FINALLY!!!

For those of you who know me, I am a huge fan of the Metroid franchise. I played it for the SNES and have been pretty faithful in getting every game since then. And when Nintendo released Metroid Prime for the Gamecube, I was ecstatic and the game was legendary in my mind. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was another great game that I picked up and finished to my enjoyment.


The third installment, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was released back in 2007 for the
Wii I was equally excited. However, at the time I could not afford the Wii and spent the next year saving up for one. When I received the Wii for Christmas of 2008 (Thanks Mom) I was very happy to say the least. But, by this time Metroid Prime 3 was not on my list of games to immediately buy. I waited to find it cheaper and when I did I was sold. I bought the game used and the fun began.

After the first few days of playing it, and getting pretty far, my life took a hard turn. School was bogging down on me, my dad was moving, and I just got a part-time job. So time to play video games was few and far in between. So Metroid 3 was put on the shelf to be finished another day.

Fast forward to the present, and now with school finishing up and more time on my hands, I have FINALLY finished the game. A great game with great characters and a story that was evolving as the series progressed. And now with the release of Metroid Other M coming in a few months, I have finished the game before I can go on to the next one.

BRING ON OTHER M!!

Gamestop vs. the video game industry

In the news recently a report came out that the many different studios that develop video games were contemplating fighting stores that buy and sell used games, such as Gamestop, for the right to resell video games.

The video game industry feels they are losing out on some profits because of Gamestop and other stores that buy and resell video games. So the plan is for the video game industry to actually have some kind of tax on the games that are resold. It's almost like "royalties", that when a game is resold a portion of the money received is given to the publisher.

This is absurd because the publishers will not be making that much profit and it will only increase the value of the games resold because Gamestop and the rest will jack up the price so they can make the difference that the video game industry is taking back.

The charm about Gamestop is that gamers can sell their games for a little money when they stop playing them so that others can enjoy them. And those who want to buy games for a discount can do so. Whether its for financial reasons or they just never got around to it, gamers can go and buy "older" games that they've always wanted to play. And now the video game industry wants to make it harder for those who cannot afford games. Shame on you.

However, I haven't heard any reports lately that the market of selling/buying video games will be infiltrated by the corporate suits behind video games. But only time will tell.

Tatsunoko Overview Prt 2: Casshan

Hello everyone, a few months back I introduced a series of blog posts that I would be doing based on the animation studio Tatsunoko. This studio has developed some characters and shows that have become a part of our society such as Speed Racer. And with the release of the game "Tatsunoko vs. Capcom" I have become intrigued with some of the characters.

The first post was about the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman which has become the face of the studio over the years. This time around I'm going to highlight a character that I have grown to love in the game, Casshan.

The main protagonist, Tetsuya Azuma's, biological father, Dr. Kotaro Azuma, was the inventor of the robots that were originally intended to serve humankind. However, the first android, BK-1, was struck by lighting, and went out of control. With its great strength, it escaped from the castle despite attempts to stop it. After some time, it renamed itself as Braiking Boss, and was able to build a robot army against mankind; the robots mutinied en masse when their cold logic concluded that the good of the Earth Ecosystem required the destruction of the human race.

Casshan and his robotic dog, Friender, join forces with a beautiful girl named Luna Kozuki to battle the robots led by the Braiking Boss. Friender is capable of transforming itself into a tank or a jet aircraft and actively helps Casshan to fight the robot army. He is able to shoot flames from his mouth which catch many by surprise. While the robots are huge and robust machines, he is usually able to destroy them with his bare hands, dispatching a great number in any battle.

Luna was totally harmless, until her father was able to build an electromagnetic pistol, easily capable of destroying the robots.

Almost all the robot machines have an antenna on top of their heads, ripping it off usually causes them to blow up, so they are relatively vulnerable.

Now the Characters:

Tetsuya Azuma A.K.A Casshan


Tetsuya Azuma, also known as Casshan, is a cybernetic neoroider. Tetsuya turned himself into a cyborg for the purpose of hunting down and destroying robots that have taken over the world.

Casshan has great strength and agility, but he is not armed, except for a pair of odd pistols, used more like rockets than weapons.

Casshan has also some weakpoints: his body must be re-charged (with solar energy), and cannot sustain very long battles without risking low battery power.

The protagonist of the series, Casshern is an android—the union of Tetsuya Azuma's data with an invincible body. His body features a number of unique android functions, including superhuman speed, agilty and strength, an opening and closing facemask, a golden crescent-shaped solar panel on his forehead and waist-mounted pulsar propellers that can also be used as weapons.

Friender


Originally Tetsuya's pet dog, Lucky, its data was used to revive it as Friender after it was killed. In order to support Casshann, he can transform into a jet, submarine, tank, or a motorcycle, and is even able to breathe flames. Friender is a brave robotic dog capable of standing up to the Andro Army alone.

Luna Kozuki


A beautiful, 15-year-old girl who fights alongside Casshern. Like Tetsuya, her father is a scientist, and she is essential in the battle against the Andro Army, due to her MF (Magnetic Field) pulse gun.

Braiking Boss


The antagonist of the series, originally BK-1, the first android created by Dr. Azuma and designed to help the human race, he was struck by lightning and rebelled, renaming himself Braiking Boss. He leads the Andro Army in a plot to conquer the Earth.

Next time I'll discuss "Time Bokan Series Gyakuten Ippatsuman"

Motion Control Takeover!!

In 2006 when the three big gaming companies premiered their consoles, Nintendo stuck out from Microsoft and Sony by introducing motion controls. It is what made the Wii very revolutionary and fun to play.

Flash forward 4 years later and the Playstation and the Xbox have finally tried to imitate what the Wii has already done. For those of you who don't know, Sony developed the Playstation Move. A new controller that imitates the player's movements very identical to how the Wii controller works.

Now,in the minds of many self-proclaimed "hardcore gamers" motion controls are a bad thing. They're seen as a gimmick, and for good reason, the Wii has not put out a game that would be considered "gamer" worthy. Meaning, all the games Nintendo has released have been those that try to utilize their motion controller to the fullest. Sometimes it works (ala Metroid Prime 3, Wii sports) and sometimes it doesn't (Red Steel). A true "gamer" game is one where the player can sit down on their couch and play for hours upon hours. (comfort on your hands is important)

And as I pointed out in a earlier post, Nintendo has not released a game that would give the gaming community anything to get excited over in quite some time. I also called for Nintendo to create original games and characters in the same fashion Xbox and Sony have. Those that can be called classics like Halo and God of War. But now the competition is trying to take some share in the motion control market.

And with Sony and Xbox trying to create the capabilities for the next Madden game to use this technology, Nintendo should be nervous.

Honestly, I'm not too concerned about this. I don't feel they can do what Nintendo hasn't done, and why would those who have Playstation or Xbox want a motion control? Chances are they have a Wii already, so it's not giving anything new.

But I could be wrong.


Here's a little video poking fun at all the motion control fun.
Warning: Explicit language used

More Videos at IGN.com

A Call for Something New!!

Hey everyone, I'd like to take this time to post an opinion piece about what I would like to see out of Nintendo.

First off, I'm enjoying Nintendo's offerings so far this year. With "No More Heroes 2" and "Tatsunoko vs. Capcom" I feel the Wii is getting some much needed exposure to the gaming community. And with the news that "Super Mario Galaxy 2" and "Metroid: Other M" will be set to release this summer, it looks like the Wii will finally be able to match up if not surpass what the PS3 and Xbox are offering game wise.

But there is something I feel has lacked for the Wii since its creation. Consistent releases of good one-player adventure games.

I say this because I feel that the Wii releases games that are very multi-player friendly. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but it's not great either. I have this conversation with many of my friends and family members about the various systems. And the consensus with the Wii is that it is a great console for when you have people over but if you are alone and want to play a game, you are better off with PS3 or Xbox.

This is a problem that Nintendo shouldn't turn a blind eye too. Sure, the "party" kind of game is what has made the Wii very popular but I feel they have become too comfortable with this "niche" (for lack of a better word).

While the Playstation and Xbox are dropping first-player adventures like "Halo" and "God of War", they have increased their fan base from all generations.

How did they do this?

Well it's simple, Sony and Microsoft have found more and more original people to create games. Original stories and original characters help make consoles new and fresh every time.

Nintendo sometimes feels like the same thing over and over. Rehashing old characters and putting them in new environments. While that may be good for some, and some of these games are outstanding, (see Mario Galaxy and Metroid) they can only go so far.

Sure we love Mario, Link and the rest of the Nintendo universe cast, but when have we had a brand new Nintendo character or story that has become a mainstay in our consciousness?

Hard isn't it?

And I really don't know why this is the case. Xbox has given us Master Chief for the "Halo" series and Playstation has introduced Kratos of "God of War" but why couldn't these titles have been created for the Wii?

Why can't the Wii have a game like Heavy Rain? A game that is quickly changing the way games are played. And with the Wii motion capabilities, Heavy Rain (or a game like it) could easily cause the gamer to be fully engulfed in the story as every movement made is essential to the story.

There is no excuse, Nintendo needs to find developers who have a game changing concept and adapt it to their console. Cause the Wii is quickly becoming a console that gamers do not take seriously.

Create original stories, come up with new and exciting characters that will change these perceptions and make the Wii deserving of the "most owned console" title. Just because many households own it, doesn't mean they're being used.

So come on Nintendo...give us fans something to be excited about....give us something new.

Christmas in Summertime

Yesterday, Nintendo Australia announced that two of their most highly anticipated games for 2010 will be released much earlier than expected.

Of course I am talking about Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M.

Super Mario Galaxy is the sequel to the ground-breaking first installment which allowed everyone's favorite Italian plumber to venture through a 3-dimensional Space Land (or Galaxy whichever you prefer). But this time you will be able to use Yoshii, Mario's dinosaur companion. And come'on who doesn't like Yoshii?

But personally the game I'm most anticipating is the next Metroid game. The side scroller turned first-person shooter has made Samus, the star of the Metroid franchise, one of the leading ladies in Nintendo.

For this adventure, Team Ninja will be helming the production of the game, and by the looks at the teases given during the E3 convention, Metroid: Other M will incorporate both side scrolling and first-person shooting which looked like a hybrid from heaven.

IGN confirmed the information when they spoke to Nintendo Australia's Greg Arthurton who stated that both games will not be hitting the Wii consoles during the holiday season but instead between June and August.

This confirmation now leaves room for Nintendo to bring in more games slated for release next year to be brought in for the Christmas rush.

The announcement came a day before Nintendo is supposed to hold a press conference in the US today. Stay tuned as I will be updating as the news rolls in.

Here are the E3 trailers for both games. Enjoy!!

Kirby Super Star

This post is going to be a nostalgic trip for me as the game I'm going to be talking about is probably the game I played the most as a child and quite possibly my favorite game of all-time. Kirby Super Star.

The "Kirby" franchise is a very simple one. It's a side-scrolling platform game where the main protagonist is a pink puffball that inhales just about anything to protect his world of Warp Star. What makes Kirby different is that when he inhales an enemy and swallows them, he gains their powers allowing for a variety of attacks based on the power acquired.




This had led to many games based on Kirby but this one in particular holds a special place in my gaming history. "Kirby Super Star" was released in America in 1996 and was packaged and advertised as having 8 games in one. This console had 8 different Kirby games that you can get through for hours of gaming.

This not only made the game an enjoyable sit down so a person can play and for many hours but it gave a variety of different tactics and stories to get through. Whether it was fending off Kirby's arch nemesis King Dedede from his plans to rule Warp Star, stopping Meta Knight's invasion of the planet or fighting Dyna Blade, the mechanical super bird,


Kirby would travel the planet sucking up powers on his way to victory.

But what made this game a candidate for "Best Game of my Gaming Life" was the co-op experience that it allowed. This was the first game where me and a friend could go through the story and fight side by side. One as Kirby and the other as a special comrade that Kirby could manifest. Each comrade would be different depending on what power Kirby had at the time giving us a new world of different characters to enjoy.

It was a life-changing experience that I still remember vividly to this day. Me and my older brother never really did too much together but this game kept us sitting in front of the TV screen side by side. We joked together, tasted defeat and victory together.

Kirby Super Star is a simple game that allows for anyone to pick up and understand. But the mechanics and game play make this game a classic to gamers everywhere.

Heres a little video demonstrating all the abilities gained in the game. Enjoy