Street Fighter X Mega Man: Capcom Reveals All (Well, Some of All)…

 

Amusingly enough, I was talking to someone yesterday about fan-made indie games and this one came up, as it’s now some sort of standard in terms of a big game company like Capcom actually approving of a project like this before making sure it gets done right. Of course, the bigger story will be how well the game does with the fans once it’s let loose on December 17 as a free PC download. I say it will do well, but I’d also expect other creative fans have been flooding Capcom and other publishers with even more ideas and suggestions than they usually do. I wonder how many people come up with exactly the same ideas, write them up (and maybe do up some nice art to go with their projects) and send them off thinking they’ve struck a gold mine. Live and learn, yes indeed… but wise up at some point and create your own original content at the end of the day. Sometimes, it’s better to make a little money from all that hard work than to just keep giving away the farm for free, I say. Hey, Han Solo didn’t walk away from a cargo hold full of Rebellion credits in Star Wars (AND he later got a Princess out of it to boot)…

GTA San Andreas: “Introduction” – One of the Best 20 Minute Game Movies You’ll Ever See.

 

Grab a 40 (or some eggnog), pull up a chair and sit down to one of the most impressive bits of storytelling from a ten-year old video game. To some of the less respectful gamers out there Grand Theft Auto San: Andreas may be ancient “by today’s standards” (and it’s now available on PSN and Xbox Live), but Rockstar Studios created a game for the ages (whether you like the M-rated content or not). I know I put maybe 70 or so hours into the game when it was initially released on the PS2… but I still didn’t see the ending. Not for lack of trying, mind you – the memory card with my saves on it went missing and I certainly wasn’t pleased with having to restart the game from the beginning. Not that I would have minded much at all – it’s just that I had a ton of other games to review and I’ve never gotten back into San Andreas after all this time.

Well, it sure looks as if I have the chance now, hmmmm?  As for y-o-u, well now, are you going to get THIS game for your favorite player, or will it be another Chia Pet or Clapper this year? C’mon, do the right thing and get this one as a gift for that (over 18, of course) gamer on your list.

DmC Eye of Dante App: Some Are Still Kicking Capcom Around For Mere Marketing

 

Oh, the internet can be a nasty little place for trying to push a product sometimes. Case in point, poor Capcom’s otherwise interesting app promoting the upcoming DmC through a bit of gameplay and site-hopping. If you go to the YouTube page and read the comments (which isn’t advised if you like your brain not flipping around in your head), they’re pretty mean and mostly not about the actual app. Ah well – I say if Ninja Theory’s new game coming out next year is good, all this green hot bile will dissipate like dust in the wind. Of course, the anti-DLC crowd is still not to be assuaged, so there’s always that fire to deal with…

Far Cry 3: I Haven’t Played It Yet, But I’m Already Hooked In…

Thanks to having so many other games to play through this month, I know I won’t get around to playing Far Cry 3 until next year. However, from what I’ve seen so far (a friend has it and is having a total blast), I’m going to be REALLY busy in Crytek’s massive open-world shooter. I spent an hour or so watching someone play and it looks as if the game allows you to do what you want on those islands outside the main story line (a great thing). Sure, you’re still killing men and animals by the boatload, but the story sections are compelling from the beginning and you can get your character’s motivations and grasp his rather insane situation thanks to some excellent writing and motion captured performances. Hmmmm… maybe I’ll skip a few games and pick this up sooner than later after all… we shall see.

DmC Gets DLC Already (But You KNEW It Was Coming, Right?)…

Ah, poor Vergil! He gets relegated to DLC (which has pissed off the Capcom haters once again) rather than an unlockable bonus section, but hey, that sort of thing has been the law of the console land for a bit now. Unfortunately, those who can’t access the content thanks to no online accounts or willingness to pay more than the retail price for a game (for some people it’s still a poor economy) will need to hope the game sells well enough to net some sort of reissue down the road.

You’ll Finally Get To Ride Dragons In The Newest Skyrim Expansion (Unless You Own A PS3)…

So yeah, 360 owners are first on the block to brag about getting Dragonborn before everyone else, but I’d bet PC fans of Bethsoft’s RPG are going to be smiling even more broadly because they get to mod that content even more. As for poor PS3 users, wellllll… I’m one of them, so all I can do is hope to hell SOMEONE fixes that version up right so it can actually get new content instead of being a bit too buggy to play after a ton of hours are sunk into the otherwise excellent experience. It’s the one thing that kept me from going through the game a second time (and many from getting through it once). Ah well… in a perfect world, I suppose. Or a spiffy Game of the Year Edition that SHOULD come out with all the DLC on a disc (right? Right.)…

Portal 2 In Motion On PSN: Definitely NOT The Same “Old” Game WIth Move….

 

As the kids say, “Now THAT’S what I’m talkin’ about!” – or something like that. While this super new update to Valve’s stellar first-person physics puzzler may LOOK the same at first, the changes made to get the game PlayStation Move compatible will add new challenges to the familiar while also proving how well motion control can be done when you have a team that can do it correctly. Sixense just may have a lot of people who’ve played this one to death doing it all over again. I’d be one of those people if this wasn’t DLC only, but I guess I’ll have to hold out hope that Sony’s console gets an Orange Box version of Portal (or even better ALL the Left 4 Dead games!) that has this on it. Ah well… PSN users will be pleased, that’s for sure.

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Coming to PS3 in 2013!

OK, I missed posting this news yesterday thanks to a REALLY chuggy connection (and today is actually WORSE, but here goes nothing… again!), but here it is if you haven’t yet seen it. One of the best (and most polarizing) Xbox 360 sleepers, Deadly Premonition,  is finally hitting the PS3 next year with all new content (roll that press release!):

  • New scenario from the game’s director, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro
  • HD graphics
  • Reworked control system allowing for an even better combat experience
  • Downloadable content to expand the mystery beyond the original game

Hmmm. I was hoping the ENTIRE game would be on the PS3 disc (as in NO new DLC), but I’ll certainly take this update for a spin anyway, as I know it’s going to be completely crazy, completely weird fun just as the original was. According to publisher Rising Star Games’ website, Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut should be available in March 2013. If they keep it close to the same budget price point, I predict it’ll be even more of a winner than it was on the 360. As always, we shall see…

Review: Ragnarok Odyssey

Platform: PlayStation Vita

Developer: Game Arts

Publisher: Xseed Games

# of Players: 1 (online 1 – 4)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A- (90%)

Another key Vita game hitting stores and PSN at a prime point in a pretty busy year, Ragnarok Odyssey is one of the better JRPGs on the handheld thanks to addictive, fast-paced gameplay, plenty of tough enemies in offline single and online multiplayer modes and lots of lovely visuals and sound to groove on as you play. The game clicks in just about every area and fans of Ragnarok Online and the under-appreciated Ragnarok DS will be pleased to know that the game has enough familiar elements that it feels like a natural extension of those games that can be enjoyed on its own merits. The game is so good that the only major flaws here are some lock-on issues and the lack of a PlayStation 3 version or the ability for Cross Play functionality. The PS3 could use a decent new MMO/Action RPG experience and this would have been superb had GungHo Online and developer Game Arts seen fit to bring the game to that console.

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Okami HD On PSN Now, Capcom Not Worried At All About AC III Juggernaut

You have to love that Capcom has a great sense of humor and can poke fun at both themselves and Ubisoft in the same video*. Sure, everyone will run out and snap up Assassin’s Creed III (the most pre-ordered game to date thanks in no small part to a year-plus long pre-sell campaign), but Capcom knows what’s good for you instead – another hero in while with some deft skills you’ll grow to love equally (even if you’ve played the original game to death). That and hey, some people think wolves are cooler automatically. I don’t count myself among that number – I just love Okami because it’s a damn good game. So yeah, BUY IT, I say!

*Eh, for some reason, Capcom posted a neat parody video called “Okami’s Creed” a few hours ago, but now it’s private, so my post makes no sense. Feh – I’ll leave it as is and hope that video is restored, as it’s quite funny stuff. Anyway, go buy Okami HD on PSN – you don’t need a funny video to let you know this classic still holds up today.