Hard Hat Sony

     Since Thursday (January 17), Sony Entertainment Network has undergone network maintenance.  Which means that Playstation 3 and VITA owners will have no access online, nor use any of their applications such as Netflix, Crackle, and of course the Playstation Store.   As of this writing there's no telling when this will finish. By the time this is posted, it might finish.  Until then, be patient.


[Sorry, no pics this time]

"If It Ain't Kamiya, Then it Sucks" They Say....

    [Warning: This post is subject to blogger's opinion.  The views express do not reflect the source of this article]

      In a nutshell, the original team that made such games as "Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, Okami, and Devil May Cry" were kicked out by Capcom. Same case when Keiji Inafune, the creator of Rockman [Mega Man] left said company. Since then, the hadouken spitting, zombie killing company has been the center of backlash, hate and controversy.

[Dante: Damn man, what's wit all this hatin? You ain't even bought me yet]

     It's one thing to loathe production and design practices, but another to cast judgment just for spite.  In late 2011, Capcom enlisted developer Ninja Theory to make the next Devil May Cry game in the stead of now Platinum Games.  Unfortunately upon announcement of the new design and retelling of the decade old epic, it was met with harsh vehement and disgust among fans; only a few had shown support for this change, including the developers themselves.  In fact, little positive respect was given to the new battle system.

     With the game's release on Martin Luther King Jr's birthday looming, people have already made critiques centering on this reboot.  Ninja Theory's Twitter page has admonished the fans to avoid these "Fake" reviews, which seems to be a good idea, considering that since this game has garnered negative attention long since initial development.  Also, I would like to go on and say the to do so without at least playing the demo or full game is unprofessional under any circumstances.

"Happy that no genuine review has been under 89% so far...some reviews where the writer hasn’t received review code and not even played the game”.

     

  Professional critiques usually come just moments before the product's release, upon which, the material must be played to a reasonable point of completion before giving out a verdict.  In that case, it's best to take Ninja Theory's advice and wait for a professional opinion.

[DMC4 Dante: You got the skill, but not the style. And what the f**k is with that cigarette?]

     This however, does not excuse them, or even Capcom after all the negative PR they have been receiving up until recently.  After playing the trail on my PS3, I was feeling rather discomforted.  This new Dante, and even Virgil were but eyesores and an immortal stain to the Devil May Cry Series.  Plus, I can't forgive your depiction of the previous Dante as "laughable".

     DMC: Devil May Cry will be in North American store shelves January 15 (after this post).  This game uses the Unreal Engine, much like it's Cyber Connect 2 digital anime game, Asura's Wrath.  Buyer beware, but save your opinion after playing the game, or at least completing it.

Source: Analog Addiction

Article Link:Analog Addiction.org

Sonic Begins. Starring Steve Urkel and Nostalgia Critic

     Fan films of all kind have been surfacing, even before the days of streaming media and social networks. though the difference between then and now is that now, people have the experience, the tools, and the resources.  Such is the case with Blue Core Studios and there homage to our beloved blue streaker.

[Kickin' Eggman's butt since 1991]

Sonic Fan Film by Blue Core Studios.

     The fan film dubbed "Sonic" is a fan's interpretation of how the high school freshman aged hedgehog got started protecting all life from Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik and his machanized army of destruction.  The movie starts off with Eggman's Egg Carrier looming over the planet Mobius, and as this happens, Eggaman begins his terroristic threat against mankind and the world.  The military is powerless against him and all hope seems lost until the blue quilled hedgehog, initially called the blue blur, comes to their and the world's aid.

And thus, the battle begins.

     Apparently, alot of effort was put into making this eighteen minute film.  The special effects and CGI show little to almost no blemish.  The same goes for the acting.  The who's who of internet personalities have made an appearance; James "Angry Video Game Nerd" Rolfe, minus the sailor mouth is there, along with That Guy With The Glasses moderator and former Nostalgia Critic, Doug Walker, plays the role of one of the G.U.N. soldiers. Plus, the extra icing on the cake come in the form of Jaleel White [Family Matters, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog] reprising his old role as Sega's prized mascot.

[Special shout-out to Doug Walker of TGWTG for posting the video on my feed]

     I recommend watching this; arguably one of the best fan films I have ever come across. And support Sega and Sonic Team by playing the Sonic titles you love.

     Sonic the Hedgehog was created by Yuji Naka in 1991, and was released for the Sega Megadrive (Genesis).  Sonic Generations was Released in 2011, commerating Sonic's 20th anniversary.  Sonic All-Star Racers Transformed featuring Disney's Wreck-It-Ralph in stores now.

Fan Film by Blue Core Studios

Doug Walker's Site: That Guy With The Glasses

My Facebook:Showa's World.

R.I.P. Playstation 2: 2000 - 2013

     The Playstation 2: arguably one of the greatest video game consoles of the 2000's.  It's safe to say that the legendary black box has outshined every console during the decade.  In a period of 12 years, 150 million units were sold worldwide, making it one the most top selling platforms of it's kind.

[Niggas be like, "One more for the road"]

     Anyone remember the Super Nintendo? Games like "Rockman and Forte" were being produced for the console - in 1998.  Same case with the Game Boy Advance and it's micro and other titles being released when the Nintendo DS was making a lighter handheld.  Normally, the console's life cycle lasts up to 6 years maximum, but there are few that do so well, and the PS2 is no exception.  Of course part of why it lasted so long was it's library of games being made; even Sony corp didn't want to see it die, which was made apparent in E3 2010 (I believe).

     On December of 2012, Sony Japan discontinued production of one of the greatest  systems of all time; prior to that, Square Enix created an expansion for Final Fantasy XI, a game that was released for less than a decade, and one of the first to utilize the Hard Drive peripheral for the PS2.  This raises questions such as, "Why after all this time", or "Why now, Square".

Anyway, I wish to ask you or whoever reading, what were your fondest memories of this system?  What software did you buy and why?  While you answer, I'll give you mine:

[Dante: Imma sing a song about this sandwich]

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening SE - The more superior of the five Devil May Cry games released to date.  Not only was it the prequel to the franchise, but was the basis for flare based hack and slash games to follow.  The game divided Dante's martial arts to four fighting styles; giving players room to experiment and find their niche method of combat.  The story was to the point, the characters were awesome, and it was nice to see the actors of Power Rangers Time Force, especially the Quantum Ranger Daniel Southworth play the protagonist's twin brother Vergil.  It was challenging, rewarding, and over the top as it should be.  Speaking of challenging, Capcom released the SE edition with a fixed difficulty, extra unlockables, and an "Easy Mode" (normal mode in the Japanese version); proof that the company had a heart for the fans back in 2005.  This game was first purchase for the PS2 and will hold a place in my heart.

[PS3 is region free. Wish a nigga would make an HD version of this]

Kingdom Hearts II - This was the first of the Kingdom Hearts games I purchased, and played to completion.  I would suggest you play Chain of Memories and 358/2 before this.  In the continuing search for Mickey, Riku and Kairi, Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy must find out the secrets of Organization 13 [The 13th Order in Japan] and prevent them from harnessing the power of Kingdom Hearts.  In doing so, the travel to various worlds(most of them from classic Disney movies), and ally with the likes of Alladin, Mulan, Cloud, and Squall [Leon in this game].  The series is a melting pot of Square and Disney characters, and much like Marvel and Capcom, this actually works.  At first, I thought this would be a game I ignore after a few days of gameplay, but I later realize that the setup was much more than I initially judged; a robust QTE system, great graphics, and awesome music and story.  And how about that 1000 heartless battle? I bet you saved that one part to play again and again; because I did... A Final Mix of the game was made soon after, which featured alternate costumes, new Drive forms, and battles with all of the members of the 13th Order, however that version can only be imported or pirated (I suggest the first option).

[For f**k sake, enough of the gay porn]

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Series - With it's predecessor, Dragon Ball having long since established itself as a long lived brand in the history of Japanese entertainment, Naruto quickly gains momentum as a media brand worldwide.  At first the Ultimate Ninja Series (Narultimate... go with it) incurred alot of grief from critics, but when Ultimate Ninja 3 rolled in with it's take on the Sasuke retrieval arc, fans and critics alike payed attention.  For it being a side-scrolling fighter at the time, the evolution it went through was nothing short of three dimensional.  It didn't feel like your average anime tie-in game at all, but more like an experience.  Though I haven't watched all of the anime adaptation of Kishimoto's manga, I can safely say that I saw Naruto grow up as a video game franchise.

[There next movie should be a Tyler Perry Film]

Tekken 5: Great game, shit story: which was what I meant by that statement under the photo.  The fifth installment in the "Life with the Mishimas" franchise follows the emotionless and enigmatic Jin Kazama as makes his greatest choice upon defeating his great grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima (not as epic as it sounds).

The graphics are a vast improvement from 4 and the character customization is superb.  Then you have Dark resurrection which has new stages and new characters. But that's for PSP and PSN online(Playstation 3).

     We'll miss you PS2, you left a pretty decent legacy for the fans of Sony products.

Sources: JEFusion/ Kotaku.com