While I’d still prefer Sega just get all the parts done and release this on a DISC with all the other Genesis/Saturn/Dreamcast Sonic games ever made (they’ll fit on a single Blu-Ray comfortably, I’d bet), we’ll have to “settle” for installments. The good thing is, the dev team is addressing the complaints about Part 1 and it looks as if the animation is fixed up quite nicely. Of course, SOME people out there are going on and on about how the game doesn’t PERFECTLY replicate the Genesis version to a T in terms of every single animation or how some parts seem to take control away from the player and so forth and so on. I say knock it ff and wait for the game (or at least a demo) to drop before swallowing that foot.
Daily Archives: February 24, 2012
Wrath of the Titans “Oblivion” Trailer: CGI Overload, I Want My Harryhausen Back!
Well, it’s darker, grittier and more action-packed than the recent remake (which was pretty dark, gritty and action-packed to begin with) and yup, folks who loved the first will be all over this one like cats at a sushi bar. Still, for all the awesomely bombastic CGI effects, I still miss that more human touch Ray Harryhausen had with his work on the original (plus his other work from the era). Well, minor complaining aside, it’s nice to see this franchise expanding with a followup flick… although as I noted last year, the third movie’s title is going to be a pain in the neck to come up with. I say go with “War of the Titans” and call it a night…
Jet Set Radio Finally Returns (This Time On PSN/XBLA)
Excellent, but I have mixed feeling about this one. How funny that a very physical game based on the physical acts of graffiti and trick skating is coming back as a digital-only title. Well, kudos to Sega for FINALLY getting this one out there to the masses, but still. I recall that Jet Set Radio Future on the Xbox had some killer PR goodies such as a set of awesome headphones and a CD soundtrack and yes, a NEW disc version would have been cool just for a documentary on the original JSR and the sequel how they changed gaming. I still remember the first time I saw those ‘cel-shaded’ graphics running on the Dreamcast and thought they were the best thing to hit gaming in a while. Hopefully, all those folks that have never played either game will be as awed as I was back in the day. We shall see…
Is the DLC Backlash A Permanent Thing, Or Just More Whining From The Back Seat?
I’m getting a chuckle from all these complaints about paid DLC on day one of a game release as well as other bile-packed grumblings from folks who don’t like the “deal” that’s been forced on gamers during this console cycle in regards to digital content. I’ve been saying for years that even though the concept of additional content for a console game is a fantastic idea, you can’t MAKE people buy that content if they don’t have access to a broadband connection and you refuse to get it to them ON a disc (even in a re-release down the road). Sure, the amount of gamers with high speed connections has increased greatly over the past decade, but not everyone is able to make the move thanks to numerous factors. Game companies have been rushing too fast into digital without making sure they’re taking as many of the less fortunate consumers along with them.
Even worse, day one DLC hits this crowd the hardest, as even if they wanted to PAY for it (which would be good for both the publisher and developer bottom lines), they’re needlessly shut out unless someone decides to put out a Game of the Year or other retail version (way after the game’s release window has shut) that allows access to all that content they’ve missed out on. As for the whys of day one DLC, some of you complainers aren’t paying much attention to industry news, so let me defend the practice a little bit before poking a few holes in the ego balloon I’ve blown up…
Asura’s Wrath: Wow. I Bet Jack Kirby Would Have LOVED This Game…
As far as I know, the late, great comic art legend (and creator/co-creator of far too many important characters to count for Marvel, DC and a few other publishers) never did any video game design work. Nevertheless, a lot of game creators around the world have clearly been inspired by Kirby’s work and it’s always fun to play something that manages to nail certain elements in his art perfectly. It’s great to see a game like CyberConnect2’s latest on store shelves that pays homage to The King’s wilder Silver Age art along with his epic “Fourth World” saga, so go support Capcom and give the game a shot, I say.
Sure, it’s easy to think the game is ONLY anime-influenced if you ONLY follow anime and have no sense of comics history. On the other hand, as an ancient comics fan from the late 60’s and beyond playing the game, I’m seeing a bit of New Gods here, some of the Galactus saga there along with the massive scope and scale of the outrageous battles and characters that remind me of Jack’s work. Yup, I’m loving Asura’s Wrath so far – My full review will go up over the weekend.
