Oh, this is a treat. By now, some of you may have heard of, or tasted the fame that is Marvel Vs. Capcom. Originally a CPS2-type game, it stands as a famous entry in the Capcom Versus series, shadowing both Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom and Capcom Vs. SNK. This series has a total of 6 games under its belt, and it's still popular today with the more recent entry debuting this year. Let's go through time to see how it became one of the big ones in the fighting game world.
1996: X-Men vs. Street Fighter
The year 1996 was a good year for Capcom. Around this time, they tried their hand with making Marvel-licensed games, and succeeded already with 2 games that released before this time, those being X-Men: Children of the Atom, and Marvel Super Heroes. The first instance that something big would come from it was the fact that Akuma, a Street Fighter character, was a secret character in X-Men: Children of the Atom, accessible by code. The combo system, which was kind of complexed in that game, was more simplified came the release of Marvel Super Heroes. Once more, there was a hidden one there, but this one due to leftover code, most likely. The character in question was Anita, who usually accompanied Donovan, and hails from the Darkstalkers series. However, unlike Akuma, she was incomplete, with a few attacks sometimes using his sprite, and that she features no name on the lifebar, no ending, and uses Thanos' portrait if somehow selected.
While Children of the Atom was published overseas to the US under Acclaim, that, and any title succeeding this would retain the Capcom label. After those two were released and played out, it was time to mix things up a little. This would mark the official premier of Marvel's universe matching up against Capcom's own Street Fighter universe. In this year, they released a coin-op arcade title X-men Vs. Street Fighter, which took elements from the two Marvel games, and blended it with tag team gameplay and Street Fighter flair. The sprites on X-Men's side used their Children of the Atom style, while Street Fighter's sprites were taken from Street Fighter Alpha, a game released around the same time. In addition Cammy White would appear in Shadaloo-style clothing as a playable character on the Street Fighter roster, before her appearance in Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold, and it's successor Street Fighter Alpha 3. Super moves were retained from both, while Infinity Counter of Marvel Super Heroes was replaced by Variable Counter, which uses a super bar and wears down a player's guard, but has their partner attack. Variable Combination
is basically 2 Hyper Combos in one and uses 2 meters. Another pro is that if the player doesn't obtain damage during this, the character they use switch with their backup character. Lastly, the game would usually end when the boss, in this case Apocalypse, is defeated, however, an extra battle occurs against your partner, and you control the character who finishes Apocalypse off.
They were released the following year for Sega Saturn, and the year after for Sony PlayStation, though the tag feature for the 1998 release was canned, due to memory issues. Only the Arcade and PSX port ever saw daylight in the US.
1997: Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter
Reprising what was done, and seeing how much of a hit it was in the arcades (yet only decent to negative in the PSX port), Capcom tried again with Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. This time around, the majority of the X-Men cast was swapped out in favor of more characters from the Marvel universe in general, essentially resulting in using sprites from Marvel Super Heroes. All the same, Capcom also had a few shifts on their side, dropping Charlie and Cammy for Dan and Sakura. The system was also tweaked a little, but was essentially similar to the previous game. Apocalypse returned as the main villain, but he wasn't alone. Alongside him was a mechanical-enhanced version of Akuma, dubbed Cyber-Akuma, made by Apocalypse, and is the final boss of the game. Featuring a variation of the Raging Demon, Shining Goku Shock, this move is one reason why everyone hated fighting him, for it works on ground and in mid air. There are also secret characters which are more so palette swaps of others, such as U.S. Agent and Shadow. For the first time, and perhaps the only time in the series, the game featured a neutral character Norimaro as a Japan exclusive character, representing neither side. Modeled after a Japanese comedian, his attacks are perceived just as ridiculous as his sprite movements. Unless someone emulated, or got the Japan-region copy and system, Norimaro was never introduced officially on US soil.
Like it's predecessor, the game was released for Sega Saturn in 1998 for Japan, while released for Sony PlayStation in 1999 for Japan, US, and the PAL regions. The Arcade was also widely released. While it retained the positive reviews of the previous titles, the PSX port received mixed reviews, gaining better fanfare than the PSX Port of X-Men vs. Street Fighter.
1998: Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
Succeeding this was the release of Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes. Published by Capcom and Virgin Interactive, there were many changes that took place this time. Roster wise, the Capcom side became more mixed, bringing in characters from series such as Darkstalkers, Mega Man, and Cyberbots. The Marvel side saw some changes too, with War Machine debuting in a Capcom vs. title. There were also 4 pallete swap characters. However, mechanics this time were altered. As opposed to the off-screen partner assisting the point character in a fight, a randomly chosen assist character instead fills that role, but for only a certain number of times. Switching is still possible, but only after one gets knocked out, which tags the other member in automatically, or when they use the new feature Duo Team Attack, which has both members attack their opponent, making devastation combos and damage. Afterwards, the summoned partner is now the point character.
The Assist Character was a role that was similar to Rival Schools: United By Fate, a game released a year before, around the same time as Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter in the arcades. X-men villain Onslaught appears as the antagonist, which has two forms the player must defeat. However, he can also be a secret character to use when all others are unlocked. As cheap as he is, the player gets access to both forms once saved to the VMU. While he also summons in-game characters, he uses Sentinel as a special move, which would make him an NPC, but never the less, a character premiering in the series. Moreover, in lieu of Ken and Akuma being absent, Ryu had a different playstyle, where he takes on the attributes and movesets of those two upon certain button combinations.
It hit arcades in early 1998 for both Japan and US. Console-wise, It was released on both the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Dreamcast, the successor to Sega Saturn. Moreover, the release was for all available regions, US seeing the Dreamcast copy in 1999, and PSX in 2000. However, as before, the PSX version, called Marvel vs. Capcom EX Edition in Japan, dealt with sacrifices due to memory limitations. However, it had it's exclusives. While the tag feature was nearly absent in its entiretly, a crossover mode was set, in which a character the first player chooses becomes the partner of the opposing player. To add, an art gallery and ending collection were added, and upon beating Onslaught with him, Mega Man had access to Magnetic Shockwave, which was teased in his ending.
Again, praised highly in the arcades, it was matched with the Dreamcast release's superb reviews as well. PlayStation's, however, still retained their rather lackluster score like the other two, that is to say it was mixed to negative.
2000: Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
Featuring 3-on-3 battles, a bigger character roster, simplified controls, and a jazzy soundtrack, the sequel Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes was the big one. The fourth member of the MvC series, it was released around the same time Capcom vs. SNK began their run in the Capcom vs. series. Using the NAOMI arcade platform, it was the only game to use 3d polygon imagery at the time, though retained the usage of character sprites. While it supposedly has a story of its own, this game does not have character specific endings like the others, and regardless of the members of your team, everyone gets the same ending.
Using 4 attack buttons, the last 2 are for the character assist. there are in total 57 characters to choose from, making one of, if not THE largest cast in the MVC series, in which 56 are playable. The assist feature also saw some changes, as there was 3 types you can choose from, labeled Alpha Type (α), Beta Type (ß), and Gamma Type (Γ), and the moves assigned are predetermined via the developers. Switching out had no limit, and like before, those tagged out can recover their health, but only for the amount left by the red area in their life bar. Aside from the usual Hyper Combos, players can use them all at once, but takes away most if not all of the Super Meter in order to pull it off. While majority of the characters are from well known series, there were a few originals this time around, starting with the main character Ruby Heart, SonSon (who's a relative of another Capcom character with the same name), and Abyss, also exclusive as the main antagonist. Returning characters consists of most of those who appeared in the MVC series up to that point, with the inclusion of those that never made it before (examples are characters as Iron Man and Cable on the Marvel side, while two of Capcom's debuts are Servbot and Dan.)
The game was high in demand, but limited in release in 2002. As they were released for arcades, they also saw a Dreamcast release the same year it debuted. In 2002, there were limited ports for Sony PlayStation 2, with the port to Microsoft Xbox the following year, mainly due to Capcom losing the Marvel license. For the first time, Sony gained a good review for their port of the game, while it was merely decent for Xbox, even with it being backwards compatible with its successor, Microsoft Xbox 360. Due to bugs and software slowdown in that version, their port lost to Sony's, but they still fell under in comparison to Dreamcast's port, said to be the most faithful due to their similarities to the NAOMI system. It saw a re-release as a downloadable for Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade, and Sony PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network in 2009, both of which getting generally good praise. With the downloadable release came changes. The attract movie was dropped, all characters were initially available, it supported online play, and the sprites had filters. I say this was done to get people hyped for the next chapter...
2011: Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds & Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
It was ten painful years for MvC fans before the next chapter was made. At last, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds emerged as a title straight to consoles. Not much changed from the previous game and retained the 3-on-3 format, but some characters were excluded, with others debuting, such as Albert Wesker and Dante on Capcom's side, while Marvel featured the likes of Super Skrull and Deadpool, among others. Furthermore, every character appeared in 3D form, featuring rendering similar to the young Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. In addition, Level 3 Hyper Combos had special animations to them, stopping an opponent during its animation if connected. Other features included X-Factor, which increases damage, speed, and regenerates health. Due to the last bit, I thought of it as similar to the Blood Heat mode of unrelated novel fighter Melty Blood: Act Cadenza.
The antagonists this time around was revealed to be the joint partnership of Doctor Doom and Wesker, with the final bad guy being the oversized planet destroyer, Galactus. Plenty of character tweaks were made since MvC2 to prevent any broken characters. However, as usual, there were ways around this with some of them, and it takes a real expert to find them out. The 2-button Light and Hard Punch was canned for a 3-button set up, making it akin to that of TvC. Music was also revamped, as it went back to having character specific themes, made more modern and techno-like. Assists carried on like the last game, and before selecting your team, two things happen: for starters, you can choose to have normal, or simplified controls, though choosing the latter limits your moveset. You can also have set reserve units, basically teams you frequently study and fight well with. For fan service, character endings return, even one for Galactus should you end the game after losing to him.
Released for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it was hailed as a great title overall. DLC included different costumes as well as 2 characters: Shuma-Gorath returning from MvC2, as well as Jill Valentine, though she features a new look and moveset to complement her Resident Evil 5 appearance. More DLC were confirmed, but due to the tsunami that took place in Japan, they went with plan B: much like how they did it for the Street Fighter IV series, the said DLC were released as another standalone debuting this month: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, which wil be a rerelease for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and next year will be a launch title for PlayStation Vita, Sony's new handheld. This features even more character tweaks and the debut of more characters, like Hawkeye and Rocket Raccon for Marvel, and Vergil and Phoenix Wright for Capcom.
Even with its flaws and gains, Marvel vs. Capcom is a name to respect and fear in terms of competition. Whether you're a causal player, or a die-hard pro, any player is welcome to play, but it may not be to everyone's liking. Still, as a series overall, a 9 of 10. Even with its few flops back in the early days, Marvel vs. Capcom will seemingly become a timeless series.
Showing posts with label Multi-Title. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Multi-Title. Show all posts
06 November, 2011
05 November, 2011
Game Review XIX: "Street Fighter The Movie"
If you're like me, then you have heard about the live action movie of Street Fighter, the one with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia. It was brought to my attention a year ago that a game was made from this. Now I see this as a paradox, because we're talking about a game that was made based off the movie, which was based off the game series. Let me explain in detail.
As you may know, the film has eye-catching differences, such as Guile being the lead character overall (which stands over the signature characters Ryu and Ken), and because it was live action, much things were changed, such as the absence of Guile's staple mop-top hairstyle, a different take on the origin of Blanka, and the lack of much of the powers the game constantly feature. Even with it distributed by Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures, made in their studio, the movie is undoubtedly a Capcom product.
The same is somewhat true in regards to the games, but there was something different in regards to those as well. Even though they're both named Street Fighter: The Movie, and feature similar, if not the exact same mechanics, they are 2 different games, much like how it is for Tekken 5 and Tekken 6 and their respective counterparts, and somewhat akin to how Mortal Kombat 4/Gold was treated. The first was a coin-op game, like the ones found in arcades (or places like Dave & Busters, if you couldn't find the aforementioned place.) Now, these days, developers can just simply take the material data used for the arcades and fine tune it to be a home port game title. However, this perhaps the only time I recall that they didn't do such a thing, and even though it was made with the same footage and mechanics, it was released as a standalone title instead of a port. Here's a good rundown on what it has, but I'll try not to keep you. Some have bashed this game, saying it's almost as bad as the film. I can sympathies, but feel free to skim through if you don't want to know. Nobody will blame you.
FEATURES:
Because it's a movie based fighter, players take the roles of digitized sprites of the characters from the films. I honestly have no clue when game companies thought of this ideal, but for making game adaptions, the practice is somewhat common, given you have those in the games based off the Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, and more of them in the game port of Dragonball Evolution.
The character roster was among it's key differences. Some characters were exclusinve to one version, while another was fulfilling different roles between the two. Characters Blade and Sawada were exclusive for the movie, and didn't appear, nor were they mentioned, in any other game, since they aren't part of the general storyline. Other characters, like Akuma, had no part in the film, but were protrayed by an actor much like the rest in both versions. But in his case, he was available in one, and somewhat unplayable in the other (save through means of a cheat.) Much like how it typically was for him in MOST of the Street Fighter games, Akuma was hidden in the home port, and unless you used a code, an NPC you had to fight when conditions were fulfilled, yet in the coin-op game, he is initially available as a full character on the roster. Coin-op characters Blade and the palette-swapped Bison Troopers aren't seen in the console port, and are somewhat replaced by exclusives Dee Jay and Blanka. Sawada is featured on both, but with different specials exclusive to one another.
GAME MECHANICS (COIN-OP VERSION):
The mechanics for this game differed greatly from the others in the series as well. While almost absent in the film, each character retained their special movies, granted when saying them, some tend to sound kind of silly. In addition, those with close quarter specials, like Zangief, Balrog, and Sawada, could reflect projectiles. I don't know if this was true for both versions, but I have seen that was possible, but still unbelievable (though 'Gief using his 360 spin to bypass projectiles is believable and useful.) Each game bore different gameplay traits as well. The coin-op arcade version emphasized more on the juggling system. Baffled that the idea even existed, players can mix up basic fighting with specials, even cancelling a special to follow up with another, keeping the opponent in air. Now back then, this was a pretty huge deal, but nowadays, it's a no-brainer for most fighters out there (that has yet to be considered for Virtua Fighter.)
The game also had a Super Meter, and as with Super Street Fighter II Turbo, allows the player to use a Super Combo on the opponent. Should the match end with it, the lifebar of the opponent breaks apart. One of the other traits included Interrupt Moves, a quick action performed after blocking an attack, and would later return in the Street Fighter Alpha series as Alpha Counter. The second action would be Comeback Moves, which features moves that could only be used when one's health is in the danger level. While these moves did not have a meter of its own, this would later return in the Street Fighter IV series as Ultra Combos, which featured its own meter that builds upon receiving damage or absorbing them during Focus, and was changeable starting with Super Street Fighter IV. The last one is the Regeneration Move, which refills a portion of a players life, but sacrifices a whole Super Meter. I heard it was possible in the third game of Arika's Street Fighter EX series, but a better example of this would be seen in Street Fighter III, with the game's boss Gill, who revives himself after being knocked out when his super meter is full (though it's proven you can stop how much he gains.) Aside from the 14-character Arcade Mode, a hidden Tag Mode was also in the game.
GAME MECHANICS (CONSOLE VERSION):
The Console version also has uniqueness from its coin-op counterpart, aside from the roster. While both retain a few instances from Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, the home console port is based from that. Featuring the Super Combos and Special Moves it already had, Super Specials was put in there as another means of attack. Using part of the Super Gauge and the input of a direction and TWO attack buttons would make the player use a powered up version of a Special Move. When the gauge is full, it's use is unlimited until they use the Super Combo. This was seen as the ES Specials of Night Warriors (Darkstalkers series), and would later surface in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact as EX Moves, a mechanic people thought the game gave birth to, but was actually a more toned down version of the system.
Adding to this, the game also featured different modes. Movie Battle is a Story Mode-like game mode where the player assumes the role of Guile, and branches off into different routes. Your choices in this mode is reflected to how many opponents you'll face before reaching Bison. An arcade-style mode, Street Battle, is essentially the arcade version of the game, but unlike the Coin-Op version, has you facing 12 characters, with the spots of Zangief, Dee Jay, Sagat, and Bison set in that order as your last 4 opponents (which differs from Street Fighter II's Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and Bison format.) There's also a Versus Mode, and a Trial Mode, which you compete for a high score. These were released for Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation, both CD-platform consoles.
VISUALS/SOUND
People would look at it, and right away, some would think about the first 2 Mortal Kombat games. In fact, some of the poses look clearly adapted from that series. Another way they would see that deals with the background in some of the stages. However, the team that did do that game, which was formerly Midway, had no part in its development, yet resembled their work somewhat. It was also weird the first time seeing this. That said, I couldn't seen digitized versions of actors doing standstill shocker moves, launching fireballs or doing spin kicks and what not. While it's a fighting game, and was least prominent in the earlier games, they have no defining personalities for each character as they do in the later games, and much like the older titles, has the player get into the fight almost immediately. With any game, it has a win counter, shown as a Shadoloo/Shadowlaw insignia beside the name, stating the rounds won. In the background, there lie some stages with cameos of characters in-game, and another stage that features a crowd. The stages were but so few, the music even fewer, so there was much to be desired, yet some stages also featured inaudible clips from the actual film.
The mantle was stepped up a bit when the console port came into play. They tried to make more similar to the namesake game series, with newer voice acting, more music, different stages and different visuals of the moves performed. The Psycho Crusher, which was a staple Bison move, was still absent from the game. In all, the game was improved, but not by much.
DEVELOPMENT
The development team differed between the two. For starters, the Coin-Op version was developed under Incredible Technologies, who was a coin-op game company much like Sega, Midway, and Williams, but wasn't a threat to those 3. In fact, they had almost nothing under their belt in terms of fighting games, the only exceptions being this and Bloodstorm. I guess sometime after the coin-op release of the game, development was turned over, or said to be primarily Capcom's doing, but under different publishing for the console ports. In Japan, publishing rights were still under Capcom, while in US, Europe, and Australia, publishing was done by Acclaim, the successor to the ridiculed LJN, and the company that first brought us Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and early WWF titles. However, because some understand the origins, few have credited this as another LJN title, which has been mainly bashed by consumers in terms of gaming.
VERDICT
I know I have yakked on and on about this game already, but I'll end it with these. The game in general is kinda bad, but it was a stepping stone mechanic wise to what we have today, so in general, both games get a 5.5 of 10. I wasn't expecting the games to be successful, but much like the movie, it had hope, but that's it. Until next time.
As you may know, the film has eye-catching differences, such as Guile being the lead character overall (which stands over the signature characters Ryu and Ken), and because it was live action, much things were changed, such as the absence of Guile's staple mop-top hairstyle, a different take on the origin of Blanka, and the lack of much of the powers the game constantly feature. Even with it distributed by Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures, made in their studio, the movie is undoubtedly a Capcom product.
The same is somewhat true in regards to the games, but there was something different in regards to those as well. Even though they're both named Street Fighter: The Movie, and feature similar, if not the exact same mechanics, they are 2 different games, much like how it is for Tekken 5 and Tekken 6 and their respective counterparts, and somewhat akin to how Mortal Kombat 4/Gold was treated. The first was a coin-op game, like the ones found in arcades (or places like Dave & Busters, if you couldn't find the aforementioned place.) Now, these days, developers can just simply take the material data used for the arcades and fine tune it to be a home port game title. However, this perhaps the only time I recall that they didn't do such a thing, and even though it was made with the same footage and mechanics, it was released as a standalone title instead of a port. Here's a good rundown on what it has, but I'll try not to keep you. Some have bashed this game, saying it's almost as bad as the film. I can sympathies, but feel free to skim through if you don't want to know. Nobody will blame you.
FEATURES:
Because it's a movie based fighter, players take the roles of digitized sprites of the characters from the films. I honestly have no clue when game companies thought of this ideal, but for making game adaptions, the practice is somewhat common, given you have those in the games based off the Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, and more of them in the game port of Dragonball Evolution.
The character roster was among it's key differences. Some characters were exclusinve to one version, while another was fulfilling different roles between the two. Characters Blade and Sawada were exclusive for the movie, and didn't appear, nor were they mentioned, in any other game, since they aren't part of the general storyline. Other characters, like Akuma, had no part in the film, but were protrayed by an actor much like the rest in both versions. But in his case, he was available in one, and somewhat unplayable in the other (save through means of a cheat.) Much like how it typically was for him in MOST of the Street Fighter games, Akuma was hidden in the home port, and unless you used a code, an NPC you had to fight when conditions were fulfilled, yet in the coin-op game, he is initially available as a full character on the roster. Coin-op characters Blade and the palette-swapped Bison Troopers aren't seen in the console port, and are somewhat replaced by exclusives Dee Jay and Blanka. Sawada is featured on both, but with different specials exclusive to one another.
GAME MECHANICS (COIN-OP VERSION):
The mechanics for this game differed greatly from the others in the series as well. While almost absent in the film, each character retained their special movies, granted when saying them, some tend to sound kind of silly. In addition, those with close quarter specials, like Zangief, Balrog, and Sawada, could reflect projectiles. I don't know if this was true for both versions, but I have seen that was possible, but still unbelievable (though 'Gief using his 360 spin to bypass projectiles is believable and useful.) Each game bore different gameplay traits as well. The coin-op arcade version emphasized more on the juggling system. Baffled that the idea even existed, players can mix up basic fighting with specials, even cancelling a special to follow up with another, keeping the opponent in air. Now back then, this was a pretty huge deal, but nowadays, it's a no-brainer for most fighters out there (that has yet to be considered for Virtua Fighter.)
The game also had a Super Meter, and as with Super Street Fighter II Turbo, allows the player to use a Super Combo on the opponent. Should the match end with it, the lifebar of the opponent breaks apart. One of the other traits included Interrupt Moves, a quick action performed after blocking an attack, and would later return in the Street Fighter Alpha series as Alpha Counter. The second action would be Comeback Moves, which features moves that could only be used when one's health is in the danger level. While these moves did not have a meter of its own, this would later return in the Street Fighter IV series as Ultra Combos, which featured its own meter that builds upon receiving damage or absorbing them during Focus, and was changeable starting with Super Street Fighter IV. The last one is the Regeneration Move, which refills a portion of a players life, but sacrifices a whole Super Meter. I heard it was possible in the third game of Arika's Street Fighter EX series, but a better example of this would be seen in Street Fighter III, with the game's boss Gill, who revives himself after being knocked out when his super meter is full (though it's proven you can stop how much he gains.) Aside from the 14-character Arcade Mode, a hidden Tag Mode was also in the game.
GAME MECHANICS (CONSOLE VERSION):
The Console version also has uniqueness from its coin-op counterpart, aside from the roster. While both retain a few instances from Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, the home console port is based from that. Featuring the Super Combos and Special Moves it already had, Super Specials was put in there as another means of attack. Using part of the Super Gauge and the input of a direction and TWO attack buttons would make the player use a powered up version of a Special Move. When the gauge is full, it's use is unlimited until they use the Super Combo. This was seen as the ES Specials of Night Warriors (Darkstalkers series), and would later surface in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact as EX Moves, a mechanic people thought the game gave birth to, but was actually a more toned down version of the system.
Adding to this, the game also featured different modes. Movie Battle is a Story Mode-like game mode where the player assumes the role of Guile, and branches off into different routes. Your choices in this mode is reflected to how many opponents you'll face before reaching Bison. An arcade-style mode, Street Battle, is essentially the arcade version of the game, but unlike the Coin-Op version, has you facing 12 characters, with the spots of Zangief, Dee Jay, Sagat, and Bison set in that order as your last 4 opponents (which differs from Street Fighter II's Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and Bison format.) There's also a Versus Mode, and a Trial Mode, which you compete for a high score. These were released for Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation, both CD-platform consoles.
VISUALS/SOUND
People would look at it, and right away, some would think about the first 2 Mortal Kombat games. In fact, some of the poses look clearly adapted from that series. Another way they would see that deals with the background in some of the stages. However, the team that did do that game, which was formerly Midway, had no part in its development, yet resembled their work somewhat. It was also weird the first time seeing this. That said, I couldn't seen digitized versions of actors doing standstill shocker moves, launching fireballs or doing spin kicks and what not. While it's a fighting game, and was least prominent in the earlier games, they have no defining personalities for each character as they do in the later games, and much like the older titles, has the player get into the fight almost immediately. With any game, it has a win counter, shown as a Shadoloo/Shadowlaw insignia beside the name, stating the rounds won. In the background, there lie some stages with cameos of characters in-game, and another stage that features a crowd. The stages were but so few, the music even fewer, so there was much to be desired, yet some stages also featured inaudible clips from the actual film.
The mantle was stepped up a bit when the console port came into play. They tried to make more similar to the namesake game series, with newer voice acting, more music, different stages and different visuals of the moves performed. The Psycho Crusher, which was a staple Bison move, was still absent from the game. In all, the game was improved, but not by much.
DEVELOPMENT
The development team differed between the two. For starters, the Coin-Op version was developed under Incredible Technologies, who was a coin-op game company much like Sega, Midway, and Williams, but wasn't a threat to those 3. In fact, they had almost nothing under their belt in terms of fighting games, the only exceptions being this and Bloodstorm. I guess sometime after the coin-op release of the game, development was turned over, or said to be primarily Capcom's doing, but under different publishing for the console ports. In Japan, publishing rights were still under Capcom, while in US, Europe, and Australia, publishing was done by Acclaim, the successor to the ridiculed LJN, and the company that first brought us Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam, and early WWF titles. However, because some understand the origins, few have credited this as another LJN title, which has been mainly bashed by consumers in terms of gaming.
VERDICT
I know I have yakked on and on about this game already, but I'll end it with these. The game in general is kinda bad, but it was a stepping stone mechanic wise to what we have today, so in general, both games get a 5.5 of 10. I wasn't expecting the games to be successful, but much like the movie, it had hope, but that's it. Until next time.
19 April, 2011
Game Review VIII: "Pokemon Pt. 6 - Side games Handheld"
As with most media, there's always a spinoff or to of something. Pokemon's no different, and there's a good few of them, too. For starters, let's go into the Pokemon Trading Card Game, a title for the Game Boy Color. The Pokemon TCG cards were in rival with Yu-Gi-Oh!, and that's still the case, with other names like Chaotic and others. The game was just a digitized port of the Pokemon TCG, and a rather successful one at that. I played it a few times, and it seemed to me an answer to those who weren't lucky to have the actual cards. The game itself came with a card from the actual TCG, originally made by Wizards of the Coast. They had a sequel to the game, but it was a Japan exclusice, not officially seeing US sales. Game Freak had the right idea upon this games conception. I give it a 7 of 10.
Next on my list is Pokemon Pinball, something I admit was my addiction next to the Johto games. You were back to catching Pokemon, but on a pinball table this time. It was quite a thrill for me when I fist played it, for it had a unique rumble pack cartridge, something not seen in much GB titles. You play on a pinball table, with an image that appears that signifies which town it represents, and pending on this, what Pokemon you were to catch. The game had its ways of catching Pokemon, as well as evolving them. They also featured a Pokedex to signify what you caught. The game was received quite well, and spawned a next gen sequel, Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphiere for the GB Advance. Both games did quite well, and hold an 8 overall.
Pokemon Puzzle Challenge, also a GB title, was a handheld successor to Nintendo 64's Pokemon Puzzle League. Those familiar with titles like Tetris, Columns, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine would notice the gameplay, and traits of this game being similar to the aforementioned titles. As with the main games, your goal is to conquer the Johto Leaders. Another well received title, strangely doing better than its home console predecessor. It's one I can't grade though, I never tried this one.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon was a game in which YOU were the Pokemon this time, and like the main games, various versions were made. It began with both a GBA and a Nintendo DS title as different games, though they interacted with one another. At first there were Red and Blue Explorers team, Red being for the GBA, while Blue being the first Mystery Dungeon DS game. Sequels afterwards were solely for the DS system, starting with Explorers of Time/Shadows when the Gen. IV Pokemon (Pearl/Diamond/Platinum) were introduced. Adding to this was the fifth game, which was more so like a remake, Explorers of the Sky. Sky was a sister game to explorers of Time/Shadows. There are 3 more titles in Japan, making a total of 8 titles. I personally didn't like the se4ries very much, but at the same time respected it as a nice change of pace. I give the series a respectable 7 of 10.
The Pokemon Ranger series was a DS-exclusice series of games. Ranger dealt in a entirely different region, much like Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness. Set in the region of Fiore, the player is one of the Pokemon Rangers, and has a different way of catching Pokemon, albeit temporarily. As it is for DS, a tool called the Capture Styler is applied. Capture is done by encasing the Pokemon with that tool, which you use with the touch screen and the DS stylus. This particular game is used in coherence with the Gen. IV games to capture and transfer Manaphy. The only Pokemon that sticks by you are Plusle/Minum, which is gender specific on the type of character you choose. This is succeeded by Shadows of Almia (a game set in the region of Almia) and Guardian Tracks (set in Oblivia). All get a fairly average rating, which is kinda how I see it: a 7 of 10 at the very least.
Pokemon Trozei is another puzzle title, much like Puzzle Challenge, for the DS. Tetris style gameplay is used here, so it can become quite addicting for Tetris fans, Pokemon fans, or a mix of the two. It has a plot, but the gameplay element is pretty straight forward. As it is for DS, the stylus is used at some point. I can't grade this one either, but I heard that reception was pretty high for this title.
Pokemon Dash is perhaps their shot at a racing game. Controlled by a stylus, players race as Pikachu to complete a course, running through checkpoints in the process. Despite preorder and goodies provided, this game has received a lot of backlash. Being nice, I'll say a 6 of 10, this being their first (and so far ONLY shot) at a Pokemon racing game.
The last one isn't really a game per say, but it's worth mentioning. Called Pokemon Pikachu, it was a Tamagotchi-like device that served like a virtual pet that didn't need to me cleaned up after or fed. As well, because of the "watts" it gives, it also served as a Pedometer to the user. A Pokemon Pikachu 2 GS version could be compatible with Gold and Silver, with assistance of the GBC/GBA/SP infared sensors, enabling it to interact with the game. This tool was later improvised to create the PokeWalker used with Gold and Silver's remakes (which had an exclusive infared DS card to interact with it.)
That covers the handheld side games. Next I'll cover the console side games.
Next on my list is Pokemon Pinball, something I admit was my addiction next to the Johto games. You were back to catching Pokemon, but on a pinball table this time. It was quite a thrill for me when I fist played it, for it had a unique rumble pack cartridge, something not seen in much GB titles. You play on a pinball table, with an image that appears that signifies which town it represents, and pending on this, what Pokemon you were to catch. The game had its ways of catching Pokemon, as well as evolving them. They also featured a Pokedex to signify what you caught. The game was received quite well, and spawned a next gen sequel, Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphiere for the GB Advance. Both games did quite well, and hold an 8 overall.
Pokemon Puzzle Challenge, also a GB title, was a handheld successor to Nintendo 64's Pokemon Puzzle League. Those familiar with titles like Tetris, Columns, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine would notice the gameplay, and traits of this game being similar to the aforementioned titles. As with the main games, your goal is to conquer the Johto Leaders. Another well received title, strangely doing better than its home console predecessor. It's one I can't grade though, I never tried this one.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon was a game in which YOU were the Pokemon this time, and like the main games, various versions were made. It began with both a GBA and a Nintendo DS title as different games, though they interacted with one another. At first there were Red and Blue Explorers team, Red being for the GBA, while Blue being the first Mystery Dungeon DS game. Sequels afterwards were solely for the DS system, starting with Explorers of Time/Shadows when the Gen. IV Pokemon (Pearl/Diamond/Platinum) were introduced. Adding to this was the fifth game, which was more so like a remake, Explorers of the Sky. Sky was a sister game to explorers of Time/Shadows. There are 3 more titles in Japan, making a total of 8 titles. I personally didn't like the se4ries very much, but at the same time respected it as a nice change of pace. I give the series a respectable 7 of 10.
The Pokemon Ranger series was a DS-exclusice series of games. Ranger dealt in a entirely different region, much like Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness. Set in the region of Fiore, the player is one of the Pokemon Rangers, and has a different way of catching Pokemon, albeit temporarily. As it is for DS, a tool called the Capture Styler is applied. Capture is done by encasing the Pokemon with that tool, which you use with the touch screen and the DS stylus. This particular game is used in coherence with the Gen. IV games to capture and transfer Manaphy. The only Pokemon that sticks by you are Plusle/Minum, which is gender specific on the type of character you choose. This is succeeded by Shadows of Almia (a game set in the region of Almia) and Guardian Tracks (set in Oblivia). All get a fairly average rating, which is kinda how I see it: a 7 of 10 at the very least.
Pokemon Trozei is another puzzle title, much like Puzzle Challenge, for the DS. Tetris style gameplay is used here, so it can become quite addicting for Tetris fans, Pokemon fans, or a mix of the two. It has a plot, but the gameplay element is pretty straight forward. As it is for DS, the stylus is used at some point. I can't grade this one either, but I heard that reception was pretty high for this title.
Pokemon Dash is perhaps their shot at a racing game. Controlled by a stylus, players race as Pikachu to complete a course, running through checkpoints in the process. Despite preorder and goodies provided, this game has received a lot of backlash. Being nice, I'll say a 6 of 10, this being their first (and so far ONLY shot) at a Pokemon racing game.
The last one isn't really a game per say, but it's worth mentioning. Called Pokemon Pikachu, it was a Tamagotchi-like device that served like a virtual pet that didn't need to me cleaned up after or fed. As well, because of the "watts" it gives, it also served as a Pedometer to the user. A Pokemon Pikachu 2 GS version could be compatible with Gold and Silver, with assistance of the GBC/GBA/SP infared sensors, enabling it to interact with the game. This tool was later improvised to create the PokeWalker used with Gold and Silver's remakes (which had an exclusive infared DS card to interact with it.)
That covers the handheld side games. Next I'll cover the console side games.
13 April, 2011
Game Review VII: "Pokemon Pt. 5 - Console Games"
These were perhaps special titles to me. This part covers the main 3d games in the series: Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Stadium 2, Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Pokemon Battle Revolution.
First on the list is the two Stadium games. Scrapping the navigation feature seen in the handheld titles, Pokemon Stadium just went straight to the battles. The gameplay utilized the many functions of the N64 controller, even as far as using the C buttons to pick the moves. Stadium also had their own collection of minigames, especially a Simon Says-like game featuring Clefairy. The battles themselves take aver their handheld relatives, but with visuals that shows when a Pokemon gets damage, even the actions they do when using a move. The game features a mode that heavily resembles the process of R/B/Y (Pt. 1), from the Gym Leaders, all the way to the region Champion. Players can use the 6 (max) Pokemon in accordance to how the player selects them before battle. While they provide Rental Pokemon, N64 players who were lucky enough to have a GB Slot Adapter can use their handheld roster to use in the game. Stadium hosted the Kanto Region pokemon, the first 151, with Mewtwo being a special battle. It's sequel, Pokemon Stadium 2, focuses on the G/S/C (Pt. 2) roster, the 251 Pokemon.
Each title hosted different features. Owners of the GB Transfer Pak can earn a Lv. 20 Pokemon that are normally chosen only once in the handheld title, but only after the player beats the rival in Gym Leader Castle. Stadium 2 had a 3D Pokedex, new minigames, and a player of sorts that can basically allow you to pay Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, and Silver titles on the big screen (the Japanese port included Crystal as compatible.)
Succeeding this, yet at the same time original was Pokemon Colosseum, the first 3D take in Generation III games. Debuting on the Gamecube (also playable on Wii at this point), players control boy named Wes, who was a former affiliate of Team Snagem. They were responsible for creating a Snag Machine. To elaborate, the Snag Machine was an illegal creation, as it was against the rules to catch a Pokemon already owned by a trainer. The Snag Machine was made just for that very purpose, as shown on Wes' arm. Team Cipher was a group responsible for sealing the hearts of a Pokemon, giving rise to 48 shadow Pokemon. Normally not different in appearance, the Shadow Pokemon's moves are initially super effective to ones that aren't Shadow. With the help of a mysterious girl, Rui, Wes' mission was to snag and purify all Shadow Pokemon handed to trainers, running into Team Cipher along the way. Also, during game play, there were numerous ways generation II and III Pokemon could be caught. Once that was done, players can trade the pokemon obtained, including Wes' starters: Espeon and Umbreon, to Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen. Once of the many rewards was the Gold Mascot, Ho-oh, who was obtainable upon completing Battle Zones 1-100, and all Shadow Pokemon were purified. One thinng about this title though: much like the handhelds, it was focused on a new region, but didn't have any region-specific pokemon of their own. This region was called Orre.
Players would find themselves back in Orre with the succeeding title, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Despite of similar gameplay, XD had features that were new, or expanded from Colosseum. The protagonist and cast were different this time around. Almost as tenacious as Team Rocket from Generations I and II, Team Cipher returned, this time with a seemingly immune Shadow Lugia, codenamed XD001. Shadow Lugia was the primary titular mascot of XD, with a darker, more evil appearance then that of the basic Lugia. This was one Pokemon whose appearance changed significantly as a Shadow Pokemon. Michael, the hero of XD, starts off with an Eevee, though players can evolve it to either form from Gen. I and II. What starts off as research of a new Snag Machine, created by Michael's father, Orre Pokemon Prof. Krane, turns into a mission to somehow purify XD001, rescue his father, and shut down Cipher's plans for good.
Much like Colosseum, XD had aspects of a 3D aspects of battles, with moves being chosen like the handhelds, as opposed to being set to a button. The battles for both titles compromised of mainly Double Battles. People can still trade Pokemon from XD to Gen III games, though Shadow Pokemon were to remain until they were Purified. Much like how Rui was able to detect Shadow Pokemon, Michael had the exclusive item Pokemon P★DA, which included many apps, more importantly a Shadow Monitor. With this, he was able to identify Pokemon who needed to be snagged. There was also a Pokemon Sim, a system that used verious events with certain ways to battle, perhaps a useful feature in developing strategies. A minigame, Pokemon Bingo, was also included, with a special card given to you if you rescue a Bonsly in the game. Remnants of Team Snagem are also in the game, partly connected to the plot as well. As with the last game, certain rewards are given upon completion, and with Pokespots, a unique element, players can catch regular wild Pokemon as well, though a non-catchable Munchlax occasionally appears as well.
Lastly, we have the Generation IV game. Feeling like a mix of Stadium and Colosseum/XD, Pokemon Battle Revolution for the Wii made use of the DS and Wii's Nintendo Wi-Fi properties, even to use the DS as a controller (similar to Colosseum/XD and the GBA/SP.) Those familiar with Stadium can pick this up rather easily, and follows the double battle standard placed in Colosseum/XD. The RPG aspect is once again scrapped, in favor of just getting into the battle. There was a ban of sorts for legendary Pokemon, but from what I can gather, it's lifted, albeit a few changes. Any Pokemon that had a different form will refert back to their debuting forms in Battle Revolution, while Pokemon with exclusive moves can't be used (moves like Bug Bite, debuting in Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver.)
All have a fair spot in my book. Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2 gain a respectable 8, 8.5 goes to Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness, and 6.5 for Battle Revolution, which is good in is won right, but didn't have much uniqueness amonst the other 4. Next time, we get into the side games. Till next time!
First on the list is the two Stadium games. Scrapping the navigation feature seen in the handheld titles, Pokemon Stadium just went straight to the battles. The gameplay utilized the many functions of the N64 controller, even as far as using the C buttons to pick the moves. Stadium also had their own collection of minigames, especially a Simon Says-like game featuring Clefairy. The battles themselves take aver their handheld relatives, but with visuals that shows when a Pokemon gets damage, even the actions they do when using a move. The game features a mode that heavily resembles the process of R/B/Y (Pt. 1), from the Gym Leaders, all the way to the region Champion. Players can use the 6 (max) Pokemon in accordance to how the player selects them before battle. While they provide Rental Pokemon, N64 players who were lucky enough to have a GB Slot Adapter can use their handheld roster to use in the game. Stadium hosted the Kanto Region pokemon, the first 151, with Mewtwo being a special battle. It's sequel, Pokemon Stadium 2, focuses on the G/S/C (Pt. 2) roster, the 251 Pokemon.
Each title hosted different features. Owners of the GB Transfer Pak can earn a Lv. 20 Pokemon that are normally chosen only once in the handheld title, but only after the player beats the rival in Gym Leader Castle. Stadium 2 had a 3D Pokedex, new minigames, and a player of sorts that can basically allow you to pay Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, and Silver titles on the big screen (the Japanese port included Crystal as compatible.)
Succeeding this, yet at the same time original was Pokemon Colosseum, the first 3D take in Generation III games. Debuting on the Gamecube (also playable on Wii at this point), players control boy named Wes, who was a former affiliate of Team Snagem. They were responsible for creating a Snag Machine. To elaborate, the Snag Machine was an illegal creation, as it was against the rules to catch a Pokemon already owned by a trainer. The Snag Machine was made just for that very purpose, as shown on Wes' arm. Team Cipher was a group responsible for sealing the hearts of a Pokemon, giving rise to 48 shadow Pokemon. Normally not different in appearance, the Shadow Pokemon's moves are initially super effective to ones that aren't Shadow. With the help of a mysterious girl, Rui, Wes' mission was to snag and purify all Shadow Pokemon handed to trainers, running into Team Cipher along the way. Also, during game play, there were numerous ways generation II and III Pokemon could be caught. Once that was done, players can trade the pokemon obtained, including Wes' starters: Espeon and Umbreon, to Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, and LeafGreen. Once of the many rewards was the Gold Mascot, Ho-oh, who was obtainable upon completing Battle Zones 1-100, and all Shadow Pokemon were purified. One thinng about this title though: much like the handhelds, it was focused on a new region, but didn't have any region-specific pokemon of their own. This region was called Orre.
Players would find themselves back in Orre with the succeeding title, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Despite of similar gameplay, XD had features that were new, or expanded from Colosseum. The protagonist and cast were different this time around. Almost as tenacious as Team Rocket from Generations I and II, Team Cipher returned, this time with a seemingly immune Shadow Lugia, codenamed XD001. Shadow Lugia was the primary titular mascot of XD, with a darker, more evil appearance then that of the basic Lugia. This was one Pokemon whose appearance changed significantly as a Shadow Pokemon. Michael, the hero of XD, starts off with an Eevee, though players can evolve it to either form from Gen. I and II. What starts off as research of a new Snag Machine, created by Michael's father, Orre Pokemon Prof. Krane, turns into a mission to somehow purify XD001, rescue his father, and shut down Cipher's plans for good.
Much like Colosseum, XD had aspects of a 3D aspects of battles, with moves being chosen like the handhelds, as opposed to being set to a button. The battles for both titles compromised of mainly Double Battles. People can still trade Pokemon from XD to Gen III games, though Shadow Pokemon were to remain until they were Purified. Much like how Rui was able to detect Shadow Pokemon, Michael had the exclusive item Pokemon P★DA, which included many apps, more importantly a Shadow Monitor. With this, he was able to identify Pokemon who needed to be snagged. There was also a Pokemon Sim, a system that used verious events with certain ways to battle, perhaps a useful feature in developing strategies. A minigame, Pokemon Bingo, was also included, with a special card given to you if you rescue a Bonsly in the game. Remnants of Team Snagem are also in the game, partly connected to the plot as well. As with the last game, certain rewards are given upon completion, and with Pokespots, a unique element, players can catch regular wild Pokemon as well, though a non-catchable Munchlax occasionally appears as well.
Lastly, we have the Generation IV game. Feeling like a mix of Stadium and Colosseum/XD, Pokemon Battle Revolution for the Wii made use of the DS and Wii's Nintendo Wi-Fi properties, even to use the DS as a controller (similar to Colosseum/XD and the GBA/SP.) Those familiar with Stadium can pick this up rather easily, and follows the double battle standard placed in Colosseum/XD. The RPG aspect is once again scrapped, in favor of just getting into the battle. There was a ban of sorts for legendary Pokemon, but from what I can gather, it's lifted, albeit a few changes. Any Pokemon that had a different form will refert back to their debuting forms in Battle Revolution, while Pokemon with exclusive moves can't be used (moves like Bug Bite, debuting in Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver.)
All have a fair spot in my book. Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2 gain a respectable 8, 8.5 goes to Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness, and 6.5 for Battle Revolution, which is good in is won right, but didn't have much uniqueness amonst the other 4. Next time, we get into the side games. Till next time!
12 April, 2011
Game Review VI: "Pokemon Pt. 4 - Sinnoh Games"
Generation IV marked the jump to the popular Nintendo DS system, with a total of 5 main series games and a few side games to accompany it. Three of the main games dealt with a new area, the region of Sinnoh. Diamond (D), Pearl (P), and Platinum (Pt) are the three games in question. As with most games, they were accompanied by not only a new story, but new features as well. As the DS was double screened (hence the name), certain aspects had to be made. Similar to the Pokegear (G/S/C) and the Pokenav (R/S/E), D/P/Pt featured a new tool called the Poketch, or Pokemon Watch. Also, as it was on the DS, the system time also affected the game, so when it was night, the game was to, and the same could be said about day. To add, though it appeared later in Platinum, certain areas of the game had a brief 3d view. The contests was still a feature in these games, but Pokemon can now be fed by Poffins, which basically scraps the Pokeblocks of the previous installment. Traainers could also battle underground, by getting a digging tool. People using this feature could set traps, steal flags, and gain items, though this required a Nintendo Wi-Fi connection to use. There were a new assortment of Pokemon to deal with, bringing the total this time to 493, with the inclusion of a handful of legendary Pokemon.
D/P/Pt features 2 new trainers to choose from, with the rival being a rather hasty battler, who is also your friend.The female character (Dawn) and the male character (Lucas) are chosen in all 3 games, with the rival (called Barry in the anime) serving as the friendly NPC. The attire for Dawn and Lucas changes in Platinum, much like how Brendan and May had slight changes in Emerald. Once more, people can choose 3 different types of Pokemon, sticking to the standard Fire, Water, and Grass formula. Pending on who you choose, Dawn would get the weaker type, and Barry would get the type that you're weak to. More new faces enter this game as well, the noteworthy characters beings being Pokemon Prof. Rowan, the Sinnoh Champion and occasional helper Cynthia, and Team Galactic with their leader Cyrus. The Mirage Pokemon (Azelf, Uxie, Mesprit), the Alpha Pokemon Arceus, the and the game mascots (Dialga {D}, Palkia {P}, and the dual Forme Giratina {Pt}) serves as most of the lengendary Pokemon in the games.
In addition 2 new forms of Eevee were introduced, though these forms had to be obtained by leveling up in a certain location. As it was on the DS and DS Lite, D/P/Pt, alongside the Johto Remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver, featured the exclusive Pal Park, which utilized the GBA slot for catching Pokemon from the previous Generation (R/S/E from Pt. 3, and FR/LG as mentioned in Pt. 1), though this feature couldn't be used for owners of the Nintendo DSi, who didn't have that slot. Along with this, the GTS was also introduced, as it uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. Also, trainer battles, which used to be triggered with help of a link cable, were made entirely wireless now, and it was even possible to trade or battle other trainers with Nintendo Wi-Fi, as long as the user had the opponents friend code.
As with the previous generations, the third game, this generation's being Platinum, offered significant changes from the other 2. Minor, but initially noticeable were the outfits, the format of the Poketch, and a slight difference in the order of Gym leaders to face. The major changes were more so in the plot, as Giratina, a legendary who only had one form in the other two games, not only gained another form, but also a new area and a bigger part in the Sinnoh storyline. This area, called the Distortion World, is the Renegade Pokemon's home, and players of Platinum have to go through here at some point of the game to battle Giratina. This is where different viewing aspects are introduced, though the player can't control these views. Other changes, though this is triggered by events, are the inclusions of Shaymin (Oak's Letter) the forms of Rotom (Secret Key), and Darkrai (Membership card, though the player must meet the other legendary Cresselia, obtain its item, and use it on the sailor's son beforehand.) Like Emerald, the now staple Battle Frontier was also included.
I didn't think much of the Sinnoh series anime wise, but the game got my approval, as it gets a 7.75 from me, more so from Platinum. Next time, sice I've yet to play Generation V, I'll cover the 3d gmaes released by far.
D/P/Pt features 2 new trainers to choose from, with the rival being a rather hasty battler, who is also your friend.The female character (Dawn) and the male character (Lucas) are chosen in all 3 games, with the rival (called Barry in the anime) serving as the friendly NPC. The attire for Dawn and Lucas changes in Platinum, much like how Brendan and May had slight changes in Emerald. Once more, people can choose 3 different types of Pokemon, sticking to the standard Fire, Water, and Grass formula. Pending on who you choose, Dawn would get the weaker type, and Barry would get the type that you're weak to. More new faces enter this game as well, the noteworthy characters beings being Pokemon Prof. Rowan, the Sinnoh Champion and occasional helper Cynthia, and Team Galactic with their leader Cyrus. The Mirage Pokemon (Azelf, Uxie, Mesprit), the Alpha Pokemon Arceus, the and the game mascots (Dialga {D}, Palkia {P}, and the dual Forme Giratina {Pt}) serves as most of the lengendary Pokemon in the games.
In addition 2 new forms of Eevee were introduced, though these forms had to be obtained by leveling up in a certain location. As it was on the DS and DS Lite, D/P/Pt, alongside the Johto Remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver, featured the exclusive Pal Park, which utilized the GBA slot for catching Pokemon from the previous Generation (R/S/E from Pt. 3, and FR/LG as mentioned in Pt. 1), though this feature couldn't be used for owners of the Nintendo DSi, who didn't have that slot. Along with this, the GTS was also introduced, as it uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. Also, trainer battles, which used to be triggered with help of a link cable, were made entirely wireless now, and it was even possible to trade or battle other trainers with Nintendo Wi-Fi, as long as the user had the opponents friend code.
As with the previous generations, the third game, this generation's being Platinum, offered significant changes from the other 2. Minor, but initially noticeable were the outfits, the format of the Poketch, and a slight difference in the order of Gym leaders to face. The major changes were more so in the plot, as Giratina, a legendary who only had one form in the other two games, not only gained another form, but also a new area and a bigger part in the Sinnoh storyline. This area, called the Distortion World, is the Renegade Pokemon's home, and players of Platinum have to go through here at some point of the game to battle Giratina. This is where different viewing aspects are introduced, though the player can't control these views. Other changes, though this is triggered by events, are the inclusions of Shaymin (Oak's Letter) the forms of Rotom (Secret Key), and Darkrai (Membership card, though the player must meet the other legendary Cresselia, obtain its item, and use it on the sailor's son beforehand.) Like Emerald, the now staple Battle Frontier was also included.
I didn't think much of the Sinnoh series anime wise, but the game got my approval, as it gets a 7.75 from me, more so from Platinum. Next time, sice I've yet to play Generation V, I'll cover the 3d gmaes released by far.
11 April, 2011
Game Review V: "Pokemon Pt. 3 - Hoenn Games"
This one deals with the three games in the Hoenn region of Pokemon: Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Combined with anew roster of characters and monsters, and updated gaming graphics, R/S/E was the premier debut of Pokemon on the now standard Game Boy Advance systems. At this point, the total to grab was now 368, picking up a bit from the previous 251. This time, even ore unique types were added, among which a Pokemon that could change his form and attacks via weather. Pokemon Tower was brought back, followed by another debuting element: Pokemon Contests. While they are not battles, contests usually consist of flashing battle moves in the sequence of turns. This is partially due to the categorizing of attacks, among the following: Cool, Cute, Smart, Tough, and Beauty. These could be increased using the item Pokeblocks, for which they can create on their own.
As with the last installment for Johto, Hoeen is introduced as Pokemon Generation III. The protagonists change once more, with the rival being the trainer of the opposing gender. The players can choose either gender (later identified as Brendan {Male} and May {Female}, though these names never appear in the list of default names.) Professor Birch, a darker toned Professor that sports sandals, is the new Pokemon Prof. of this region. Even so, there's a rehash of trainers, Gym Leaders, and Elite Four Battlers waiting for you. This was also the first game not to feature Team Rocket as the antagonists. In fact, there were 2 groups to worry about, only to have them both as enemies in Emerald: Team Magma and Team Aqua, whose purposes were to awaken the respective legendaries. Following the remade Red and Green versions (see Pt. 1), Emerald was the last of the GBA games, adding features that wasn't there in the other two, in the similar fashion Crystal followed Ruby and Sapphire. A few of the changes were the intro sequence of the legendary Pokemon: the game mascots (Groudon {Ruby}, Kyogre {Sapphire}, and Rayquaza {Emerald}) and the Golem Trio (Regirock, Regice, Registeel), the change in champions (RS had Steven as the champ, while Emerald had as the champ the former Gym Leader, Wallace), higher levels to which the legends could be captured, and abilities having a bigger role in breeding Pokemon.
Another noticeable trait is that, much akin to the first 6 games and the PKMN Stadium Series (Pt. 5), R/S/E integrates with Gamecube as games Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, as people can trade pokemon from that game to the GBA titles, including FR/LG, with the use of a special cable linking the GBA to the Gamecube. In addition, though this should have been mentioned before hand, R/S/E introduces the double battles, as in 2 Pokemon can fight side by side, as opposed to just one. A trainer can either go it alone (resulting in using 2 Pokemon) or with a partner (each trainer uses 1 at a time). This mechanic was heavily utilized in the console game Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.
R/S/E gets a 7.5. While it's not necessarily a fave of mine, it is worth playing to me. Get ready for part 4 when I move into Generation IV: The region of Sinnoh.
As with the last installment for Johto, Hoeen is introduced as Pokemon Generation III. The protagonists change once more, with the rival being the trainer of the opposing gender. The players can choose either gender (later identified as Brendan {Male}
Another noticeable trait is that, much akin to the first 6 games and the PKMN Stadium Series (Pt. 5), R/S/E integrates with Gamecube as games Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, as people can trade pokemon from that game to the GBA titles, including FR/LG, with the use of a special cable linking the GBA to the Gamecube. In addition, though this should have been mentioned before hand, R/S/E introduces the double battles, as in 2 Pokemon can fight side by side, as opposed to just one. A trainer can either go it alone (resulting in using 2 Pokemon) or with a partner (each trainer uses 1 at a time). This mechanic was heavily utilized in the console game Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.
R/S/E gets a 7.5. While it's not necessarily a fave of mine, it is worth playing to me. Get ready for part 4 when I move into Generation IV: The region of Sinnoh.
09 April, 2011
Game Review IV: "Pokemon Pt. 2 - Johto Games"
The second part will focus on Johto. This set, known as Generation II, most likely cover the most ground, as this game features travel between Johto and Kanto, the region of Generation I. The games for Generation II started with Pokemon Gold and Silver. The purpose, and battles didn't change too much, but there are some significant differences. For starters, you are Trainer Gold, resident of New Bark Town. Professor Elm is the researcher of the Johto region, though you indeed meet Prof. Oak during the game as well. Another rival, Silver, is also introduced, with a cast of new trainers, Leaders, and Elite Four trainers (one of which was a Kanto Gym Leader.) A new champion was introduced as well, but Team Rocket returned with a vengeance. In this game, as opposed to just 8, you can collect a total of 16 Badges, and then go on to the isolated Mt. Silver to face Generation 1's protagonist. Move Deleter, a certain stat change, and the probability to capture shiny Pokemon was also significant. The legendaries consisted of 3 dog Pokemon (Raikou, Entei, Suicune) and 2 Bird Pokemon (Ho-oh, and Lugia.) The Psychic-Grass type, Celebi, brings up the rear, much like Mew as the 151st.
Although the initial gender specific Pokemon were Nidoran, nearly every Pokemon in this title had a gender, which help set up the breeding process of getting the baby forms of certain Pokemon. Two new types, Steel and Dark, were introduced. With this, a few Pokemon, such as Magnemite, had an added weakness. Also, this was the first game where there were two different types of Pokedex: a regional-specific version, and a National version. Accompanying the new types were an addition of 100 Pokemon, so the amount to find became 251. For the first time, Gold and Silver went by real time, as in after inputting the time in the game, the time cycles like that of a normal day, though doesn't follow time exactly. The inclusion of this also brought about specific events, which are broadcasted inside the new item, the PokeGear. While it functioned as a Map, Radio, and Clock, the PokeGear also has its own phone service, calling trainers and important figures you have enountered throughout the course of your journey.
The way of evolution was changed a little as well, more so in the case of Eevee. By default, using either the Thunder Stone, Fire Stone, or Water Stone would trigger an evolution to either Jolteon, Flareon, or Vaporeon respectively. Training and caring for Eevee in either day or night can invoke another evolution, to either Espeon or Umbreon. As the games before them featured the evolved form of the starters, Gold and Silver featured (respectively) Ho-oh and Lugia as the version mascots. A third game, Pokemon Crystal, came afterwards as a title for the popular Game Boy Color. The interface didn't change too much from the other two, yet subplots, especially that of the alphabetical Unown, and the legendary Suicune (Crystal's mascot), was new to the game. Also, this marked the beginning of the gender option for the trainer, as they can now choose to be a female if they so desired. The biggest addition was the Battle Tower, a facility where trainers can battle in the fashion similar to the N64 game, Pokemon Stadium (Covered in Pt. 5.)
Like the Generation before it, Generation II's games were remade as that of Genration IV, with Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The female character, Crystal, was replaced by Lyra, while Ethan took the role of Trainer Gold. The game received critical updates as well, yet retained gameplay similar to its original. Crystal's subplots were added, along with some new ones. A fresh take on the Safari Zone was also introduced, and, as with other Generation IV titles, the Mystery Gift (available at the start) and the Pal Park was added. HG/SS also had a coordinated PokeMeter that interacted with the infrared cartridge, getting some Pokemon that were hard to impossible to obtain in the main game. Alongside this, players can interact with leaders and trainers from the Sinnoh games (covered in Pt. 4), and can battle Leaders in the now empty Battle Dojo in Saffron City, should the player call for a rematch after defeating them the first time. GTS returns as well, located in Goldenrod Another element, Pokeathlon, was also introduced. Much like competitive sorts, like the Olympics, Pokeathlon uses a team of 3 pokemon to compete in various events. Stats pertaining to that can be boosted with a product known as Aprijuice, which can be purchased or made using an Apriblender.
As the Johto series is my fave, my opinion might be a little biased, but Gold, Silver and Crystal gets a 8, while the remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver, gets a 9.
Although the initial gender specific Pokemon were Nidoran, nearly every Pokemon in this title had a gender, which help set up the breeding process of getting the baby forms of certain Pokemon. Two new types, Steel and Dark, were introduced. With this, a few Pokemon, such as Magnemite, had an added weakness. Also, this was the first game where there were two different types of Pokedex: a regional-specific version, and a National version. Accompanying the new types were an addition of 100 Pokemon, so the amount to find became 251. For the first time, Gold and Silver went by real time, as in after inputting the time in the game, the time cycles like that of a normal day, though doesn't follow time exactly. The inclusion of this also brought about specific events, which are broadcasted inside the new item, the PokeGear. While it functioned as a Map, Radio, and Clock, the PokeGear also has its own phone service, calling trainers and important figures you have enountered throughout the course of your journey.
The way of evolution was changed a little as well, more so in the case of Eevee. By default, using either the Thunder Stone, Fire Stone, or Water Stone would trigger an evolution to either Jolteon, Flareon, or Vaporeon respectively. Training and caring for Eevee in either day or night can invoke another evolution, to either Espeon or Umbreon. As the games before them featured the evolved form of the starters, Gold and Silver featured (respectively) Ho-oh and Lugia as the version mascots. A third game, Pokemon Crystal, came afterwards as a title for the popular Game Boy Color. The interface didn't change too much from the other two, yet subplots, especially that of the alphabetical Unown, and the legendary Suicune (Crystal's mascot), was new to the game. Also, this marked the beginning of the gender option for the trainer, as they can now choose to be a female if they so desired. The biggest addition was the Battle Tower, a facility where trainers can battle in the fashion similar to the N64 game, Pokemon Stadium (Covered in Pt. 5.)
Like the Generation before it, Generation II's games were remade as that of Genration IV, with Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The female character, Crystal, was replaced by Lyra, while Ethan took the role of Trainer Gold. The game received critical updates as well, yet retained gameplay similar to its original. Crystal's subplots were added, along with some new ones. A fresh take on the Safari Zone was also introduced, and, as with other Generation IV titles, the Mystery Gift (available at the start) and the Pal Park was added. HG/SS also had a coordinated PokeMeter that interacted with the infrared cartridge, getting some Pokemon that were hard to impossible to obtain in the main game. Alongside this, players can interact with leaders and trainers from the Sinnoh games (covered in Pt. 4), and can battle Leaders in the now empty Battle Dojo in Saffron City, should the player call for a rematch after defeating them the first time. GTS returns as well, located in Goldenrod Another element, Pokeathlon, was also introduced. Much like competitive sorts, like the Olympics, Pokeathlon uses a team of 3 pokemon to compete in various events. Stats pertaining to that can be boosted with a product known as Aprijuice, which can be purchased or made using an Apriblender.
As the Johto series is my fave, my opinion might be a little biased, but Gold, Silver and Crystal gets a 8, while the remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver, gets a 9.
Game Review III: "Pokemon Pt. 1 - Kanto Games"
Ah yes. Pokemon has indeed graced us with its games, the cartoons, the trading cards, and any way possible of making themselves a name to be remembered. This multi-part review hones in the many faces and regions of Pokemon. To start, we journey through the Pokemon region Kanto, known as the Indigo League.
Kanto is the fictional location that sets up the first three games. The games differed slightly, but all was generally the same game, boasting a picture of the respective final evolution from one of the game's starters. Implied earlier, they can choose from 3 Pokemon to become partners with: the fire type Charmander, the grass type Bulbasaur, or the water type Squirtle. Each type had one or two weaknesses, but just as much strengths as well. Alongside those types, there were other monsters with various other types as well. Pending on how you battle, you'll face advantages as well as disadvantages, your partner will get stronger, and the Pokemon Encyclopedia, the Pokedex, will gain more entries. Treat your partner(s) well, and they'll undergo a process known as evolution, increasing size as well as their abilities. There are various ways to do this, but at the time, there were only 2 methods: by leveling up, or by an evolution stone of their respective type.
On the game's box art and cartridge, they had the final evolution of each starter on there to portray as perhaps the mascot of their respective versions, though this principal was soon changed with future titles.They went as shown:
There are various items to help you throughout your quest: some disposable, some a key item, and some that can help breed your partner. With each successful capture of a Pokemon, done in battle with capsules known as Pokeballs, excluding your partner, you can carry up to 6, while any caught afterwards can be stored in a PC, until you're ready to use them. Some of the moves they can do (to a max of 4) can even be helpful outside of battle. HM moves are such abilities, though you need a certain badge for each ability to be used, and to use it in the field, conditions must be met (flow of water, tree in path, etc.) and you must have in your party a Pokemon that learned it.
While Blue was also released in Japan as the third game (a special edition), US and EU had one of their own: the Yellow, or Pikachu, version. Gameplay didn't change very much, but as the name implies, the signature Pokemon mascot and veteran, Pikachu, is available from the beginning of the game, while your rival controles an Eevee as opposed to the other 3 Pokemon. Pikachu has its own cries, as opposed to the defaults in the other versions. Another signature feature is that Pikachu refused to sit in a Pokeball, and would rather walk with you. Speaking to it pops up a window that shows the displayed emotions of Pikachu, who initially dislikes you from the start. To add to this, the anime characters Jessie and James of Team Rocket will battle you every now and then. All 3 versions could trade and battle with one another via a Game Boy Link Cable. Over time, these three would then be considered Generation I games, marking the first Pokemon generation of games.
In the 3rd Generation (see part 3), Kanto is revisited with the release of Game Boy Advance games Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. While it busted the 3-game format the others had before it, this was the first time Green came to the US as an actual release. Once more, the mascots are respective pokemon Charizard and Venusaur. FireRed and LeafGreen added new features to not only the Pokedex, but also added new areas to try and battle.
The Kanto games get a 7 from me, with a slightly higher 7.5 to FireRed and LeafGreen. Pokemon has a genuine RPG element about theme, and that helped the franchise become as infamous as they are today.
Kanto is the fictional location that sets up the first three games. The games differed slightly, but all was generally the same game, boasting a picture of the respective final evolution from one of the game's starters. Implied earlier, they can choose from 3 Pokemon to become partners with: the fire type Charmander, the grass type Bulbasaur, or the water type Squirtle. Each type had one or two weaknesses, but just as much strengths as well. Alongside those types, there were other monsters with various other types as well. Pending on how you battle, you'll face advantages as well as disadvantages, your partner will get stronger, and the Pokemon Encyclopedia, the Pokedex, will gain more entries. Treat your partner(s) well, and they'll undergo a process known as evolution, increasing size as well as their abilities. There are various ways to do this, but at the time, there were only 2 methods: by leveling up, or by an evolution stone of their respective type.
On the game's box art and cartridge, they had the final evolution of each starter on there to portray as perhaps the mascot of their respective versions, though this principal was soon changed with future titles.They went as shown:
- Red Version: Charizard > Charmander's Final Form
- Green Version (JP Only): Venusaur > Bulbasaur's Final Form
- Blue Version: Blastoise > Squirtle's Final Form
There are various items to help you throughout your quest: some disposable, some a key item, and some that can help breed your partner. With each successful capture of a Pokemon, done in battle with capsules known as Pokeballs, excluding your partner, you can carry up to 6, while any caught afterwards can be stored in a PC, until you're ready to use them. Some of the moves they can do (to a max of 4) can even be helpful outside of battle. HM moves are such abilities, though you need a certain badge for each ability to be used, and to use it in the field, conditions must be met (flow of water, tree in path, etc.) and you must have in your party a Pokemon that learned it.
While Blue was also released in Japan as the third game (a special edition), US and EU had one of their own: the Yellow, or Pikachu, version. Gameplay didn't change very much, but as the name implies, the signature Pokemon mascot and veteran, Pikachu, is available from the beginning of the game, while your rival controles an Eevee as opposed to the other 3 Pokemon. Pikachu has its own cries, as opposed to the defaults in the other versions. Another signature feature is that Pikachu refused to sit in a Pokeball, and would rather walk with you. Speaking to it pops up a window that shows the displayed emotions of Pikachu, who initially dislikes you from the start. To add to this, the anime characters Jessie and James of Team Rocket will battle you every now and then. All 3 versions could trade and battle with one another via a Game Boy Link Cable. Over time, these three would then be considered Generation I games, marking the first Pokemon generation of games.
In the 3rd Generation (see part 3), Kanto is revisited with the release of Game Boy Advance games Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. While it busted the 3-game format the others had before it, this was the first time Green came to the US as an actual release. Once more, the mascots are respective pokemon Charizard and Venusaur. FireRed and LeafGreen added new features to not only the Pokedex, but also added new areas to try and battle.
The Kanto games get a 7 from me, with a slightly higher 7.5 to FireRed and LeafGreen. Pokemon has a genuine RPG element about theme, and that helped the franchise become as infamous as they are today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)