Game Review XXIII: Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi

As much as the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series is idolized as one of the best of the DBZ games, I'm somewhat disappointed by Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, a game that didn't quite meet the standard. As much as they put into it, there was nothing "Ultimate" about it to me. Now I'm going to do this review a little differently this time around: By getting to the core of the game, and the pros and cons of the game.

CORE: While I am in distaste about the game, it is visually impressive, as it was upgraded in character and environment from the Dragon Ball Raging Blast games. It still retains the fighting and overworld aspect of games past, features tournament play, and even features online playability complete with replays. The music score is different, and one of the original Dragon Ball Z themes, Cha-La Head Cha-La, can be used in game as a music score to fight with. It also set so each fight plays 3 different songs, with the other selected ones playing in certain situations. As opposed to the life bar in the majority of games, the health is represented by a blue Dragon Ball-like form, with the stars representing the player. There is also a hit point counter, but the same principle for damage works: if hit, it will decrease, and depending on how much damage you take, it will indicate that by changing color until the ball breaks, which is caused for when you're out of hit points. When that happens the match is over. As with Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2, the voices heard come from the Dragon Ball Z Kai series as well as the original series, save for those of Dragon Ball GT. You still fight on a wide area like the Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast games.

PROS: For the first time, there is a DBZ game that allows you to create a character to use, complete with their own story. Reason that is possible is because Ultimate Tenkaichi took the Character Creation aspect from the Data Carddass game: Dragon Ball Heroes, and incorporate it into Hero Mode, where the player creates their fighter, customize the outfit, and play the plot given to them, engaging in training sessions with other DBZ characters, and find out just who is responsible for bringing chaos into the world. Their forms do not go beyond Super Saiyan (for what I understand),You can choose the size of the chatacter, featuring clothes that you can mix and match that are more or less similar to the garbs the regulars wear. Skin and voice can also be customized, as well as moves, which can be learned from various characters you train under, so you have options. After battle, their stats can be increased following each fight, so they can cause more damage. Plus, you can use these characters outside of Hero Mode as well, so you can take them online to show off and throw down. Famous scenes from battles with giant enemies were redone, with a few original events for the others.

CONS: I feel that the cons of this game are enough to make it unplayable for me, but let's get into why. First, the character roster was shortened from Raging Blast 2, and some characters lost their base forms, some omitted entirely, despite forms like Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta making it in. And not that it's a major deal, but for team battles, Super Gogeta and Vegito can't be used on the same side. Given that they are fused by the same people, I can understand this aspect. Those hoping for Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta and Broly should dash their hopes, because they're not in, with the only form of Broly in the game is his Legendary Super Saiyan form. And the base form of Teen Gohan also omitted, among others. Adult Gohan is also gone, but Ultimate Gohan is in the game, who is usually a stand-alone version in the Tenkaichi series anyway. Regardless, because of character and form reductions, there was a drop in characters in general, not drastic, but it did bug me upon looking.

The second area was the most frustrating to me: Gameplay, and I can go on a list as to how much damage was done here. First off, the battle had a Melee Range and a Blast Range, and depending which one you're in, can be a hand-to-hand battle, or a blast shootout, though it was like this prior to this game, but emphasized more here. The special attacks are beautiful, and the destructive impact is retained, though for the majority overly enhanced. One of my issues regarding this, and this even applies to the Ultimates, is the system of defending yourself, made into a quick events. From Budokai Tenkaichi onward, you could block, swat away, dash into (for rush supers) and do struggles for beam supers. In Ultimate Tenkaichi, the fight temporarily stops upon a player unleashing a move or combo. This is not what concerns me, but how one can respond to that. During gameplay, rush attacks can be executed, but it also follows a "who pressed what" kind of quick event called a Defensive Chance. As annoying as it is, this has been done before in the Dragon Ball Z Budokai series, starting from the second game. Putting like that, Defensive Chance is almost like the setting for the Potata Fusion, which you want to press a button, hoping that the opponent doesn't guess right. If your opponent guesses wrong, a pursuit chain happens and he's in a world of hurt. If it ends up being the same, the chain is ceased, and you're getting damaged for it. Beam Struggles are still in, but are limited to a button, and it's performed differently, but I'll get to that in a minute. Even with boss fights, it's one event after the next, but they have high health, and if done right, the events does heavy damage, which is vital to win. A good perk for giant boss battles, sure, but somewhat needless when fighting one on one. The Defensive Chance isn't limited to rush attacks. Supers can be responded to as well, but it is here that maintaining ki is vital. With that, depending on how much ki is charged, you can use one of the 3 options available:

• Guard: As per the name, you guard in the duration of the attack. While you are taking damage, you're not taking the full extent of it. While it's on the bottom, it's the first thing avaiable after a small charge.
• Evade: There's a button timing event that happens when you choose this option. If successful, you avoid taking any damage from the attack.
• Intercept: This is mainly how most beam struggles start, but this can be applied to counter rush supers as well. Inputting this option starts a beam struggle, or a physical clash with your opponents attack. During this, you must gain momentum by pressing the Triangle button (Y button for X360 owners) before the timer depletes. Whoever has more will win the struggle, and the opponent suffers damage as a result.

The Ultimates work differently too. Unlike the Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast games, you can't use it as freely as normal. Ultimates in Raging Blast works under a condition: the opponent has to be in the red, unlocking the rest of the spirit gauge. This would make the Ultimate Move match enders. I'm unsure whether or not it can be defended, evaded, etc, as the player wears down the ki meter using the Strike Booster, and if attacked by such a thing, most of the time, they have no choice but to take it full on. This also happens if the other player is in Strike Booster mode, where the pursuits become unblockable. Not a game killer, but it's kind of much.

Lastly, as opposed to those on the Tenkaichi and Raging Blast roster, they have characters that are gifted in blast and physical attacks, tossing out characters like Videl and Hercule. Another aspect that didn't bug me too much, but variety couldn't hurt. Saibamen and Cell Jr. returns, however. And Janemba's final form as well, while his giant base form is an NPC boss in Story Mode.

Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, despite what players feel, failed to please with some critics, as well as myself. This game gets a 4 of 10. Don't get me wrong, effort was definitely put in, but it took a good amount out, in favor of some needless battle dynamics. Even so, it's decent game at best.

Game Review XXII: Melty Blood Actress Again: Current Code

A while back, I did a general review of the series, and graded Melty Blood Actress Again an 8 of 10. Now that there IS a PC version out, which I have, I can dissect this one. Melty Blood Actress Again: Current Code is the PC port of what could be considered the sequel to the Melty Blood Re-ACT: MB Actress Again. As with the previous titles, there is no universal Story Mode, instead focusing on individual characters under Arcade Mode.

The character count features 31 playable characters, adding in some fresh faces and a few other traits. As before, Current Code features 3 styles of gameplay, named after different moons: Full, Half, and Crescent. Half Moon and Crescent Moon style respectively represents Simple and Speed gameplay, and is best used by veterans of Act Cadenza, as the play style falls similar to it. That said, Full Moon style is essentially the Power gameplay aspect, which follows gameplay with similarities to mostly Melty Blood Re-Act. Depending on which style chosen, characters can have access to different moves, such as Shiki Tohno using one of Shiki Nanaya's moves (technically one of Shiki's original moves from the initial Melty Blood.) The interface has changed a bit from the console version, but that doesn't take away from the gameplay itself. In this game, visual effects of Heat and Blood Heat modes are advanced, and even at Max mode, the character is slightly outlined in a certain color. Aerial sparks are also added, but only for certain Moon styles. There is also a guard meter, Which premiered since the initial Actress Again, making it the only game to feature one. When depleted, a Guard Crash state leaves the player more or less vulnerable. There is also alternate air throws used during aerial combos. Even within Actress Again itself, various tweaks were made between each version, even going as far as the story for certain characters. More stages were also made, including alternates of those featured in Re-Act, complete with stage animations. Though minor, the voices for the characters, aside from retaining the seiyuus from the original onward, are also redone.

Now we'll get into the different characters appearing in game. To start off, I'll speak of those appearing as premier playable characters in Actress Again Current Code. Powered Ciel, who's usually seen during the use of Ciel's Arc Drive, is made playable. Initially, she appeared as a boss character in Re-ACT, in which she couldn't flinch upon receiving damage, giving her a Super Armor trait. In Current Code, that aspect is removed, making her flinch like the majority of characters. As with some others, this could be considered an alternate version of Ciel, a slightly more sadistic one at that. Another alternate version comes for Arcueid in the form of ArcheType Earth. A form of her before the drastic cut of hair into the one we all know and love, ArcheType-Earth is a princess version of Arcueid, said to be her at full power. In her boss form, she uses the exclusive Eclipse Moon style, which gives her a gradually refilling Magic Circuit, which makes her a threat. In the original Actress Again, she was playable, but unlockable, and she was pretty unbalanced. Aside from using Eclipse Moon style, her Last Arc was an instant kill for most characters, Shiki Tohno being the only exception. I say this, because as with Arcueid originally, her Last Arc featured a difference in appearance as well as damage, pending on character. Ironically, she was also a mere sprite swap of Arcueid, retaining a majority of the latter's moves. In Current Code, she returns as a complete new character with her own sprites and attacks. Compared to her PS2 appearance, she is rebalanced, and can use Full, Half, and Crescent Moon styles regularly, though her Eclipse Moon version remains a hidden character. Unlike before, she has her own story, and can be selected right off the bat in Current Code. Michael Roa Valdamjong is the central antagonist of Tsukihime, and is given his first in-game appearance as a character. Appearing in his Near Side form, he appears as a capable fighter, with use of Magecraft, especially that of the thunder element. His role plotwise is nothing short of a standing joke, though he does have a special pre-battle standoff with Shiki, and with Arcueid, a special scenario in her 8th stage, with different post-battle picture and dialogue after she wins (her post battle picture is that of Red Arcueid.) Riesbyfe Stridberg also debuts, while she initially appeared as part of Sion TATARI's Last Arc. Friend and savior of Sion, she is revealed to be alive in Sion's story, as well as Sastuki Yumizuka's. Like Ciel, she has an overbearing weapon, with destructive powers. The appearance of her weapon is shaped like a string instrument, lime a large bass or guitar, as opposed to the brutal gun-like appearance of Seven, Ciel's handheld cannon with the spike added. While not new in the Type Moon works over all, Ryougi Shiki, the heroine of Kara no Kyoukai, appears as a playable character in Actress Again. Like Shiki Tohno, she fights with a knife as well, her Arc Drive being a different take of both Nanaya and Tohno's Arc Drives, though it hears movements from Shiki's Last Arc.

Other characters playable are either other alternates, or different tag-team characters, not to take away from the recurring Hisui and Kohaku entry. Mech Hisui and Kohaku is a character and creation tag-team, with Mech-Hisui obviously being a mechanical replacement of her twin sister. Mech-Hisui also pairs with Neco-Arc, the comical small parody of Arcueid. Nrvnsqr Chaos's parody, Neco-Arc Chaos, is no longer selectable by secret means, being a legitimate character selectable in Actress Again. Then there's Akiha Tohno, who's recent alternate features her in sailor uniform school clothing. She features the same moveset with variants, and unlike her normal and Vermilion forms, does not have the red claw-like animation for her regular hits. G-Akiha returns as a boss rush character, after her initial appearance in Re-ACT, though in here, her difficulty is increased and features new moves. Like before, she isn't useable, save for cheating means. The last boss, and the antagonist stirring the events of Actress Again into motion is Dust of Osiris, a potential future variation of Sion composed of TATARI's remnants, succeeding Night of Wallachia (who is the disembodied TATARI, and the one who made Sion one of his kind) as the Thirteenth Dead Apostle Ancestor. She, too, is a giant character, but her form is still small, using a gigantic being named Hermes as another means of attack. In spite of her role, some players don't face her, or they do so, prior to Stage 9. Outside of Actress Again, she also appears in the Carnival Phantasm OVA series, the 3rd volume of which this game was released as part of.

Tweaked here and there in some areas, it retains the gameplay aspects of Actress Again, as I said before. There was even a netplay demo of Current Code 1.07 released prior to December of 2011, when the PC game was officially released. The character portraits, and in some areas, the sprites were enhanced, thanks to an enhanced graphics engine used. Used on Windows XP, Vista and 7, this is more or less the complete package, suitable for doujin game lovers. Melty Blood Actress Again: Current Code gets an upgrade in score from me. Not perfect, but a 9 of 10 comes pretty damn close, as it's easily the best of the Melty Blood series.

Console Coverage I: Microsoft Xbox

"Unlike most reviews, I won't be grading this, but simply shed my two cents on consoles I've tried in my gaming life."

My first ever Console Coverage deals with the predecessor to a console I own: Microsoft Xbox. Hearing the name, I wasn't a fan of it originally. And it wasn't until I owned the Xbox 360 that I warmed up to it. Here's the rundown as to say my feelings for the console.

Console: Lest I remember, the original Xbox only had one color that was sold in stores (the default Black with Green center), but it was revealed that there were others released as editions, with very few of them sold in various parts of the world. By looking at it, I could assume it weighed more than the bulky PlayStation 2, who it was trying to compete with. Though it was already a principle for some consoles, Xbox had a built-in internal Hard Drive, much like how it is for PlayStation 3 today. And seeing as how it was made under Microsoft (who worked on the Windows CE OS integrated in the Sega Dreamcast), I was not very surprised at it's other features, primarily of which happens to be the Xbox Live (this I'll get into later.) First hearing the name, I was expecting it to be a cross between a game console and a PC, and with that, I wasn't TOO far off seeing as how it was their own DirectX team that pioneered the idea for a Prototype gaming console based off Windows. The OS was a custom version composed of traits from Windows NT and the widely used Windows XP. The hard disk drive, normally used for PCs, was like a gaming successor to the built-in battery backup of systems like Sega Saturn, add-ons like the Sega CD (for the Sega Genesis), and even a few games like Nintendo's Legend of Zelda for their NES. With this, the use of memory cards wasn't that necessary, despite it being still used as an accessory for it. Like the Nintendo 64 and Gamecube, it featured 4 controller ports by default, allowing people to plug in and play without needing a device, like Sony's PS2 Multitap, to enjoy 4-player gameplay.

Controllers: If anything, this was the prime reason for my dislike of the console. It doesn't mean much now since I am owner of the X360, but to me, the controllers were unbearable. Looking at it, I could tell it was a pain for me to hold, which it was. My main offender of the few controllers was the original "Fatty" one that came with the console. While others condemn the D-Pad of the current console, I can honestly say I found that of Xbox's original MUCH worse than that. At least with X360, it LOOKS like a D-Pad, Xbox's was a garbled mess, something I can omit from third party Gamecube/Wii controllers. In fact, I'm suspicious as to whether or not GigaWare had a hand in that, because if it wasn't hinted enough, that's what Xbox's Fatty D-Pad reminds me of. I guess over time they noticed their flaw and released another called Xbox Controller S. I guess the S stood for small, which it was compared to the other, and featured a more refined D-Pad that looked and felt like one. It didn't bother me as much, as the Sega Genesis' Turbo controller, and that of Saturn had the same amount, but Xbox had 6 face buttons on both their controllers, not including Start and Back Buttons (I assume Back was their version of Select): A, B, X, Y, and Black and White buttons. At the time, the Black and White buttons threw me off. Despite that the other 4 buttons were also colored, I felt I should question the features of the other 2, but I didn't. Playing it, it was actually buttons that could be used in game. It also featured Analog triggers (named Left and Right Triggers) as well as 2 analog sticks. At first, I questioned the placement of the left analog and the D-Pad, but I surmised that it most likely didn't want to be a replica of the PlayStation 2's Dual Shock 2. Thus, I assumed they wanted to make the Left Analog the primary moving device (though Nintendo Gamecube had already done this.) Maybe they thought it up to be different, or to honor Dreamcast (the system they assisted development with), but like Dreamcast, both Xbox controllers featured 2 accessory slots to input Memory Cards, as well as other add-ons released for it.

Games: Like Sony's PlayStation, they implemented the DVD-Rom format for the games. To distinguish itself from the former, they did minor tweaks to the graphics, among other small areas. After being countered by Sony's release of more exclusive titles, they hit back with the Xbox Live service, with launch titles like MotoGP and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. Formerly one of their exclusives, Xbox found themselves other titles like Grand Theft Auto III, after the first two was bound to PS/PS2 with Take-Two Interactive's deal with Sony (which was amended). Other developers would soon follow, as they made games side-by-side for the Xbox and PS2 platforms, often released in stores the same day. The Microsoft-exclusive Halo title is by far the most recognized of the Xbox games, seeing as how they didn't have that many exclusives. Halo 2 became a killer app for Xbox Live in 2004, while EA made a deal to release the Madden NFL games for the Xbox, discontinuing their short lived NFL Fever series. Call it a matter of irony or whatever, but the last game released for this happened to be Madden NFL 2009, which was also released for the successor: the then-young Xbox 360. Despite that Madden NFL 2009 released in August of 2008, the console itself was no longer in production years prior, and with X360 taking over as the flagship console, the original was put on the back burner. Refurbished, very few units are still around, but the fanfare has all but died out. The games themselves saw digital ports in Xbox Live for the X360, and until years ago, some of the CDs under Xbox were backwards compatible. Games like the first Halo was remade to fit the control scheme of the X360 (released as Halo Anniversary), while games that was released on there saw successions on X360, as was the case with Team Ninja's Dead or Alive 3 for Xbox, succeeded by the Xbox 360 title Dead or Alive 4 (both of which are from one of Tecmo Koei's primary series products.)

Media: As with most game consoles, starting from Sega CD on up, Xbox could play and rip audio CDs, being stored in the hard drive. But since it also featured the DVD-Rom, DVD movies could also be played on the console, similar to PlayStation 2. Content downloaded from Xbox Live, and even the gamer profiles assigned to the console can be managed and moved. Speaking of, the Xbox was the second console to feature initial online gameplay without the means of an external adapter. The first to feature this was Sega Dreamcast. One-upped again by Sony, Xbox was losing due to the surge of High Definition gameplay some PlayStation 2 games had with HDTVs. Microsoft had no answer to that prior to X360's development, when they decided to feature 2 cables for HD: the component cable, and the HDMI wires, in addition to using HD DVD format discs for the games, trying to compete with the Blu-Ray discs of PlayStation 3.

Xbox Live: Xbox Live is the online service still active today as part of Xbox 360, the Windows Phone, and the soon-to-come Windows 8 OS. It serves as a means to play and interact with gamers the world over who uses the same console. Now, and even back then, it was known by most to be suitable for online shooters, though the games used for it is diverse. Combined with HDMI, it is now butting heads with PS3 to be the ultimate online gaming experience. Every so often, there is an interface upgrade, which is a free downloadable, and consoles created after the released interface will be more up to date. The downside is that, compared to PS3, it's the only one that charges for online multiplayer, but it also has different means of playing. As opposed to credit cards, one can buy Microsoft Points from stores, which serves as the currency to buy online content. Games for Xbox Live can be purchased in store as well in forms of cards, and almost every X360 game features an Xbox Live feature. Same was true for a number of the original Xbox titles as well. Achievements for games can contribute to their Live Gamerscore, which accumulate by doing various achievements for various games, similar to PS3's trophies. It is more than just games however, as it adapted to using well known video streaming and social network applications, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Skype, and Facebook. They also go by subscription on Xbox Live, and depending on which one you have, certain features are available to you. Xbox Live gives you two types: Xbox Free, which back them was called the Xbox Silver Subscription, and it's generally a free service that allows you to browse and download games, and game content. The other is Gold, which you have to pay for, but they give you options for that as well. As stated you can choose to pay by Credit/Debit card, or you can by a subscription card and input the code to upgrade that way. With Gold it opens up much more features, even online multiplayer. Normally, it is saved within the console, but people can save them into the memory units to take with them to use for any console.

Last Words: I wasn't fond of it, but over time, I did respect it, though my dislike for the Fatty controller will most likely remain. Remembered for the old games, I'm guessing the console itself didn't leave much of an impact after production ceased. Even so, Xbox had its moments, despite falling short to PS2. We can only imagine what they do next with the rumored 360 successor.

Game Review XXI: Sonic Generations

It's been a long time since our friend in blue, Sonic the Hedgehog, came out with his self-titled game back in 1991. Since then, we were given 20 years of him: the pros being his speed, new abilities, and attitude, down to the cons, consisting of a bad fanbase, voice actor changeups, and bad reviews. Even so, he still pushes strong, and last month's release of Sonic Generations is proof of that. (This review has a spoiler content, so if you don't wanna know in advance who you're up against, keep it moving... I repeat, there are a few spoilers.)

The story begins when he and his friends celebrate Sonic becoming the big 2-0. From out of nowhere, a menacing creature kidnaps all of his friends, sending them to parts unknown. Now he must find where his friends have ended up, but this time around, he's going to get some unexpected help... from himself.

Ever since the remade Green Hill Zone seen in Sonic Adventure 2 / SA2 Battle, I kinda figured they'd redo other past stages, but not like how it turned out. Before we get into that, though, let's look at who we control. Common to the majority of titles, we assume control of Sonic as usual. I'd say that's all, but you're controlling TWO versions of him. This game is where past meets present. Most of Sonic's friends appear as well, but like Sonic, Tails meets his past self, and so does someone else. Even though they're the same character, both versions play differently from one another. The short-spined, chubby one retains his core classic controls, solely 2D platforming with the use of the Jump, Spin Attack, and Spin Dash. This time around though, the Spin Dash is also mapped to a button for easy access. The taller, darker, and talkative Sonic follows his modern gameplay from Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors, invoking abilities like the Homing Attack, Boost, Sliding, and Wall Jump. Much like the aforementioned games, his Boost can knock away enemies, and actually change the stage music the longer it's in use, and reverts back to normal when you stop using it.

The stages sort of act like the way Zones were broken up in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, consisting of 2 acts per stage. Act 1, which you play as soon as you hit New Game, uses the 2D Platforming style of the Genesis/Mega Drive, while Act 2 plays like his recent adventure titles, going fast on breakneck speed. Every 3 Stages are part of a specific era, each with reimagined acts for each hedgehog, as well as a few rival and boss fights. Just because you are familiar with them, don't be fooled into thinking you can beat them the same way. They are as follows:

• Genesis/Mega Drive Era

1.  Green Hill (Sonic The Hedgehog [1991])
2.  Chemical Plant (Sonic The Hedgehog 2)
3.  Sky Sanctuary (Sonic The Hedgehog & Knuckles)
   Rival: Metal Sonic at Stardust Speedway - Bad Future (Sonic CD)
   Boss: Death Egg Robo (Sonic The Hedgehog 2)

• Dreamcast Era

1.  Speed Highway (Sonic Adventure / SADX: Director's Cut)
2.  City Escape (Sonic Adventure 2 / SA2: Battle)
3.  Seaside Hill (Sonic Heroes)
   Rival: Shadow the Hedgehog at Final Chase (Sonic Adventure 2 / SA2: Battle)
   Boss: Perfect Chaos (Sonic Adventure / SADX: Director's Cut)

• Modern Era

1.  Crisis City (Sonic The Hedgehog [2006])
2.  Rooftop Run (Sonic Unleashed)
3.  Planet Wisp (Sonic Colors)
   Rival: Silver the Hedgehog at Crisis City (Sonic The Hedgehog [2006])
   Boss: Egg Dragoon (Sonic Unleashed)

The musical score for each act has been redone, as have the stages and enemies themselves. The more popular of these remixes was the Classic version of Sonic Adventure 2's City Escape, done by the same people who did the score for the original song. The majority of the "Classic" remixes are more techno-like, while the "Modern" remixes had more emphasis towards rock primarily. In addition, if you collect red star rings and musical notes from challenge gates, you could hear and use other songs from other games, including Free from Sonic Free Riders, and the original Green Hill music. Some of these hidden tracks have also been touched up a notch or two.

Controls and Gameplay are alright. Sega and Sonic Team listened to the fans concerns, as they warned players of dangerous areas. From time to time, I still end up flying off, but the problem isn't as bad as fans make it to believe. The game also has a skill system, and though you can't upgrade the skill points you can use, you can buy new ones with points gathered in game, and you're given 5 slots for both Sonic versions, so you can customize them to play your way. Voices heard are the same ones spotted in both Sonic Free Riders and Sonic Rivals 2, with even Classic Tails getting a voice (but not Classic Sonic, unsurprisingly...) Another bonus is that if it was pre-ordered ahead of time, you would get a minigame stage made from Sonic The Hedgehog 2's Casino Night Zone. But as an actual stage, the 3DS port may feature this, along with other stages from other games. Boss and Rival battles have been redone to fit the current gameplay in the console port (with the exception of  Metal, who you must actually defeat this time), while the 3DS port follows a play style for the battles similar to Sonic Rivals. The 3DS version also features different bosses, which I'll review in the future.

Sonic has had quirks over the years, but this is a good way to relive those 20 years of supersonic speed. Sonic Generations scores: as a Sonic game, a perfect 10, but as a game in general, a 9 of 10. Long live the speed of the spiky blue hog with attitude!

Game Review XX: Marvel Vs. Capcom series

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.

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.

Game Review XVIII: "Sonic CD"

In light of its return to the gaming scene, Sonic CD was a chronologically questioned title. Aside from being the only good game on the not-so-innovative Sega CD adapter for the Sega Genesis, this game introduced the characters Amy Rose and Metal Sonic. Outside of emulators, the Sega CD, or the Sonic Gems Collection on Nintendo Gamecube (and Sony PlayStation 2 in other areas), not many would know, let alone play it, so those who missed out, making its return as a downloadable game for consoles and mobile phones is a big deal for Sonic fans.

Things would be so much calmer if not for the exploits of Dr. Ivo Robotnik/Eggman. Once again, Sonic sets out to stop him. This time, he sees the fabled Little Planet, alongside a pink hedgehog named Amy Rose. But they see the planet chained down and covered in metal, and this has Robotnik's name all over it. Furthermore, Amy gets kidnapped by the metallic blue doppelganger bent on destroying him. Now Sonic must traverse through new zones and collect all 7 Time Stones, jewels capable of bending time itself. He'll need these to rescue Amy, crush Metal Sonic, and stop his nemesis' plans once more.


Sonic CD goes back to the solo gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog, though you have at your disposal as well the Spin Dash and the Super Peel Out, a Sonic action new at the time, and that would later return in the Sega Game Gear title Sonic Chaos. The additional gimmicks this time around were signs that could allow you to travel to the past or future. Once you flip a sign, if you can build up enough speed nonstop, you could travel through time. In addition, there was a special ramp seen at the beginning of the level, in addition to various switches found in specific stages. The original shield of Sonic 1 returns, alongside the very common (but now seldom used) Speed Up and Invincibility power-ups. By collecting Time Stones, you can have a good or bad future for whatever Zone you're in. As with Sonic The Hedgehog, your means of getting these stones is by completing Special Stages, and to access them, you must have 50 rings minimum, and jump in the giant ring at the end of the zone's act. Each Zone consist of 3 acts, with the 3rd one being the boss stage, and its appearance will vary on if you made Good futures or not, as well as if you possess the Time Stones. The historic battle would take place on the 6th Zone, with Metal Sonic making more appearances afterwards, even as an enemy in the title Knuckles' Chaotix, which was a game on the brother adapter for Sega Genesis, the Sega 32X.

It was also the first Sonic title to ever utilize internal memory, stored via built-in RAM. Its re-release to consoles gives it a place in the Sonic timeline: following the ending teaser from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, Metal Sonic was hinted as the returning bad guy for the next installment. With this fact in mind, Sonic CD will serve most likely as a prequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2. The trailer, released by them not long ago, clearly shows that Sonic CD will most likely follow Sonic 4: Episode 1 storywise. The re-release will have the same visuals as the original game, but built around a new engine, with tweaked Spin Dash animation from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The changes comes as a surprise, since they're transitioning from the 2.5D graphics of Sonic 4, to back to the 16-bit era of Sonic 1. In addition, because they went back to the solely 16-bit game, the Homing Attack, which was in Sonic 4, may not be featured in it. In fact, I'm almost certain that will be absent, since it wasn't there to begin with.


Sonic CD was hailed as the only good game in terms of the Sega CD addon, and given what I have seen based around that, the statement is REALLY saying something, given that the graphics, compared to the other games on that, looked somewhat primitive visually. Another heads up is that re-release will feature the original soundtrack from its Japanese port. Whether or not the American soundtrack will be there is questionable, but since they said "featured", I'm gonna leave that as a possibility.

Sonic CD's relaunch is another way they kick off  years of Sonic the Hedgehog, even though there's still the release of Sonic Generations happening next month, which happens to be the main celebration. Back then, I would perfect grade this title, but the fact that it was the only good game on that specific platform, that would be overdoing it. For now, I say an 8.4 of 10 For Sonic CD, but I'll see just what they do with the relaunch.