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The Dragon Ball Z Game We Deserve?

When I first saw screen shots of Dragon Ball Xenoverse I was extremely skeptical. And why shouldn't I be? Every game with DBZ in the title has been pretty average to terrible since the release of Burst Limit.

The most recent release, Battle of Z, was plagued by horrific team AI and mediocre gameplay. Needless to say it sucked, but for some reason when I read about Xenoverse it gives me hope and fills me with excitement. An excitement I haven't felt since the original Budokai games. Probably because this game is being developed by DIMPS, who were the masterminds behind some of the best DBZ games ever made. To anyone that has been following this franchise since the beginning this is awesome news. I have no problem putting faith in the development team to put together a DBZ game where the fighting lives up to its name. They've done it before. The big question for me is whats going to be new? As with all anime/manga based games they will attempt to cram as many characters in the game as possible for fan service, but what else will DIMPS do to make this feel like a new experience? I think the answer will come in the form of the new "what if" story mode being used in Xenoverse.

What we know so far is that Trunks send your created character back in time to intervene in different parts of the DBZ timeline. This is a creative way of keeping the story line fresh and new for gamers used to the normal story telling routine. The showstopper for me though is the character creation. This isnt Ultimate Tenaichi's shallow attempt at a create a character mode. From the available screen shots of the game the creation process is surprisingly deep.

It might be hard to see from the above picture, but just on this screen you can customize your character head, body size, eye shape, pupil shape, nose, mouth and ears.

Upper Costume, Bottom Costume, Hands, Feet, Z Accessories( sword, cape?)

This game is looking great so far, unfortunately there is not a release date set for it as of yet. We do know that it will be available for Xbox 360/One and PlayStation 3/4( no mention of Wii U...). As a huge DBZ fan I'm stoked for this game, and I'm hoping that the character creator is as deep as it seems from these screenshots. With DIMPS at the helm we should be getting a game that plays as good as it looks,and if the new twist on the story mode is as exciting as it sounds we might finally get the Dragon Ball Z game we deserve.

Credit goes to SaiyanIsland for posting and translating the screenshots.

The Death and/or Rebirth Of Capcom?

I love Capcom, but the company has become a shell of its former self. Lately the only thing we can count on from Capcom is a new variation of Street Fighter 4, and while that is one of the greatest fighting games ever it is also a six year old title with at least six iterations. No amount of of additional characters sprinkled on is going to make this a new game. Besides Dead Rising 3 I cant think of another notable release from Capcom that was not a re-release or a hd remastering of an older title. They've recently announced they are remastering the GameCube version of Resident Evil, which itself is a remake of the PS1 original RE. I wouldn't normally have an issue with this, but since there is zero original content coming from Capcom at the moment, the fact that they are doing a hd port of a port is kinda annoying.

 Why not remaster Resident Evil 2 then? Its the only one of the original titles that has yet to be redone, so why not go that route? Im hoping that this maybe their way of attempting to bring the franchise back into good graces with the fan base, and maybe somewhere down the line well get an announcement for a new RE with a new direction from the previous games. The series is in desperate need of returning to its roots(before RE5), as RE6 almost killed the franchise. And speaking of killing franchises, what the heck is up with Capcom's dislike for Mega Man? Yes, they have been releasing the classic Mega Man games on Nintendo's Virtual Console with regularity, and Mega Man is one of the combatants in the new Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS, but there hasn't been a new game in the franchise since Mega Man 10 in 2010!Lets not forget all of the scrapped Mega Man projects over the last 5 years like Legends 3, or Mega Man Universe. Thank goodness for Keiji Inafune or we would never see another "Mega Man" game again. Mighty Number 9 needs to be the swift kick in Capcom's ass we all want it to be, hopefully proving to Capcom that there is still a market for these types of games, and that the fans will support them. 

One of the more interesting stories to come out from Capcom's financial woes are the rumors and talk of potential buyouts from other companies. Like Nintendo. When I had first heard about the idea, I didn't know what to think, but after a quick Google search I saw that there are a ton of places talking about this. Nothing official of course, mainly just fan discussion of the idea, but what an idea it is! Why not? If the situation over at Capcom is as dire as the media has made it out to be, then it is only a matter of time before someone made a move, and this is an opportunity Nintendo definitely would not like to let slip through its fingers.

Hey bro, lets team up!

For a company historically known for having the least in 3rd party support, what better way to fix that than to have one of the largest 3rd party companies in the world working only for you? Capcom has been digging their own grave these last few years by doing their best to destroy the image of its most popular character, Mega Man, ruining the iconic Resident Evil franchise, and beating the hell out of the dead horse that is Street Fighter 4, but we've already touched on their poor use of those properties, lets take a look at how Capcom could possibly help Nintendo as it wages war against Microsoft and Sony. 

Lets start by resuscitating the Mega Man franchise with new games on both the Wii U and 3DS.  Capcom is already re-releasing a ton of the older Mega Man games on Nintendo’s virtual console, this is the perfect time buyout or not to release Mega Man 9 and 10 as downloadable titles on both Nintendo's systems. Street Fighter 4 was released as a launch title for the 3DS, how about you take one of those 100 different versions of the game and put one on Wii U? As far as fighting games go, there isn't much of anything to compete with ( Smash Bros. isn't out yet), so why not release one for Nintendo's home console? Same thing goes for Resident Evil. The last game in the franchise to hit a console for Nintendo was Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition, which by the way was one of the better received versions.

If a buyout does happen, no matter who ends up doing it Capcom will no doubt be much better off.  But, if it does, and Nintendo comes out on top, this could be great for Wii U owners everywhere. This is, however, a rumor, and one that I'm taking with a huge pile of salt. Its just fun to think about the possibilities the idea presents. One thing is certain, Capcom needs to go back to the basics, and start releasing great games again. Find a way to reignite the spark in the Resident Evil franchise the same way RE4 did ten years ago, and find a way to make your number one blue bomber relevant again. His appearance in the upcoming Smash Bros. is a good start to introducing Mega Man to a new generation, and reminding the rest of us why he is such an iconic character in the first place.

Check It Out! :The Wolf Among Us

I've just finished my first complete play through of Telltale's
A Wolf Among Us, and I can proudly say I have been hooked since the very first episode. As a matter of fact I'm ordering the graphic novels in which the game is loosely based as I type this. The story, the characters, everything about this game oozes cool. The game mixes the fables and their characters that we grew up hearing stories about with a noire element, and the results are spectacular. There haven't been many games released this year I would so strongly recommend(with the exception of Mario Kart 8, of course), but this is definitely a game you need to play. Especially if you are a fan of Telltale's popular The Walking Dead, or any of their games for that matter. This is not a review as much as it is an urging for anyone looking for something good to play this summer to pick this up.

There are five episodes total, and the best way to purchase them is through the season pass. Check out the launch trailer below. Enjoy.

New Guy Changes Timeline In Dragon Ball Xenoverse?

Well folks its that time of year again, and for those who don't know I'm talking about the arrival of a new Dragon Ball game. This year Namco Bandai is releasing Dragon Ball Xenoverse,  the first game in the series of popular anime fighters to release on PS4 and Xbox One as well as last gen consoles. Now, in my opinion the last few games in the series haven't been the greatest, but with the return of developer Dimps( the dudes behind the original Budokai games) I'm hoping for a better outing this time.  To be honest though, I'm more intrigued by this new character. The one that looks like Gohan stole Piccolo's cape along with Trunks' jacket and then decided to dye his hair red? On second thought, that would actually be cool.I'm not sure what they have up their sleeves, but that character being anyone other then Gohan or a descendant would make him seem extremely generic.

Bad ass alternate universe Gohan, or generic warrior dude?

 From whats going around the internet the games story mode may play out in what if scenarios, where the unnamed new character will be put into Dragon Ball canon changing its original outcome. Sounds pretty awesome if you ask me, and if done right could make for some really cool battles.

We'll just have to wait to find out who this mysterious warrior is, but whatever his connection to the story is Namco Bandai is calling this game an "unpredictable Dragon Ball experience". We can only hope. With a brand new spin on Dragon Ball lore, beautiful cel shaded graphics, and Dimps on the fighting, this could be the game we were looking for when Raging Blast came out. Ultimate Tenkaichi. Or Battle of Z. Pretty much anything released post Burst Limit. Stay tuned for more info as it comes. Credit goes to SaiyanIsland for the pictures.

One Of My Faves #3 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past

What is it that makes a game great to you? The answer to this should be different for everyone, but obviously there are the simple things you read in every review. We talk about graphics and sound quality, yet there is so much more to the games we play than this. I've played hundreds of games, not all of them great, but every so often you play one that sticks with you. A game that you refuse put down, or quit thinking about. A game that you use as a measuring stick for how good other games are   (or aren't). One that changes everything. For me, that game was the Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past...

 This game was everything for me. I liked the original Legend of Zelda, but A Link to the Past was the game in the franchise that made me a die hard fan. A fan for life. The same thing that Ocarina of Time did for gamer a generation later, that is what this game did for me. This was the first game to ever have me pull an all nighter. I cant remember exactly how old I was then, six or seven? Whatever age I was I was completely captivated by this game. It had it all. Drama? Check Action? Check. Suspense? Check. I still remember the sad moment when Link's uncle gives him the sword in the first dungeon of the game before passing away shortly after. Or how about the horrible scene of Agahnim the evil Wizard sacrificing Princess Zelda by sending her to the Dark World? For a game with very little dialogue, it was still able to convey tons of emotion and character. This is one of the prime examples of why the franchise does not need Link to have a voice. Much can be said by not saying anything.

Where should I go next?

Lets not forget this game was released back in 1991, but back then this game was massive. It felt like ages going from one side of the world to the other, and I loved it. The sheer scope was breathtaking and there was nothing like it back then. It was like nothing else I had ever seen or played before. With so much to see and do, it felt like I could spend countless hour just walking around hitting random walls looking for fairy fountains. Wait... that's something I actually did.
Not only was the games world huge for its time, there was also so much to explore and do. From secret passages to hidden items, the game rewarded you for your exploration.

One thing that remains constant throughout the franchise is the art style, and when I say constant I mean constantly beautiful. Even ALTTP, for how old it is, is still a very nice looking game, and is much easier to look at then say Final Fantasy 7(which although great, has not aged well graphically). Different art styles age much better than others, and this games colorful 2d world is a perfect example of such. Going back to the point of there being so much to see and do, much of this can be credited to the game aesthetic. The Legend of Zelda series has never been a slouch in design, and this game can be given credit for bringing to life some of the series most iconic creatures and locales.  It takes more than just a pretty game to make a great game though, and this brings me to the topic of music. There is arguably no other song as iconic in the world of video games as the Legend of Zelda Overworld theme. Just that song in itself would be enough, but the game(s) has so many different memorable tunes, its hard not to appreciate them. Some melodies are softer and slower, then other are faster and more menacing each conveying different emotion for different situations throughout the game.

We have already covered the looks and sound, now on to playability and replayability. This is one of the most important features that makes this such a timeless classic. The fact that every Zelda game plays so smooth and beautifully is a credit to the pedigree of Nintendo as a developer. Just like with any Mario game, you can rest assured anything in this series wont be less than spectacular. The game is extremely easy to pick up and play, but don't let that fool you into believing the game is not challenging. The streamline control scheme in my opinion allows the gamer to focus on whats important in the game, exploration. The game is full of dungeons and forest both packed puzzles and traps. Its up to us as gamers to utilize the weapons and items we find while exploring to get past each of them.

GOAT

The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past is my ruler for measuring the greatness of any game. I know that is setting the bar high, but if you don't reach for greatness why even try? There have only been a few games that have entertained me as much or for as long as this single game has. From the moment I picked up my sword and shield and set of to save the princess and the land Hyrule, I knew I was in for an awesome ride.This game is was amazing back then and has stood the test of time, and is seen by many as one of the greatest video games ever made.

 Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that this game would change my fondness of video games into the love it is today.

Tales of Xillia 2 E3 2014 Trailer