Can’t believe it’s December already. Just a few days in and I’m already swamped with stuff and running behind. But before going any further: how was everyone’s Thanksgiving holiday? Mine was extremely low-key, but cool nonetheless, though on Saturday…
I was walking up 6th Ave, around 8th Street, a little ways above Gray’s Papaya (hey, did you know the recession special is now a whopping five bucks? f’n nuts, man), when I noticed some woman in the corner of my eye giving out samples. So I grabbed a piece of what I thought was gourmet candy… either fancy-schmancy chocolate or caramelized jelly… and immediately popped it into my mouth. Less than three seconds later, I realized that something was seriously wrong and started gagging. Despite spitting out whatever the hell it was I just tried to eat, enough had gone down my throat, which began to slowly close. Along with that, my tongue began to go dumb, and it was clear that block of something I blindly shoved into my mouth was definitely not food. It kinda felt like soap, but isn’t that stuff non-toxic? Because here I was, having some kind of allergic reaction, somewhat similar to what happens when I eat shellfish, though thankfully not as bad.
So I continued walking up 6th Ave, spitting on the curb literally every five feet. I also had a bottle of water on me, left over from lunch, which I used to repeatedly gargle and rinse on the street, but nothing was working. I struggled to figure out what to do next; I was on my way home anyways, but wondered if I should stop by a drug store to get a bottle of moth wash for some immediate relief. The idea of self induced vomited did cross my mind. As did turning around to the source of my woes, though despite the possibility of being seriously poisoned, I was simply too embarrassed to confirm that I already knew: that I was a complete idiot.
This was actually worse than a few weeks ago, when I also threw a sample of food substance into my mouth without really thinking. In this case, what I thought was a piece of brownie was actually a cold chunk of hamburger meat. So yeah, the lesson learned here is, I will NEVER sample any foods on the street ever again. The best part about this past weekend’s ordeal is how I ran into a friend on the street, or course. It was Brandon, from the local game dev scene, who recently launched a brand new site, one aimed at those wanting to know more about the video game industry here in NYC, and wanted to talk with me about possibly being involved. But of course, I had to say that I was definitely interested but couldn’t talk right then cuz I was too busy coughing up accidentally ingested gourmet soap. I believe his girlfriend was particularly impressed with my public display of psychotic spitting. She at least was my one source of comfort, by pointing out that soap is indeed non-toxic, as evidenced from A Christmas Story.
Anyhow, earlier in the afternoon, I nabbed this…
… To match my Wii, of course. Plus I needed a fourth controller, in case there were four folks for an impromptu match of Smash Brothers Brawl (usually, someone has to bring their own GC controller with them). Picked it up at Video Games New York, the former St Mark’s Games, and I gotta say, the douchebags that used to be synonymous with the 8th Street joint are a thing of the past, or it would seem. Prices in general are still way too high for their imports, though the controller was available for a fair price.
Because I had my camera handy, check out what else I just got…
… The entire set of Shooting Game Historica Volume 2 trading figures! Along with the few I have from Vol. 1…
… I only sought out the Gradius 2, Gradius 5, and R Type 1 ships because I’m not such a big fan of either Darius or Image Fight. Then we have…
… From left to right are the ships from R Type 3, Star Blade (whose nose was not all bent up as I had seen in various pics from National Console Support, thank goodness), Star Luster (which I’ve actually never played, but the ship design is just too cool), Ray Storm (unfortunately, its nose did get bent all out of shape, oh well), Fantasy Star, and in the back, you have the mech from Musha Aleste. Can’t wait for the just announced round 3! As well as round 4; hopefully ships from Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, and Thunder Force, either 4 or 5, will finally make an appearance.
Again, since I had a camera handy…
… It’s a tasty Japanese threat, one that Hilary and I always partake in for desert whenever we have lunch or dinner, usually Rai Rai Ken, a nice hole in the wall ramen shop on 10th Street, since they sell it at the JAS Mart on St. Mark’s just around the corner. This one was procured by Katie during our last trip to Mitsuwa… some weeks ago. I’ve been bugging her to finally try it, but at this point, I don’t think it might taste so good. Then again, it did come from Japan, so perhaps its shelf life is questionable to begin with. Plus, she only bought it for the packaging, hence the picture. So when we discover that it’s gone bad, we won’t feel so bad for throwing it away!
But yeah… nothing terribly exciting to report these past couple of days. Just the same old, same old; simply working on lots of different “stuff.” Though this weekend is gonna be pretty crazy; tomorrow is the first night of Blip Festival 2008! Which means nights straight of beeps and boops and all sorts of other noises, as produced by Game Boys and various other forms of video game hardware, plus hanging with friends who are into such nonsense. Unfortunately, Canada’s own Phil Fish, who was supposed to stop on by and crash on my couch for the event, alas, could not make it down, due to matters relating to Fez that requires his undivided attention. Plus, I would have to imagine that the recently just wrapped up GAMMA 3D also drained him of any spare time, energy, and money to boot. Speaking of, if you were like me and couldn’t make it up to Montreal for the big shindig, at the very least all the games are available online for download and play. All you need is stock 3D glasses (you know, those cardboard things with red and blue lenses) to fully enjoy them.
Back to Blip: also due to a possible scheduling conflict (there’s a project that I might get green-lit later this week… hopefully) I’m probably not going to be able to make every night. The move to Brooklyn doesn’t help either, but at least it’s in Gowanus (relatively close to where I used to live, actually) and not Willamsburg as originally planned (which would have been easier to get to, but again, it’s Willamsburg). Though I’m still going to cover it for GameSetWatch, just not on the same scale as last time; not only was it an exhaustive piece to write, but perhaps just as much to read, so I’m sure everyone will be happy that I’ll be keeping it short and sweet, or at least will try to. As for here, Dave Mauro will be there for most of it, so I’ll be asking to provide the official fort90.com report!
Anyhow, for those who want more info, like the schedule, and perhaps pay for their tickets in advance and avoid the long wait in line, which is surely to be freezing, simply hit the website right here. And immediately afterwards, I should finally have a review for Persona 4 ready, just in time for it’s release (which is the 9th, and I HIGHLY recommend everyone go out and pre-order it…. you’ll find out soon precisely why). But the thing is…
________________________________________________________________________________
As mentioned before, I’m pretty backlogged, especially when it comes to stuff I want to talk around here. There’s literally a pile of games that I’ve been passed along and which I keep saying I’ll be reviewing for months and months now. At this point, I’m officially tired of making empty promises, and because it’s also the busy holiday season, I suppose now might be the best possible time to pass along my two cents regarding said titles, real quick like, some of which are surely on some people’s wish list, while others most certainly should be. Or not.
Review: Space Invaders Extreme (DS)
May as well kick things off with the number one “late to the party” entry as far as this list is concerned. Perhaps everyone knows already that it’s been an amazing time for retro gamers as of late; quite a few retakes on classic titles have been simply outstanding, even one-upping the source material in certain cases, such as last year’s absolutely brilliant Pac Man: Championship Edition. Bandai Namco’s follow-up Galaga Legion is also damn fine, though despite a hefty “wow” factor up front, one begins to realize that it doesn’t have the legs that last year’s release has; Lord knows I was ranting and raving like an idiot, about how this new Galaga was just as good, and perhaps even better, than Pac Man CE when I first got my hands on it… which I quietly retract btw. But when it comes to teach an old shump some new tricks, the prize easily goes to Space Invaders Extreme.
I suppose it’s worth mentioning that I’ve never given a rat’s ass about the original, which I still find excessively boring and a chore to play. Space Invaders’s historical significance is undeniable, yet otherwise, especially by today’s standards, the game is beyond unplayable. Sorry. The remake on the other-hand (one of many, all of which have failed miserably to spice things up, like the fairly recent Space Invaders Revolution, also for the DS, spearheaded by the original creator no less I believe… ouch) completely turns things upside down, yet keeps it real, by infusing a mad rush of color and sound, as well as contemporary elements. It’s practically a history lesson in the art of shumps, with numerous and (most importantly) carefully implemented new tricks that came about as the genre evolved, such as super weapons, end level bosses, and a combo system, one that depends on an enemy ship’s color (once again, thank God for the color). You’re still moving left and right, trying your best to wipe the bastards out, before they can get close enough and annihilate you, but that tense feeling from before… which I guess was the very point of the game… is now a thing of the past; Space Invaders has officially moved on, with the end result being a game that is concerned only with providing an experience that could simply be described as “fun” (only the most loyal, diehard fans of the original could ever claim that it’s “fun” as far as I’m concerned). I know most purists will scream blasphemy at all the other changes, like the elimination of those shield/barrier things from the original, those three things that is supposed to provide cover but only get in the way, but then again, and I guess it’s not at all surprisingly, I don’t know any of those kinds of folks.
There’s also a PSP version, which is basically the same game, but I’d still have to recommend the DS one. Believe it or not, the music is better, plus the wide screen actually drags things down and brings it back to it being a bit too close to the original. Meanwhile, the narrower DS screens helps to quicken up the pace, another thing that made the original such a drag to play.
Review: Arkanoid DS (DS)
Alongside Space Invaders Extreme, Taito/Square Enix released yet another retro remake, and this one… is it’s polar opposite. Loved the original, hated the revamp. In the face of the awesomeness of SIE, Arkanoid’s qualities (or lack thereof) is positively perplexing, but on it’s own the game is an absolute travesty to the good name of the original.
First off, the controls totally bite. In Japan they released a special paddle controller for the game, which plugged into the GBA cartridge slot, to mimic the arcade’s set-up. Without it, you’re forced to either use the d-pad, which works more or less, or the stylus to move the bar back and forth, which sounds great on paper but completely blows in execution. The biggest problem here is how both screens are utilized; instead of it behaving like there’s a single display broken into two parts, meaning when the ball leaves exits the bottom display it immediately shows up on top, the game views both screens as windows with the middle part simply being in the way. The end result is, when it comes to executing maneuvers, that visual dead zone WILL mess up your strategy and the experience as a whole. Also, whereas Space Invaders Extreme was a sight to behold, Arkanoid DS is just plain ugly, with piss poor art direction and a limp as can be interface, though at least the music isn’t all that bad. At the end of the day, it’s the same Breakout clone from Japan with a few neat additional techniques and the needless sci-fi backstory that fans of the series have all grown to either appreciate or simply accept, but with a supremely retarded design choice to ruin it all, accentuated by one fugly coat of paint. Skip it.
Review: Chrono Trigger (DS)
Yet another remake for the DS! This time, for a game that made it’s debut quite a few years after Space Invaders and Arakanoid first blazed trails, but unlike the two previous revamps, very little of the formula has changed, and for good reason: sometimes you just don’t mess with perfection. I won’t bother to explain what Chrono Trigger is all about, we all know it and love it, and alongside Final Fantasy 6, it’s easily the apex of JRPGs on the SNES, as well as 16-bit consoles in general; as much as I loved Phantasy Star 4 back in the day, the edge still goes to Square sans Enix’s “dream team” project, which was brought together the mind minds from the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest camps, along with the creator of Dragonball.
The first thing that one will immediately realize upon playing (or replaying) the game is how far we’ve gone, along with what a complicated and burdensome mess the genre has become, mostly thanks to “technological advances” and this well intentioned but almost always poorly executed need for “maturity”. The theory of KISS, or Keep It Simple Stupid, is something that designers of Japanese role playing titles of today sorely need to heed, and come to think of it, with the exception of Persona 3/4 and Panzer Dragoon Saga, I honestly can’t think of any other titles since Chrono Trigger that has seriously approached it’s level of playability and pure fun. Also the graphics holds up, and the soundtrack still remains one of the finest ever for any game, period (the DS does an admirable good job of replicating the SNES original; it’s not quite exact, but about 96% close). Sure the characters and scenarios are ultra cliched, and the story somewhat predictable, but there’s a degree of sincerity and lack of pretense that we just don’t get these days. As for the port is concerned, again, not much has changed, just the interface plus some extra stuff near the end. Otherwise, it’s the same exact experience, and that bad ending you might get is just as creepy as it was when you were in high school (or at least when I was). If you haven’t played a JRPG since the days of the original, give the DS version a spin to remind yourself why you left in the first place.
Review: The World Ends With You (DS)
A fourth Square Enix DS game! Also, another RPG! Notice the pattern? Here we have yet again another complete opposite. I guess one major reason why I love Persona so damn much is how I’m totally sick to death of the now generic sci fi/fantasy hybrid backdrop. Stupid amnesiac princes that are expelled from their land of origin or princesses posing as either a lowly peasant ranch hand or some hot-headed tomboy that’s building a revenge-bot, because the main character’s dad, the evil king, has screwed everyone over (these games are nothing more than just an awkward collection of daddy issues in an interactive format), are just so “whatever” these days. I’d much rather run wild in a world very much like my own, and high schoolers simply make excellent character types for perhaps obvious reasons; if you’re going to feature a main character that’s a stranger in a strange place, I think it’s safe to say that we all felt that way in our youth. And that’s what The World Ends With You is all about: you’re just some Japanese school kid that’s trapped in an alternate version of the ultra trendy Shibuya shopping district, while you try to figure out what the hell is going on in a vaguely Running Man-eque do or die scenario.
The setting is pretty compelling stuff, but is immediately dragged down by an extremely annoying lead character that can best described as the ultimate personification of the emo-piece of sh*t that so many leads in JRPGs must be these days, the standard that Square Enix themselves established with Final Fantasy 7, and which they continue to support without fail. The dude here is so bad that it borders on parody, and at first I thought it was Square Enix poking fun at itself… which unfortunately is not the case. To the point that I almost quit early on because of him alone, though the story was compelling enough for me to keep coming back. Though the real star of the show here is the rather novel battle system, which takes the theory of multitask-oriented game-playing that Meteos strives to go for but on a whole different level; as you control the mean character on the bottom screen, you also have to tend to your partner on the top screen. Up top is controlled via button presses, with touchscreen motions dictate the battle below. It’s a neat idea, but the execution is rather awkward, mostly as far as the touchscreen is concerned (nothing connects all of the time, as it should, so everything is basically the luck of the draw). Even by the end, I was never really comfortable with the combat, but again, the genuinely intriguing tale enough to keep me wanting to see more. I also loved the use of street culture, fashion primarily, as game elements (it’s not particularly deep or anything, yet novel nonetheless), plus the soundtrack once again is totally hawt. In the end, there’s quite a bit of the trappings that makes it quite the contrast of Chrono Trigger, yet there’s also enough interesting qualities to still constitute it as a breathe of fresh air. So if you missed The World Ends With You the first time around, and also have a whole lot of patience, give this one a shot.
Review: Arcana Heart (PS2)
Hey, time to finally move away from handhelds! But sticking to high school kids… As far as animu figthers go, this one is pretty damn animu, while still somewhat resembling a cohesive brawler, perhaps even more so than, say, Melty Blood. That one had students, maids, and if I’m not mistaken nuns (sorry, but it’s been a while… though I still remember “Wolf Cock” like it was just yesterday), whereas this one also features students, a priestess, a witch in training, a demon, and a cyborg (along with nuns, though the ones here are not playable I’m afraid). Each one is also a teenage girl, so naturally Arcana Heart wins in the roster department, right off the back (especially for the girl that’s a swimmer that fights suspended in a blob of water that can form arms for combat… if anything, Arcana Heart is original).
Back to the comparison, whereas Melty Blood can be played by simply doing Street Fighters moves alone, Arcana Heart is a whole different animal, a deceptively complex one, given the cast (not be sexits and all, but they are just a bunch of little girls). It’s as hardcore as they come, and Street Fighter motions mean nothing, requiring one to learn a whole new set of tricks. Though going back and recalling your techniques from Marvel vs Capcom 2 will help manage AH’s heavy emphasis on air combos. The deal here is, each character has their own set of moves, but you have to choose an elemental card before the fight, which opens up a whole new set of abilities and techniques. If you’re a fighting fanatic, I’m certain you’ll have a ball…. but for the rest of us, its ultimately two parts frustration, one part boredom. You’ll wonder such things like, or a game with such a varied, and arial driven the move set is, how things can be also be so excruciating slow and plodding. Not saying this is a bad game per say, just one that’s clearly not designed for 99% of gamers out there. But I still have to give a thumb’s up to Atlus for sticking their necks out and passing it along to gamers on this side of the ocean. Though the sad truth it, anyone that was already has the import version I would imagine.
________________________________________________________________________________
I think that’s good enough for the time being. I actually have a few more, but I just realized something I should have done by now, something that actually pays the bills! Will be back with the rest tomorrow. Hopefully.
