Live Arcade marketplace, this game is anything but new. We’ve seen (and by we, I mean America and Japan) Virtual-On before in the shape of an arcade machine and a updated ported version for the Dreamcast. So now with a fancy update in terms of the HD variety, we can now enjoy this robot fest in a new, fancier and quite robotic, robot light.

One of the first things you’ll notice about this game when you first boot it up is just how colourful it is. Every sort of electric including pinks, greens, blues and reds are thrown at you with viciousness and vigour. Level designs are simplistic and yet are very distinctive and varied. The robots themselves are beautifully decorated with colour coded schemes that match up well. If you’re not a fan of any of the given colours of a robot, you can always go to the “Customize” (that’s right, with a Z) menu and create your own colour scheme for one of your robots. This can then be used in all game modes and will kill a few minutes of your well earned robot destruction time.

The control system has you rely on your reflexes and your counter skills. Every time your enemy makes a move you have to boost and attack. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not as easy as it sounds and it will take you some time to master the control system. Saying that, once I had the basics of manoeuvring I found the game itself quite easy to complete, despite taking heavy damage. Boss battles, as in all games, will give you the most trouble. They are powerful and if you’re not quick enough, they will deplete your energy in a matter of seconds. Luckily you’ll have many robots to choose from and Sega has given you a large selection. Depending on your playing style, you’ll find something for everyone, from the heavy hitters to the quick and the deadly.

My one disappointment with the game is the lack of a distinctive plot. Some sort of  political plot as seen in most Robot Sagas would have been something to play for. However, not knowing why you’re fighting a violent sphere of death takes away some of the meaning behind the game. I also think that paying a full whack of 1200 Microsoft Points was quite expensive. I realise this is a DC port but you have to question whether the content really represents the price it displays.

There was only ever one place in Tokyo where I could truly experience such a scene and it was in the heart of “Electric Town” Akihabara (or Akiba to the locals) that I found what I was looking for. There are more arcades on this one street than there is in the Greater Dublin Area, and while on my trip I managed to visit every single one of them. Each arcade has its own unique style and layout. Two of my favourites were Hirose Game Yard and Taito Gamestation. Each floor had a speciality such as beat em ups on one floor, old school shooters like Ikaruga and a floor dedicated to a pod-based Gundam game.

The most impressive thing was not the amount of games and variety on offer but the community built on these games. Every night I went (and I do mean every night) to an arcade there was always a large number of people playing, watching and discussing tactics used while gamers battled on in games such as Tekken 6, Virtua Fighter 5 and Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna. I found myself being drawn into this group and spending the final hours of a day watching Dan carefully tear Sagat apart through nothing but light punching and Ex cancels, only to be followed by Dan being destroyed by the pure poetry of Zangief’s numerous grabs and smashes. Yet while all this was going on I couldn’t help notice how cheap everything was. One hundred Yen for ALL machines in an arcade. When changed that’s less than a Euro or one Pound.

When I came back to Ireland I visted my local arcade only to weep at its emptiness and the fact that I would have to pay two Euros for a gun game. I left soon after wishing I was once again with the dedicated crowds studying form for character perfection. I mean I could do with the training, my current match record is Won: 1 – Lost: 7!

Ganbaro!

PC elitism can be quite wearing on the senses sometimes. Being branded a retard for your preferences is very irritating and is just plain…silly. One of those mysteries in the world I’ll never understand is the obvious and quite sad fanboyism that follows console and PCs in terms of gaming and at the same time I can’t help feel it’s an evil necessity. Consoles wars are driven by them and in some indirect way I feel that sales are pushed up because of them, helping to keep this digital media afloat.

I’d say a good majority of my colleagues in work would be PC players. Once in a while they have convinced me to try new things. For example, the MMO. Now this can be taken as either a good or a bad thing but if I’m perfectly honest, it’s been quite a good thing. I enjoyed the trial periods that some of the guys gave me for World of Warcraft and now they have me playing Darkfall (the hardest of hardcore MMOs). Being around them 40 hours a week can pique a man’s interest in the way of the graphics card. It also gives you some great suggestions for games you haven’t tried (and shock-horror, I like Steam!)

Don’t get me wrong, I still hold consoles close to my heart, (Mass Effect is being played with three separate characters at the same time) but having an open door policy to PC games at least gives me a chance to play RTS games with that little bit more control and the advantage of not having to pay 1600 points for much of the content that does tend to be released by companies for free on the PC. It does offer nice alternatives and I can see what certain individuals are brainwashed into the PC (or console) for all people method of thinking. But for the majority who care more about the games then their machinery, we can worry more about when there’s a release for a game, more so than “OMGZ one processor lol”.

The last thing I want to do is start a mass debate on PC vs Console (or maybe I do, interesting thread for our forums, no?) as each have their benefits and drawbacks which could be discussed for decades. What I can say is that I’m happy to try out many more games thanks to having a more “open gaming” mind I guess. Which can only be a good thing!

That’s right, I’ve booked myself 18 days of pure bliss within the delights of Tokyo’s precious bosom. From March 12th to March 29th I shall practise my Kobanwa’s and Genki Desu Ka’s until my gaijin (foreigner) friendly pals stick sushi in my mouth and make me swallow (I’m not the biggest fan of sushi). In less than two months I shall be in Nippon’s capital to experience many of Japan’s gaming pleasures such as…

The Sony Centre; Sony’s one stop shop to show off all thing computer related to tech junkies and their bored other halves.

The Pokemon Centre; Pikachu I choo… no way noob it’s all about Squirtle! I was one of the lucky people to see this place in its full glory in New York before it got downsized into an area of the now Nintendo Store near the Rockefeller Centre. Tokyo’s merchandise heavy version may in fact send me to the deep end of financial hell.

Harajuku/Yoyogi Park; Are you surprised that I would mention the Sunday cosplayers playground? I’d imagine there will be at least one Dead or Alive character dressed up. One can only hope it’s Kasumi!

Endlesssssssssssssss(to infinity) arcades that are scattered throughout this sacred home of Virtua Fighter.

Oh and speaking of Virtua Fighter, there’s also this rather small place called SEGA GiGO plotted in only the biggest geek hub in all of the glorious Tokyo.

Akihabara!

Akihabara (known as Akiba to the local Otaku or “Geeks”) is home to endless games shops whether they are new or old. How about having a go on the headache inducing Virtual Boy on display in one of the many used game shops that specialise in all consoles ever made for the Japanese market?

Or even better I could use some dating simulators to hone my pick up skills, only to end up gaining leaflets from barely legal teen-maids wishing to charge me extortionate prices for a coffee instead…

Anyone have any decent suggestions?

What if an arcade stick was used to play… Arcade Games.

Now settle back down, this moment of madness makes sense to some degree. There are plenty of games on the Arcade well suited to this device and in some twisted way I thought I could justify an arcade stick for more than just fighters. I’ve seen a few shops sell small arcade-like joypads but in reality, if your gonna do it, do it right. I switched the Xbox 360 to green lights mode, strapped on (easy now) my Hori EX2 and went through a selection of my Arcade games.

Here are some of the results:

Bomberman: Bomberman played well. No more clunky D-pad for those elusive seconds to get around the corner. I’d imagine any game that involved the D-Pad will be greatly improved with the stick. This works better that the L Stick from the pad too. More accurate.

Castle Crashers/Teenage Ninja Muntant Ninja Turtles 1989: Ahh now this is what arcade sticks were made for! Granted CC has little more than hack and slash but when pulling off magic, buttons are fluid and button bashing feels good. Took me a split second to remember controls for the game but once used to it again, I considered the controls well laid out. Very enjoyable. Ninja Turtles is a blast from the positive past when using the arcade stick as well. Of course all you need is one button but then it was the same arcade button I was mashing in the early 90’s.

Puzzle Games (Lumines/Puzzle Quest/Hexic ): Their controls are simplistic and work a treat. For me the issue with a 360 pad when playing these games is the left stick can skip to far left or right and the D-Pad can feel quite clunky at (most) times giving the same effect as the stick. With the Arcade stick you know that one click means one move either side.

Duke Nukem: Doesn’t work for this game. Damn Left Stick.

I think overall the arcade stick is quite useful if your looking to take on many high scores with great accuracy. Having side scrolling beat ‘em ups and an arcade stick also gives a great sense of nostalgia that mashing big round buttons can only give. Also bear in mind that I haven’t tested shooters like Ikaruga that were made for sticks like this. I can only imagine Ikaruga could be well handled on an arcade stick.

Just don’t play Duke Nukem with it. Ever. Because you can’t.

:’(

What if it happened a lot more than we were actually aware of?

Well if your any sort of DS fan I guess you’ll know that this to be true. Too many games from a mass Asian market don’t make it here to our retailers because maybe they are considered too “unique” or a well dressed man thinks that he won’t make much of his money publishing a game outside of Japan (a valid point, but not the one of this blog). This in turn, makes the DS fan lose out on what could be possibly a great puzzler or the next Pokemon craze to hit the Western shore.

One example of this is Taiko no Tatsujin. This a basically Donkey Konga but miniaturised for the DS Market. This is nothing short of an addiction. Catchy tunes from classical to j-rock and pop, I can’t get enough of it. Yet, the only reason I was able to get my hands on it is because I have access to Indie stores that will import games from time to time. Europe was left out of the launch list.

One game that was lucky to make it over here was Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. Though heavily localised, Elite Beat Agents (to give it it’s English name) kept its core gameplay and its charm to give us a fresh outlook to how DS games could be played. Not to mention is was popular with many people despite its tough gameplay.

I can’t help feeling that there are many more games to played out there that will sadley never reach my DS. For this, I have had a missed opportunity and my DS sheds a small tear.

Once again it has saved me from making the fatal mistake on the gaming borders of I will play or I won’t play.

When I first saw pictures of Mirror’s Edge I thought, “that looks neat”. Then realising that this isn’t the fifties, I moved onto better phrases like “wow this looks different” and “this could be cool”. It showed us that maybe a full blown version of Parkour (free jumping/climbing) could be done within a gaming system. I got very excited.

However, as the months went on I began to question some of the mechanics.

“What if they get the perception wrong?”

“What if the controls are awkward and clunky?”

But thanks to a quick look on Xbox Live the other night, I noticed that Mirror’s Edge had a demo for download. So while I waited I played Fallout 3 (RPG not a FPS!), and then I got my plink that the download had finished. So I switched over to the Demo and wow, I’m impressed.

Everything about the demo was right. The setting, the intensity, the totally hawt azn (hot Asian for normal people) and best of all, fluid controls. There were times during the brief but excellent demo where the sweat rolled down my face as I was chased by four gun toting policemen while being told not to fight and just run the whole time, only to be confronted by more gun toting maniacs. There is also some great martial arts set pieces that are easily controlled, combos a plenty while running and a nice little soundtrack. If the main game delivers a game as good as this demo I’ll be quite delighted to hand over my hard earned Euros to DICE.

Thank goodness for demos, otherwise maybe we would miss out out on some gems. And then again we would make the mistake of buying the wrong game.

If only I had played a Mercs 2 Demo :’(

So what about the main character?

Well first he has to hate everything about the world. I can honestly say I’ve never seen that sort of character in a game. He will naturally have to save the world with his friends, though he will mainly spend his time wondering why he (and he alone) has to save the world. “Why can’t someone else do it?” is what he’ll ask.

And the story?

This is a unique story that can only lead to many clones of our amazing game signifying our success and also creating a gigantic bucket of cash (Pounds, not Dollars or Euros). The evil (rich) villain tries to take over the world with shrewd politics and a personal army the size of China, yet the character will take out as many as six (depending on how many fights you run away from) and he will still make it to the end. We don’t want to make it too hard, these kids are depressed enough as it is! Someone has to die too. How about the hot girl who fancies the lead Hemo (Hero/Emo)? And naturally he only loves her at the end when she’s dead.

What about aesthetics?

Dress the characters in black, make them all sexually ambiguous and put some My Chemical Romance and Hikaru Utada in the soundtrack.

BILLIONS AWAIT YOU.

This isn’t the first time we’ve moved. The first time was two years ago and I lost my internet access due to us moving literally to the middle of nowhere. I don’t want to get internet in my bedsit because I’m only there every second week, and that to me is a waste of money. Especially when I can go halves with my father. Back then, I climbed up the walls looking for some sort of access in the area so I could download The Shivering Isles expansion for the Xbox version of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It was woeful.

Without the LIVE connection, the Xbox seems sort of futile to me. I took up playing games on my Playstation 2 again. Not that I’m using the Playstation 2 as a negative – I loved the PS2 and had fun nights on Street Fighter 2. It’s just that the Xbox just feels bare and lifeless without that connectivity to the wired world.

Luckily for me, the folks are moving closer to civilisation so this time the promise of broadband is guaranteed. I don’t have to miss out on those downloads I wanted so badly when when we had to wait a whole year for the internet.

Won’t be online from home for a few weeks mind you. Madness begins.

During the month of July, I was very lucky to be visited by a good friend from Japan. We went around the lovely Irish countryside and saw what the “Sunny South East” of Ireland had to offer. We had fun and I was very sad when she had to leave.

Anyways what’s this got to do with games? Well my friend (let’s call her Natchan) and I came to a very excellent “business” deal. She’s very much in love with Irish culture. She knows the good Irish bands more than I do and really puts me to shame with her Irish knowledge. I’m a huge lover of Japanese culture. My taste in computer games is for the ones that usually don’t reach our shores until a year or two later (even if they reach it!) after they come out in Japan. Do you see where I’m going with this?

So basically the deal is simple. We send each other country exclusive items. For example, Natchan enjoys the excellent Irish band Aslan. I enjoy the excellent Japanese game Phoenix Wright. She understands my love for computer gaming (though she is not a gamer herself) and so when there is a game I would like to aquire (such as Jump! Superstars) She’ll send me that while she gets maybe a movie or any other item of sheer Irishness that she can’t find availible in Japan. It’s a win win for both of us.

I know what you’re thinking, “But there’s lots of online sites for games!”. Yes I realise that and no I don’t have a credit Card, nor do I wish to acquire one. Also I think it’s a little more nicer to receive a package from a personal friend, than one from an online shop. I also realise I don’t speak Japanese. Well one, I’m learning and two, many games get translated on the internet literally days after they are on sale. My DS days have just gotten that little more exciting.

After finally finishing college, I found the time to dig out old games I enjoyed before gamerscores were all the rage (dirty score whores!). I wondered what game should I play first? I thought for about five seconds and picked JSRF up. Everything I loved about this game still stands today. The soundtrack is possibly one the the best I have ever heard within a video game; and has a special spot placed within my Ipod. Funky fresh tracks keeps the vibe going as you scale the heights of Tokyo searching for total solitude from the mainstream mass below. Ultimate heaven.

I’m the biggest fan of Cell Shading. I still think Link looks better in cell shade than he does in regular 3D (ooh controversial), but Jet Set just looks amazing. In fact, if it’s possible, it looks even better now if you carry a 360, since now it’s been converted up to scale on the backwards compatablity list making it HD Ready and waiting! The colours are electric and crisp. Along the music Sega took the coolness of Shibuya and Harajuku and turned it into a game!

The story was a simple; kids going up against the evil corporation, all the while fighting local police and an angry police inspector on the brink of unemployment. Yet its wasn’t the story that made me want to play. It was the level design, dizzying heights and wanting to complete all the challenges set by the secret tapes that constantly taunted me while playing it. Sadly JSRF was too underground to make much money. So I guess Sega decided to ditch it for more important titles such as Sonic and the Secret Rings and The Golden Compass……yeah.

Everyone has that one game they love to bits for me it was this. So for one more time I can only hope that maybe some day we’ll see Jet Set Radio Future 3: Futurererer.

Emergency Mayhem gives you the choice of two modes. Career mode, a single player experience (and where the core gameplay is), and Party mode, where all the mini games of the single player experience are presented for multiplayer games, or for the single player who doesn’t fancy racing around Crisis City at the time. Bear in mind you’ll only be able to play the mini games after you have unlocked them in the Career mode.

The Career mode has you starting out as a rookie who must make his way up the emergency food chain by completing tasks such as getting from point A to point B within an allotted time. By doing so you’ll fill up a mayhem meter that, when a certain percentage is filled, you’ll receive a promotion and unlock the next area of Crisis City.

The first thing you’ll notice is how much this game reminds you of Crazy Taxi. Having to perform perfect stops within coloured circles that will start specific mini games or trigger a timed race to point B. Mini games vary from each profession such as cutting wires to defusing a bomb as a policeman or closing a fire hydrant by using the Wiimote functionality as a fireman. These mini games are never more than a small challenge for anyone who’s used to the Wii and its ways by now. The look of the game is simple but effective. Plenty of bright colours and blue skies (a firm favourite of mine), which are nearly always pleasant to the eye.

The controls can be quite tricky to get used to. Emergency Mayhem uses both Nunchuck and Wiimote when driving. The Nunchuck analogue stick controls the steering. This is very loose, so when you’re starting off you should expect much crashing into walls. Luckily after a round or two you should be used to the controls. The missions themselves can become a little repetitive for the more adventurous gamer. A child will probably find enough entertainment to keep them busy for a while. Even a parent will find enjoyment in this, if only to kill a few hours on a wet Sunday afternoon. Party mode consists of the mini games you have unlocked on single player and lets you play them with your friends or on your own. There aren’t many games to play though, so if you’re looking for a mini-game haven try Warioware instead, otherwise it’s a nice little time filler.

Here’s what I consumed at the weekend. Bear in mind that this is only while I sat in front of the computer.

A large bag of Lidl brand Doritos.

A bag of mini Lion bars.

6 bags of King brand crisps.

7 bags of Tayto brand crisps.

3 bags of Lidl brand Smokey Bacon crisps.

A two-litre bottle of 7-up.

A large bag of Haribo Jelly Babies.

A large Milka brand chocolate bar.

Now hopefully the majority of gamers don’t share my eating habits (though there are some of you out there!) because I know from looking back at this, something isn’t right. It’s just not healthy to eat this sort of junk food in bulk. I had to fall ill from eating endless rubbish to realise my eating habits. And the source of all this rubbish was while I sat in front of my computer at night while trying to bulk up my gamerscore. So now I’ve began planning a new routine. I follow Shaz’s strict routine of dance mats by day and by night I snack on the bag of pears, which have replaced the cheap crisps and lion bars that held my heart (literally speaking!) dearly. I hope maybe this horror story might make you look at what you’re snacking on during a game and if you have my problem, you might join me in my change of diet! Oh and I’m keeping the 7-up you know, ‘cause it’s nice.

The story starts with Travis winning his Lightbeam (Lightsaber) on an Internet auction after he decides to become an assassin. After completing his first job to kill a guy named “The Drifter”, Travis is approached by a voluptuous French lady named Sylvia Christel. Sylvia works for the United Assassins Association and let’s Travis know that after he killed The Drifter he became ranked number 11 in the league of hit men. Travis is now a marked man for aspiring assassins so there’s only one way to go: all the way to number 1. Oh, and if Travis becomes number 1, Sylvia has agreed to “do it” with him. How could you say no?

Anyone who’s played Suda 51’s (director of No More Heroes) Killer7 will be used to the graphics style. It has that dark edgy cell-shade look while keeping a pixelated HUD to honour Travis’s love for all things videogame. Stages vary from bright blue sky beaches to dark and dull movie studios. Character design for each hitman is very unique, every outfit brings it’s own style and definition to its character. Even the death of everyday henchmen has a beautiful explosion of lightning, coins and black pixels. I can only imagine the inclusion of blood into the NTSC version making it truly OTT. And with that conclusion, the game certainly looks the part but how does it play?

If you’re an old school Legend of Zelda gamer (and by this I mean pre-Twilight Princess), you should be familiar territory. No More Heroes uses a Z button lock-on with A attacking with your Lightbeam. Quick succession of A taps, and you’ll pull off a combo before being instructed to move the Wiimote a particular direction to pull a Death Blow. The B button uses melee attacks where you can daze an enemy and then grab them for a wrestling move before killing them with the A button while they’re knocked out on the ground. However the highlight of the fighting system is “Dark Side Mode”.

When you kill an enemy with a Death Blow, slots on the bottom of the screen start to spin. If they three slots match then you’ll go into one of five Dark Side Mode types, which lasts for about 45 seconds. I won’t spoil it for you by telling what they all are but my favourite is Blueberry Cheese Brownie. A reticule appears in front of Travis and he can now fire energy balls at enemies for a short period.

The only bad thing I can say about this game is the open-world system that is in between hitmen stages. You have to build up money by doing everyday jobs (such as filling cars with petrol) and then moving onto killing jobs. While the mini-games are good, you have to travel to each point via the open city of Santa Destroy. The city feels empty and the handling of the motorcycle you use to get around can be quite troublesome, as you’ll find yourself falling off more then one occasion. Fortunately after you’ve raised enough money for your next battle, it’ll seem all worthwhile as you get back to doing what you love best. Killing for money and prestige.