As you may or may not know, Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing is one of my more anticipated games for 2010. Among the cast of cartoony characters, Sonic, Aiai, Eggman, Beat, Billy Hatcher, and Knuckles, comes Ryo from Shenmue! He can even change from motorcycle to patented forklift mid-race! Now that's factory worker efficiency!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Dead Space: Extraction (Wii) Review
It's the month of Halloween, so it's the perfect time to be talking about our next game. It's the prequel to a severely overlooked game for the HD platforms. Why, we're talking about Dead Space Extraction for the Wii.
The original Dead Space was an excellent game filled to the brim with haunts and scares. Sadly, it completely bombed at retail. Now EA is taking the franchise to Wii, but this time in light gun shooter form. Visceral Games is a brand-new upstart company for EA, is in charge of the project, and they have tried their best to make Dead Space work on Wii. Is there space for yet another light gun shooter on Wii, or is this game dead in the water?
Dead Space Extraction is a prequel to the original Dead Space. It takes place before Isaac Clarke’s arrival on the space frigate Ishimura. A mysterious marker has been excavated, and ever since then the workers have gone crazy, macabre creatures known as Necromorphs have appeared and started massacring everyone in their sights. For the majority of the game you play as Nathan McNeill, a detective caught in the middle of this nightmare. With a team of three other people, Nathan and crew must escape with their lives... or die trying. In addition to the main story, there’s unlockable fully-voiced comics that tell some of the background story in the Dead Space universe. The story is one that will oftentimes mess with your mind, and it’s one of the Wii’s best.
Our cast of unfortunate heroes.
There’s a reason EA and Visceral Games are calling Dead Space Extraction a guided first-person action game and not a light gun shooter. Light gun shooters have far more action. In Extraction, there’s plenty of times where you’re just sitting tight listening to the characters ramble over and over to one another. During these segments you’re relegated to watching and occasionally being able to pick up some ammo in a faraway corner while doing so. This is one of the problems I have with the game. Yes, it’s very cinematic and cool the first time around, but replaying chapters and having to sit through all the exposition is nothing but a chore. That’s your true worst enemy in Dead Space Extraction– not the Necromorphs.
Speaking of which, the Necromorph creatures of the game aren’t your typical baddies. They won’t be put away by a well-placed headshot, oh no. Instead you’ll need to shoot off their limbs, effectively dismembering them. While it doesn’t come anywhere near the satisfaction of a glorious, cranium-crunching headshot in other shooters, dismembering enemies is still enjoyable enough to do. They come in various shapes and sizes and the eventual boss encounter. These aren’t very difficult as health-restoring tanks are littered liberally throughout the game, especially right before a boss. Faster enemies can be slowed down via stasis where they slow down to a crawl for easy pickings. When a foe gets up close and personal to your character, you can use the nunchuk to melee them back.
My, what big arms you have!
The single-player campaign of Dead Space Extraction lasts ten chapters total. Each chapter lasts anywhere from thirty to forty-five minutes depending on the difficulty and if you take a wrong turn somewhere. This is where another problem surfaces like a Necromorph through an air vent. There are no mid-mission save points. Yes, there are checkpoints, but there is no opportunity to save your progress while you’re in the middle of a chapter. This means you’ll be playing at least thirty minutes non-stop. If you’re not the type of person who can dedicate a half hour or more to a game in one sitting, then Dead Space Extraction is definitely not for you.
Dead Space Extraction puts you in first-person perspective as the game guides you around the levels with no control of movement of your own. The perspective will always be through your controlled character’s eyes. Occasionally, you’ll reach a fork in a road allowing you to choose which path you wish to take, but most of the time there’s one right way to go and one wrong way to go anyway which makes this a less enticing proposition.
This is a stick-up. Give me all your Necromorphs.
Playing through each chapter, there’s multiple little doodads to pick up and collect. New weapons and upgrades for said weapons, ammunition, and med kits of varying size and powers of restoration. There’s also text and audio logs which give a better background surrounding the story of Extraction. Unfortunately, once you collect them, there’s no way of returning to them to reread the messages. Sort of a silly oversight if you ask me (which you didn’t). The last thing a player wants to do while playing the game is read something to slow the pace of the game down, so why not allow players to look back at their collected logs?
You play Extraction with the Wii remote and nunchuk. The analog stick is used to cycle between four weapons. Many guns return from Dead Space to Extraction from the Necromorph-carving Plasma Cutter to the ultra-powerful flamethrower. Tilting the Wii remote to its side unleashes your weapon’s secondary firing function. To themselves, the pointer controls work just as well as any other game in the genre– though the cursor could be a little less obtrusive. You can reload at any time by pressing the Z button. Time the cursor right, and your shots will become more powerful a la Gears of War. Meanwhile, a second player can jump in or out of the game at anytime and play right alongside you, sharing the same screen. The only difference is that all the second player needs is a Wii remote. You use the A button to grab and hold objects and items, and you can unleash them across the room at enemies. One portion of the game will have you catching Necromorph projectiles and flinging them back at the enemy. It’s fun, satisfying, and it uses the powers of kinesis from the original Dead Space well. At certain times you’ll have to hack into a computer terminal to open a door. This instigates a mini-game where you have to carefully trace over a line while avoiding the many hazards surrounding it. If you hit a red object, you’ll take damage. Things get really interesting when you have to solve a mini-game like this while fending off a seemingly never-ending wave of Necromorph pursuers.
The large cursor can make things hard to see.
In addition to the story, there’s also a challenge mode which is much more action-oriented than story mode. Your goal is to fend off wave after wave of Necromorphs, attempting to get as high a score as possible, getting score multipliers, and all that jazz. There’s also three other difficulties to play story mode through on, but unfortunately these don’t seem to unlock anything of particular interest, so most players won’t find the point in playing them.
Presentation-wise, Dead Space Extraction definitely delivers. This is without a doubt the best we’ve seen from a third party on Wii, and that isn’t a backhanded compliment either. This game looks great, and it runs great, too. Everything up to the lighting to the character models and facial reactions to the foreboding hallways is wonderful to look at. The voice acting is superb as well. Visceral Games put a lot of effort into this game’s presentation, and it undoubtedly shows.
And boom goes the dynamite.
Overall, Dead Space Extraction is almost like the Metal Gear Solid of light gun games. There’s too many instances where you’re taken out of the action just so you can sit there and watch characters yap to one another. Visceral Games have done a terrific job taking Dead Space on the HD consoles and tinkering with it so it works on the Wii. It’s entirely faithful to the original. It’s not the best of the genre, but it is the best presentation we’ve seen. Unfortunately, presentation can only go so far as what you’re left with is an above average rail shooter. Nothing spectacular.
[SuperPhillip Says: 7.0/10]
A Dismember to Remember: The Prequel
The original Dead Space was an excellent game filled to the brim with haunts and scares. Sadly, it completely bombed at retail. Now EA is taking the franchise to Wii, but this time in light gun shooter form. Visceral Games is a brand-new upstart company for EA, is in charge of the project, and they have tried their best to make Dead Space work on Wii. Is there space for yet another light gun shooter on Wii, or is this game dead in the water?
Dead Space Extraction is a prequel to the original Dead Space. It takes place before Isaac Clarke’s arrival on the space frigate Ishimura. A mysterious marker has been excavated, and ever since then the workers have gone crazy, macabre creatures known as Necromorphs have appeared and started massacring everyone in their sights. For the majority of the game you play as Nathan McNeill, a detective caught in the middle of this nightmare. With a team of three other people, Nathan and crew must escape with their lives... or die trying. In addition to the main story, there’s unlockable fully-voiced comics that tell some of the background story in the Dead Space universe. The story is one that will oftentimes mess with your mind, and it’s one of the Wii’s best.
Our cast of unfortunate heroes.There’s a reason EA and Visceral Games are calling Dead Space Extraction a guided first-person action game and not a light gun shooter. Light gun shooters have far more action. In Extraction, there’s plenty of times where you’re just sitting tight listening to the characters ramble over and over to one another. During these segments you’re relegated to watching and occasionally being able to pick up some ammo in a faraway corner while doing so. This is one of the problems I have with the game. Yes, it’s very cinematic and cool the first time around, but replaying chapters and having to sit through all the exposition is nothing but a chore. That’s your true worst enemy in Dead Space Extraction– not the Necromorphs.
Speaking of which, the Necromorph creatures of the game aren’t your typical baddies. They won’t be put away by a well-placed headshot, oh no. Instead you’ll need to shoot off their limbs, effectively dismembering them. While it doesn’t come anywhere near the satisfaction of a glorious, cranium-crunching headshot in other shooters, dismembering enemies is still enjoyable enough to do. They come in various shapes and sizes and the eventual boss encounter. These aren’t very difficult as health-restoring tanks are littered liberally throughout the game, especially right before a boss. Faster enemies can be slowed down via stasis where they slow down to a crawl for easy pickings. When a foe gets up close and personal to your character, you can use the nunchuk to melee them back.
My, what big arms you have!The single-player campaign of Dead Space Extraction lasts ten chapters total. Each chapter lasts anywhere from thirty to forty-five minutes depending on the difficulty and if you take a wrong turn somewhere. This is where another problem surfaces like a Necromorph through an air vent. There are no mid-mission save points. Yes, there are checkpoints, but there is no opportunity to save your progress while you’re in the middle of a chapter. This means you’ll be playing at least thirty minutes non-stop. If you’re not the type of person who can dedicate a half hour or more to a game in one sitting, then Dead Space Extraction is definitely not for you.
Dead Space Extraction puts you in first-person perspective as the game guides you around the levels with no control of movement of your own. The perspective will always be through your controlled character’s eyes. Occasionally, you’ll reach a fork in a road allowing you to choose which path you wish to take, but most of the time there’s one right way to go and one wrong way to go anyway which makes this a less enticing proposition.
This is a stick-up. Give me all your Necromorphs.Playing through each chapter, there’s multiple little doodads to pick up and collect. New weapons and upgrades for said weapons, ammunition, and med kits of varying size and powers of restoration. There’s also text and audio logs which give a better background surrounding the story of Extraction. Unfortunately, once you collect them, there’s no way of returning to them to reread the messages. Sort of a silly oversight if you ask me (which you didn’t). The last thing a player wants to do while playing the game is read something to slow the pace of the game down, so why not allow players to look back at their collected logs?
You play Extraction with the Wii remote and nunchuk. The analog stick is used to cycle between four weapons. Many guns return from Dead Space to Extraction from the Necromorph-carving Plasma Cutter to the ultra-powerful flamethrower. Tilting the Wii remote to its side unleashes your weapon’s secondary firing function. To themselves, the pointer controls work just as well as any other game in the genre– though the cursor could be a little less obtrusive. You can reload at any time by pressing the Z button. Time the cursor right, and your shots will become more powerful a la Gears of War. Meanwhile, a second player can jump in or out of the game at anytime and play right alongside you, sharing the same screen. The only difference is that all the second player needs is a Wii remote. You use the A button to grab and hold objects and items, and you can unleash them across the room at enemies. One portion of the game will have you catching Necromorph projectiles and flinging them back at the enemy. It’s fun, satisfying, and it uses the powers of kinesis from the original Dead Space well. At certain times you’ll have to hack into a computer terminal to open a door. This instigates a mini-game where you have to carefully trace over a line while avoiding the many hazards surrounding it. If you hit a red object, you’ll take damage. Things get really interesting when you have to solve a mini-game like this while fending off a seemingly never-ending wave of Necromorph pursuers.
The large cursor can make things hard to see.In addition to the story, there’s also a challenge mode which is much more action-oriented than story mode. Your goal is to fend off wave after wave of Necromorphs, attempting to get as high a score as possible, getting score multipliers, and all that jazz. There’s also three other difficulties to play story mode through on, but unfortunately these don’t seem to unlock anything of particular interest, so most players won’t find the point in playing them.
Presentation-wise, Dead Space Extraction definitely delivers. This is without a doubt the best we’ve seen from a third party on Wii, and that isn’t a backhanded compliment either. This game looks great, and it runs great, too. Everything up to the lighting to the character models and facial reactions to the foreboding hallways is wonderful to look at. The voice acting is superb as well. Visceral Games put a lot of effort into this game’s presentation, and it undoubtedly shows.
And boom goes the dynamite.Overall, Dead Space Extraction is almost like the Metal Gear Solid of light gun games. There’s too many instances where you’re taken out of the action just so you can sit there and watch characters yap to one another. Visceral Games have done a terrific job taking Dead Space on the HD consoles and tinkering with it so it works on the Wii. It’s entirely faithful to the original. It’s not the best of the genre, but it is the best presentation we’ve seen. Unfortunately, presentation can only go so far as what you’re left with is an above average rail shooter. Nothing spectacular.
[SuperPhillip Says: 7.0/10]
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Top Ten Gamecube Soundtracks
We're continuing our musical theme this week with a look at my top ten Gamecube soundtracks. The Gamecube is such an underrated system that seems to be finally getting its due thanks to the Wii. The system had a bevy of fantastic soundtracks from both first and third party developers. The following list is my personal picks for the creme de le creme when it comes to Gamecube music. There's only one rule I subjected myself to, and that's that no ports were to be counted. So no Sonic Adventure 2: Battle or Skies of Arcadia: Legends to be seen on this list. With that out of the way, let's get to the top ten!
10) Viewtiful Joe
Henshin-a-go-go, baby! Our list starts off with the most viewtiful hero to ever grace the Gamecube in Viewtiful Joe. Joe could speed up and slow down time as well as attack foes with fists of fury. The soundtrack was rock with a side of techno thrown in for good measure. If you're looking for some great tracks to start you off, might I suggest Some Like It Red Hot, Inferno Lord, Joe & Sylvia, and Standing Ovation?
9) Killer7
Your mind will be raped by this game, but the true question will be-- was it consensual? From the man that brought you No More Heroes comes one of his earlier works, the mind-melting, ultra-stylized Killer7. Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda joined up to concoct a soundtrack full of mystery, intrigue, and haunting sounds. There's mix of everything as these samples show: Rave On, Windmill, White Sugar, and Dissociative Identity.
8) Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Motoi Sakuraba is a very busy man. He seems to be the go-to composer for a lot of game companies on the other side of the Pacific, and for good reason, too. He's excellent at his profession as this next game shows. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour may have not eclipsed its N64 original, but it definitely impressed when it came to its soundtrack. What better music to chip, drive, and putt on the golf course to than Ring Attack, Lakitu Valley, Peach's Castle Grounds, and Sudden Death?
7) Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Kenta Nagata (known for his work on Mario Kart 64 and Animal Crossing, a game that almost made it on our list) and Shiobu Tanaka teamed up to compose the very upbeat soundtrack for Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, one of my personal favorites in the Mario Kart series. If you're looking to sample the soundtrack, check out Circuit, Baby Park, Sherbet Land, and the ultimate version of Rainbow Road.
6) F-Zero GX
F-Zero GX was an impressive collection of music as it not only featured techno tracks for the many racing courses in the game, but it also had a theme song for all forty-one racers in the game. Dai Kasho (Gran Turismo 4) composed the vocal themes while Hidenori Shoji (Yakuza) composed all of the track and option themes. Recommended tracks include: Feel Our Pain (Fire Field), Zen (Aeropolis), Captain Falcon (albeit corny), and Dr. Stewart.
5) Tales of Symphonia
Motoi Sakuraba returns once again on our list, this time with an RPG under his belt. Known greatly for his work on Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean, and Golden Sun, Motoi Sakuraba crafted a soundtrack fit for the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'Alla. Perhaps Tales of Symphonia wouldn't have been as interesting if not for the stellar soundtrack full of tunes such as Old familiar scent of Iselia, The land of Sylvarant, The Kingdom City Of Meltokio, A Snow Light, and Dry Trail.
4) Sonic Heroes
I very much enjoyed Sonic Heroes. The three-character system was fun, the zones were bright, colorful, and varied, and the music was top-notch from Jun Senoue and company. Sure, playing through some of the same levels four times got repetitive, but for the most part, Sonic Heroes was a decent game in its own right. The soundtrack is suitably bright and bouncy with your traditional guitar riffs a-plenty. Each of the four teams had their own theme song which fit each groups' personalities quite well. If you're looking for some recommendations, check out the theme of Sonic Heroes, Seaside Hill, Grand Metropolis, Bullet Station, and This Machine.
3) Star Fox Assault
Whether or not you enjoyed all of its parts, Star Fox Assault had one colossal-sounding soundtrack. There were familiar themes from past Star Fox games as well as brand new melodies all backed by a symphonic orchestra. We wouldn't get another Nintendo-produced game with an orchestra again until Super Mario Galaxy, nearly three years later. There's nothing like space, land, and air combat with some epic orchestrated music pulsing from your television speakers! Some notable tracks include Sauria, Queen Battle 2, Star Wolf, Boss, and Fortuna.
2) Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
The soundtrack of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is superb, and it's quite unlike other iterations of the franchise. There's a homey, folksy feel to the soundtrack as it uses ancient, worldly instruments to convey its music. Kumi Tanioka did a splendid job creating a catchy, beautiful, soothing soundtrack for players to hack and slash monsters to. It's a work that she hasn't beaten to this day. Within the Gloomy Darkness, Magii is Everything, Amidatti, And Eleonor Too, Starry Moonlit Night, and When The Northern Sky Is Clear illustrate this point wonderfully.
1) Super Smash Bros. Melee
Number one, and some may argue that it's not fair that this game be listed as number one as most of its soundtrack is made up of remixes. I tell these people to get some wood, build a bridge, and get over it. The remixes are some of the best songs in the history of game music-- no hyperbole intended. While some songs are all MIDI, the quality is so high that they sound like real, live instruments. Who can get enough of the soundtrack with the themes of Hyrule Temple, Fountain of Dreams, Onett, Mute City, Multi-Man Melee 1 dancing in their heads?
What about the games that almost made it on the list but were edged out? Well, there's Animal Crossing, Baten Kaitos, Star Fox Adventures, and Super Mario Sunshine to name a quartet! I want to hear from you. What are your favorite Gamecube soundtracks?
10) Viewtiful Joe
Henshin-a-go-go, baby! Our list starts off with the most viewtiful hero to ever grace the Gamecube in Viewtiful Joe. Joe could speed up and slow down time as well as attack foes with fists of fury. The soundtrack was rock with a side of techno thrown in for good measure. If you're looking for some great tracks to start you off, might I suggest Some Like It Red Hot, Inferno Lord, Joe & Sylvia, and Standing Ovation?
9) Killer7
Your mind will be raped by this game, but the true question will be-- was it consensual? From the man that brought you No More Heroes comes one of his earlier works, the mind-melting, ultra-stylized Killer7. Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda joined up to concoct a soundtrack full of mystery, intrigue, and haunting sounds. There's mix of everything as these samples show: Rave On, Windmill, White Sugar, and Dissociative Identity.
8) Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Motoi Sakuraba is a very busy man. He seems to be the go-to composer for a lot of game companies on the other side of the Pacific, and for good reason, too. He's excellent at his profession as this next game shows. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour may have not eclipsed its N64 original, but it definitely impressed when it came to its soundtrack. What better music to chip, drive, and putt on the golf course to than Ring Attack, Lakitu Valley, Peach's Castle Grounds, and Sudden Death?
7) Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Kenta Nagata (known for his work on Mario Kart 64 and Animal Crossing, a game that almost made it on our list) and Shiobu Tanaka teamed up to compose the very upbeat soundtrack for Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, one of my personal favorites in the Mario Kart series. If you're looking to sample the soundtrack, check out Circuit, Baby Park, Sherbet Land, and the ultimate version of Rainbow Road.
6) F-Zero GX
F-Zero GX was an impressive collection of music as it not only featured techno tracks for the many racing courses in the game, but it also had a theme song for all forty-one racers in the game. Dai Kasho (Gran Turismo 4) composed the vocal themes while Hidenori Shoji (Yakuza) composed all of the track and option themes. Recommended tracks include: Feel Our Pain (Fire Field), Zen (Aeropolis), Captain Falcon (albeit corny), and Dr. Stewart.
5) Tales of Symphonia
Motoi Sakuraba returns once again on our list, this time with an RPG under his belt. Known greatly for his work on Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean, and Golden Sun, Motoi Sakuraba crafted a soundtrack fit for the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'Alla. Perhaps Tales of Symphonia wouldn't have been as interesting if not for the stellar soundtrack full of tunes such as Old familiar scent of Iselia, The land of Sylvarant, The Kingdom City Of Meltokio, A Snow Light, and Dry Trail.
4) Sonic Heroes
I very much enjoyed Sonic Heroes. The three-character system was fun, the zones were bright, colorful, and varied, and the music was top-notch from Jun Senoue and company. Sure, playing through some of the same levels four times got repetitive, but for the most part, Sonic Heroes was a decent game in its own right. The soundtrack is suitably bright and bouncy with your traditional guitar riffs a-plenty. Each of the four teams had their own theme song which fit each groups' personalities quite well. If you're looking for some recommendations, check out the theme of Sonic Heroes, Seaside Hill, Grand Metropolis, Bullet Station, and This Machine.
3) Star Fox Assault
Whether or not you enjoyed all of its parts, Star Fox Assault had one colossal-sounding soundtrack. There were familiar themes from past Star Fox games as well as brand new melodies all backed by a symphonic orchestra. We wouldn't get another Nintendo-produced game with an orchestra again until Super Mario Galaxy, nearly three years later. There's nothing like space, land, and air combat with some epic orchestrated music pulsing from your television speakers! Some notable tracks include Sauria, Queen Battle 2, Star Wolf, Boss, and Fortuna.
2) Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
The soundtrack of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is superb, and it's quite unlike other iterations of the franchise. There's a homey, folksy feel to the soundtrack as it uses ancient, worldly instruments to convey its music. Kumi Tanioka did a splendid job creating a catchy, beautiful, soothing soundtrack for players to hack and slash monsters to. It's a work that she hasn't beaten to this day. Within the Gloomy Darkness, Magii is Everything, Amidatti, And Eleonor Too, Starry Moonlit Night, and When The Northern Sky Is Clear illustrate this point wonderfully.
1) Super Smash Bros. Melee
Number one, and some may argue that it's not fair that this game be listed as number one as most of its soundtrack is made up of remixes. I tell these people to get some wood, build a bridge, and get over it. The remixes are some of the best songs in the history of game music-- no hyperbole intended. While some songs are all MIDI, the quality is so high that they sound like real, live instruments. Who can get enough of the soundtrack with the themes of Hyrule Temple, Fountain of Dreams, Onett, Mute City, Multi-Man Melee 1 dancing in their heads?
What about the games that almost made it on the list but were edged out? Well, there's Animal Crossing, Baten Kaitos, Star Fox Adventures, and Super Mario Sunshine to name a quartet! I want to hear from you. What are your favorite Gamecube soundtracks?
Monday, October 5, 2009
SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Wii Sports Resort Edition
This is a special edition of my favorite VGMs taking a look at the summer blockbuster known only as Wii Sports Resort. Bask in the sun as you pedal, canoe, shoot free throws, and much more in multi-player mini-game mayhem. In this installment, all five tracks featured today are from this mega-hit, so sit back, relax, and listen to some of the tracks from Wii Sports Resort.
v411. Wii Sports Resort - Main Theme
We go from Mario Kart to Wii Sports with this edition of the favorite VGM's. This is the main theme of the newly released Wii Sports Resort. If you like this one, stay tuned for the next volume! There's more Sports Resort goodness to go around!
v412. Wii Sports Resort - Bowling (10 Pin)
Bowling returns with Wii Sports Resort, and it's better than ever before. Wii MotionPlus makes spinning the ball all the more easier, and it's one of my favorite sports in the package. This theme is mellow and marvelous, it's the theme of 10 pin bowling.
v413. Wii Sports Resort - Basketball Results
One of the shorter volumes on this list, this is the results theme of the basketball event in Wii Sports Resort. Dunk that ball with your tongue hanging out of your mouth like Jordan. You know you want to with this funkadelic theme.
v414. Wii Sports Resort - Power Cruising Theme
Playing power cruising in Wii Sports Resort makes me yearn for a new Wave Race. Then again, I've never played the Gamecube version, so who am I to whine? The start of this theme really sounds like something you'd hear on a late 80s teen show like Saved by the Bell, don't you think?
v415. Wii Sports Resort - Bowling (100 Pins)
We conclude our series of Wii Sports Resort videos with the theme for Bowling (100 Pins). This mode is one of my favorites even if obtaining strikes is difficult. 100 pins to knock down, 3,000 points for perfection, and 1 ball to roll down the alley.
We're going back to business as usual next week with music from outer space! Stay tuned until then.
v411. Wii Sports Resort - Main Theme
We go from Mario Kart to Wii Sports with this edition of the favorite VGM's. This is the main theme of the newly released Wii Sports Resort. If you like this one, stay tuned for the next volume! There's more Sports Resort goodness to go around!
v412. Wii Sports Resort - Bowling (10 Pin)
Bowling returns with Wii Sports Resort, and it's better than ever before. Wii MotionPlus makes spinning the ball all the more easier, and it's one of my favorite sports in the package. This theme is mellow and marvelous, it's the theme of 10 pin bowling.
v413. Wii Sports Resort - Basketball Results
One of the shorter volumes on this list, this is the results theme of the basketball event in Wii Sports Resort. Dunk that ball with your tongue hanging out of your mouth like Jordan. You know you want to with this funkadelic theme.
v414. Wii Sports Resort - Power Cruising Theme
Playing power cruising in Wii Sports Resort makes me yearn for a new Wave Race. Then again, I've never played the Gamecube version, so who am I to whine? The start of this theme really sounds like something you'd hear on a late 80s teen show like Saved by the Bell, don't you think?
v415. Wii Sports Resort - Bowling (100 Pins)
We conclude our series of Wii Sports Resort videos with the theme for Bowling (100 Pins). This mode is one of my favorites even if obtaining strikes is difficult. 100 pins to knock down, 3,000 points for perfection, and 1 ball to roll down the alley.
We're going back to business as usual next week with music from outer space! Stay tuned until then.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Mega Man X Collection (PS2, GCN) Retro Review
Wrapping up our weekend of Mega Man X, Mega Man X Collection is a compilation of six Mega Man X games with added bonus content thrown in. How does this compendium of X's most memorable adventures shape up?
Mega Man X Collection attempts to be a compendium of X's 16 and 32 bit adventures, and for the most part the title succeeds.
Vintage original Mega Man X action.
The first title on the compilation CD, Mega Man X, featured a blue bomber that fans had never viewed or experienced before. More mature, more action-packed, and more sinister foes filled this new series. Mega Man could now climb walls, charge his X-buster, gain new armor from various capsules hidden throughout the game, collect heart tanks to expand his health bar, and subtanks that could refill his life in an instant. And X would need all of those things before this game's bosses (especially the last boss) were quite tough for a beginner. Earning new weapons from the bosses allowed for the first time in a Mega Man game that Mega Man could return to a previous stage to perhaps find a new item that a weapon or capsule-upgrade revealed.
Mega Man X brought with it new characters like X's friend, the long blonde-locked, saber-wielding Zero, the mercenary for hire in Vile, and the man behind the Mavericks, the evil, undying Sigma. Instead of facing bosses who were "men". The foes of Mega Man X were all animal-themed such as Flame Mammoth and Storm Eagle. Mega Man X took what made the classic franchise great and made the series into something even more legendary.
Not to shy away from what made Mega Man X
so great, X2 was more of the same.
Mega Man X2 was released a year later. Like most of Capcom's franchises (even more so with Mega Man), there weren't too many changes from the traditional Mega Man X formula. The basics were all there. New levels like the impressive Wheel Gator stage, new animal bosses to face like Overdrive Ostrich and Wire Sponge, speedbikes that could be driven, and new optional challenges such as rebuilding Zero from the hands of the X-Hunters all added more to the series. The most important feature that would remain a godsend for all future X games came to be in X2- the mid-air dash.
X3's version is the Playstation code.
The final 16-bit entry in the Mega Man X franchise, Mega Man X3, had multiple versions on multiple consoles. The version the collection has is the Playstation version with remixed music and anime-inspired cutscenes which stood itself out from the SNES version which had music that sounded like it was all from the same instrument. Needless to say I prefer the Playstation version for that reason. The gameplay is still the same for any version. X3 brought with it a new anatagonist, Dr. Doppler, and his creations Bit and Byte. Also a returning foe loomed in the shadows ready to face X and Zero once again. Zero was also playable for the first time, but once he was killed, he was gone for good. Additionally there were multiple ride armors to pilot and one-time use red capsules that X could only choose one of. Should X get the double dash upgrade or receive a third charge on his X-buster? The choice was up to the player.
New generation, better graphics.
One of my favorite entries in the X franchise is Mega Man X4. It had the best music, levels, and action in my opinion. What other character could get away with yelling "What am I fighting fooooooooooooooooooooooooooor" with such horrible conviction? I'll tell you-- anyone NOT named Zero. Both X and Zero had their own storylines. X was for beginners while Zero was for the more hardcore of Mega Man X fans as almost all of Zero's attacks were close-ranged.
Mega Man X5 was where the series started to decline for me. Not only were the levels not as well-designed, but the Mavericks were named idiotically after Guns 'n' Roses members. Capcom of America, you can hardly look over your own typos in games, but now you're taking liberties with the series' boss names? Ugh. Duff McWhalen would like a word with you.
Certain levels will drive you batty.
Mega Man X6 was just there. Many complain of its unfair difficulty and questionable level design. It was marketed with a Nightmare system that randomly changed how you played each level. Yeah, that was crap and marketing propaganda. The only real part I enjoyed about the game was its music and its main antagonist, Gate.
The bigger they are, the more bones they break.
Rather than add bonus content for the collection, North Americans were left with some pretty poor extras like music from the PS1 version of X3 and tips on how to play the game instead of the content that was promised such as remixed music. Where did the remixed music go? It was supposed to be used for the sequels to the PSP Maverick Hunter X games, but unfortunately those titles bombed universally. Speaking of universal things, there is no universe control set-up for the games. So if you wish to set-up the button layout one way for a certain X game you'll have to set it up for all of the other titles as well.
Criticisms aside, you'd be in a tight spot if you wanted to purchase the original copies of the games. Thankfully Mega Man X Collection brings all of the great and less than stellar X titles in one $29.99 package on one DVD. Now that's just an awesome value. Mega Man fans shouldn't miss out on the PS2 version as the GCN's controller isn't meant for 2-D platforming for the most part due to its odd d-pad and button layout. It's a shame because I believe most Mega Man fans are on Nintendo's consoles. Regardless, if you don't have a PS2 the Gamecube version isn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination.
[SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10] - It's missing a lot of bonus content, but six games for $29.99 is too difficult of a deal to pass up for anyone.
A Comprehensive Collection For X Fans
In 1993 Mega Man X descended into the future and onto the Super Nintendo. The leap between the classic Mega Man series and the X series was huge. Fans who had waited for Mega Man to jump into 16-bit action had been disappointed that Capcom continued to put the Mega Man games on the NES. Their prayers were answered with Mega Man X. While not the traditional classic gameplay fans were expecting, the X series would go onto have some of the most entertaining stories, levels, and characters of the entire Mega Man franchise.
Mega Man X Collection attempts to be a compendium of X's 16 and 32 bit adventures, and for the most part the title succeeds.
Vintage original Mega Man X action.The first title on the compilation CD, Mega Man X, featured a blue bomber that fans had never viewed or experienced before. More mature, more action-packed, and more sinister foes filled this new series. Mega Man could now climb walls, charge his X-buster, gain new armor from various capsules hidden throughout the game, collect heart tanks to expand his health bar, and subtanks that could refill his life in an instant. And X would need all of those things before this game's bosses (especially the last boss) were quite tough for a beginner. Earning new weapons from the bosses allowed for the first time in a Mega Man game that Mega Man could return to a previous stage to perhaps find a new item that a weapon or capsule-upgrade revealed.
Mega Man X brought with it new characters like X's friend, the long blonde-locked, saber-wielding Zero, the mercenary for hire in Vile, and the man behind the Mavericks, the evil, undying Sigma. Instead of facing bosses who were "men". The foes of Mega Man X were all animal-themed such as Flame Mammoth and Storm Eagle. Mega Man X took what made the classic franchise great and made the series into something even more legendary.
Not to shy away from what made Mega Man Xso great, X2 was more of the same.
Mega Man X2 was released a year later. Like most of Capcom's franchises (even more so with Mega Man), there weren't too many changes from the traditional Mega Man X formula. The basics were all there. New levels like the impressive Wheel Gator stage, new animal bosses to face like Overdrive Ostrich and Wire Sponge, speedbikes that could be driven, and new optional challenges such as rebuilding Zero from the hands of the X-Hunters all added more to the series. The most important feature that would remain a godsend for all future X games came to be in X2- the mid-air dash.
X3's version is the Playstation code.The final 16-bit entry in the Mega Man X franchise, Mega Man X3, had multiple versions on multiple consoles. The version the collection has is the Playstation version with remixed music and anime-inspired cutscenes which stood itself out from the SNES version which had music that sounded like it was all from the same instrument. Needless to say I prefer the Playstation version for that reason. The gameplay is still the same for any version. X3 brought with it a new anatagonist, Dr. Doppler, and his creations Bit and Byte. Also a returning foe loomed in the shadows ready to face X and Zero once again. Zero was also playable for the first time, but once he was killed, he was gone for good. Additionally there were multiple ride armors to pilot and one-time use red capsules that X could only choose one of. Should X get the double dash upgrade or receive a third charge on his X-buster? The choice was up to the player.
New generation, better graphics.One of my favorite entries in the X franchise is Mega Man X4. It had the best music, levels, and action in my opinion. What other character could get away with yelling "What am I fighting fooooooooooooooooooooooooooor" with such horrible conviction? I'll tell you-- anyone NOT named Zero. Both X and Zero had their own storylines. X was for beginners while Zero was for the more hardcore of Mega Man X fans as almost all of Zero's attacks were close-ranged.
Mega Man X5 was where the series started to decline for me. Not only were the levels not as well-designed, but the Mavericks were named idiotically after Guns 'n' Roses members. Capcom of America, you can hardly look over your own typos in games, but now you're taking liberties with the series' boss names? Ugh. Duff McWhalen would like a word with you.
Certain levels will drive you batty.Mega Man X6 was just there. Many complain of its unfair difficulty and questionable level design. It was marketed with a Nightmare system that randomly changed how you played each level. Yeah, that was crap and marketing propaganda. The only real part I enjoyed about the game was its music and its main antagonist, Gate.
The bigger they are, the more bones they break.Rather than add bonus content for the collection, North Americans were left with some pretty poor extras like music from the PS1 version of X3 and tips on how to play the game instead of the content that was promised such as remixed music. Where did the remixed music go? It was supposed to be used for the sequels to the PSP Maverick Hunter X games, but unfortunately those titles bombed universally. Speaking of universal things, there is no universe control set-up for the games. So if you wish to set-up the button layout one way for a certain X game you'll have to set it up for all of the other titles as well.
Tracking down a new copy of X is harder than
a no-death, no sub-tank run!
a no-death, no sub-tank run!
Criticisms aside, you'd be in a tight spot if you wanted to purchase the original copies of the games. Thankfully Mega Man X Collection brings all of the great and less than stellar X titles in one $29.99 package on one DVD. Now that's just an awesome value. Mega Man fans shouldn't miss out on the PS2 version as the GCN's controller isn't meant for 2-D platforming for the most part due to its odd d-pad and button layout. It's a shame because I believe most Mega Man fans are on Nintendo's consoles. Regardless, if you don't have a PS2 the Gamecube version isn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination.
[SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10] - It's missing a lot of bonus content, but six games for $29.99 is too difficult of a deal to pass up for anyone.
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