What did you do this weekend?!

Hey gang, long time since I did one of these, heh?!
I originally planned on posting this yesterday, but stuff like work and life got in the way :P

This time, let's talk movies, TV and fighting games! (again!)
So this past week was the season finale of Fringe.
God, I love that show!

The last bunch of episodes were all pretty intriguing, the on-going plot crazier each time.

I just love the way it totally embraces its scifi roots. I mean, Fringe's basically an odd to science fiction, with big budget. You find the usual tropes, themes and clichés (time travel, mutants, mad scientists, alternate world, future distopia, science gone wrong, etc.), only with a "Bad Robot" touch, great acting and seriousness.
The epic climatic finale left me wanting for some more, though most major arcs seem to be closed for now...
Fox decided the next 5th and finale season will be shortened to a mere ~13 episodes (screw Fox network!!)

I also watched back Total Recall this weekend.
It had been quite some time since I last saw that one.
I love Scharzie!
Back then they knew how to make a good action blockbuster movie, no cheap CGi everywhere and lame lackluster storylines.

And, hey, it was a less racist time in a way, having big "foreign" guys at the head of all these big budget action flicks, Schwarzennegger, Van Damme, Stallone.. just look at the way people spend their time mocking those guys nowadays, their acting, their accents.. -sigh-

Anyways, enough sidetracking, I loved that movie!
Being a Paul Verhoeven movie, it was also pretty big in interpretation, more than I remembered it being.
What really happened in this movie?
Either you accept it was simply this story of this guy named Quaid who suffered from nightmares involving Mars and some brunette. He got a "Recall" which was fake implanted memories of vacations on Mars often... which awakened some actual memories of Mars that were erased from his mind. He goes to Mars for real, spends the whole movie fighting against bad guys *SPOILER alert on a decade old movie* only to discover he really was this Hauser guy. It was a plan with the main baddie to infiltrate the Martian resistance. In the end Quaid doesn't embrace his old Hauser persona and save Mars.
OR
It was all part of the Recall-implanted memories. Lots of things support this interpretation. He did get "the whole package" as he chose at Recall. He contributed in a Martian revolution, there were blue skies in the end as chosen in the simulation. Heck, he even chose that exact same brunette. Is the whole thing only a dream? (from the moment he was trying to escape from Recall?) The movie does end on a fade to white, which usually means a state of dream or someone dying on films. But you can go further than that, perhaps we, as the audience, were experiencing the whole Recall-memories, from start to beginning. Nothing was real, thus explaining things going further and further into over-the-top action. Deviating.
And even having this big muscled Schwarzy in the main role plays into the audience expectations. We have a certain level of expectations regarding the movie. Perhaps, if we'd were to choose "Martian memories" in the persona of a spy, Schwarzy would be our avatar.

God, I love Verhoeven!

Been playing a lot of fighting games too.

Some Blazblue on my sparetime. A game, I honestly am not a fan of...for a lack of trying.
I mean, since I got the original, I played so very little of the game.
But I wanted to like it!
I liked GuiltyGear, but I just never got around playing BB...
(unlike my 50+ hours into the usual Namco, SNK and Capcom fighters...)

Speaking of which, finally got a copy of Street Fighter X Tekken for super cheap, in second hand, on ebay. That way I won't geel cheated by Capcom whenever I'll buy those additional characters as DLC...
And by the by, when are they gonna release them? October?!!
I already fhought against Pacman, on the online mode, ON MY FRIGGIN' XBOX!!

And finally, Soulcalibur V!!
I wanted to dislike the game, I kept dissing it every new News blog I posted here... And even so... I just love the game!
It simply is a well rounded, well timed, well executed new entry in the long running series. I was afraid the lack of familiar faces, the exponentially over-epic theme, plus the bad after-taste SC IV left in my mouth would ruin it... So I even stared only playing with Ezio at first...

But... like, woah!!
The game is pretty fun! I love the SC-y music, the narrator, the gameplay.. Heck, even the awful *get broke by a combo/super attack and lose clothes* isn't as silly as it was in the previous entry. (though I kinda wish they'd just get rid of it...)
The characters are either new "old ones" in everything but name, children and successors who look pretty much the same, or old returning and older classic SC characters. I'm okay with it. Namco mostly cleaned up the lineup, not everyone was that essential anyway. I still have Maxi around. Mitsurugi. Even *SPOILERs-again* Kilik.
I miss Taki, but there's still a new badass ninja around, Natsu. I miss Xianghua but there's Leixia now. Even Raphael finally looks fun and playable now!

Spent lots of hours on it already, either *local* against my bro, or on Arcade, Quest and Legendary modes. Barely touched the online, but I'm an "old school" gamer, so I doubt I play a lot of it anyway.

~

And that is all I had to say~

What did you do this weekend?!

Hey gang, long time since I did one of these, heh?!

So, what did you guys and gals do this weekend?
Read any fun book I should heard of? Any good movies out there? Any entertaining video games lately?

Me? Well, besides watching hours of 30 Rock for no reason - it's been mostly this...

Yep!
Big FIGHTIN' GAMES marathon!
Powered by the Xbox 360, so it seems XD

It's been the occasion to have a quick run through all of these again, shake back memories and whatnot.

Here's my current impression of this generations' titles (I've mostly played the latest iterations of them, if available)
- Mortal Kombat 9: Luv luv luv this latest episode of Mortal Kombat/pseudo-reboot of the series. Easily one of the best this generation and one of my all time favorite fighters already. Just love how fun, simple and accessible the mechanics are, yet still deep enough to offer a challenge against another player of even the CPU sometimes.

Note: Why did they stop putting out these DLC characters? Warners stopped Ed Boon & co and want them to plan the next game already?

- SSF4: While I wasn't a big fan of SF4 originally, having a long history with the franchise and past episodes (SF3, Alpha,..), Super is quite a good improvement. My bro didn't like it as much a me though :P
We played it not that long, since the others proved so much funnier. But still a classic.

Note: I should be able to finally grab a copy of the update "Arcade Edition" in stores pretty cheap by now. Will probably do!

- KOF12: Oh, KOF. My favorite fighting game series at heart. How much I wanted to love ya...but it looks like such a lackbuster entry, cheap, lazy. Awful ugly menus, bland roster, very slow gameplay...at least it offers the prettiest 2D graphics/sprites ever done!

Note: Can't wait to grab KOF13...to help me forget..about 12....

- Blazblue CS: I'll say it quick.. I really really wanted to love you BB...but I...just...can't....

Note: The original Blazblue CT looked like a modern Guilty Gear. Rocking tunes and all... CS took out all the great rocking music, added clusterfuck HUD informations all over the screen and slowed the pace (and added tons of useless gimmicks too)... I heard there's a new update coming this winter... they better fix everything!
Also, the characters look so uninspired... It's like it's from the same dev team as the GG series...but without the art direction/designer and creator of GG behind it!!

-Tekken 6: I always loved the Tekken series since the original one on the PS1. Though I had a preference for the realism (in the physics and control) for Sega's rival franchise Virtua Fighter over it.
Tekken 6 is easily the best entry of the series so far. Fun, crazy, explosive, colorful.
You gotta love the over-the-top sense of Tekken.

Note: I wanted to play this one for hours non stop...looks like I was the only one on that.
The game is looking kinda dated now, it is showing its age compared to some of the other games we played this weekend. (the console port came out a bunch of years after the arcade original, without much change to the graphics)
Can't wait for the proper new game, Tekken Tag 2!

- Soul Calibur IV: I didn't like much this latest entry in the Soul series.. But it was kinda fun to have a new go at it this weekend.
The guest characters are so out of place this time around though :P
But I preferred playing with the SW characters over the manga artists-designed ones....

Note: Better than remembered.
My problem with this series, is that Namco is over trying to make every entry MORE and MORE epic compared to the previous ones...and it's kinda getting a bit much. Look at the trailer of the new game.
See? Over-complicated silly designs, giant armors and even bigger swords, random details, orchestral music more symphonic than ever (?).
At least Ezio will make this a "must try", just to see how the guy will play in a 3D fighter.

- DOA 4: The DOA serie's always been newcomers friendly, easy to master and quick fun assured.
After playing all these complicated titles above, this was an instant success. Like we never stopped playing it.

Note: Not expecting much from DOA 5, without series creator Itagaki.

- Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Okay, I'll say it right from the start. I always had a problem with this one and couldn't bear to love it that much. I spent hours, literally hours on the past previous two MVC games, more so than all of the above games' play time combined.
I knew MVC3 would be different from MVC2, I was expecting it...even though, it was too much for me. The game just looks bland, no colors at all. All the backgrounds look colorless and liveless, and even the characters don't stand out much over the levels thanks to the over dark art style used here. (I blame this on the art direction)
Anyway, the game was still fun, but too slow for a VS Series entry. And the roster lacks some crazy charas to stand out. (thank god for Taskmaster!)

Note: I'm pretty sure the update Ultimate MVC3 will make me forgive this one, since most of my problems will be addressed and fixed there. Like SSF4 did for SF4, IMO.

- VF5: Saving the best for the last.
Just a gorgeous, great, complicated and fun fighting game. My favorite this generation, alongside MK9.
The game still holds pretty well compared to most of his contemporary fighters.

Note: The latest arcade update (it had like 5 updates since this one) is finally coming to home system...digitally only?! WTF??
I wish Sega was less cheap than that. HEY! If all the others can pull off these DLC updates/disc retail release simultaneously, you can as well!!
Specially since they're cutting so much content to make it possible, size-wise.

And that's all.
I also tried the original SF4, Blazblue and Samurai Spirits Sen by myself, but that was just quick tryouts by myself, just to check 'em out back.

What did you do this weekend?!

Hey gang! How have you been this weekend?
What did ya guys and gals do?

I've been meaning to go back to Resident Evil 5. Well, to finally finish it, but I'm never motivated enough (plus playing it solo is really boring/awful). And I really wanted to have it done to finally put that final RE review out as well.

So instead I started playing the pretty bad Deadly Premonitions instead, which turned out pretty epic!
The gameplay's clunky, the story bad, the acting nonsensical and the graphics "last gen", but it's the sums of all these parts that really make this experience worthwhile!
Destructoids gave it 10/10. I'd call it "Game of the Century!"

Playing Deadly Premonitions is fun, but it's a huuuuge and very slow game so it's gonna take me easily over 20 or more hours to finish it. That's why I play it on small doses every now and then.

Meanwhile, I've also been playing other stuff, like some Star Wars games I've yet to complete.
And I've finally finished Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands!
Expect the review coming up one of these days!
I started disliking the whole game and concept behind it..but in the end, I gotta tell ya, I sort of liked it. Not great mind you, but good enough^^

I've been watching plenty of Studio Ghibli movies.. (well, all of them to be precise!)
On a suggestion by my brother, I watched this weekend another anime, the immensely popular Paprika.
Usually I'm not a big fan of modern animes, but I really digged the look of this one.
It sort of ended in an "Evangelion-like" climatic ending. But much more comprehensible. (kinda funny saying that, considering most of Paprika is quite complicated and ambigous...)

Great flick!


And that is all I guess~
And ya?

What did you do this weekend?!

I finally got Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 last Friday!
So I've been trying to play some of it recently.
Well, that and some other game you might end up seeing around this blog soon.
But mostly, this MVC3 this weekend.
Which brings me to this post...

Sure, the game's nice enough. It looks great and play great, etc..
But... all this years since MVC2 for...this?

The younger crowd will probably find it a great update to the 2D graphics of the 90s...but I don't really find this "better graphics" but more of a step down.

All the game feels sort of rushed up, like they were on the clock OR making another real new game at the same time.
By comparison, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom felt like a much better complete new Versus installment.

Right from the start, this one's menu seem quite empty, there isn't a lot of modes available to play with.
No survival? No time attack? There's a mission mode which look like a poor man's version of SSF4 mission mode. I mean, Tatsunoko had lots of unlockables to buy with the in-game currency (colors, stages, art), you could even play WITH the game's ending credits, there was a SHMUP mini game to unlock, etc..

This time even the logo looks like a clumsy rushed in photoshop work.
I'm not a super graphic designer (I'm quite amateurish, even if it's my line of work), but the logo looks like a cheap copy-past of both Marvel and Capcom's logos.
Couldn't they at least, I dunno, work something out? Look at the past games or Tatsunoko's.
The logo should be made fun, like the game, colorful. It does sell the product as well.

But what about the game?
Surely you're only talking about the packaging and stuff, what about it?

Well, it's built around a great base, it's by the same team of Tatsunoko. It plays smoothly and is quite epic.
It's pure chaos compared to SF4 for sure!

But then again it made me want to go back and play the older ones instead.

Thus I literally spent hours in MVC2 this weekend with my bro.
And it sure was a lot of fun back then.

After that, I went back to MVC3 and boy, shouldn't we play 2 before 3.

MVC3 seems to be on slowmo. I don't have a problem with the smaller character roster, I've seen worst, even in sequels.
But the choices of characters aren't as interesting as, say, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom.
This time the cast seems pretty bland, mostly from mainstream Marvel characters who appeared in movies or at least cartoons. Capcom offers few varieties
Seriously guys, 3 Darkstalkers? (don't mistake - I love 'em but 3 characters from a single franchise?)
4 SF4 characters (or you take out Crimson, 3 SF2??)
No love for Capcom's modern franchises like Lost Planet, Ace Attorney, Deadrising...
At least there's Bionic Commando (which is an old series but using the modern appearance).

This game's most original characters is probably Taskmaster, Deadpool's nice but a natural considering in how many titles he appears.

They should do like SNK on the KOF or crossover games (Snk vs Capcom, Neo Geo Battle Colliseum,..) and build pre-selected teams. Like pick up 3 characters from various series, put them on teams that we could mix up a bit. And it seems they almost did it. There is 3 Darkstalkers, 2 Resident Evil characters that will be joined by Jill as a DLC, 2 Hulks, 3 Avengers, 2 Mega Man, etc.. Maybe they did it but then took out a member of each time for future DLCs?? (why? $$$ that's why!)

I'd like to make a Deadpool team (and no, a Weapon X team would be better with Creed as 3rd member)..Any chance for Agent X (an UDON character) or Cable to join this game's roster?

MVC3 looks pretty dark, almost colorless compared to MVC2. And moves a bit slower compared to what Capcom has used us to. (as far as crossover games go)
Tatsunoko had a much original and varied cast (Axel from SF3, Batsu from Rival Schools, etc..) and seemed like the natural evolution for the series. And it seemed like a much more complete game where MVC3 seems a bit rushed.
MVC3 looks like a gritty reboot much more than a sequel. New direction, less craziness...
If only they didn't slow down the pace, put this less inspired soundtrack, add characters from series like Red Earth or Power Stone in this, add some modes in the mix, unlockables and usable in-game points and maybe took more time to polish everything.

I like the new game, sure. But I rather play the old ones.
And no I still haven't tried it online (and playing against faceless international gamers won't change my mind, I'm not that kinda gamer, that why I always liked playing a fighting game when I found an arcade system)
Favorite aspects so far? The voice acting (yeah, in a fighting game I said it!), the Taskmaster and most of the new ideas that weren't in MVC2 (the returning aspects are a bit on the downgrade side)

I'll keep an eye on Tekken x Street Fighter, at least that one looks like an original concept to move the series forward~

What did you do this weekend?!

Long time since I put up a review, right?
Well in the meantime, here's a little recap of this past weekend!
I'd like to read about your side, so don't hesitate to write in the comments below and not just on my deviantArt's page!

I've been still playing though the recent Splatterhouse.

Still not finished it! But you'll hear more on this on the review I'll have up about it...

And other than Splatty, the thing I've been playing the most lately has been No More Heroes!

I'm putting so many hours in this game!^^
I do not usually love 100+ hours games, like RPGs and stuff. But this...this!! Now that's more like it :)

In case you don't know this one, it's a very fun self-referential/tribute/homage/parody hack n slash/beat 'em all on the Wii. (and soon on the next gen systems too). The game uses a city/HUB to play around in missions and all, but it's mostly composed of linear levels and many, many boss fights! Looooove 'em :)

I prefer to play and help a game like this (BUY IT!!) than one of those Xth sequels to Zelda, Sonic or Mario on the Wii!
(see?? There's plenty of good games on the Wii too, they just, like, don't have as much advertisment :/)

I also have Assassin's Creed Brotherhood since my birthday (thanks bro'!), only played the first chapter but will probably leave this on stand by for now.
The main solo game, love it, like past AC games.

I wanted to try the multiplayer mode...but...Darn'! Looks like Ubi (Soft) don't have as much experience on the online part.
The matchmaking, settings, etc...even the way you search for online games...its so...unclear and too bland.
I had my game search and make me wait for an hour (Game found...2/6 players...3/6...4/6...2/6...Game lost.....search...Game found... 1/6...AAAH!!)
So I haven't been able to find other players and try the multiplayer mode.
Guess by the time I'll decide to play through ACB and finish it there will be no more gamers online.

One good reason why I don't like and don't play online multiplayer games! (I like to play at my pace and when I want, like playing 2-3 years old games and stuff..exactly what doesn't work with online multiplayer gamin')

Other than that?
I've been watching and liking this new Marvel cartoon. Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

I usually tend to prefer DC cartoons, even back in the 90s when I was mostly a Marvel reader.
But this one...
So fun! And faithful!

My only question: Will they use Taskmaster in an episode??
(I love this guy! Plus he actually was an Avenger villain in the beginning, so..)

Speaking of which...
I've been reading an awful lot of Deadpool.
All the classic run, Fabian Nicieza, Joe Kelly, Gail Simone, all the others...Cable and Deadpool...
But also Daniel Way's recent reboot...

I specially loved Agent X.
Great character. The book itself acted as spinoff/sequel to Simone's earlier Deadpool final issues. And interlude before the classic Cable & Deadpool series.

Should I put up new comic reviews, Deadpool comics?

And why didn't you see more reviews lately?
Well, December is a busy-busy month.
With Christmas coming up, all the things I wanted to finish (be it work, projects, games or even commissions..)... Let's just say I've been kept pretty busy.

Reviews are just something I do for "fun", it's not like I have the most read blog ever.

But fear not, more will come soon finally!

I have been mostly working on my XMAS special comic for CoolApe dot org.
Which will be up tomorrow, like every Tuesday.

And that's all for this time folks~

What did you do this weekend?!

Long time since I did one of those on the blog, heh?
Anyway, here's another WDYDTW!

I know it's already tuesday..but I wouldn't have been able to write this yesterday..
So, how've you been?
Did you do anything original this weekend, play anything good or read anything nice?
Let me know in the comments, don't be shy!
I know you read thus blog according to the pageviews!

I'm currently playing through the new Splatterhouse (or as I like to call it, Splatterhouse 4).
It's pretty cool, faithful to the classic ones yet still bringing in new stuff for this new generation.

I'm sure some of you are already waiting for a proper review like I did with the other ones...and I will...
When I'll finish it!
Hey, I'm not IGN, I finish the games I review! I'm not one to scream "First!!".

Anyway, you want an early impression?
So far I'm loving it.
It's pretty similar to another modern gory 3D beat 'em all I love, Evil Dead Regenration, which I wanted to also review on this blog...but won't make it in time before this new Splatterhouse (because I wanted to finish the movies and start from the first Evil Dead games before).
Meaning, it's funny, even the story is surprising good for a splatter beat 'em all.
The game mechanics may look dated if you only play modern action-RPG or sandbox type of games.. it's a pure old school beat 'em all, linear levels and cut down to stages. But I like this!
Enough with the sandbox!
Other than the gameplay itself, it's quite impressive to look at! Next gen graphics that's for sure!

More on this game later on...

I'm also currently playing through A Shadow's Tale.
It's from one of my all time favorite developers, Hudson Soft.

Known in the US as Lost in Shadow, it's an old school-like sidescrollin' platformer for the Wii.
How would I summarize it?
It has the esthetics of ICO/Shadow of the Colossus with a gameplay similar and pretty close to the original Prince of Persia/Another World/Flashback.

People may say their favorite game this year to be the new Assassin's Creed, or Kirby Epic Yarn or even the new Donkey Kong Country. But those are already popular and established franchises.
My biggest gamin' surprise of 2010 is this very one!
Fun, original and very very difficult! A game where you have to use your brains to progress!

Other than that?
I have two "oldies" I'm trying to finish too.

Star Wars: Republic Commando on the Xbox.
A very fun FPS set in the Star Wars universe where you and your clone squad has to make it through the War. Pretty kickass!
Sadly overlooked back then (that's why it never got any sequel), despite being pretty well done gameplay-wise and graphically.

The titular Delta squad will appear soon in the current CGi Clone Wars series!

And a second Star Wars videogame!
I'm also trying to finish Star Wars: Lethal Alliance on the PSP!

I do not play a lot of PSP, not because of a lack of good games, but interest...
My bro pumps a lot more hours into this little Sony handled system!

Anyway, I'm loving Lethal Alliance original story and lack of a Jedi/Trooper/Soldier/Bounty Hunter as main character. This Twi'lek can kick butt!
The story's nice too, she's the one trying to get the plans of the Death Star to the rebels!

Besides games, I've been ready a bit too much Deadpool any sane man could.
I've finally the whole complete Cable & Deadpool run, been meaning to find all the issues I missed back then...
And also most classic Deadpool issues, from Nicieza to Joe Kelly, Udon and more!

Now, more than ever, I see how bad Daniel Way writes the merc' with a mouth...sigh...

And finally, on a complete separate note, I've finally had, officially, my diploma!
FINALLY.
Gosh darn.. I had to wait a whole year, to complete a little exam (or two) while working already...anyway...

I've got like 3 different titles nows and 3 separate diploma, one for the school, an european one and an international one. Yahoo!
"Given by a Libano-Canadian University" what the...?!?
I don't know what contracts and legal procedures the school did..but this sounds...so fake??

I've already been working for SL&C Supercomm Language Training Centre for a few months now, but with this paper...heh..it doesn't change much.


And  that's all for t'day!~

What did you do this weekend?!

Hey gals and guys!
It's time for yet another WDYDTW!

It's been a heckuva couple o' weeks lately...that's why you haven't seen much reviews lately...
Anyway, I was still able to relax some this weekend and play and read some stuff.

I was mostly reading all my Young Justice comics I got from here.
I just love this series! The art's fun, the character great... It's so sad it was cancelled back then :/
At least it got more issues than Jamie Reyes/Blue Beetle! -sigh-

I specially digged issue #15 (picture above). For Green Arrow fans that know what "Longbow Hunters" is, let's just say it's sort of the same type of plot, in one issue, for Arrowette instead of Ollie.
For the others, let's just say a guy kills someone close to Arrowette, it drives her off the edge, she hunts them down...and..
Very great writing here! There's even a little critique of today's reaction to violence and such.
Politician: "Murders like this happen because of people are nowadays desensitized from violence. With violent movies, violent music, violent videogames, violent comic books.."
Arrowette: "Violent comic books?!? You gotta be kiddin' me.. It's the guns! People shouldn't be allowed to have guns!! And you've dismissed all attempts to prohibit guns here so far..."
Kinda misquoted (done from memory), but you get the idea.

As for gamin', I finally finished Shattered Dimensions!
Whuzza!

Great fun game! It reminded me a lot of Spidey's first 3D game (on Dreamcast, PS1 & N64).
Sure it left out the sandbox from the past half dozen Spider-man games..but I'd say Good Riddance!
It was getting pretty redundant and back tracking NYC all the time was getting tiresome..

The voice acting and music (for levels and cutscenes) was fantastic this time around, a point that has been mistreated in all previous games.
Some levels directly reminded me of some previous levels from that 1st 3D Spider-man game. (Kraven stage was pretty close in feel and design to the sewers levels, Doc Ock 2099 pretty similar to the underwater base, etc..).
The costumes were a nice touch ;)
Loved using 1602 Spidey, Scarlet and other suits.
The graphics were great, there's lots of replay value thanks to the in-game missions and stuff to buy/unlock.
I would have loved an extra level per character.
(I mean, getting to play the awesomly fun & funny Miguel O'Hara for only 3 levels..?)

Oh and I finally got to finish my playthrough Splatterhouse 3.
Hide the kids, turn away if you're a sensible one...

So expect to see its review as soon as I can!

What did you do this weekend?!

Bringing back an ol' feature of the blog.
What did you do this weekend?

Me?
I've read a lot of stuff...
Mostly some Green Lantern titles (as a matter of fact, I wanted to put up a new GL comics review.. not sure if it will be older GL comics or the Blackest Night event..)
I've also been playing a lot again lately...
As a matter of fact, I should have the Splatterhouse 3 review around, as soon as I finish it.
It's a darn' difficult game! But you'll hear more on that soon~

Other than that?
I've been playing mostly some "next gen" games lately.
Since I finally played through Double Agent lately, I'm now through Splinter Cell Conviction.
I really like the gameplay, the feel, the look...it's a great step ahead for the SC franchise. It's a great game...up until the point I'm in currently....
Playing through a "flashback" sequence... where Sam is a soldier in a war.. and... How to put it...?...
I buy and play Splinter Cell games because I don't buy and play war shooters like Modern Warfare... Putting this flashback sequences PLAYABLE isn't helping me like this game..
Plus the more parkour-styled gameplay of Splinter Cell Conviction makes this moment plays a bit ackward... oh well, at least it isn't supposed to be that long anymore (the sequence)...

I've also tried to get back to Resident Evil 5.
Since I covered all past episodes, I guess RE5 is next!
(I'll probably do the Remake and some other things after five)
I almost forgot everything about RE5..it's hard to jump back in it...

I do not just play modern games...
I also like to go back to some classics every now and then. I always find them more pleasing and fun for late gameplays or on weekends!
I've played me some neat Megadrive action this weekend.
Looney tunes games (Yay!!), Bubsy 1 & 2 (ugh...), etc...
I like to go back to 8 bits or 16 bits games. It's a great fresh breath in these days of ultra-realistic-serious-grimm n gritty games.

But worry not Spider-friends *said in my Stan Lee voice imitation*
I did not just play those games above.
I've just bought Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions (or as we call it in Europe, from the looks of the Pal box, "Spider-Man Dimensions" - pictured below)
And WOOW! It's quite nice!
Very nice game! Specially after Web of Shadows (talked about in a previous "WDYDTW" blog post), which wasn't that bad but not very good either.
This game looks beautiful! And is fun!
And finally, a level based Spider-man game!! Wow! I mean, sure an Open World is fun...for a little while...
But seriously... Be it the movie games or WoS... You can easily enjoy them every once and a while...turning on the game...zipping through NYC... but during a playthrough, when you only reach the middle point of the game..it gets boring quickly!
Beating down repetitive bad guys, helping kids, finding a couple of missions here or there...
Plus you always end up having to backtrack, go from one point to another, and back, and again, back again, etc... RzzzzzZzz....
Open world/sandbox type of games get repetitive quick..and boring..and once you've seen the "(game)world", you've seen it all, be it under symbiotic attack or under robots rampages...
This Spider-man SD isn't the ultimate perfect Spidey game either... But it's the most fun Spidey-experience I had since the first 3D Spider-man game (on Dreamcast/N64/PS1).
Stan Lee's back narrating, the plot's fun, the writting better than WoS (or as I like to call it "Emo-symbiote-Spider-man, the videogame) and the voice acting pretty darn' good!

 NTSC and PAL Boxart next to each other

(though the UK still get the "Shattered" part of the title)

Oh and Miguel O'Hara has a very strange old-ysh voice (because of its classic Spider-man voice actore), which may sounds off at first, but really grew on me after a while, hearing him make jokes and all~

Blog entry #08 - What did ya play this weekend? Me? Samurais!

Hi gang!

What did ya play this weekend?

What's up?
Something good? Havin' fun?

Me? I've bought and been having fun with Samurai Shodown SEN.
It's the fourth 3D Samurai Shodown game but only the second to have been released for a home console system.

Don't be sad about the lack of 2D sprites in this one! It still manage to keep the gameplay up and be highly fun to play!
I'm guessing this will end up as a pretty underrated game and quickly forgotten, but SNK games have never really been "mainstream" games anyway!

Myself, I really dig it, it's quite immersive and addictive! I play it some minutes only and won't be able to stop!

Sure the graphics aren't that polished and the textures could use some more colors & details...but hey, it's SNK Playmore, what did you expect? The same level of quality and work as the old school SNK? Bwahaha!

I seriously prefer playing this game than the recent Soul Caliburs! Of course it isn't as "shiny" and 3D-next-gen-hi-tec-graphic-tastic as Soul Calibur 4...but it's fun!
(and seriously, no modern Soul Calibur was able to capture the same magic as Soul Calibur or Soul Calibur 2...) At least the characters don't lose piece of clothes/armour in this!
But hands! And arms! And legs!
YEAH!

The gory aspect is only really used in finish moves like in Samurai Shodown IV! (one of if not my fav past Samurai Shodown title!)

And we shouldn't have to compare Samurai Shodown with Soul Calibur since it's pretty different games anyway!
Soul is a more "epic", orchestral fighting game! With shiny effects, not much violence, a blockbuster kind of quality and a 3D gameplay based around combos & juggles.
Samurai games are more about the atmosphere, with a fantastic "era-representative" music. It's more dirty, violent, brutal and closer to chanbara movies (though the Last Blade series' closer to the real chanbara-feel). And it is played on a 2D plane and emphasizes techniques ("super moves"-kinda) and quick reflexes.


And you, what did you play this weekend?

Blog entry06

Ah!
Finally finished that Spider-Man: Web of Shadows on the Xbox 360!
Finally, cause it was turning a bit repetitive at the end.

I kinda like those recent Spider-man games for the "being Spider-man in New York" aspect. Yes even the movie games. But they aren't very good, it's a fact. Treyarch, responsible for most of them since the first movie and billed as co-developer on this last one, are  getting a bit lazy each new game...

This game should have used some little Arkham Asyleum aspects. Not talking gameplay-wise or spirit, this is Spidey afterall.. But on the development aspect of the game.
Like using actual Spider-writers.
The plot was pretty bad and stupid (I'm sure 12 years old will love the symbiote/Venom/dark suit aspect of the game... but seriously, I couldn't count the plotholes on my hand nor the absurdly bad written dialogue!)
And the game could have used some past Spider-man cartoon voice actors. Only Wolverine (dubbed by the same guy from the Wolverine & the X-men cartoon series) was good, I mean really good. And compared to his acting, the others sounded reaaaally bad, I mean worse than they actually were. And Spider-man, who's the main character in this, huh, spider-man game, was sooo bad..... Arg...
It seems like they voice acted the scenes in chronological order. The game started really bad, with a Spidey not sure he was voicing him good then went a bit geeky and over the top.. but got kinda average/ok around the end. So I started a new game (to unlock the new game + mode) and realized how bad he truly was at the start of the game... yuck....

Anyway, final words on this game. Fun physics, decent gameplay, average fighting system, repetitive missions/sequences, fun web slinging, nice boss scenes, bad story, bad Spider-man, great Wolverine and not enough cameos (really? Only Moonknight, Black Cat and Luke Cage stayed in this symbiote-invaded NYC? I can buy the Fantastic Four and Avengers being out saving the universe, which they mentioned, but were was the Punisher or Daredevil? you know, those who know Spidey and usually meet him in every day New York stories??)...
 
Oh yeah, and the game box totally makes you think Venom would join your side as your Dark ally like Wolverine does for the good side... but since he's the one causing all this (totally out of character too), he's only the Godzilla-like final boss (King Ghidorah-style).
I would kinda have prefered they use another symbiote, say Carnage, as the one causing all the trouble and have Eddie Brock join and help Spidey instead! That way it would have been 1) true to the character's personality and 2)totally kickass for kids, I'm sure they would have loved Carnage in this mess game.

Oh, and I played me some Puzzle Bobble 2 the other day.
Also known as Bust-A-Move 2.
Really fun game^___^
Tought I should share this pic with ya:

Yes, making your own Puzzles is totally fun and they don't even turn out easy all the time once you try them. (mostly because of the random colours you may get)

Playing this on the Sega Saturn, in case you're wondering.

I've been reading the Ghost Omnibus Volume 2 lately.
She's a nice original character from Dark Horse. The comic book publisher that not only makes a ton of comic adaptations (Terminator, Predator, Aliens, Star Wars, Serenity, etc..) but created a lot of very imaginative characters which were brought alive in movies with more or less success along the years (The Mask, Hellboy, Sin City, Barb Wire, Mystery Men...)

But I'm not here to talk to you about Ghost right here, nope.
But X.

 X... for...X-cellent deep storyline with complex character development and X-traordinary writing?

What or Who is X exactly???
The most insance X-TREME character I've seen in a comic book in a long time....
You know, during the 90s, when comics went all X-TREME with comic artists/writers such as Rob Liefeld and Todd McFarlane.. Well, DC had their darker and grittier enemies like Darkseid or Bane defeat both Superman and Batman, Marvel went nuts into X-Force and many other spinoff titles around gun crazy mutants like Cable and such..
X was Dark Horse answer to the super popular Image Comics character Spawn.

X-TREME!!!

But allow me to read (write) you a little official description of X:
"[The] Dark Horse series that made "grim and gritty" superheroes seem like cuddly plush toys. Violent and morally ambiguous, X walks the thin line between heroism and obssession (...), the cure may be worse than the disease..."

That's right. He makes grim and gritty looks like plush toys.
That guy's insane!
You gotta love the over the top, insane level of X-TREME comics went on during the 90s...
I don't really know this character that much, and honestly don't really wanna read his own series, but the few issues he's guest-starred in Ghost were more than enough to me to know how X-TREME he really is!!

Look at the guy! He lost one eye, has a cape that would make Spawn jealous, use tons of guns, never dies, walks over fire with no problem whatsoever despite his leather costume... he's X-TREME!!!

Oh, and you gotta admire the guy's costume. A lock at his neck. And just imagine him every morning tying all the red laces...
And is that... a corset???

What did ya do this weekend?

Hey gang!
Another week, another "What did you do this weekend?"-thing!

I didn't play that much thins weekend...
Mostly read stuff.
Like Bande dessinée and some comics. : P

'Been reading the Brave and the Bold current comic series lately, by Mark Waid.
It's a really fun team-up comic series with bits of sci-fi and adventure all over.

This weekend's I've been on the volume 3 of the paperbacks, called "Demons and Dragons".
It was Mark Waid's last issues, sad news :(
I hope this series will not lose its pulp-fun-adventurous atmosphere for a more serious, dark and big-event-crossovers aspect!

This last volume was probably the best story-arc so far! You don't need too much DC Comics knowledge to enjoy this!
Fun read!

On the gaming part, I've started playing Alan Wake with my bro!
Very original and interesting game! It's from an European developer I love, Remedy Software.
The game looks and feels like a mix of Max Payne with Survival horrors - gameplay wise.

The game really shines in its originality and story.
What Max Payne was to Noir Love stories, Alan Wake does the same and then some to thrillers/drama TV shows.
Max Payne was constructed like and told through a comic book approach.
Alan Wake use the TV drama construction. Many questions thrown at you, a well thought plot revealed bit by bit and it chapters is an episode in itself with everything it implies. Theme, mini-arc, tension culminating with a cliffhanger and even a recap at the beginning of each chapter!

It looks, feels and plays great!
I much prefer a game like this, playable, with a cinematic feel than something, say, like Heavy Rain which is pretty similar in an opposite way, cinematic with a gaming aspect.

To each their own, I guess!
Plus it's nice to see a "blockbuster game" from Europe for once! It's like all games are either American (or rather Canadian) or Japanese now! -__-

Other than that?
I only played Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.
For a while now, I've really wanted to go back to Vin Diesel's Scifi media-franchise Chronicles of Riddick.

I already watched again Pitch Black, a great horror scifi movie, not unlike the first Alien.
I wanted to play again Escape from Butcher Bay, a cult classic Xbox game that really shined when it was released back then, for it's great immersive universe, fun gameplay and great visuals!
But my Xbox re-died lately ("she" does that once in  a while...Yeah. Weird stuff...)
So I took this as an opportunity to finally buy Dark Athena on the Xbox360, which contains a remake of Butcher Bay as well.

I love this game!!
Incredible!
It almost feels adventur-y! The game isn't 100% free open world but neither uses levels for the progression.
You're in a certain space with people to talk to, objectives and stuff to do and collect.
But it uses a FPS engine and view. Plus there's combat, weapons and lots of enemies, but you better be ready to sneak up on enemies one by one, with a clever infiltration/stealth gameplay.

It's quite unique!

Finally, I've been able to watch the Yatterman movie, thanks to the French dvd release!

One word: YATTAAAAA!!

It's a pretty amazing and faithful adaptation of the old Time Bokan anime series from Tatsunoko studios!
By Takashi Miike, nonetheless!
(recommanded watch: Zebraman, epic, heroic and aliens against a Zebra costumed middle aged hero, what could you ask more?!?)

Loved it! Takashi Miike said himsel, Americans are doing now Dragon Ball and many future adaptations. He had to show everybody how you really do an anime live!

Anyway, that's it for now!
Some reviews coming this week finally, if I stop being lazy : P
News in a sec'

Stay tuned for moooaaar-