Zombie Culture

PlayStation 3

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:25:54 GMT

PlayStation Network ID: BuddyC

Games: Ridge Racer 7, Resistance: Fall of Man

A fair share of you out there have had more than a week to practice up, and I'm sure I'll be lacking in RR7, but expect me to hold my own in Resistance. I'll get my Resistance ID registered and posted tomorrow, now I'm focusing on finishing up this article and maybe, just maybe, some sleep.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All / Gyakuten Saiban 2

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:20:24 GMT

Bless you Capcom of Japan, for your budget price, inclusion of the English translation, and timely release are a far better alternative than waiting until early next year for my fix. I'm not too far in, but the translation seems pretty solid (a major concern after news that one of the main translators [Alexander O. Smith] left to work on Final Fantasy XII), with at least one good pun twenty minutes or so in and returning characters keeping their often-disctinct speech patterns. Plus Play-Asia saw it fit to provide me with complimentary candy! Truly, it is a glorious day.

Okay, that's a cool wedding cake.

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:51:30 GMT

I stumbled across this on NeoGAF and just had to post it. I think the pictures speak for themselves as to why.

More updates coming soon, I've kept busy in the past few months, but for now, here's one I'm really happy with: An in-depth (5 pages!) hands-on preview of Resistance: Fall of Man over at GameDaily.

Dead Rising (ZombieHype)

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:38:52 GMT

So given the namesake of ZombieCulture, it should be somewhat obvious that I'd be hyped for some zombie-slaughtering games. But outside of the Resident Evil games, there really haven't been that many good zombie games. Sure, there's Zombies Ate My Neighbors, but that was before my time, and I don't think it holds up all that well nowadays. Meanwhile, TimeSplitters and Metal Arms both feature zombie enemies, but it just doesn't match up with the wholesale zombie slaughter I have in mind. I guess The Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green and Infected deserve a mention, but as most that have played them will tell you, they don't deserve much beyond that.

Thankfully, the folks over at Capcom, the folks that introduced zombies (and the entire genre of survival horror) to the 32-bit generation to begin with, well, they've decided that one zombie-oriented franchise isn't enough.

Enter Dead Rising on the Xbox 360. Whereas Resident Evil was heavily influenced by George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Dead Rising takes its influence from the followup, Dawn of the Dead. Instead of a creepy old house, players are trapped in a shopping mall chock full of the undead and must survive until the helicopter arrives in roughly 72 hours.

Outside of the old-fashioned zombie slaughter, there's people to save and pictures to take. See, you play as Frank, a photojournalist. The camera dangling from his neck isn't just for show, and just like in Beyond Good and Evil, good photos net some nice rewards.

It's also worth noting that Dead Rising retains Romero's odd sense of humor. Take, for example, the zombie that walks around with a traffic cone on its head. Or the decked-out shopping cart of zombie death. Just like the original Dawn of the Living Dead, Dead Rising refuses to take itself too seriously. If players want to go after the writhing horde with an umbrella or frying pan, they're free to -- almost anything in the mall can be used as a weapon.

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about Dead Rising. I wish I could say that I played it at E3, but despite multiple kiosks, the line was always far too long to fit between appointments. Though I will note, somewhat enviously, that the people who were playing seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the game looks a bit better as it does in the screenshots. See, one thing the screens really don't show is the awesome blood effects, globs of the substance flying through the air. And it's tough to get a sense of the size of the horde from just a mere screenshot, in motion, the writhing mass is far more impressive, not to mention intimidating.

Thankfully, as Dead Rising ships to US retailers on August 8th (meaning most places should have it in-stock by the 9th or 10th), I won't have to wait too much longer to finally get my hands on it. I'm hoping it's as good as everyone else has made it out to be, but with the ever-experienced Capcom at the helm and a mindless horde of zombies in an enclosed area, well, that certainly bodes well.

My DS Lite's "Yellow" Tint Problem

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 19:34:14 GMT

Since the DS Lite launched in America, various message board denziens have been complaining that their touch screen carries a darker, more yellow tint, than the top screen. I, and many others, initially wrote it off as folks being overly sensitive, the effect likely a result of a coating on the touch screen or some such. I mean, my touch screen was a bit darker than the the top screen, but I barely noticed, nor did it bug me, I just assumed all DS Lites were that way.

That is, until Brandy went out and bought herself one. Comparing our two systems, I discovered that slight tint of my touch screen was mysteriously absent on hers. On Brandy's system, the whites on the top and bottom screen seemed to match, but on mine, the whites of the top screen appeared almost grey on the bottom.

And that's when the tint started to bug me. Luckily, it's not all that prevalent, the difference is only noticeable on light backgrounds, like the bootup warning screen, Brain Age, and Big Brain Academy. Colorful titles, like Meteos and New Super Mario Brothers, curiously aren't affected. It's easy to tell which system is whose when they're at the warning screen, regardless of the brightness setting, but when placed side-by-side while both running Mario, neither of us could tell the difference. In fact, during the Mario comparision, she incorrectly guessed that my Lite was hers.

For the skeptical, here's some a picture to highlight the difference among the two. Be forwarned, the difference isn't all that noticeable on LCD monitors due to their inherent brightness, but those on CRT monitors should be able to clearly identify which DS is which.

Though both DS Lites are on the third brightness setting, there's a definite difference between the two.

The Lites have been swapped with this juxtapose, made from the first picture. The tinted screen is now placed on the right to emphasize the difference -- Ignore the differing shades of the bottom line, as that line flashes to garner attention. I don't think it has anything to do with angle or lighting, as the tint is pretty uniform, not to mention that the top screens match up pretty well and don't suffer from the same problem. If anything, the top screen on the right is a bit brighter....

Post-E3 2006: PS3 Thoughts & Concerns

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 13:17:15 GMT

A cross-post from NeoGAF, but I've been meaning to write something like this up for a while and I'm pretty happy with the way this post turned out. I've still got a huge backlog of articles to archive and post, not to mention some news, that I need to post in the coming weeks. Anyways...

Post-E3 2006: PS3 Thoughts & Concerns

Price vs. Games - The PS3 has some titles I'm interested in, but none that I have to play immediately, especially at the $499/$599 pricepoint. Note that I also, and still do, feel the same way about the 360, however my hand was somewhat forced there, and it'll probably be the same way with the PS3.

iPod Support - I can stream music from my iPod on my 360, and for a machine that's supposedly more powerful (and definitely more expensive), I want that same kind of functionality.

Gamerscore - I was iffy on it first, but after sinking a lot of time into Burnout Revenge and various XBLA titles, I've really fallen in love with the concept of Gamerscore and Achievement Points. Currently, that's the reason I prefer to play a multi-console title on my 360 (along with the above iPod stuff), so we'll have to see what the PS3 has to offer in terms of incentive to play the PS3 version instead.

Profile System - Okay, so it may sound like I'm a huge 360 fanboy, but they've genuinely done a lot of things right. I love the ability to password protect my profile, and thus, all my saved games, so that only I can access them. And I love that the profile system auto-configures games to my default controls, so I'll never have to invert the aiming in a FPS again. I'd really like to see something like this on the PS3 as well, but like the iPod stuff, I haven't heard anything one way or another.

Controller - Yea, it's been said many a times, but without rumble the controller just feels light and cheap. I'm not too worried about the tilt function, that is, unless some games force it in an awkward matter. Outside of party games (a la WarioWare) and novelty titles (Katamari, Loco Roco) I'm hoping tilt will be optional and its function can be replicated via other methods (tilt OR hold down R1 and the move left stick to lean, for example).

Size / Aesthetic - I'm really not too keen on the look of the PS3, nor the general size of the system. It's nothing that'll keep me from buying the system, but I would've been much happier with something smaller / sleeker / flatter.

Online Interface - Again, not a make or break feature, but as I'm already in the process of typing this all up, I might as well mention it. There's no denying the Xbox Live Marketplace has some problems, such as vague release dates and a functional, but not necessarily pretty, interface. It'll be interesting to see how Sony weighs in on this. On one hand, they have the potential to absolutely trump MS in this regard, but given that Sony's never really attempted anything similiar to the grand scheme and implementation of Xbox Live and its Marketplace, there's a lot of room for error as well.

the difference early media attendance makes (bka: my e3 photos)

Mon, 22 May 2006 15:35:11 GMT

We all joked they were letting everyone in early, but here's the crowd that amassed Wednesday morning when it was only "Early Media" and "Exhibitor" badges.

The cabanas at Tecmo's booth were nice.

A different kind of group picture? Think MySpace...

Per tradition.

Though it may appear Sega had a flame dancer and a choreographed stage show, I later discovered this was NCSoft's (I think, anyways) way of garnering attenion. Note the silhouette in front of the Sega logo, that guy was in charge of lights/lasers by holding them up with his hands and waving 'em around.

E3 2006: Deadline's End

Sat, 13 May 2006 06:54:34 GMT

Mass Effect Impressions (GameDAILY) <- I want to have this game's baby.
Bethesda Booth Crawl (Xbox.com)
Activision Booth Crawl (Xbox.com)

E3 2006: “See, I wasn’t lying when I said I would get stuff done this year.”

Fri, 12 May 2006 02:17:29 GMT

Guitar Hero II Hands-On (Gaming-Age)
Gears of War Hands-On (Gaming-Age)
Madden NFL 2007 Impressions (GameDAILY)
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II Hands-On (GameDAILY)
Superman Returns Hands-On (GameDAILY)
Tecmo Booth Impressions (Xbox.com)

E3 2006: Yowza!

Tue, 09 May 2006 10:16:11 GMT

Lots to say, not much time. I'll just say that $499 minimum for a PS3 seems a bit steep and let the links speak for themselves. I'm heading to bed, tomorrow's going to be even crazier.

PS3 Controller Impressions
Warhawk / Tilt Control Impressions
Resistance: Fall of Man Impressions
SingStar Impressions

A Tale of Two Scores: Video Game Reviews and Their Conflicting Metamessages

Tue, 02 May 2006 18:30:30 GMT

I wrote an article for the recently founded NeoGAF frontpage. It examines the often-problematic relationship between review score and text. You can find it here.

I'm going to bed now.

E3 2006!

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:16:52 GMT

I can’t believe it’s that time of the year already. In less than a week, I (and countless others) will make the annual pilgrimage to Los Angeles to see the latest from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Square Enix, Konami, and many more. And this looks to be one of the nicest years in recent history, not only because of the guranteed PS3/Wii stuff, but also due to the part where the show management has cracked down on the booth babes and Exhibitor badges, hopefully making for a far less crowded experience. And maybe this year I'll make it out of there without a hefty bar tab...

But before I step on that plane, I’ve got a lot left to do here. There’s a good backlog of articles I’ve yet to upload, both reviews and some other stuff, so there should be regular updates for the next week. Following that, there’s the daily updates from E3, which given how crowded my schedule is, will be the only way I'll be able to manage the workload. So content-wise, the next few weeks should be pretty packed. Here’s hoping, at least.

Shadow Hearts: From the New World (For Gaming-Age.com)

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 13:34:40 GMT

Score: B -
System: PS2
Developer: Nautilus / Aruze
Publisher: XSEED Games
Medium: DVD-ROM
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB Rating: T

Tag Line: Entertaining gameplay? Check. Abundance of sidequests? Uh-huh. Bizarre characters? Yup. Involving story? Not so much.

The Shadow Hearts games have always been a little odd, both in terms of gameplay and story. Ditching the traditional fantasy setting of most role-playing games, the Shadow Hearts series takes place in a twisted version of our world. At least, the locations are somewhat recognizable: Alcatraz, Chicago, New York City, Roswell, and so forth. Now the demons, the magic, the giant talking cats, the vampires, those might not be as realistic, but it's that juxtaposition between fantasy and reality, the absurdity of it all, that sets Shadow Hearts apart from the rest. And whereas most RPGs are content having the player repeatedly mash the same button to get through battle, Shadow Hearts takes a different approach with the Judgment Ring, instead requiring players to carefully time their button presses.

In this regard, Shadow Hearts: From the New World, the third entry in the series, doesn't change much up. This time around, the story follows Johnny Garland, an orphaned sixteen year old hired to find a criminal hiding out in New York City. But then that criminal gets eaten by a demon, and then a winged creature comes crashing through the skylight, and things just get weirder after that. Take Frank, the Brazilian-trained ninja, for example. Or his master, Mao, a giant talking cat who also happens to be involved in movie production. Or Hilda, the vampire whose appearance changes depending on her calorie intake.

Likewise, the afore-mentioned Judgment Ring is as crucial here as it's been in past Shadow Hearts games. For those unfamiliar with the Judgment Ring, it's essentially a bar spinning around a circle. Depending on the chosen action, a different part of the Judgment Ring is colored in. A quick button press stops the bar, and the strength of the color on its stopped location dictates the strength of the chosen action. Almost everything in battle uses the Judgment Ring, from attacks and magic to item use.

By building up stock, earned by dealing or receiving damage, characters are then able to perform Double and Combo actions, a Double action allowing a character to take two turns and a Combo allowing another character to continue attacking an enemy. Combos also require another timed button press on top of the Judgment Ring, displaying a button on-screen after the Judgment Ring portion. By hitting the button within the time limit, players can continue their attack.

These combo attacks are especially handy in conjunction with the height-changing attacks. With clever use, it's possible to throw an enemy in the air, hit them with an airborne attack that would normally fly over their head, and then slam them back down to the ground. Not only does this result in some serious damage, it's also extremely satisfying to pull off. Stock permitting, it's also possible to perform Double Combo attacks, which then combine the best of both actions.

Given how important the Judgment Ring is, it's fortunate that it's quite customizable. Different versions of the Judgment Ring are available depending on a player's preferences, including an automatic version guaranteed to hit every time. Each version also has its individual pros and cons; in this case, the automatic version doesn't allow for multiple attacks per turn and doesn't include the option for a critical attack. Various items found throughout the game also change the properties of each character's Judgment Ring, such as adding more attacks, a larger critical zone, or a slower moving bar.

In terms of length, most will find the main game takes between twenty and thirty hours. Beyond the main plot, Shadow Hearts: From the New World is packed with sidequests, adding another ten to fifteen hours of gameplay. Johnny's able to snap pictures of monsters and then trade them with collectors for items. Natan's out to trap some elusive creatures, and each one he finds results in a new Gun Fu technique. Mao's on the lookout to cast an upcoming picture. The ghost outside Johnny's building wants ring fragments and rewards their delivery with useful Judgment Ring items. The various lottery members throughout the different towns all have different prizes. Though they're not required for the player to complete, as the reward of a certain sidequest is necessary to receive the better of the two endings, and given the benefits they net, participation in these sidequests is generally recommended.

Shadow Hearts: From the New World also incorporates the small, but noteworthy, ability to pause and skip cutscenes. It's a nice feature to have, especially given that cutscenes tend to precede boss fights and some of those battles can get pretty hard.

However, there are a few problems. In towns, players must talk to the right person or be in the right location to trigger the next event. But as it's not always clear what's required to proceed, it can get a bit tedious running around and talking to everyone in an attempt to advance.

Meanwhile, the encounter rate in dungeons can get pretty high at times. Though the battle system is enjoyable, these constant battles can get rather annoying, especially when trying to solve the various puzzles.

Lastly, the story never really delivers on its potential. Though the characters and their situations are amusing, the direction the story takes isn't all that memorable, more of an excuse to run Johnny and company through the locales and battles than the driving force behind these encounters. The pacing seems a bit off as well, with the plot only picking up just as the game starts wrapping up.

Shadow Hearts: From the New World is not a bad game, by any means. The battle system is entertaining, and the emphasis on the Judgment Ring ensures that things never get too monotonous. But despite being filled with loads of quirky characters and scenarios, the overall plot doesn't come together like one would hope, and the frustrations of a high encounter rate and unclear design don’t help to rectify the situation. Still, it's a fun game, and those that can look past its flaws, those looking for something a bit different, those that have found themselves bored with the status quo of RPGs today, owe it to themselves to give Shadow Hearts: From the New World a chance.

GamerCard!

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 14:55:59 GMT

Feel free to add me, my friend's list is pretty barren these days. Currently I'm playing Ridge Racer 6 and Dead or Alive 4, though I'm not very good at either, with Full Auto arriving soon.

Full Auto

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:11:13 GMT

Remember Full Auto? It was the 360 game that seemed like a combination of Burnout, Twisted Metal and Prince of Persia. Well, it's out. I've been busy lately, I haven't had the time to play it yet, but I should be receiving a copy soon.

The E3 demo was fun, it's actually the same demo available on the Xbox Live Marketplace, but half a year later, framerate problems that didn't stand out on the showfloor are pretty noticeable in the comfort of my own home. On the same note, that demo is pretty old, so here's hoping developer Psuedo Interactive was able to iron out some of the kinks.

The overall buzz seems to be rather positive, I've skimmed the GAF thread and Jonnyram's impressions, they seemed to indicate the game is fast and full of explosions, so that's a good sign. I guess I'll find out for myself soon enough.

Related Links: E3 Impressions, SEGA ANNOUNCES FULL AUTO PR, SEGA’S FULL AUTO GOES GOLD FOR XBOX 360 PR.

Ape Escape Academy (For Gaming-Age.com)

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:51:15 GMT

Score: D-
System: PSP
Developer: Shift
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Medium: UMD
Players: 1-4
Online: No
ESRB Rating: E 10+

Tag Line: Wario Ware + Monkeys – Fun = :(

Conceptually, titles such as Ape Escape Academy seem to be the perfect fit for a portable system. Full of various mini-games, each one lasting a few minutes at most, the idea is that the games are simple enough to be immediately accessible but enjoyable enough to actually warrant playing. For example, take Nintendo's critically-acclaimed Wario Ware: 200 mini-games, each 5 seconds long, and each, at most, using only the D-Pad and A button. The super-simple controls and the go-go-go pacing of the 5-second mini-games make the game well-suited for a brief pick up and play.

Unfortunately, Ape Escape Academy's attempt at the formula doesn't fare all that well. This is due to a number of factors, but the main problem is the mini-games themselves. Specifically, the games just aren't all that consistent. Some are marked by unresponsive controls that render the mini-game unplayable. Some spend more time loading and then showing the outcome of the event than the player spends actually playing. Some are ridiculously difficult, based more on luck than skill, more frustrating than fun. Some are vague in their goals, despite a tutorial video playing before some of the mini-games. Some allow multiple retries, others instantly fail, and there's no way to tell which game allows what. Some have clear time limits, while others leave the player clueless as to how long they have left.

With just under 50 mini-games, it's understandable that some of them won't be the greatest. But the problem is that even the good mini-games in Ape Escape Academy aren't that much fun. And the bad, well, they're pretty bad. For example, take the trivia game, which asks players to identify the flags and capitals of various countries. Don't ask me why a simple party game seemingly aimed at youngsters is asking for the capital of Morocco or the identification of Finland's flag from a brief one-second glimpse, but I will say that it seems quite out of place.

Progressing through Academy's story mode, cleverly labeled Academy Mode, only highlights these flaws. Each level randomly selects 9 mini-games and places them on a 3x3 grid, a la Tic Tac Toe. For each game passed, the player earns an O on that square, while a failure nets an X. The goal is to create as many rows of O as possible. Three coins are also placed on the backside of three squares, and if the player captures those three squares, they're rewarded with a special mini-game. But due to the wildly varying quality of the various mini-games, the formation of a row or the capture of those three specific squares is based more on luck than skill. And in the event that a player fails a pivotal square or wishes to try another mode, the only way to quit out of Academy Mode without completing all nine games is to reset the PSP itself.

Things only get worse as the difficultly ramps up. Sure, the mini-games get longer and harder, but not in an enjoyable manner. Now players must solve harder math problems. Now players must count 56 monkeys as they walk by, with no room for error. Now players must hit X even faster. As the games get more difficult, they seem to rely more and more on luck over skill, and that's not much fun.

Thus, Ape Escape Academy isn't much fun. With only a small fraction of its forty-something mini-games playable to begin with, the higher difficulties and random game selection make the game a chore to play. Even if a player were to solely focus on the good or decent games, they would still be bored after thirty minutes.

And sadly, nothing, not even multiplayer, not even an extreme amount of rabid Ape Escape fanboyism, can magically transform this into something playable or enjoyable. If you must, rent it, but please, for your sake and the sake of the gaming industry, please, please do not purchase, please do not show Sony that there is a market for poor titles like Ape Escape Academy.

World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 (For GameDAILY.com)

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 13:30:04 GMT

Rating: 4.5/5

Reviewed: PlayStation 2
Also on: Xbox

+/-

+ Online play.
+ Extensive training mode.
+ Lots of customizable, editable options.
+ Gameplay is easy to learn, difficult to master.

- No online voice chat for PS2.
- No online tournaments.
- Odd lack of facial animation.
- Licensing problems mean certain teams are absent.
- Repetitive commentary.
- Team edits cannot be used online.

One Minute

As someone who is not very knowledgeable when it comes to all things soccer, I was worried that World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 would wind up a frustrating and confusing experience. Luckily, an extensive training mode takes players through the basics, both of soccer and Winning Eleven. More importantly, gameplay is fast, fun, and addictive, even at the most basic level. A few small quibbles exist, but nothing that gets in the way of the fun.

Full Review

The beauty of World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 lies in how rewarding the game is, regardless of the level of play. Beginners will be thrilled with the most basic of controls, battling for possession of the ball with just the simple shoot, pass, slide, and pressure commands. Even just starting out, it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement of the game, the thrill of an interception, the frustration of a missed goal.

While it's one thing to breeze through Training mode, it's an entirely separate thing for the player to implement those moves into their pitch repertoire. As the more advanced moves take lots of practice to master, not just in execution, but also in their proper use, this mastery brings about a greater understanding of the game itself. In other words, the more time one puts into Winning Eleven 9, the more fulfilling it becomes.

That's a major part of Winning Eleven 9's charm, as there's always room for improvement. There's always that one move that needs to be mastered or that one technique that would have proven beneficial. But because the game is enjoyable from the get-go, this challenge isn't needlessly frustrating or tedious, instead serving as a motivation for further play and practice.

So it's a good thing there's a lot to do in world of Winning Eleven 9. In addition to the afore-mentioned and extensive Training mode, Winning Eleven 9 features Master League, League, Match, Cup, and Online modes of play. In terms of gameplay, League, Match, and Cup are essentially the same thing, the main difference being the number of total matches.

Master League, on the other hand, adds another layer to the gameplay by requiring the player to manage their team. It's no longer enough to be a skilled player on the field, the player must now be a skilled manager as well, analyzing data, negotiating trades, training and conditioning players, designing uniforms, and so forth. The decisions of Master League mode are often difficult, especially when deciding between established stars and those that merely have potential. Sure, the established stars are, well, established, but they also cost a lot more than the potentials and have a tendency to burn out earlier. Since money, earned after each match, is integral to Master League mode, it's an important factor in these decisions. Run out of money and it's game over, but since a sub-par team that consistently loses will likewise bring about a game over, the trick is to find some type of middle ground.

Gameplay in these modes also earns WEN credits, which can then be used to purchase additional features in the WE Shop. Players, teams, stadiums, uniforms, challenges, ball types, and camera types, among others, can be purchased there, providing further incentive to keep the player motivated.

Meanwhile, Online mode is as playable as one would hope. The matches I played were free of lag, retaining the fast-paced nature of a regular match. However, the online setup is rather basic, limited to Quick Match, Optimatch and Create Match. The lack of online tournaments is a bit disappointing, as is the voice chat missing from the PlayStation 2 version.

Unfortunately, licensing issues have prevented Konami from including several well-known teams in Winning Eleven 9, such as Manchester United. Instead, Konami has created dummy teams, in this case, Man Red, full of dummy players. While this doesn't affect gameplay, it can be frustrating, especially for those hoping to play as their favorite team. Luckily, dummy teams can be edited to reflect actual teams and players, but the process is rather time-consuming and edited teams cannot be used online.

I also had a small quibble regarding the animation of the player's faces. Though the players themselves are well-animated and expressive in their movements, their faces remain oddly static. The contrast between the faces and movements is an odd one, as it's obvious when a player is excited about a goal, but their facial expressions just don't match up.

Likewise, there are some minor problems with commentary. Occasionally, the game will repeat a phrase a few times per match. While I'm certainly understanding towards this, it's just odd hearing "bad pass" repeated in the same pitch and tone, especially when the last comment was the same "bad pass" piece.

Bottom Line

Thankfully, all of Winning Eleven 9's flaws are relatively minor and don't negatively affect the gameplay. That's important to note, especially considering how fun, deep, and addicting the game is. And it's a huge testament to the quality of the game for me to say that, as prior to this I had never willingly spent more than five minutes with a soccer game. Accessible to both soccer fans and fans of fast-paced action games alike, World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 comes highly recommended.

X3: Reunion (For Gaming-Age.com)

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 16:48:35 GMT

Score: D+
System: PC
Developer: Egosoft
Publisher: Enlight
Medium: CD-ROM
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB Rating: Teen

Tag Line: Still a work in progress.

On paper, X3: Reunion sounds really cool, sort of like an intergalactic cross between Sid Meier's Pirates! and Grand Theft Auto. Across X3's many sectors, over a hundred in all, players can pretty much do whatever they want: trade goods between sectors, hunt smugglers, pirate cargo ships, defend sectors from pirates, build factories, do the whole "mercenary for hire" thing, and so forth. The size and scope of this universe is astounding, and with each sector filled with various installations and cargo ships transporting goods from one part of the galaxy to the next, it genuinely feels like a living, breathing place.

This feeling is heightened by the ability to start a new game with the storyline deactivated. With no goal, no overarching purpose to their adventures, the player becomes just another someone trying to make ends meet. A variety of professions are available, including that of an explorer, a merchant, or an assassin. And it's a huge testament to the scope of the game that players are able to base an entire career off of just one of the game's many aspects.

Unfortunately, this grand scope ends up being one of X3's major downfalls. But whereas most games of this nature fail because the main aspect is polished while the others remain incomplete or ignored, that isn't the case here. For a quick example, just look at Grand Theft Auto. However open-ended the game may be, playing as gangster is certainly more polished than playing as a taxi driver.

Rather, the downfall would be X3's ridiculously steep learning curve. After a brief combat tutorial at the beginning of the game, that's it - everything else is left for the player to figure out on their own. While that may not sound so bad, in a game where combat is only a small portion of the overall experience, that's a problem. Even worse is the recommended tutorial for new players, which begins with the game suggesting the activation of the rear turret and then throwing out a few waves of enemies without any further instructions. It doesn't even tell the player how to activate the rear turret, just that it would be recommended to do so.

Given the scope of the X3 universe, given the intricacies of its economy, given the various career choices the player has to choose from, it seems rather ridiculous the game is missing an in-depth tutorial to properly explain everything.

The manual included with the game doesn't help much either, referencing features and options that aren't even in the final version. A revised manual, available after registering at developer Egosoft's website, does provide some help, but given its only available in electronic form, it certainly isn't as easy to pick up and flip through in the midst of the game. And while printing is an option, it seems rather ridiculous that one should have to download and print their own manual for a forty dollar game.

While obtaining the manual, it's also recommended that players download the latest patch and peruse the X3 message board, which features a large thread on how to avoid or workaround numerous bugs in the game. It's refreshing to see developer Egosoft so upfront about these bugs, but some of the workarounds, such as waiting an hour for a particular object to respawn or flying off into another sector for a while, seem ridiculous, especially given that these bugs affect missions that must be completed to advance the storyline. To their credit, Egosoft is currently hard at work on the next patch, which will address more bugs and also add new content. It's also worth noting the latest patch fixed what was perhaps the most critical of all the bugs, a glitch that prevented all players from actually finishing the game.

Across the past few paragraphs, the word ridiculous has seen use multiple times. It’s an intentional choice, meant to highlight just how ridiculous the entire situation with X3 is. Despite the vastness of its universe, despite how open-ended the game may be, it doesn't change the fact that the effort and time required to properly enjoy X3 is ridiculous. It's ridiculous that the game requires a patch issued more than a month after release just to have an ending. It's ridiculous that it's up to the player to figure most of the game out for themselves. It's ridiculous that months after release, the story mode is still riddled with bugs, and it's even more ridiculous that the workarounds to some literally involve killing a bunch of bad guys and waiting an hour, in-game, for the object to hopefully respawn.

And ultimately, I think it's ridiculous players are expected to play $40 for this. Again, it's not that X3 is a bad game, or that it isn't fun - it just isn't done. Though this sort of thing isn't anything new to the PC gaming world, X3 takes it to a ridiculous degree. If developer Egosoft ever resolves the problems with X3, it could be one of the best space simulators to hit the market in years. Until then, X3: Reunion is only recommended for those who know exactly what they're getting into and have the time and energy required to make it all work.

Ape Escape 3 (For Gaming-Age.com)

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 17:10:51 GMT

Score: B
System: PlayStation 2
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Medium: DVD
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB Rating: E 10+

Tag Line: A charming, fun, and often hilarious platformer that just may be too short for some.

To this day, the original Ape Escape remains a rather unique platformer, one of the first titles to make full use of Sony's Dual Analog controller. Though the concept of utilizing the left analog stick to control movement wasn't anything new back in 1999, the idea of using the right analog stick to control action was, and that's where Ape Escape set itself apart from the pack. The entire game was built around this concept, from controlling the monkey-capturing net via the right analog stick, to the paddling of a boat requiring players to literally row the bow using the analog sticks, to the UFO mini-game which allowed the player to shoot in any direction via the right analog stick.

Of course, things weren't entirely perfect. The camera wasn't always the best, nothing new in the realm of platformers, and the game had an annoying habit of throwing a player out of a stage once they met the level's capture quota, which made going back and capturing those last one or two monkeys, required for 100% completion, a bit tiresome. These problems weren't anything major, they didn't render the game unplayable, but they were somewhat annoying.

The 2003 PlayStation 2 sequel was, essentially, more of the same. Sure, it marked a return of the same great gameplay and added better graphics, new gadgets, new stages, and new monkeys, but the same quibbles, the same camera problems and annoyances regarding capture quotas, also returned. Again, these didn't render the game unplayable, but they were somewhat annoying.

Thus, it shouldn't be all that surprising to learn that Ape Escape 3 really doesn't stray from tradition. As they have since the first Ape Escape, camera problems crop up from time to time, such as a monkey or enemy running behind the player or an awkward camera angle making precision movement difficult. And as it has since the first game, a quick tap of the L1 button, which centers the camera behind the player, usually remedies this problem, and it only takes a few stages for the player to master this form of camera control.

Likewise, Ape Escape 3 still kicks the player out of a stage once they've captured a set amount of monkeys. The quota doesn't require the player to catch all the monkeys in a stage though, there are usually three or four left behind. And if a player has been capturing monkeys as the level progresses, those three or four monkeys left behind are generally located at the end of a stage. So in order to capture every monkey in a stage, again required for 100% completion, the player generally has to run through each stage twice. It's especially annoying when those last few monkeys are in a group and the player captures one of them, only to fulfill their quota and be booted out of the stage.

But the good news is that Ape Escape 3 not only inherits all the awesome gameplay of the previous two games, but also expands on it a bit. This time around, Specter has teamed up with a Dr. Tomoki to take over the world's television broadcasts, and in doing so, brainwash the world's populace. To do this, Specter has rolled out his own brand of programming, entitled Specter TV, which takes popular television shows and films and well, puts monkeys in them. So it's off to series newcomers Kei and Yumi to stop the broadcasts and capture Specter ...again.

To do this, Kei and Yumi must travel to the sets of the various Specter TV programs, capture the monkey actors, and shut down production. In other words, Kei and Yumi work their way through levels filled with monkeys acting out various parodies, spoofs and pop culture references, including Indiana Jones, Red Riding Hood, a football game, Star Wars, Transformers, a late-night infomercial, Spider-Man, Superman, Godzilla, Titanic, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Howl's Moving Castle, and many, many more, all of which are as amusing as they sound. Additionally, many of the levels provide video cameras which allow these spoofs to be recorded and watched at the Monkey Cinema.

Luckily, the monkeys aren't the only ones with costumes. In addition to the traditional monkey-nabbing gadgets, Kei and Yumi are equipped with the new Morph system, which temporarily allows them to gain new abilities and a new look. For example, Kei's Knight outfit grants him the ability to resist fire, awfully handy when fighting a mechanical dragon. Another costume, which seems a homage to Sega's Shinobi (complete with trailing red scarf), allows Kei to run on walls and dash through the air. Each Morph also features a unique monkey-capturing ability, especially handy as certain monkeys can be notoriously difficult to capture with the standard net. And as each morph brings with it a different style of gameplay, be it the shoot-'em-up Cowboy outfit or the fast-moving Shinobi garb, this system helps to keep things from getting stale.

All of this comes at a price though, being the title's short length. It'll only take most players five or six hours to work through Ape Escape 3's story mode. Though there's still a lot of gameplay left in the title after the ending, including the various mini-games, time trials, and capturing the monkeys left behind, it's up to the player to decide as to whether or not any of this makes a difference.

Speaking of mini-games, the Mesal Gear Solid mini-game deserves special recognition. It is, quite literally, Ape Escape's controls meet Metal Gear Solid. The player, a monkey trained with Solid Snake's battle data, is send into a secret base to rescue Snake himself. What follows is a surprisingly-lengthy quest, in the area of four or five hours. A la Metal Gear Solid, the player must infiltrate the base through stealth and carefully-selected fights. The gameplay is right out of Metal Gear Solid, complete with sneaking and crawling, the only difference being that everyone is a monkey and firing the banana-gun is handled by flicking the right analog stick. Available after beating Ape Escape 3's story mode, Mesal Gear Solid is a nice, unexpected bonus.

My only complaint with Ape Escape 3 is that the translation seems lacking compared to the previous games. Former Ape Escape titles often gave the monkeys clever names. But most of Ape Escape 3's monkeys seem to be direct translations of the Japanese names, with lots of Ukki and Saru and -mon. Occasionally there's a monkey with a clever name, such as Apey Jones, but it's sad to see the potential of monkeys dressed like Superman, Kate Winslet, Leondardo DiCaprio, and Darth Vader wasted when their names don't make reference to their appearance.

Ape Escape 3 also has a problem maintaining a constant framerate. This didn't really bother me, as the action never got distractingly choppy, but some may not be as forgiving.

With its charming sense of humor and great gameplay, Ape Escape 3 is probably the best Ape Escape yet. It is short though, easily beaten in the span of a rental, and even with Mesal Gear Solid and all the replay value, some may still consider the game too short to buy. But be it purchase or rent, Ape Escape 3 is still a lot of fun, both for series fans and those of platformers in general.

Hands-On: Shadow Hearts: From the New World (For Gaming-Age.com)

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:58:01 GMT

Though it's pretty much par for the series, it still has to be said that Shadow Hearts: From The New World is a little ..odd. Things start off normally enough when main character and amateur detective Johnny Garland is hired to find a criminal believed to be hiding somewhere in Manhattan. And except for the pair of effeminate bikers who run the traveling "Just Us Guys" item shop, well, Manhattan seems pretty normal too. It stays that way up until the end of the brief tutorial dungeon. But then Johnny stumbles across the man he was hired to find, and that's when things get weird.

First, upon hearing Johnny's name, this guy freaks out and backs himself against the wall. As he does this, a bluish-green portal forms behind him. After a few seconds, out comes a huge monster that devours the suspect whole. Just as the monster notices Johnny, a scantily-clad blue-skinned fairy-creature-thing comes crashing through the skylight and positions herself between the two. Defending Johnny, she battles and eventually defeats the monster. Then Johnny passes out and starts glowing red.

In the hours following Johnny's return to consciousness, things get perpetually odder. The fairy-creature thing is actually a shape-shifting gal named Shania that, along with her gun-touting bodyguard Natan, join up with Johnny to find the guy who hired him in the first place. Oh yea, Johnny’s knife has started to glow red, much like a lightsaber, whenever he's in battle. And no matter where they travel, those two bikers are always nearby, always flaunting their wares. In Boston the group runs across Frank, a ninja trained in the arts after a fateful plane crash stranded him near a secluded ninja temple ...in Brazil. At the Grand Canyon, Frank humorously turns a sacred cactus into the weapon he dubs "Cactus Saber."

Traveling to Chicago, the group encounters a giant talking cat, made all the more amusing when Johnny's the only one who finds the situation a little strange. Things only spiral further from there, including a prison break at Alcatraz, a movie studio run by cats (Purramount Studios), and a trip to Roswell, New Mexico which introduces Hilda, the lingerie-wearing vampire. And hey, that's only the first few hours.

However, it's not just the story that makes Shadow Hearts: From The New World unique. After all it's the battle system that players will spend most of their time with, and no amount of charm can fix a broken battle system.

Thankfully, the battle system of Shadow Hearts: From The New World is decidedly not broken. The whole of the system revolves around the Judgment Ring, which should sound quite familiar to series veterans. It works something like this: After deciding an action in battle, the Judgment Ring pops up. A spinning line that goes around in a circle, the Judgment Ring requires players to press X as the needle passes through a colored area. The stronger the color, the stronger the attack, the spell, or the item. Though the battle system is turn-based, the constant use of the Judgment Ring helps to break the monotony usually associated with turn-based battles.

The Judgment Ring is also highly customizable. Items can be used to increase the speed of the ring, the size of the colored areas, and so forth. Different types of Judgment Rings are also available, including an automatic version for those who aren't fans of the system. This comes at a price, however, as it limits the number of attacks per turn and also removes the chances of a stronger-than-normal attack.

Also important is Stock, earned each turn in battle. By building up Stock, characters are able to execute combos, which bring with them another timed button press. In a combo, a button is briefly displayed on screen after the Judgment Ring. Pressing the correct button within the time limit permits the party to keep taking turns until either everyone has taken a turn a character doesn't have enough Stock to continue the chain. Stock also allows characters to take double or double combo actions, allowing a single character to perform two consecutive turns.

What’s really cool about this is that the Shadow Hearts battle system keeps track of an enemy’s vertical position. By using combos in conjunction with specific attacks, players can throw their foe high up into the air with one character. This then creates the opportunity for another character to use an airborne attack that normally wouldn’t affect the enemy, and in the process, probably slams them back down to the ground.

Thus far, I'm really enjoying Shadows Hearts: From The New World. The story, though extremely non-traditional, is also quite charming in its eccentricity. Meanwhile, the battle system is involved enough to have kept me happily occupied for the past six hours, which says an awful lot considering my disdain of turn-based battles. With this in mind, not to mention a variety of subquests, publisher XSEED Game’s sophomore effort seems to be shaping up quite nicely.

Shadow Hearts: From The New World ships in March. Be sure to check back then for our review.

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (For Gaming-Age.com)

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:36:30 GMT

Score: A
System: PSP
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Medium: UMD
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB Rating: E 10+

Tag Line: A hallmark of the 16-bit era returns, better than ever.

The original Mega Man X was, and as proven by the recent Mega Man X Collection, still is one of the best Mega Man titles to date. The SNES classic took a different take on the traditional Mega Man formula, adding a few new elements that not only sped up the gameplay, but provided for additional depth and replay value as well. Now, over ten years later, Capcom's gone back and given Mega Man X the remake treatment.

Retitled Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, the classic gameplay that defined the original remains intact here. For those unfamiliar with the X series, the biggest change to the formula was Mega Man's newfound ability to climb walls by jumping against them. Given the vertical trappings of previous Mega Man titles, screens so tall Mega Man's jump seemed more of a hop, this ability was a welcome change. Along with the new Dash move, these two abilities mixed up the gameplay, allowing for faster maneuvering and more complex enemy attacks.

Also new were the Upgrade Capsules. Placed throughout four stages, these capsules would enhance Mega Man's capabilities, granting him the afore-mentioned Dash ability, stronger armor, a stronger attack, and even a stronger helmet. These upgrades had direct ties to the gameplay, the stronger helmet, for instance, negating the damage of the falling rocks in a certain stage. And except for the Dash upgrade, which was forced upon the player at a certain point, the rest were hidden, requiring careful exploration to discover.

Lastly, Mega Man X added Heart Capsules and Subtanks into the mix. Again hidden throughout the stages, each stage contained a Heart Capsule, which expanded Mega Man's life bar, and four stages contained Subtanks, which acted as energy reserves. Both rewarded players for exploration and the clever use of weaponry, and both proved quite beneficial in boss fights.

In terms of gameplay, not much was changed in the transition to the PSP. The Dash Upgrade Capsule, previously forced upon the player, has been moved to a new location in a different stage, giving players the option to choose if they wish to obtain the upgrade. The final few stages have been redone, streamlined to better fit between the constant boss fights. An additional difficulty mode, hard, has been added. Meanwhile, everything else relating to gameplay - stage layouts, boss patterns, boss weaknesses, etc. - remains the same.

But not only did Capcom preserve the gameplay, they also added an entirely new mode, Vile Mode. Unlocked after beating the game with Mega Man, Vile mode puts players in control of Vile, Mega Man's arch rival. More importantly, Vile handles completely differently than Mega Man, able to equip three weapons on various parts of his body. Each weapon is controlled independently, fired by Square, Triangle, and Circle. And though Vile ventures through the same stages as Mega Man, enemies and items have been moved around, resulting in an entirely new experience.

As far as the other changes go, the graphics stand out as the most obvious. In addition, music has been remixed, new dialogue and voices added, a full-motion video intro and ending added, and a thirty-minute anime, entitled "The Day of Sigma" is unlocked after beating the game once.

Problems with Maverick Hunter X are relatively minor. I had some problems regarding the responsiveness of my Square button, which handles firing, but I was able to change the button assignment thanks to the fully customizable controls. The title also has a tendency to slow down when there are too many enemies on screen, but it's nothing more than a minor annoyance that sporadically pops up. Likewise, Mega Man's dialogue can often be cheesy, but as the dialogue is so infrequent and can be skipped anyways, this doesn't have any bearing on the actual gameplay. Load times, often a problem with early PSP games, are relatively brief and infrequent.

The Mega Man Maverick Hunter X UMD also includes a demo of the upcoming Mega Man Powered Up, a similar remake of the very first Mega Man title that originally appeared on the NES. The demo can even be distributed wirelessly with another PSP via Game Sharing, which is not only extremely handy, but also an intelligent method of promotion for Capcom.

Though some may criticize Capcom for milking its franchises, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X is a remake done right. The original gameplay is faithfully recreated, the only changes related to gameplay addressing the original’s minor flaws. Meanwhile, Capcom goes above and beyond with the new Vile mode, an additional difficulty level, remixed music, a thirty minute animation, and the Mega Man Powered Up demo. Even better, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X carries an MSRP of $29.99, $10 less than most new PSP games. And considering Mega Man Maverick Hunter X is one of best games to hit the PSP thus far, and no self-respecting fan of the blue bomber should be without it, that's just icing on the cake.

Wild ARMs 4 (For Gaming-Age.com)

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 13:53:33 GMT

Score: B
System: PS2
Developer: Media Vision Entertainment
Publisher: XSEED Games
Medium: DVD-ROM
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB Rating: T

Tag Line: The speed of traditional turn-based battles, the strategy of slower, grid-based battle engines, and platforming. Yes, platforming.

At first glance, Wild ARMs 4 looks like it's a pretty generic RPG. The story, following youngster Jude Maverick as his world literally comes crashing down around him, isn't exactly the most original. Nor are the character designs, easily falling under the label of traditional anime. But don't let that fool you, as there's something quite decidedly different buried beneath all this.

That something would be the gameplay. You see, Wild ARMs 4 ditches the standard turn-based battle system the series, and numerous other RPGs, have employed in the past. I'm sure you know the system I'm talking about, it's the one where battles take place with a line of characters facing a line of enemies as they take turns smacking each other. This system is often characterized by the ability to breeze through most random encounters by just mashing the same button over and over again.

Instead, battles in Wild ARMs 4 take place on a grid of seven hexagons. Each of the four main characters have different attacks with varying degrees of range and effectiveness, dictating even the most mundane of random encounters to require some strategy. Special combo attacks are also available, reliant upon two or more characters sharing a grid. This means that a character's location is just as, if not more, important than the chosen attack. In other words, one simply can't just mash the attack button to get through most of the battles.

However, thanks to the small grid that ensures characters are no more than two hexagons away from an enemy, most battles aren't that lengthy, generally lasting under a minute or two. Particularly satisfying are the boss fights, some of which require a specific strategy to defeat.

Take, for example, one boss protected by a shield. Upon destruction of the shield, the boss is vulnerable until their next turn, at which point they summon an even stronger shield. After a few instances of this, the boss grows so powerful that they can completely destroy the party in one hit. The trick is to strike while they're vulnerable, but unless the party is properly positioned and prepared, they won't be able to do much damage during the small window. Thankfully, the turn bar, located at the bottom of the screen, allows players to see the order of the next dozen or so turns, which makes plotting these attacks a bit easier. Also nice is that in the event of a Game Over, the game allows the player to resume from that particular fight instead of forcing them to load an old save and trek back to that point.

Fights like this that really define Wild ARMs 4's battle system. It's a fresh take on things, combining the speed of traditional turn-based systems with the strategy of the slower, grid-based battle engines. Even better, battle strategies are constantly changing as the game progresses, dependent upon the characters learning new skills, new attacks and gaining new weaponry. I'm quite serious when I say this changes up battle strategy; early on, my close-range physical attacker learned a new attack that made him more effective from a distance. Meanwhile, later in the game, I stumbled across a weapon that transformed my long-range magic user into my most powerful close-range attacker.

Outside of battle, gameplay remains non-traditional, the exploration of towns and dungeons infused with a bit of action that helps to keep things interesting. Regardless of the locale, players control Jude, who can always jump, stomp, slide, and pick up specific items. Though this isn't too useful in towns, as they generally revolve around talking to the right person or finding a specific place, luckily, dungeons don't ignore the gameplay potential this provides.

At various points in these dungeons, the game switches into a 2.5D mode where the player can only move left or right. These sections, quite reminiscent of classic platformers, require Jude to carefully jump, slide and climb his way through the stage. They're also a lot of fun, and help to ensure things don't get too monotonous. Best of all, these platforming sections are generally free of random encounters, allowing the player to focus on the task at hand.

Additionally, dungeons are filled with action-based puzzles. Stomp on the switch to open the door, throw a bomb at a switch, position a bomb to trigger four switches at once, drag some blocks to make a path, and so on. While it may all sound simple and rudimentary, some of the later puzzles can be pretty tricky to figure out. In fact, they can actually be rather frustrating, as random encounters seem to be more prevalent whilst carrying an object. It’s worse when, after dragging an object around for a few minutes, one misjudges the throw and has to do it all over again. Luckily, there's a handy workaround to avoid this hassle, as if Jude happens to fall into a pit, or maybe some lava, the game will reset him as he entered the room - complete with whatever object he was holding at the time. Also handy, both for puzzle solving and platforming, is Jude's Accelerator ability, which temporarily slows down time a la Max Payne.

Outside of the gameplay department, however, Wild ARMS 4 doesn't fare as well. It's not that the story is bad, it's just not particularly good, with major plot points feeling rather familiar to anyone well-versed in RPGs or anime. XSEED's translation is solid, but seems intentionally cheesy, as if the staff was poking fun at the clichéd characters. Again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as hearing a character exclaim "I burn with smoldering rage" is rather humorous, and I realize that XSEED had to stay true to the Japanese version, but the moral here is to play Wild ARMs 4 for its gameplay, not story.

Likewise, the voice acting is solid, but again, neither too good to be noteworthy or too bad to be considered atrocious. It's simply there, for better or worse. However, the placement of light subtitles on top of light backgrounds during some cinematics is an odd choice. It's almost impossible to read the subtitles during these cutscenes, and though the voice acting is clear enough to be easily understood, that really doesn't help the hard of hearing or those playing with the volume down.

Some may also be disappointed to learn that the main game takes between twenty and twenty five hours to run through. However, it's worth nothing that various side quests, including a battle arena, item synthesis, and hidden bosses are available for those looking to get more out of the game.

But honestly, that's all minor stuff. In a sense, Wild ARMs 4 seems to be the complete opposite of the standard RPG, as it's the gameplay, not the story, which kept me playing. Sure, the story and art might be generic, and yes, some might consider it a little short, but the important part is that it's fast-yet-strategic battle system, action-based dungeons and, of all the things to find in an RPG, solid 2D platforming are all quite enjoyable. And personally speaking, I'd much rather have twenty five hours of fun gameplay with a mediocre story than an engaging eighty hour story full of mundane gameplay. RPG fans looking for something that’s just plain old fun, particularly those that agree with the previous statement, should definitely give Wild ARMs 4 a go.

Related Links: Hands-On: Wild ARMs 4 (For Gaming-Age.com)

Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 (For Gaming-Age.com)

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 13:06:45 GMT

Score: C-
System: DS
Developer: Bandai
Publisher: Atari
Medium: Cartridge
Players: 1-2
Online: No
ESRB Rating: E 10+

Tagline: Another DBZ game that only appeals to DBZ fans.

At first glance, Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 seems like it may have a shot at being a surprisingly exceptional portable fighting game. The title starts out with a great tutorial that not only teaches players the intricacies of its fighting system, but also introduces them to the main cast. From there, a lengthy Story Mode offers branching paths for 15 characters, exploring various "what-ifs" of the Dragon Ball Z universe whilst unlocking additional characters. Meanwhile, Z-Battle allows players to create their own team of up to three characters and duke things out without any of that fluffy story getting in the way. Yup, things seem pretty rosy, that is, until players start messing around with the other characters.

And that's where things start to fall apart. As it turns out, the differences between multiple characters are slight, and for the most part, mainly cosmetic. Each character has the same moveset and uses the same button combinations for the same moves. Sure, one character may have a stronger energy attack and a weaker physical attack while another suffers the opposite condition, or one character may have a slightly different super attack, but this doesn't have any bearing on the actual gameplay. As a result, once you're tired of one character ...you're basically tired of the whole cast.

Per most fighting games, there's a system of checks and balances behind most of the attacks here. Weak energy attacks can be deflected by a physical attack, guards can be broken by throws, and so forth. However, and again, per most fighting games, players can safely ignore that system and just mash the attack buttons to win most fights. In fact, the only fights that really require the use of actual strategy are the Branch fights in Story mode that dictate a certain outcome or method of defeat in order to unlock additional fights.

Unfortunately, though Story mode makes it quite apparent which matches offer branching paths, the game doesn't come out and inform the player of the conditions required to unlock these paths. Players are instead left to discover the conditions themselves, which can be repetitive and frustrating. Even worse is when the player eventually discovers what they must do but can't fulfill that objective, such as when I was required to defeat the members of a team in a specific order and manner. But when the computer absolutely refused to switch to the character I needed to defeat first, the challenge grew more frustrating than fun.

The temptation of button-mashing is heightened by timing issues. The R trigger has multiple uses, each depending on the button combination: double-tapping the D-Pad and then hitting R results in a Homing Dash, the combination of R and A performs a powerful energy shot, while just hitting R on its own recharges a character's attack energy. However, the timing of the R trigger can be a bit wonky, so when players may want to perform a Homing Dash, they may instead end up recharging their attack energy. When this happens, it's not a feeling of "Oh! I just need to practice!" but rather "Gee, it's rather annoying that this game’s circumventing my attempts to use an actual strategy."

For a licensed game, Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 isn't all that bad, but it also isn't that great. Despite a cast of over 30 characters, the part where each character uses the exact same moveset means things get tedious rather quickly. And except for the Branch fights that require a certain degree of strategy or patience, most fights can be beaten using the exact same button-mashing techniques as the fight before. Dragon Ball Z fans will certainly enjoy the varied cast of characters, not to mention the various branches of Story mode, but everyone else will be bored within a half-hour. Chalk this one up as yet another licensed game where the only people who will care are fans of the license, not gameplay.

Grandia III (For Gaming-Age.com)

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 14:33:27 GMT

Score: C+
System: PlayStation 2
Developer: Game Arts
Publisher: Square Enix
Medium: DVD
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Tag Line: Starts out awesome, ends up mediocre.

Since it was revealed early last year, Grandia III has been the one of those highly anticipated RPGs, ranking up there with Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy XII. It’s for good reason too: The trailers have all featured gorgeous environments, the Grandia battle system has a favorable reputation in gaming circles, and many consider the first Grandia to have one of the best plots of the 32-bit era.

And at first, Grandia III seems to live up to expectations. The story's interesting, the battles are fun, and the characters seem likeable. But after five hours, about the time the main quest kicks in, things start to get more and more inconsistent. And when things start to fall apart in the first five hours of a thirty-five to forty hour game, well, that’s never a good sign.

The first casualty of Grandia III’s downward spiral is its story. It's not that the characters aren't fleshed out or the plot isn't properly explained. Rather, throughout numerous cutscenes and dialogs, the characters are given the chance to speak their minds, to explain their thoughts on recent events, and the motivations behind their actions. The problem is that these motivations, these thoughts, and even the entire storyline, it all seems oddly familiar, especially for those experienced with past Game Arts titles. It's hard not to see the basic similarity between Grandia III's protagonist Yuki and Lunar's Alex, both stubborn, idealistic youngsters inspired by their personal heroes. Alfina fulfills the same role as Lunar 2's Lucia, the only difference being that Alfina cries a whole lot more. And Grandia III's main villain and Lunar's Ghaleon seem quite similar in their mindset, motivation, and overall goals. Even Grandia III's main quest seems a variation upon Lunar's, right down to the overall theme of "love is the answer, love is the world's only hope." Again, the story isn't particularly bad or poorly told, it's just tired, a hodge podge of past Game Arts plots that weren't all that original or noteworthy to begin with.

The cutscenes themselves are another iffy subject. Some are impressively rendered CG movies, some are rendered in-game using character models with highly detailed faces, complete with moving lips. Other cutscenes are rendered in-game using not-so-detailed character models, during which the speaking character will just repeatedly nod their head. The contrast between these two in-game cutscenes is an odd juxtaposition, with the head-nodding scenes feeling and looking like a remnant of the Dreamcast era. A fourth type of cutscene, a series of scrolling pictures with voices speaking over them, pops up near the end of disc one, and feels very out of place after twelve hours of fully-animated events.

Annoyingly, there's no option to pause these cutscenes. Even worse, though these cutscenes are fully-voiced and generally a few minutes in length, there is no subtitle option whatsoever. The complete lack of subtitles is odd, especially since dialogue outside of cutscenes is text-based. This omission means that if player wishes to follow the plot, they must be able to hear the spoken dialogue. And regardless of how clear the voice acting is, that really doesn't help the hard of hearing or those who play with the volume down.

Thankfully, Grandia III’s battles remain enjoyable after the story fades to mediocrity. A combination of real-time and turn-based battle systems, fights in Grandia III are a bit more engaging than just repeatedly mashing buttons. The IP Gauge, a dial located in the upper left-hand corner of the battle screen, displays an icon of each participant in battle. As those icons rotate around the dial, their position dictates whether a character is waiting for their turn, choosing an action, or performing their selected attack. Generally, the more powerful an attack, the longer a character spends waiting to execute it. At the same time though, the longer a character spends charging an attack, the more vulnerable they are to a Cancel attack, which will negate their turn.

Outside of Special Moves and Spells, an attack is not instantly performed after it’s charged. Instead, the character must run to their opponent, be in close physical proximity, to strike. And while they're running, the IP gauge is ticking. This gives Grandia III's battles a strategic twist, especially when the player is attempting to cancel an enemy attack that will then prevent the enemy from canceling the player's attack.

Understandably, this can all seem a little overwhelming at first, especially with eight or nine participants running around the battle field. Luckily, Grandia III includes an optional hint system which will periodically suggest a certain course of action, helping the player to identify major threats in battle.

However, the battle system is not without its flaws. The concept of the Aerial Attack, an attack on an enemy after they're thrown into the air, is based more in luck than skill. These Aerial Attacks require at least two characters to be extremely close on the IP Gauge, so that one character can launch the opponent into the air and the other can attack before they fall back down. But as there's no reliable method to place characters so close to one another on the IP Gauge, these Aerial Attacks happen more out of chance than design.

As in past Grandia titles, battles do not occur randomly. Rather, monsters are visible on the map as the player explores their surroundings, so the player is able to avoid battles if they so choose. Though considering how the monsters and bosses of Grandia III get progressively harder throughout the game, it's generally recommended to engage in as many battles as possible.

This suggestion is strengthened by the title's tendency to run players through the same area twice. Though the game doesn't require players to trek back through a dungeon after completing it, it generally does require them to trek back through the two or three monster-filled areas that lead to the dungeon. This habit of reusing areas gets somewhat tedious, seemingly slowing down the game to justify the ever-increasing difficulty of its second half. Whereas most role-playing games encourage level grinding, repeatedly clearing an area of enemies to gain extra experience points, Grandia III is one of the few that almost require it.

The constant battles also bring with them more annoyances. The monsters of each area have a certain elemental weakness, and utilizing this weakness in battle strategies is encouraged for a fast fight. Unfortunately, exploiting this weakness also means repeatedly watching the same attack Spells, the same Special Moves, and hearing the same battle cries. Eventually, these animations grow more annoying than amusing, with no way to disable them.

There's also an element of luck involved in the battles themselves, as what appears to be a weak enemy on the map can actually turn out to be one weak enemy and two ridiculously strong foes. And if those strong foes just happen to blast the player's party with their strongest attacks before the player can act, it's extremely possible they'll lose all progress since the last save.

Also problematic is Grandia III's camera. Controlled by either the right analog stick or the shoulder buttons, the camera can be rotated around Yuki for a clear view of the player's surroundings. Unfortunately, with no way to instantly center the camera behind Yuki, it’s not uncommon to be blindsided by a monster. That's plenty annoying on its own, but given that enemies in dungeons get more powerful as the game progresses, that being blindsided by a monster generally leads to a surprise attack that allows them to attack first, and keeping the above paragraph in mind, it's easy to see how this becomes more of a problem as the game wears on.

Ultimately, Grandia III isn't particularly good or bad. It's got its good points, it's got its bad points, and they weigh each other out pretty evenly. The story isn't all that noteworthy, especially given the amount of cinematics the player is forced to sit through, but it gets the job done. And sure, the battle system is fun, but as the game develops, it grows more annoying, frustrating, and tedious, requiring a fair amount of dedication and patience to work through. Thus, Grandia III isn't for everyone, but those willing to accept and embrace these flaws should definitely give it a shot.

Alive!

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 04:40:49 GMT

No, I’m not dead and no, I haven’t quit writing.

In fact, I’ve got at least nine or ten articles done - I’ve just been lazy in posting them here. Some of that is due to the part where I don’t really like some of them, but we learn through our mistakes, right?

Anyways, here’s an idea of what’s coming up:
Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 (DS)
Wild ARMs 4 (PS2)
X3: Reunion (PC)
Grandia III (PS2)
Ape Escape Academy (PSP)
Ape Escape 3 (PS2)
Samurai Shodown V (Xbox)
Shadow Hearts: From The New World (PS2)
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (PSP)
Winning Eleven 9 (PS2)
Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)

So yea. Updates. Soon. Yup. Some of them cool, some of them not. And for the next week or so, at least one a day.