vgnation-blog

[vgnation-blog]

Video Game Diaries - Game Boy Gundam Games

Having already spilled my guts regarding my love of Gundam, it’s only natural I’d have more than one game. One random weekend, I impulsively bought a Game Boy Advance. The store also had two Gundam games for it (which may have factored in the decision): Gundam Seed Battle Assault and SD Gundam Force.

Gundam Seed Battle Assault is actually quite fun for a portable fighting game. It features characters and suits from the first Gundam Seed, with nothing related to Gundam Seed Destiny in it at all. That’s an instant pro right there. It has all five original Gundam suits from the start of Seed, the three Gundams the drugged-up madmen use, and the Freedom and Justice. As a bonus, you get the Astray Red Frame (which is friggen’ sweet), and Rau’s custom Ginn. The Ginn is a big disappointment though, because if they’re going to give Rau (the character who becomes the main antagonist) a suit in the game, why not make it the Providence Gundam, his main suit at the end of the series? They put the Freedom and Justice in it. The Providence would be a hell of a lot more fun to play as then a stupid custom Ginn. Way to drop the ball assholes.

The controls also become a bit of an issue. There’s two main buttons: one for melee and one for shot. The only problem is that I have no idea how to perform combos. I don’t know if it can even be done. I’ve tried literally every combination I can think of. And why the hell does it seem like the enemy’s attacks inflict more damage than mine? Am I doing something wrong? What the flying fuck!!?? However, with only two main buttons on the GBA, bad controls are to be expected. Overall, for the money I paid for it and the fact I’m a mega Gundam fanboy, I believe it was worth it.

The next game is SD Gundam Force, a series that is notorious among Gundam fans. I managed to watch the whole series, and while there are some things that will give you a chuckle, it’s definitely aimed at kids. The amount of friendship speeches almost made me bulimic because I wanted to puke every time I heard one, and believe me, there was a SHIT TON of them. Anyway, series aside, the game is actually pretty fun. It’s a side-scrolling beat ‘em up much like Final Fight or Double Dragon.

You can switch between anyone of the three Gundams (Bakunetsumaru the Musha Gundam, Captain Gundam, and Zero the Knight Gundam) at any time during the levels. I really like this feature, as each Gundam has their own advantages that can help you progress through each level. Oh, and that annoying girly-boy Shute is nowhere to be found in the game, which is awesome. I had a blast playing through Levels 1-3; they’re fun and challenging but not overly difficult, and it’s really fun to see the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three Gundams. Now, here’s where the trouble starts.

Level 4 is absolutely malicious. The difficulty spikes here, and if I was in the age range they targeted the TV show at, my parents would have most likely put me in time-out because I’d be yelling with intense rage and anger. The first few stages of the level are a maze, and only going a certain way will let you advance. Since the stage designs and enemies are basically the same, you have no way to tell if what you’re doing is right and how it’s wrong if you fuck up. Come on now, at least give us a heads-up and let the gamers know what we’re up against. Then, the bosses become absurd. They take like a thousand hits to beat, and their NORMAL moves wreck you almost instantaneously. Not only that, they do a ridiculous special move when they’re close to death that is almost a guaranteed one-hit KO. What the fuck!!?? I was actually enjoying this game before this, and now I hate it almost as much as the series…fuck this garbage.

In order to beat said bosses, you have to not only memorize their patterns and moves, but also figure out which combination of Gundams will help you defend AND attack. There’s literally no way you can beat the bosses using just one of the characters. If you can, you’re a freak and I want to see how. This will literally take about a half hour to just do the homework, and probably longer to actually execute. My point is this: If it took me (a decent gamer) all this time to figure that out, how the fuck is a little kid supposed to do it? It’s absolutely fucking ridiculous. Oh, and there’s no FAQ on Gamefaqs.com! What the fuck? The board doesn't even have a single meaningful post on it. The gamefaqs.com community has some of the most hardcore gamers and Gundam fans ever posting stuff on the site; it’s absolutely mind blowing to me why there’s absolutely NO CONTENT for this game. What has this digital world come to!!?? Ranting aside, the rewarding feeling once you beat these bosses is so sweet, like a warm piece of cherry pie. Especially since you can’t find any help even if you wanted to.  

To sum it up, the game is definitely a hell of a lot better than the TV series. There’s no dialogue, no Shute, and no friendship speeches, which instantly gives it way more credibility and enjoyment if you’re a hardcore Gundam fanboy like me. It’s just you and your Gundam team against a whole lot of chibi-Zakus, and it’s fun as hell to beat the shit outta ‘em and watch them flail across the screen, screaming for their robotic lives. If you’re a Gundam fan with a GBA, go ahead and give these a try. Just be prepared to curse a little bit.

[vgnation-blog]

Arcade Memories – Truck Stop

One of the most unlikely places had some of the best video game experiences of my youth. It was the local travel center in my town, commonly referred to by locals as “the truck stop.” It had standard things you’d find in a travel center: a Starbucks, a Subway, a Popeye’s Chicken, and a convenience store, but it also had an arcade. One day on an excursion for Popeye’s with a friend, I accidentally stumbled upon the arcade trying to find the bathroom. When I saw it, my eyes lit up like a kid staring at his presents Christmas morning.

It was small, but it had basically everything I could ask for. It had the new Tekken, Golden Tee Golf, and The Fast and The Furious game, which was basically an updated version of Cruisin’ The USA. Tekken was one of my favorite Playstation fighting games, and I always love a round of Golden Tee, even though your palm hurts like a son of a bitch after you play it because of that wheel. As for me, I’m a huge fan of The Fast and The Furious franchise, so naturally I wanted to see what I could do in the game. About $1.50 later (about three games worth of quarters), I was hooked. I felt like I had Paul Walker’s good looks and Vin Diesel’s ass kicking ability all in one, as my times steadily made their way up the high score chart.

We were there for two hours or so, and when I told my other friends about the little treasure trove I found, of course they wanted in too. The next time I went back, it was arguably more glorious. The Fast and The Furious wasn’t there anymore, but The Fast and The Furious Superbike version was. I felt bipolar, as I experienced depression and elation in the span of about five seconds. I hadn’t played a superbike arcade game since I was really young, and had a blast trying it again. While I wasn't as good at it as I was with the original, it was still a lot of fun to whip the virtual me around on the screen with the fake bike I was sitting on. I had a blast, largely due to the fact I’ve always wanted a superbike, but I can’t afford one and I’d probably kill myself on it knowing my stupidity. Crashing and seeing my virtual persona get mangled is a lot better than mangling my actual self. And the game was a lot cheaper than a real bike!

Then, we played the game that would have us coming back for the next two weeks, Rambo. It’s basically Time Crisis, but with Rambo characters. Scenes from the movie play to set you up for the level, and as a gamer and action movie buff, I knew this was going to be a good time. Over the next few weeks, we spent hours and numerous quarters on the game at the truck stop. We got a little further each time, and even if we failed, it was still a blast to play.

We didn’t go back for about a month, and the next time we did, we ended up being shocked. Tekken was gone. Golden Tee Golf was gone. There was no version whatsoever of The Fast and The Furious. Most importantly, Rambo was gone. It was the same gut-wrenching feeling I felt when I first saw The Milford Amusement Center boarded up. All that was left were a couple video poker games, a horse racing betting game, one of those prize games with all sorts of cool video games and electronics in it that you’ll never actually win, and one of those old, shitty hunting games. Just when I thought I found a great arcade nook, it was taken away from me once again. Not even Popeye’s could cheer me up at that point. Still, I had a lot of good memories in that little corner of the truck stop, and it gives me hope that another one in my area might have some good arcade games to keep me occupied. The search will continue… 

[vgnation-blog]

A Day in the Life of Gamers – By D-Court

12:00 PM – Due to daylight savings time, I wake up an hour later than I’d have liked. I begin my day like I begin most weekend mornings, watching MMA fights and reading articles from my usual favorite Gundam and MMA sites.

1:30 PM – I make phone calls to some old college and work friends. Only 1 out of 3 answers. Having more time on my hands than expected, I begin watching the 2nd part of The Ocarina of Time challenge on Game Center CX. I am reminded of how difficult, tedious and awesome it was, and thoroughly enjoy Arino-kachou’s follies.

2:30 PM – I call Trids to see what he is up to. He informs me he is playing Megaman X (SNES) to get to Sigma, the final boss. The previous day, I had gotten all the way to Sigma, but failed miserably on him for over an hour. I turned the game off in a rage and nearly threw it across the room. He wanted me to get my redemption.

3:00 PM – I arrive at Trids house. After a few attempts, I am somehow able to defeat Sigma. I give a victory speech filled with four-letter words and smack talk. We decide to change games. We choose Castlevania: The Adventure, and begin playing it on Super Game Boy.

3:45 PM – Trids accidentally jerks the controller, causing the console to move, causing the game to freeze. This was after a strong run through levels 1 and 2, but after struggling on level 3. I am torn between the emotions of rage and depression.

3:55 PM – We decide to watch Yu Yu Hakusho on Blu Ray to calm ourselves down. It was only $10 for season 1 at the local Game Xchange.

4:15 PM – Brendan arrives. We decide to go to a Chinese Buffet Restaurant. The buffet is outstanding.

5:15 PM – I begin Castlevania: The Adventure again. After making several mistakes, largely due to conversation distractions, I somehow make it to level 4. I am elated, but rage sets in as I am reminded that level 4 is one of the most unforgiving, insane levels in video games. Brendan and Trids begin playing arcade mode in Street Fighter x Tekken, believing they will unlock some of the unplayable characters on the character select screen. Using Brendan’s $180 fight stick, they start their mission as well. During this game, they become enraged by random online challenges that disrupt their advances. They do not know how to turn this feature off.

6:30 PM – Brendan and Trids finally figure out how to turn off the online challenge option. However, they still quit playing after finding out the characters are unlocked by paying for DLC and not completing the arcade mode. They declare the game stupid and not worth playing anymore. After Castlevania freezes again, this time during the 4th and final level, I also decided Castlevania is no longer worth playing.

7:00 PM – Joe had arrived somewhere in between the Castlevania and Street Fighter x Tekken shitfest. He and I begin playing Donkey Kong 2 on SNES. After much cursing and over 15 lives lost on a water level in stage 3, we call it a day. He and Trids begin playing Gradius III on SNES. More cursing and anger ensues.

8:30 PM – Ken arrives. He and Trids decided to expand their Contra horizons by playing Contra III for SNES. Despair sets in quickly as the directional pad on one of the controllers stops working. Ken tries to advance solely by jumping, and gets surprisingly far. He eventually gives up due to the futility of the battle, and decides to go to Burger King. During this time, Brendan had begun playing Marvel vs. Capcom III, and Joe discovered his warrior spirit by playing the game with an arcade stick for the first time. However, Joe lost motivation by not being able to figure out how to kill Galactus. Brendan successfully picks up the pieces.

9:30 PM – Ken and I arrive at the Burger King drive-thru. There is dead silence; no one speaks up to take his order. Ken screams into and flips the bird at the order box vigorously, but to no avail. He decides to go to McDonald’s instead. He swears violently and gives the middle finger at the drive-thru window as he drives by. He also rolls down the window to yell at a man walking by on the side of the road, informing him that Burger King will most likely not serve him.

9:40 PM – Ken acquires food at McDonald’s.

10:00 PM -  I suggest Ken and Trids play The Lion King for SNES, since Trids and I had successfully completed the conquest of Aladdin for SNES earlier in the week. Midway through the 2nd level, they decide it is a mistake.

10:30 PM - Trids and Ken continue their trials and tribulations in Contra: Hard Corps for Genesis. I begin writing this. More Yu Yu Hakusho will likely be watched.

[vgnation-blog]

Video Game Diaries - Castlevania: The Adventure

Having already professed my love of Gundam, another one of my favorite series is Castlevania. I played Super Castlevania IV at friend’s house and I was instantly hooked. So much, in fact, I went out and bought it the next day. My friend and I spent an entire week of sleep-deprived nights to beat Rondo of Blood on the Nintendo Wii’s virtual console. I went as far as spending $60 for the SNES version of Dracula X on eBay. Who remembers Castlevania Chronicles for PS1? I do, cuz I fucking bought it on PSN Store cuz I love the series that much.

At a visit to one of the area retro game shops, I laid eyes upon Castlevania: The Adventure for Game Boy. Yes, the original Game Boy, not the DS or any of that new fancy shit. While it’s not as complex as other Castlevania games, it’s still merciless as all hell. First off, the controls are clunky as shit. Even playing on Super Game Boy with a SNES controller, there are times where you press a button to whip or jump, and Christopher Belmont just will not do it. You know how many times I’ve died simply because he falls into a crevasse just because of a missed input? Too fucking many, enough to almost make me smash the God-damned controller! I try to jump over boomerangs this jacked up evil knight is throwing and he won’t do it and I get wasted. WHAT THE FUCK GAME!!??

The bats have no pattern. They’ll just fly around aimlessly, and when you think they’re gonna fly away, they crash right into your shitty 8-bit face. There’s a section where you have to jump from platform to platform, and God forbid you’re not right on the edge, you’re fucked, and you gotta walk back and try it again. And then the fucking bats respawn and hump you unrelentingly so that if you miraculously pass the section you’ll have next to no health left. Thanks game! Then, as your climbing a rope to the next section, massive eyeballs will just fall on you. Then, when they chase you across the bridge section and you manage to blow them up, they take out sections of the bridge. God help you when that happens, because then you have to jump. And I said earlier, jumping is absolute SHIT! If you don’t edge jump from the perfect spot, you’re fucking doomed. And when you’ve got other bloodshot, flesh-hungry eyeballs chasing you, you don’t have time to line it up just right. It’s absolutely insane.

For all the shit I’m talking, it’s actually a pretty enjoyable game, especially for the original Game Boy. The music score is absolutely the best I’ve ever heard for an original GB game. Even though they eliminated sub-weapons (dagger, cross, etc.) the whip upgrades are a very cool feature. The main reason I still try to beat it is because it’s really fun and challenging, when you’re not getting dicked over by missed inputs and horrible jump physics.

[vgnation-blog]

Ken's final battle with Big Magnum. Can he overcome the anger of Big Magnum and achieve total victory?

[vgnation-blog]

Video Game Diaries - Anarchy Reigns

This is quite the aptly titled game. I first became interested in it when a friend brought it over and played it. It was fun as hell. Running around, beating the shit out of mutants and then slashing them into pieces really got the adrenaline cranking. The music was pretty groovy too, and for only $30, it was basically a no-brainer for me. After a short but thoroughly enjoyable single player mode, it was time to tackle the meat and potatoes of it all, the multiplayer. That, my friends, is where the true anarchy begins.

I started off by doing training mode, which is where all the rules of multiplayer apply, except you’re fighting bots instead of real humans. I played the 16-person Battle Royal mode. My Lord, the shitfest that ensues is absolutely epic. I start off and lock-on to this one guy, and proceed to start beating the piss out of him. I get his life to red, which means one more combo should finish the job, and then one of two things will occur 99% of the time in scenarios such as this one. The first is that instead of trying to retaliate, he will run just aimlessly run away, and end up being killed by one of the other CPUs. Fuck that shit. I put in all that work for nothing. Fuck you game. The second is that one or a bunch of other CPU bastards will come in and attack me. Not the other guy who is barely clinging to life; me, with a fucking full health bar. As the CPUs mercilessly destroy you, the injured guy will run off somewhere into the gaming abyss. What kind of bullshit nonsense is this!!?? And what’s the deal with those stupid quick time events, like planes crashing into the battlefield right in the middle of 10-person melee? It’s just another way the computer can bend you over and stick its digital dick far up your ass.

I found 4-player deathmatch free-for-all was much easier, so I figured that would be my game of choice online. Just when I thought it couldn’t be any worse, this game somehow succeeds in fucking me over again. The matchmaking in this is absurd. It takes 4 hours to find a game, and chances are it’s not even the game type you want. Then, you have to wait for everyone to “lock in” in the lobby. If you’re lucky, if you start looking for a multiplayer match around 1PM, you should be finally playing by 6PM. Oh, and did I mention there’s no management in terms of separating players by rank? In a 2v2 game I was in, it was me (who was level 1 at the time) and another guy who was level 5 vs. two rank 50 guys. WHAT THE FUUUUCCCKKK!!?? It was two guys who knew exactly what they were doing vs. two guys who had no idea what the fuck they were doing. That spells fun.

So, all things accounted for, this is really a mixed bag for me. Playing certain game modes with the bots can be very fun, especially if you get a friend involved (locally, not over the internet), and the single player mode is fun, albeit it only takes 5-6 hours to complete. Let’s not forget, it’s only $30. However, if you’re looking for a multiplayer experience like Call of Duty, play at your own risk. This game won’t take you out to dinner before it fucks you.

[vgnation-blog]

Arcade Memories - Milford Amusement Center

The image above is a token for arcade games at The Milford Amusement Center. It is up for auction on eBay because, sadly, that may be all that’s left of one of the greatest places I frequented in my youth. You know how you feel when you play online video games, like Call of Duty or some fighting game, and you win? Feels like your king of the castle, right? Remember when playing against other random strangers was done in-person, at arcades? It’s a pastime that has long been forgotten in the eyes of many, and it’s for reasons I can’t understand. Sure, it’s nice to show your video game dominance to strangers from the comfort of your own home, but I miss those days of spending hours and loose change at the arcades. I drove by Milford Amusement Center, or what’s left of it, just the other day after getting some delicious Chipotle. It made me sad seeing a place I once loved boarded up and abandoned, with broken arcade cabinets visible through the stained and dirty windows. So many memories came rushing back as I drove on.

I remember going there one night with Bryan, one of my closest childhood friends, and probably the best gamer I’d ever seen. We came across Terminator 2: The Arcade Game. I remember him and I yelling a lot louder than we probably should have as we continued shooting virtual bullets and bombs out of the peripheral guns that were attached to the cabinet. We dumped about $10 each into that game in the span of 20 minutes, determined to save the virtual world from the hordes of terminators that challenged us. Needless to say, it didn’t go as planned.

There was one time I was there with a few friends for laser tag, which was another major draw of the arcade. We would go in there, give ourselves sweet code names (mine was Broheimer), and face off against ourselves and/or other people. We’d never follow the rules. They said no running? Psh, we were running, jumping over those barriers, and landing with the most awkward, painful looking barrel rolls you’d ever seen. We’d slap the guns out of each other’s hands and unload, and continued to shoot whoever it was as they walked back in shame to their base to recharge. On one occasion, we were waiting for a game to start, so I put 50 cents in Crazy Taxi. With The Offspring and Bad Religion blasting from the speakers mounted in the seat, I had one of my best runs ever. The seat and the wheel beat the Dreamcast controller every time. However, I did so well that day that my friends started the laser tag game without me. Assholes.

It was there that I saw a Dragonball Z cabinet. I hadn’t seen a DBZ console game at that point, let alone an arcade game. I sucked at it, but I still dropped a lot of money on it because it was the only time I got some DBZ gaming action in. They had the awesome arcade version of Mario Kart, with Pac-Man in it. They took your picture, and I’d always make it ridiculously wacky so whoever saw it as I drove up on them would start laughing and get distracted. I beat so many people that way. Dance Dance Revolution was killer in there, too. I’d play some fast paced J-Pop song and do moves that made me look like a flailing Eddie Gordo, hoping to get at least 50% on the easiest difficulty. Then, some kid would come up, do the same song on the highest difficulty, move like a machine and get 100%. That was just fun to watch.

Much like grunge music killed heavy metal, home consoles killed arcades in America. Two good things just can’t seem to co-exist here. However, we still have those memories of summer days; wasting time and quarters with your friends on games. Playing Marvel vs. Capcom at home and online just isn’t the same as doing it live, standing right next to your opponent. It takes a lot of the thrill and exhilaration out of it. Every now and again, you may see places with arcade games, but usually nothing like the glory days of coin operated goodness. It’s those days that I will truly miss.

[vgnation-blog]

Ken faces the Big Magnum. What does that even mean?

[vgnation-blog]

The final battle commences for Ken..and he has woken up the Saiyan fury of his opponent. The only thing more dangerous is that he's playing the mighty foe with only one hand in order to film the happenings!

[vgnation-blog]

Ken finally gets to the final battle in Contra: Hard Corps. What awaits him there? Why is he filming it!?

[vgnation-blog]

Video Game Diaries - Colin McRae Rally 3

I became a fan of the sport of rallycross recently. It’s a very entertaining style of racing, and a lot of my favorite action sports heroes from back in the day are doing it (Bucky Lasek, Dave Mirra, and of course Travis Pastrana). So, I wanted to get a rally game, and my friend suggested Colin McRae Rally 3 for PS2. I heard it was very good, and I saw the $2 price tag it currently has on it, so I said fuck it and bought it. That turned out to be the best $2 I ever spent.

The game’s graphics are absolutely beautiful, especially for a PS2 game. The lighting and the effects are awesome. The controls may seem goofy at first, but you can’t look at it like a normal racing game. It’s a rally sim, and when you realize that, you’ll understand that the controls are actually amazing, because they do a great job of simulating the way a rally car reacts in real life. The first time I was able to execute a drift properly was like the first time I got laid; it felt soooooo good.

I remember reading a review for it in Electronic Gaming Monthly back when it first came out. It got 9.5 out of 10. The only con was: no one really knows what rallying is. This is true, because what’s up with that silly mumbo-jumbo your co-driver is saying to you? Left 40 into care right? What in the fuck does that mean!? Why can’t they translate it into American and say something like “sharp right turn 45 degrees?” There are also some collision detection issues. There are some shrubs that you can simply drive right through as if they weren’t there, then there are some that if you drive into them, it’s the equivalent of driving into a massive boulder. What the fuck is that? I wouldn’t care if it was one or the other, at least work on making it consistent. If I wanna cut corners, I wanna be able to cut all of them, not just half of them.

I also want to see some crashes. If you accidentally fall off a cliff, I want to see the car ragdoll around with parts and chips and pieces flying everywhere, instead of just a white screen. This game is realistic enough, why not just go full bore and show the carnage? Half of NASCAR fans just watch for the big wreck. I just wanted to get those little things off my chest, but this game is actually really fucking awesome. If you have $2 and want a racing game, buy it. Don’t waste your money on Xbox Live Indie Games.

[vgnation-blog]

Ken and Trids play Contra III...with a broken controller! The directional pad doesn't work, but that won't stop the dynamic delinquents from trying to complete this quest. Watch hilarity ensue and listen to Brendan play Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in the background!

[vgnation-blog]

Video Game Diaries - Double Dragon Neon

It’s Reviews like this that makes me think IGN is out of their fucking minds. Is IGN the best source to get your video game information from? Most likely, and if not it’s definitely in the Top 5 across the board, but the review I saw for a recent PSN/XBLA release had me fuming. A friend had downloaded the game Double Dragon Neon on Xbox 360, on the advice of the web show Two Best Friends Play. IGN, however, sang a much different tune. They basically slammed the game for not doing anything different than the Double Dragon games of the 80s. They said it’s too dated; old school beat ‘em up games and the gameplay itself were too out of date. You know what I say? FUCK YOU IGN!!

First of all, you say that beat ‘em ups are old and too hard, but when was the last time we had a game like this? Since the last Double Dragon in the 80s, that’s when. This is a stupid argument. If that game sucks because it’s dated, then that would also automatically make the new Super Mario Bros, Sonic 4, the new Donkey Kong, and so many others shitty for same reason. But guess what, you didn’t think those were so shitty! The bottom line is that DD: Neon is an excellent throwback to the games of old. A classic 2-D beat em up with abundant 80s references. Skullmageddon is quite possibly the greatest video game villain ever. His dialogue and voice had me cracking up every time. Sure it’s cheesey, but that’s the point. It’s supposed to be so over-the-top that it adds humor to the game, and it succeeded so well at this.

How cool is it that when you go to change your special move and power-up that you hear a cheesy 80s-style tune? So fucking cool! The people are IGN now are probably such nerds that they’re missing the point. It does all of those things to provide a nostalgic feel. Sure, there are times when you can’t hit the enemy with your moves, but guess what? They can’t hit you if you can’t hit them, at least in my experience. Playing with a friend and getting virtual high-fives is where this game shines; it’s just so fun to relive those old school days, sitting right next to your best friend and wasting hours trying to beat the bad guy and rescue your shared virtual girlfriend. Oh, and did they mention that it’s only $10? That’s right, a whopping $10.

Sure, it doesn’t have a million open-ended quests like Skyrim, and it doesn’t have a gripping storyline and CG graphics that rival Metal Gear Solid 4, but it’s just fun to play. I think those little brats at IGN are too spoiled to realize that. Sure, it’s just a matter of opinion, but, at least in this case, go suck a dick IGN.

[vgnation-blog]

Video Game Diaries - Gundam Extreme Vs.

One of the things I love more than video games is Gundam. All of the series, mini-series, and movies have thoroughly entertained me. Except the first half of Gundam ZZ. And the ending to the Gundam 00 movie, fuck that giant flower of friendship, those aliens deserved to die. And Seed Destiny, just fuck that whole series in general. I could probably make an entire blog about everything that was wrong and shitty about that series. But, I digress. The point is that Gundam Extreme VS. is one of the best Gundam games out there right now. However, it was only released in Japan. That’s right, you gotta import that shit. Import expenses aside, it’s pretty fun. However, it definitely lives up to its “extreme” moniker.

 First off, it’s got awesome DLC. The Blue Destiny and Arche Gundam are must-haves for diehard fans like me. However, they’re $10 a pop! I paid more for those two units than I did for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. LAME! There’s six DLC units, and I bought four of them. I spent $40 for DLC. I could’ve bought Max Payne 3 with that money! FUCK! That’s not even the end of it…no, this rant is FAR from over. The difficulty of this game is absolutely incredible. There’s no other way to describe it. The mission mode is fun, but after each tier the difficulty increases. The first round is a cake walk. The second one isn’t too bad. The third one gets challenging. The fourth one…OH MY FREAKIN’ GOD!

There’s one mission where they have you fight Amuro, Char, Kamille, and Scirocco with half your life bar. That’s not all, they get full EX burst (super mode) from the start and it doesn’t go away. Basically, you’re fighting four people, on a hard difficulty, with their abilities jacked throughout the fight, and you have a health handicap. Does Bamco not understand the meaning of fair? Or mercy? Oh, and your AI buddy is dumb as shit too. I got hit with a beam one time and had no idea where it came from, and when it zoomed in to show who fired the kill shot, it was my own partner. How retarded is that!!?? My own partner killed me. As if the rest of those overpowered fruitcakes weren’t enough to deal with, I gotta worry about friendly fire now. FUUUUUCCKKK!

I’m still not done. This game took two years to port from the arcade to PS3. TWO YEARS! Oh and guess what? After the port, they release an updated arcade version of it with suits like Strike Noir, Efreet Nacht, and other cool as shit suits in it. I wanna use the Strike Noir! Thank God they wised up and release it as DLC, but that was months later and yet another $10 price tag. Holy shit! When the previous incarnations of this game were announced, if there was a new series coming out (00, Unicorn), they put in suits that were going to be a part of the series (Exia, Unicorn). As of the time I’m writing this, Gundam Age has been completed (people give it a bad rap, I personally enjoyed it). How many Age suits are in the game? Zero. I don’t get it…I wanna play as Ninja AGE-1 or Pirate AGE-2 and I can’t. WHY!!!???

For all the complaining I’m doing, it’s actually a really good game. Gundam fanboys like me will absolutely love it. Still, they say it’s the little things that kill, and there are a lot of little fanboy peeves I have with this game. Still, its loads of fun, so don’t be discouraged from getting it. You just might want to wait a bit for the next version though. Damn assholes.

[vgnation-blog]

Gotta love Chinese rip-off stuff. Check out these "fighting putt" controllers Ken got. On the minus side, they have a "Mode" button that literally does nothing, and you can feel the cheap plastic. On the plus side, they were only $2 a pop and they work!

[vgnation-blog]

Ken gloats at how much better he is than Trids at Hard Corps, but then realizes a whole bunch of digitized foes want to obliterate him. He quickly realizes that it'll all be ok though, because he is Ken, and he is awesome.

[vgnation-blog]

Ken aims to climb the wall to victory, and break it down harder than Chris Jericho,