SPC Showdown - 4/4/12

We have arrived at the eighth SPC Showdown. We had our last showdown in January. (View it with this link.) The SPC Showdown is where I have five battles between products or ideas of the same type. Wondering which recent Zelda game is most legendary, or which internet message board sucks the least? Find out with this installment of the SPC Showdown!

Round One: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword VS. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

The latest console Zelda games, both available on Wii, which legend is truly legendary?

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda series has been certainly by-the-numbers for awhile now. That was until Skyward Sword which introduced a new structure and motion controls. No longer were you mindlessly waggling the Wii remote to attack. You need finesse and precision. With Wii MotionPlus, your swing direction determined victory and defeat. New items like the Beetle which could fly, carry bombs, and collect items and hit switches from faraway, the Whip which turned Link into Indiana Jones, and the Gust Bellows that blows dust and sand from dirty floors. Skyward Sword also contained the best boss battles in series history. All of this crafted together to be SuperPhillip Central's Game of 2011.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

After the colorful quest of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Zelda returned to a more realistic setting and art style. The game was much darker than Toon Link's journey, and unlike Skyward Sword, the overworld was quite interesting to explore, especially on the back of Epona, Link's trusty steed. While waggle was what sword swings required, aiming with the bow and hookshot was much easier with the Wii remote than with the GameCube controller's analog stick. Twilight Princess also contained more dungeons than Skyward Sword, and the majority of them were true winners. That said, not even Wolf Link and companion Midna could make Twilight Princess better than Skyward Sword.

Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Round Two: Xbox 360 VS. PlayStation 3

This generation continues to truck on. Which of the HD consoles' is the definition of the best?

Xbox 360

Now, those who have been with me for a long time know my opinion on the Xbox 360. The hardware was so shoddy that Microsoft paid over a billion dollars in repair costs for the Red Ring of Death. This made me not purchase another one after my original died a few months out of warranty. The exclusives are fine if you like guns and racing, and Kinect is garbage and is a bigger catalyst to gaming than the Wii (at least that had many worthwhile games). That said, third party games run the best on the Xbox 360, and Microsoft will pay big bucks to let people know that. Nearly every third party game commercial has the Xbox 360 logo at the end exclusively.



PlayStation 3

My launch PlayStation 3 is somehow still running, but I know that it is a ticking time bomb. Apparently having a console that lasts is a fad. That notwithstanding, Sony's exclusives like Uncharted, God of War, LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo, inFAMOUS, ModNation Racers, Resistance, Killzone, and Ratchet & Clank far outshine Halo, Forza, and Gears of War. Not only are the exclusives more varied in different genres, but they are more enjoyable for me to play. All this comes at a price, however, as third party games (as said in the 360 portion of this battle) generally run worse on the PlayStation 3. An extreme example is the highly overrated Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. However, I feel that exclusives are the real reason to buy a console.



Winner: PlayStation 3

Round Three: GameFAQs VS. NeoGAF

Two popular internet message boards that are eerily similar to one another. Which is better?

GameFAQs



This site allows people to make multiple accounts as long as they have different e-mails, so this means that users constantly make alternate accounts just to troll. It is definitely quantity over quality on this awful site. And then you have joke accounts that always fail to be funny, mods who don't have real power in the real world so they take out their frustrations on the 13 year-old user base of the site, and too many message boards to count. How can NeoGAF possibly be worse?

NeoGAF



This site always makes fun of its competitor, but like it or not, NeoGAF, you are incredibly alike to GameFAQs. You both have the same amount of fanboys, trolls, and marketing shills. The only differences between GameFAQs and NeoGAF is that GameFAQs doesn't pretend its crap smells the cleanest, nor does it have a staff-sanctioned troll that is run by the mods. Nor does it have threads like this (seriously, how embarrassing. It makes me mad to be a gamer. I do NOT want to be associated with these people.) that make GameFAQs look like professionals. Admit it, you mouth-breathing trolls at NeoGAF are just as horrible as GameFAQs, maybe even more so at times as the constant baiting, trolling, and fanboyism of that thread proves.

Winner: Neither. They both suck.

Round Four: Dance Central VS. Just Dance

Two dance titles that are quite popular for the respective systems they are on. Which boogies the best?

Dance Central

Dance Central puts your whole body into the game as you perform various dance maneuvers to score mad points. Developed by Harmonix, the fine folks behind the Rock Band franchise, Dance Central features real-life choreography moves and fun mulitplayer modes for the entire family.

Just Dance

The more popular of the two (selling the best on Wii, then Kinect, then PS3) dance games, Just Dance even on Kinect only picks up arm movement and not the better part of your body. Even with its multiple sequels and spinoffs with decent soundtracks, Dance Central edges Ubisoft's wildly successful party game out.

Winner: Dance Central

Round Five: Vita will succeed VS. Vita will fail

The future of Sony's PlayStation Vita is unknown. Will it float or will it sink? I determine that right now.



Vita will succeed

The launch of the Vita was one of the best in recent memory, maybe history. It had titles like a mainline Hot Shots Golf/Everybody's Golf game, a new Uncharted, Wipeout, Katamari, ModNation Racers, and a new IP like Escape Plan. The tech is supremely impressive, offering gorgeous near-PS3 quality visuals, touch support on the front screen and back, and wonderful online functions. The tech is there, and it outclasses Nintendo's 3DS exceptionally. The question is: can Sony get more publishers and developers on board with Vita?

Vita will fail

Vita sales in Japan are near 10,000 on a weekly basis. The 3DS at worst was at least near 20,000 on a weekly basis. There are no system sellers forthcoming for the Vita either. Nintendo has taken Monster Hunter from Sony by making a capable system that can run the necessary graphical requirements the series needs (the DS's 3D was too weak for Monster Hunter). It says something when the only interesting titles coming to Japan for fans are ports of Final Fantasy X and a remake of a Persona game. The software situation is dire in Japan, and the desire for the system in the west is even worse. Western third parties still treat handhelds like they are "above" them. Most portables are sold to children and not the young adult market Sony is aiming for with the Vita. And with iOS being an opponent to the Vita, the system has a tough road ahead of it.

Winner: Like I'm really going to answer that this soon.

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Man, does the new Blogger blow hard! It is next to impossible to format screens and photos. So incredibly stupid. Thanks for screwing up something that didn't need fixing. Anyway, that ends this installment of the SPC Showdown. Until later... see ya'!

Surprising Sales: Games that Outperformed Expectations

As long-time readers know all too well, too many times on SuperPhillip Central we've talked about games that were overlooked, sold poorly, and didn't do well. Let's change that and focus on the games that did the opposite. These titles are ones that no one saw coming, sold relatively well, and put some money in the pockets of their publishers and developers. These are the types of feel-good success stories that make following the video game industry all the more enjoyable.

Demon's Souls (PS3)


Sony passed on publishing this game, so a combination of From Software and Atlus did the job instead. What to me is an effort in frustration with balls-to-the-wall challenging gameplay and an unrelenting and hardcore difficulty, Demon's Souls found a niche among PlayStation 3 owners yearning for a tight and cohesive experience. I consider these fine folk gluttons for punishment, but whatever floats their metaphorical boat, right? The game went on to sell under a million worldwide, but for niche companies like From Software and Atlus, this game was purely money in the bank. A tremendous surprise indeed.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3, 360)


Past Batman games have been anything but major events. We've seen many developers try and try again. They all failed to varying degrees. That was until Rocksteady Games got hold of the license and created an incredible Metroidvania that not only wowed critics (including yours truly), but it also sold very, very well. This million-seller shows off what makes Batman so delicious as a character. The awesome villains, the rivalry with the Joker, the detective skills at work, and the mythos behind the cape and cowl. There's no question that come this October that Arkham City will no doubt light the world on fire in sales.

Catherine (PS3, 360)


The titular character of this game is such a tease. As Vincent, you're thrust into a love-triangle of devious proportions in this action-adventure game with clever puzzle elements. This decidedly Japanese-styled game seemed to be niche in the making, and perhaps it could be considered that. What I do know, however, is that Catherine is Atlus's best-selling game so far. This is a conclusion I could have never seen coming. From the anime art style to the questionable sexual situations, this game had "niche" steaming from its very core. Just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by its cover.

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)


Nintendo of America opted out of releasing Xenoblade Chronicles in North America much to the chagrin of loyal fans and JRPG lovers alike. In Europe and Japan, however, the game was released to moderate success. The party and family system as some like to refer to it as suddenly had one of the better RPGs of this generation, and it was literally out-of-stock in Europe. Tracking down a copy is currently an impossibility. Those who do possess a copy of the game are too busy partaking in the game's profusion of side quests, venturing through wide open worlds, and battling monstrous enemies to even care. Now if only NoA would get off their collective rear ends and localize the game for North American gamers...

Monster Hunter Tri (Wii)


In Japan there was no doubt that Monster Hunter would sell, regardless of the console. Even on the Wii which is known for not being overly kind to most third-party games a Monster Hunter game could do well. And it did. Now the West, like the menacing monsters of the game, was a different beast entirely. The formerly PlayStation-only franchise jumped ship to Nintendo, and Nintendo aggressively marketed the game in North America and Europe. What followed were approximately 800,000 units sold on both continents alone. A Wii third-party game success story? Now that's more like it, guys.

Kinect Sports (360)


Most of us didn't really know how Kinect would impact the market as much as it has. It seems to be cutting into the Wii's market. Who knows, who cares? The point is that without a capable killer-app to sell the peripheral to the masses, the Kinect was DOA. Fortunately, Rare put together an impressive sports package with Kinect Sports featuring events like volleyball, table tennis, and bowling, for starters. Who knew that Microsoft of all companies could pump out a friendly title for the casual market? Certainly not this blogger. Whether you're playing solo or have friends over for a party, Kinect Sports is one of the few software success stories on the Kinect. Plus it's a great way to get a wonderful workout!

Just Dance and Just Dance 2 (Wii)


In the past, dancing games and simulations were relegated to titles like Dance Dance Revolution which required a mat to play properly. Now with the advent of motion controls and more specifically the Wii remote, now we can dance without watching where we step. Ubisoft's breakout Just Dance franchise is stepping up to hit all three major platforms this go around, and it wouldn't have been possible without the unforseen success of series. Could you have imagined that waving your Wii remote around all willy-nilly would catch on so well? Well, to be fair, stranger things in this industry have happened...

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This could be the start of a new series of articles here at SuperPhillip Central. There's many more games that had little hype and ultimately had great success. Do you have some that I intentionally left out? (We gotta have something for future articles, right?) Let me and everyone else know in our comments section.