The Nintendo 3DS is coming.

First of all, to briefly explain my absence: Slowly, Im working on bringing video to this blog. Meaning, sooner or later, I plan on actually taking this blog into the video era! Which means, yes fellow gamers, you will be able to see and hear your doctor live and in person!

But that technology isnt available to me yet. But there is no way I could pass up on blogging about the newest console setting the gamer discussion board ablaze, and that system being the 3DS.

Europe is getting this fancy new handheld system on March 25th, and I've heard that we're getting it March 27th (although that was only through Twitter, so I could definitely be wrong), and anyone who watched the event in Europe knows why this is a big deal. All of the launch and near launch titles look INCREDIBLE. Super Street Fighter 4? Looks just as impressive as it did on the console versions. Legend of Zelda OoT? Looks BETTER than it did before, and for a 64 game, that game looked incredibly impressive originally.

But here's the question on everyone's mind: $250 at launch, worth it or no? And I've heard arguements for both sides, but I'm going to tell you why I feel that yes, it is very much worth it.

First of all, everyone I talk to dwells on two issues: 1) the 3D 2) the fact that its a portable system. Well firstly, stop dwelling on the 3D aspect, because here's the reality: The 3D, is only ONE aspect of this system. An aspect that really, should be looked at more as an added bonus to what this handheld system can do. The real drawing point of this system? It's a handheld system capable of competing against current gen consoles. This console is capable of fully running Gamecube, Playstation 2, and X-Box games. As a matter of fact, Tales of the Abyss, a MASSIVE, and quite frankly gorgeous RPG for the Playstation 2 is on the list of future releases for the 3DS. And even though it might not be able to play a 360 or PS3 game, it is capable of producing a game with just as good graphics (I.E. Street Fighter 4). So don't get hung up on the fact that it plays games in 3D. Focus on the fact that this handheld system, has incredible power behind it.

As for those who are stuck on the fact that it's a handheld system, I'd like to argue that the fact that it is a handheld system is exactly why it is worth that price. The fact again, that games look just as good as PS3 and 360 games, but are still less than both of those systems, plus you're not limited to one particular area leads me to argue that Nintendo could have even charged MORE for this system. Originally, people were thinking this was going to be a $300-500 system. The fact that they decided to release it at $250 is incredible.

Also remember, for those who are thinking "Why would you charge only 50 dollars less than the consoles for a handheld system?" Remember two things: The Playstation 3, debuted at $600-700. As far as IM concerned, that's the biggest rip off in release price. But notice it's down to $300. Same with the X-Box, which was originially running $400-500 at it's release date. Why is that? Because they've been out for a while, meaning the price dropped. On top of that, nobody complained when Sony's utter failure of a Portable system debuted at the EXACT SAME PRICE.

In closing, I'm just going to put it like this. If you find yourself in March with $300 dollars, and you're wondering whether you should get the 3DS, or a console, go with the 3DS + game, especially considering the incredible list of launch titles they have planned. The 3DS is nothing short of a revolutionary handheld system, which this blogger believes will pretty much cement Nintendo as the king of handheld. Notice that all of the current gen consoles have been around for a long time. Because they're kept alive by the fact that there really is no need to update to a newer, bigger system with the fact that they're all very powerful systems, and they have DLC keeping their games fresh. Nintendo wanted to do the very same thing with their handheld system, and I believe with the 3DS, they will manage exactly that. The 3DS is vastly worth the $250 Nintendo is asking for it. All I'm asking is: If you're going to argue whether or not $250 is too much for the system, keep in mind there is a difference whether or not it's worth $250, and whether or not you can afford it. Nintendo shouldn't sell their system short just because you might not have the money.

My Perscription: When you have the money, get this system.
Dr. Buck

Double Review: DKC Returns and Fable 3

I know I know, I said in my update I wasn't going to do a review (so I'm fixing it by doing two, right?), but I actually have two good reasons for changing it.

Firstly, my original blog post was going to be about Controversy in Gaming. But as I started typing it, I realized usually when I talk about these things, I tend to have someone to debate and discuss against. It's a little hard trying to simply type on my own. So maybe one day I'll come back to the idea, but I can't do it just yet (perhaps as my first video post?)

Secondly, I got both of these games on Black Friday, and have been playing them non-stop, so I figured it might be a good idea to review them while they're fresh in my mind.

So lets start with Donkey Kong Country Returns!

Visuals:
This game is visually impressive, to say the VERY least. At times, this game is absolutely beautiful at times.

(This, of course, is one of those times)

Team Retro, as you know, are the people that took Metroid into the 3D, first person perspective, so you already know if anyone can handle bringing back the Donkey Kong Country series, its them. They pay attention to every visual detail in this game. The caves are dark, damp, and murky, while the forest is lush and mysterious. Simply put, I don't have any complaints about the way this game looks at all. It captures the very feel of the original Donkey Kong Country, while giving it a fresh, new outlook.

Audio:
Normally I would include voice acting in this portion, though, since there's very little actual voice acting in this game, there isn't much to say.

That being said, the music in this game is just as impressive as the visuals. You might find that a good portion of the soundtrack are updated, newer versions of songs heard in the original Donkey Kong Country Returns, although a few newer songs are added to the list, including the incredibly catchy theme that plays any time and of the Tikis make an appearance. But this is okay. I promise you, if you're either a fan of good video game music, and/or the soundtrack of the original Donkey Kong Country, you'll have little to no problems with the music in this game.

Gameplay:
Here is where we come to the bulk of the game. Gameplay, of course!

Now our Simion friend is very seldom given credit for this, but as far as platforming goes, Donkey Kong is often put in titles that can stand toe-to-toe with some of fellow rival and Nintendo teammate, Mario. It really depends on your playstyle however. While Mario features more fine-tuned, finess, while Donkey Kong's hulking frame causes him to lumber around a little more. However, while Mario remains the king of platforming (especialy since Mario's had a far better career in both 2D and 3D platforming), whether or not you decide to play New Super Mario Bros. Wii, or Donkey Kong Country returns, is simply a matter of preference (though, I would definitely reccomend both).

Speaking of the original game, you'll find that a few of the things in the original game have been removed. Firstly, there's no more swimming levels. (I know how utterly disappointed all of you are). They've also gotten rid of every animal that wasn't Rambi the Rhino. Which doesn't really make the any worse, just, if you were looking forward to any of these things, or maybe the swimming levels are your favorite part (which, if it was, you have an odd sense of fun), this might not be the game for you.

What sets Donkey Kong Country Returns apart from pretty much any Super Mario game is difficulty. Long story short, DKC Returns will KICK. YOUR. ASS. Im not even kidding. No matter who you are, you will die several times in this game. Which, if you remember, the original Donkey Kong Country was difficult as well. But this game takes that difficulty to a brand new level. It starts out easy enough, as any game should, but by the time you make it to the cave world, you will want to rip your hair out.



Now if you watch that video you'll see, what was (for me at least), probably the single most frustrating level in this stage. Now this person does a pretty good job, but keep in mind that this person doesnt try to collect anything, save for the puzzle piece at the begining. But imagine me, who's personal goal was to try and collect all the K-O-N-G letters, and Puzzle pieces when I can find them. This level was sheer hell.

Momentary Diversion: As a general rule of thumb, the Puzzle Pieces typically aren't very hard to get to, just not in obvious spots. The letters are usually put right out there for you, but you'll have to use all of your platforming prowess to get to them.

And this is only an example of how hard this game gets. But this game is also that sadistic sort of difficulty, as in you NEVER GET GAME OVER. Extra lives are in abundance, as are the bannana medals, which you can use to buy more extra lives. I currently have 80+ lives and nearly 300 bananna medals. But this just means you have no excuse to quit, no excuse to give up. If you quit, you revoke your gamer card. So if your friend is suddenly bald next time you see them, I wouldn't be surprised if this game was the culprit.

But is this a bad thing? Not at all. As a matter of fact, this to me is what real hardcore gaming is. And this brings up another point. Never have I played a game this difficult, and with this many challenges in it (ranging from the time trial challenges, the collection challenges, on top of simply clearing each level) on any other system. So to say the Wii isn't for hardcore gamers is absolute bullsh*t. Just because a game doesn't feature adult themes, doesnt make it hardcore.

That rant aside, the only negative thing I have to say about this game is that the bosses, in comparison to the the difficulty of the main portion of the game, seem to be rather easy, which was also a problem in the original Donkey Kong. Although, the bosses in this time are much more varied than the original, and feature a few more differently challenges, they're still fairly easy in comparision to the rest of the game, which is a little disappointing at the end of the day.

Overall:
Overall, if you own a wii, you should own this game. It's probably the best, non Mario 2D platformer out there, and right along with with Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, it's probably the hardest Wii game out there. Regardless, it's a really great game, especially for those looking for a challenge that hasn't been present for a long time in gaming. My score: 9.5 out of 10.


Fable 3:

Personally, I have mixed feelings about Fable 3. As a long time Fable fan, I wanted to pick this game up, run home, play it, and give it the perfect 10 it deserves. But some of these "dynamic changes", really drag the game down. So I wanted to hate it. I wanted it to be such an absolute failure that I could vent about it, and rightfully tell people how bad it sucked. But there's enough good here so that it still qualifies as a good game. So I guess we'll dive in and find out what I'm talking about.

Visual:
The game is improved in look over Fable 2, though not by much. The cutscenes do have a particular polish that wasn't present in the previous game, but aside from that, the game looks largely the same. Granted, that isn't necessarily bad, as Fable 2 wasn't a bad looking game by any means, but it would have been nice to see at least a little bit of an increase in visual pleasure, though, sometimes you get the feel that all of the visuals in the game are too much for an X Box 360 to handle, since the game is prone to random slowdowns and, albiet very rare, crashes. But again, thats very rare, at least, due to visuals.

You will find, however, that the typical information on the screen in previous games has been done away with. And this begins number one of the changes I didn't like. They decided instead, that the screen was going to fade to grey as you lost health, which, as you know, is something more recent FPS have done. And this would be okay (though, I don't think it was really necessary), if only there weren't a few problems with it, like the fact that IT BARELY FADES. Granted, if you're like me, you probably go out and purchase a billion potions (though, this game does have a limited stock of items at any given time, yet another change I don't like, abliet a minor one), so you probably won't die, because they do start prompting you to use the potions around the time you hit about halfway dead, but if you don't have any, then you're most likely screwed, since the screen only looks slightly grey before you die. Granted, there is a slightly audible heartbeat noise once you hit about halfway once again, and if you're looking out for it, the corners of the screen begin to look slightly red, so I guess these are minor complaints, but what was the problem with simply leaving the health bar at the top of the screen? It's not like it took up that much space, and I highly doubt anyone was complaining about it's existance.

Audio:
The soundtrack is your typical fantasy score, filled with orchestral, Lord of the Rings style music. In reality, you're probably not going to have a particular song that you like or dislike, unlike a game such as Super Smash Bros Brawl, or even DKC Returns, mostly because all of the music seems to flow together, and isn't really distinguishable. And this isn't really a bad thing, mind you. It means the music is never really annoying, or particularly overpowering, but serves the enhance the emotion experience, like back ground music should. Its comparable to going to a fantasy movie, or something of that sort.

As far as voice acting goes, well, to put in simple terms, it's fantastic. Gone are the days when you simply play as yet another silent hero who simply grunts and groans.

(Dear Video Game developers, THIS should be the only silent hero on the market anymore)

Both the male and female characters now have their own voice actors. Granted, the don't have the most lines in the play, but your character actually speaking adds a lot to the the entire experience. The other voice actors are really good as well, but it should be specifically noted that John Cleese, of Monty Python fame plays your butler, which is a definite plus.

Story:
The story is much improved as well. Rather than starting out as a young weakling, and becoming incredibly powerful by the end of it, becoming powerful is only half the quest.

This time around, you spend the first half of the game finding out you're a hero, and learning your powers so you can overthrow your brother and become king of Albion. But once you become king, you then have to choose how to rule, and attempt to keep the promises you made on your quest for the throne while at the same time preparing for a bigger threat. Reality is, Lionhead Studios actually does a decent job of making this a difficult task, if one wants to do the good guy thing, actually giving a decent idea of what ruling an entire country might be like.

Gameplay:
Firstly, I'm going to throw something out there, that I want you to meditate on until we get to that point. You ready?

Your character, by default, is Bisexual.

Now holding that thought in the back of your mind, lets start with the root gameplay. Combat, isn't largely the same, but rather exactly the same. You still do Melee damage with one button, ranged with another, and then magic with another. And there's nothing wrong with this remaining the same. In fact, I'm rather glad that this remains the same. But within gameplay, we have the most of our problems. Firstly, are the glitches fixed? Not entirely. You'll find it does feel like a less glitchy experience, but at the same time, still glitchier than a game should be.

But here is where we find a lot of gameplay has been changed. So lets look and see what changes were for the better, and which ones werent.

One thing that definitely works for the better is the new pause menu. It feels a million times more seamless than previous pause menus. The sanctuary is far less tedious than simply surfing through different menus to accomplish basic tasks. This however, pulls you into everything, making it feel like a much more personal affair.

Another really good change is X Box live play. No longer are you forced to be some nameless henchmen, no. You can now actually take your hero into another hero's world, and earn gold that way. I tell you, this is much much improved over the last game. You can also join a random game, allowing you to find new friends that way. You can even marry and have children with other players. Of course, it's still not perfect. You can't pause individually, meaning if one player pauses, then it pauses for the other player. You also have to be in the same city as the other player, in fact, if you're the host player, the other player has to be near you if you want to wrap up a quest. I was paused for at least 5 minutes trying to finish my quest, while some random player decided to wander around Brightwood. It isn't the MMO experience that we wanted, but it is a step in the right direction.

Now for the bad. Remember that idea I told you to keep in the back of your mind? Well time to discuss it. I suppose it is a bit of an extreme statement, and I'm not saying being bisexual is a bad thing, but it's awfully frustrating when you no longer have control over what gender your character flirts with. This game completely butchered the social system. Now, to get someone to fall in love with you, or even like you, you have to cycle through the same few positive expressions to increase their standing from Neutral, to Friend, to Love. It's bad enough that the citizens of Albion are selfish enough to send you on some sort of quest before they'll allow you to be friends, but to even get to that point, you'll be chatting with, erotic dancing, hugging, and possibly even kissing anyone of any given gender. And while it is nice that there finally is physical contact between people and even ones spouses, it really takes you out of the experience when you can't even control how you interact with other people.

The other really negative statement, gameplay wise, I have to say about this game is weaponry. The only two Melee weapons are swords and hammers, and the only two ranged weapons are pistols and rifles. Now I understand that in the original Fable, the only two ranged weapons were Bows and Crossbows. But in Fable 2, you had Crossbows, Pistols, and Rifles, not to mention several sub catagories within these, such as Blunderbusses, Flintlock Pistols, and special types of crossbows. Fable 2 also featured a wide myriad of Melee weapons. So why take those choices away? I mean, I understand the developer wanted to make a game were everyone wasn't chasing after one weapon, so he created this weapon evolution system, which changes your weapons based on the way you play the game. And don't get me wrong, this is a cool idea, but did that really only apply to hammers, swords, pistols, and rifles? And if you really wanted this game to be unique, why not just include a standard weapon customization system that many other games have? I mean, Neverwinter Nights, rather than overcomplicating things, gives you several different premade options for your armor. Some games would even expand on this, and make the color customizable, much like your dye system. So why complicate this? I was really excited to have my own customizable weapons, until you created this overdone system. Not to mention... YOU ONLY HAVE HAMMERS AND SWORDS!

Overall:
Fable 3 is a victim. Fable 3 is the victim of having a creator that wanted to create a revolutionary RPG that was unlike any other. However, he took the idea of making it "unlike any other" to an extreme, and changing almost everything about the game. Some of these changes work, some of them are so bad, that they're almost game breakers for me. For the most part, this game actually feels like an experiment. IGN was right when they said that this game feels like what Fable 2 should have been, and Fable 3 should have been the improvement. That being said, this is by no means a bad game, and not all of the changes are bad. Hopefully, if/when Fable 4 is made, the negatives will be thrown out, and the positives will be kept, allowing it to become the perfect Fable game. My score: 7 out of 10.

Quick Fix: Next post and... a new blog?

I know what you're probably thinking: Doc, you've been gone so long, and all we're getting is an update??? And for now, yes. Why? Mostly becuase the doctor has gotten a new job. And while that job isnt particularly demanding, this week is training week meaning I have to be there EVERY DAY this week. So yeah, you'll have to wait until next week before you get a new post. But then again, a ton of games came out these last few weeks (Fable III, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Fallout New Vegas, Call of Duty Black Ops, and so many more...), so I'm guessing you can find something to keep yourself busy. But I do have an idea for a new blog post in mind already, and it does have to do with a game recently released. And I'll give you a couple of hints. 1st, the game is Medal of Honor, and 2nd, its not a review (the first game I review on this site will be Fable III, and you can expect to see that here in a few weeks). So if you know what Im hinting at and you're excited, just wait until next week! Or if you have no clue, you'll find out then.

Now I know what you're probably REALLY thinking. What's this about a new blog, doc? Well its true. I'm teaming up with a friend of mine (who doesnt have a blog, nor has he picked a posting name yet), and taking everything anime related about this blog (we covered anime on this blog???), and expanding it to ALL animation, on a new blog called Animation Timezone! While there are a few more things that we have to get set up before thats up and rolling, check back next week around the same time I update this blog, and we should have that one rolling!

And one final thing. Me and the girlfriend over at I Can Has Catboy? are looking to attempt a crossover of sorts, so if you have any ideas, let me know! Thank you my loyal readers. Keep gaming!

Dr. Buck

Nostalgia Doctor: My Favorite Console/My First Console War

So we've talked about the future of gaming, so what better time to take you back to the past. But I'm not the AVGN, so we're gonna talk about something positive. Now this post might come across as a little different than my previous ones becuase this one is a little bit more personal.

I also want to point out, before I get too much farther into this post that I don't hate Sony by any means. As a matter of fact, I rather like Sony, and enjoyed their Playstation 2 console. And it might seem like I'm bashing Sony, but I'm not trying to. I'm just attempting to take you back to how I felt when I was a kid.

That being said, you can probably assume where I'm going with this. As the
girlfriend (yep. Two bloggers coming together. It's like a legendary crossover game... Like Phoenix Wright/Proffesor Layton crossover ^_^) frequently likes to point out, I am a huge Nintendo fan. Which might be why, my favorite console is none other than the Nintendo 64.

Now I'd like to add the disclaimer that the Nintendo 64 was not my first console. To the best of my knowledge, that was actually the Sega Genisis. And maybe we'll talk about that at some point, but the point being is, the Nintendo 64 has captured a special place in my heart that no other console can take. To this day, I have not owned more games for one console (and that's including downloadable games) at one point in time. I think at the height of my owning that console, I believe I owned upwards of 30 games.

Now if you were me, this was about the time the phrase "console war" had any meaning to you. Now by sales, the Playstation 1 did sell more than the Nintendo 64, so by numbers the Playstation 1 did win. But in terms of memorability, it goes to the Nintendo 64. That's all I ever heard anyone talk about. That's all anyone around me owned. And more than anything, I wanted one. Badly. So imagine my excitement when I finally got one for Christmas. And slowly, my collection of games began to grow, and grow, and grow.

Now without doing too much dissing of the Playstation 1, I just wanted to compare a few key characters that were pretty famous on the console. For the few people I knew that did own a Playstation 1, the primary names that always were mentioned were Spyro, Rayman, Solid Snake, and Crash Bandicoot. Of course, if you tried to think of Sony characters now, you'd have to add (maybe even replace this list) characters like Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, Kratos, and Sly Cooper, who are all great characters (most notably Sly Cooper).

Now I have several friends who absolutely love Spyro the Dragon. And I was never able to understand why. Every time I picked up a Spyro game, I felt greatly underwhelmed. I felt like, if I was a dragon, I wanna be big, giant, and reign fire on cities. Now keep in mind I was a little kid back then, so I can appreciate Spyro a little more now, but back then, I always remembered thinking "Why play this, when I can play a really grand adventure like Legend of Zelda. Now this was a game that couldn't disappoint. Right from the very moment you fire up the game, you know you're in for a great adventure. And at the time, the opening scene to Ocarina of Time was possibly the most impressive opening you'd ever seen in a game.

Then there was Rayman. Now let me go on record as saying probably my favorite Playstation game was Rayman 2. And I positively love the Rayman series. However, the problem you run into here, is that while everyone clammored after Rayman, he wasn't really a Playstation exclusive character. As a matter of fact, the Rayman game mentioned above was released on the Nintendo 64 itself. The other problem being, while Rayman was a great, off-beat Platform adventure game, another game that has a very special place in my heart, comparable to the Rayman games is none other than the Banjo Kazooie series. Now I know, Rare moved off to Microsoft, but while Rare was under ownership of Nintendo, great games like this were being made. I logged HOURS into both Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie, two of my favorite platformers ever.

Now I dont wanna spend too much time on Metal Gear Solid, suffice to say I've never really cared much for any of the games, so naturally Metal Gear Solid didn't really intice me into getting a Playstation 1. Now our friend Shawn, who is currently taking a hiatus because he has the money to get all the really cool games coming out right now, happens to be a huge fan of Solid Snake. So it's obvious that he, much like everyone else on that list happens to have dedicated fans, but not even he attracted me to the Playstation 1.

Now possibly the one character on the Playstation 1 I heard about the most was none other than Crash Bandicoot. Everyone with a Playstation 1 owned and was actively playing some sort of Crash Bandicoot game, which led me to sort of look at him as the sort of poster boy/mascot for the Playstation 1, which was cool, but then when it came to mascots, naturally he's going to be compared by this kid to the number one mascot, Super Mario. Now firstly, one reason I really enjoyed my Nintendo 64 is becuase it contained the first Mario game I ever played, the revolutionary Super Mario 64. And after this, I was Mario's number one fan. Not long after this game, Nintendo's pudgy little plumber became my all time favorite Nintendo character. So naturally, Crash Bandicoot could never stand up to Mario, and all of his many games on this very system even.

Though, to close the comparison portion between the two fighting systems, I will say one area the Playstation 1 did win in is Castlevania. The Nintendo 64 got two 3D Castlevania games, which reviews have ranged from dreadfully negative to decently positive, versus the Playstation 1's Symphony of the Night, which is regarded by many as the best Castlevania game ever made.

So to close out this little rundown of my favorite console, let's look at the top 15 games that made me adore this system.

15) GoldenEye 007: A lot of people have very fond memories of this game, and Im one of them. Much like several other games on this system, I logged several hours into this game, in both multi and single player. This was also the first game that I got very big into using cheat codes

14) Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards: Also my very first Kirby game, I remember how much fun it was to combine the different powers to see what powers each combination could come up with. It was also one of the earliest games that I ever finished, though not 100%

13) Gauntlet Legends: Now I've owned several incarnations of this game over the years, but the one I remember most fondly is the N64 incarnation. Its not that this version really stands out over any other version, however it is the first incarnation I remember playing, and the first one that I did take the entire gauntlet through the game.

12) Starfox 64: I don't think anyone who owned a Nintendo 64 didn't play this game at some point. Not even going into multiplayer, this games single player campain was addicting to say the very least. Although there were only two final stages, the numerous different ways to get there were always a mystery (to this day, I have not visited every stage).

11) WWF No Mercy: Now I know what your thinking: "A wrestling game? Really?" Well again, keep in mind, this was when I was young, and this game gave us ample amounts of control and creativity. Even with all the great changes that the new wrestling games are making today, WWF No Mercy is still, in my opinion, the best wrestling game ever made

10) Mario Party (series): This was the game that, at least for a few hours, brought my family together. This was possibly the pinnacle of multiplayer gaming in my childhood. Now these games werent too fun to play alone, but when you had a group of people, it was addictingly fun.

9)Pokemon Stadium (series): Now when i talked about the next generation of Pokemon, I briefly talked about Pokemon Stadium, but this game pretty much ignited my Pokemania. I loved going through the different cups with my different Pokemon. I even made team taylored to every cup playable. I could spend an entire day playing either Pokemon stadium game.

8) Paper Mario: Possibly my very first RPG, this game was nothing short of enjoyable. I never actually beat the game on the original console (that's becuase I never really had the money to buy it, so I only had it on a rent), but I tried, and tried, and got at least half way through within a week.

7) Mario Kart 64: Another game I don't think a 64 owner went without playing at some point, this game was a lot like Mario Party, except it was even fun to play alone as well. To a lot of people, this WAS the original Mario Kart, and with very good reason. This game was a blast, and easily one of the best racers for the system.

6) Banjo Kazooie (series): I already talked about this game above, so I don't really have a ton to say here, other than the fact that this game is a perfect blend of humor, fun, creativity, and fantasy adventure.

5) Legend of Zelda: Occarina of Time/Majora's Mask: Easily two of the best games on the Nintendo 64. This was Link's first step into the 3D realm, and what a very graceful step it was. Now I never managed to beat either of these games on the original system (as a matter of fact, I still haven't beaten either game to this day), but it was always fun up to the point I did make it to. Just running around in this expansive world was simply incredible.

4) Donkey Kong 64: Although 3 out of the 5 kongs in this game were unknown prior to it, this was, for the longest time, a very strong contender for my favorite Nintend 64 game. The fact that there were so many puzzles and challenges which were difficult, but never frustrating made this one of the most enjoyable games I've ever had the pleasure to own. When I think Nintendo 64, this is one of the first games that come to mind.

3) Diddy Kong Racing: This was always my favorite game to play with friends. The fact that, much like Mario Kart, there was multiplayer racing madness, but added to the fun was the numerous tracks with several fun, fantastic themes, and the fact that you could choose to race in three different vehicles was something incredible to my young mind. So much so that I could barely handle it.

2) Super Smash Bros: The game that started it all. Again, another party game, however, this was the first game that I could literally play for days if my body would allow me. The game that brought all of Nintendo's greatest superstars into one game... just so Mario could destroy them all. There was only one other game that I had more fun playing on this system, but despite that fact, this was the very first game that I ever had the "must own" feeling for.

1) Super Mario 64: Now again, I talked about it above, so I don't really have much to say about this game. That being said, Super Mario 64 was a huge, expansive game with hours of exploration, and ton of places for someone like me to mess around in. And trust me, as a kid, any game that I could just mess around in was a good game for me to own.

Now other games that didn't make this list include Lego Racers, 1080 Snowboarding, Snowboard kids, and Yoshi's Story, among others. But even those were games that I spent hours playing, and made up why I absolutely addored this system. This was about the time I first started refering to myself as a gamer, and what began to mold me into what I am today.

My Perscription: Don't be afraid to go back and look at your past every once in a while.
Dr. Buck

Gaming: Where we are and where we're going

Well fellow nerds, here it is. The big one. The post to end them all (not really). Here we talk about the future of gaming. Where are we headed and where we're going. What's going to shape the future of this great American pastime. (And in case you don't believe me when I say that this is the big one, wrap your brain around this: I've been working on this post since literally right after my last post went up)

First of all, I want to state that once again, this is my opinion, and there are plenty of folks to ask. If you want to read other opinions besides mine, try IGN, and G4TV, specifically the Grandfather of Gaming himself, Adam Sessler. Needless to say, I have endless amounts of respect for this man, and value his every opinion.

But this is my blog! So for right now, you're listening to my opinion. And trust me when I say this, we're gonna talk about EVERY gaming method, so grab a snack and get reading.

First off, I want to talk about an always hot gaming topic, PC gaming! Now I know what so many people are saying "PC gaming is dead". Truth is, however, not only is PC gaming NOT dead, it's not even showing signs of dying.

Why is PC gaming thriving? One word, MMOs. For you see, excluding very RARE exceptions, MMOs are just something that appearantly people can't seem to master on the console. I mean, between games like World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons online, City of Heroes/Villians, the upcoming DC Universe MMO, and the numerous different MMO both currently being played, and on in the works. Another thing keeping PC gaming alive? FPS. A lot of people would argue (and I'd probably be inclined to agree) that the best method to playing FPS is on a PC. Some people are such purists on the subject that they refuse to play them any other way.

But now we have to flip things around. While it IS true that PC gaming is not dead, and isn't really dying, one has to ask, is PC gaming the future of gaming? Well, one guy (Chris Taylor, I believe his name is) was on Attack of the Show recently, and he's probably the self-proclaimed poster boy for PC gaming. However, I find that I have to disagree.

Why? On paper, PC gaming seems like it should be the most versitile, widely adopted form of gaming. I mean, just about everyone has a computer. In fact, unless you're reading this at a library or a friend's house (in which case I'd have to wonder why you're not doing stuff with said freind), you own a computer. So on paper, that makes sense right? So why isn't that happening? Well the obvious answer is the fact that, most computers weren't built to handle both every day things, PLUS serving as a gaming console. I mean, my old computer only had one game on it. The Sims 2. But becuase I so frequently saved and downloaded things to it, that game barely ran, and if/when it did, it was at a snail's pace. So imagine someone trying to play a game like Battlefield Bad Company 2, on that machine.

But there are solutions. And that's PCs specifically tailored to gaming. They come in both laptop and desktop formation. So you're thinking then "So are PC's now good contenders to console gaming?", and the answer there is still no. The problem being there is price. Odds are, to get a system that's even worth half its weight, you're gonna be paying upwadrds of $700. And most of us scrape together just to get console games. I mean, I own a Wii and an XBox 360, now the Wii was a birthday gift, but I had to trade in a lot of things I owned (including several WIi/Gamecube games, my NIntendo DS and a few games for it, and my Nintendo 64 and all its games), just to get the bastard. And after all that, I STILL had to pay a pretty hefty amount just to afford the system, which ran me about $250. Now imagine someone like me trying to get a special computer, without having ANYTHING they can turn in to help get it. Sounds damn near impossible without months of saving, doesn't it?

Now I know what you're thinking (or at least someone out there is thinking) "You can build a computer for half that price!". WEll sure, if I knew how to build one. I mean, let's be honest, putting together computers, or rather even just basic computer maintenance, is not common knowledge by any means. Truth be told, Im afraid to let just about anyone open up my computer, simply because I'm afraid either me or someone else is gonna screw it up. And yeah, you can learn, but does anyone really want to put all that time and effort just to play games?

So needless to say, PC gaming has a very select audiance, and while that audiance is being maintained, it's not really a setup that finds itself rapidly expanding, so I can't really say that PC gaming is the future of gaming.

So lets move on to another seemingly dying breed of gaming, Arcade gaming. A lot of people claim that arcade gaming is far past dying. It's dead and rotting. However, to this I also say, false. I would argue that Arcade gaming isn't dying, but simply transforming. Notice how in a lot of downloaded games (ironically enough, from the X-Box Live ARCADE), are often describe as being "acrade style" such and such. This is part of the transformation. Arcade gaming is no longer a method of gaming, as in you go to the arcade, play for an afternoon, then go home, but rather it's becoming more of a genre. Meaning games done in the Arcade style (Shank, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, ect.), are now the new Arcade. So you can still compete for the high score, and compete to make it through some of the most challenging, yet enjoyable, games known to mankind.

This transformation also makes Arcade gaiming more versitile as well. No longer does one have to drive to an arcade, wasting half their paycheck putting quarters into a machine. Nope! You can do it at home, and still get the same satisfaction. And with online play as well, one can get the same arcade multiplayer experience, without even having to see each other! (Though seriously guys, get out of your own nerd cave every once in a while and go play games in the same room. I know it's a foriegn concept, but trust me you'll enjoy it). But with all that versitility, I STILL can't say Arcade gaming is the future of gaming either.

So maybe our future lies in portable gaming, or handheld gaming! But first of all, let's look at the contenders in the handheld division.

Well, right now, you have Nintendo with their 3DS, and Sony, with their most recent invention, the PSP Go. But before we get to them, what about the missing party, Microsoft? Do they plan on jumping into the mix? Well there have been rumors for years now, dating back to about the time the 360 was a year old, about a Microsoft portable device. And it was interesting becuase a lot of people had really convincing pictures of what the device would look like. The problem? There were TOO MANY reports. I mean, google it. Google Microsoft portable device, and you'll find several really well done, but varying pictures. The names even vary from X Box 180 to X Box 720. But I have to tell you, none of these consoles exist. Microsoft may have considered something like this, but no, they don't exist.

Now the question is, is Microsoft gonna throw their hat into the handheld gaming realm. Personally, I think not. I mean, I think the reason they don't have one is simply because they're a little smarter than that. I mean, Nintendo has reigned king of Handheld for an enternity, and Microsoft knows better than to waste money trying to change that. Now Microsoft HAS released their own smartphone to compete with tech rival Apple (Microsoft has a lot of rivals, huh?), and they've stated that this IS their portable device, as far as their concerned. Now whether this statement means they believe the phone to be an actual competitor in the Handheld gaming realm, or rather meaning that this is the closest to a handheld system we're getting out of them, I was unable to decipher.

Regardless, the reigning champion of handheld has always been Nintendo, and that doesn't look like it's about to change any time soon. Recently, Sony released their newest version of the PSP, the PSP Go. Now, where do I begin...

First of all, WHY ALL OF THESE USELESS REMAKES OF THE PSP? I mean, you knew Nintendo was doing something big in handheld, don't you think it would be a better idea to release a NEW handheld system that addresses the issues of the original PSP?? I mean, most people have been pratically BEGGING for a second joystick on the system. Does the PSP Go have that? No. It has your standard, one control stick, which if you've ever played a Playstation ANYTHING, you know that the dual joystick is what helped it when it's first two console wars (PS1 vs. Nintendo 64 vs. Sega Genisis/Saturn, and the PS2 vs. Gamecube vs. X Box vs. Dreamcast (poor, poor Dreamcast)). So when you try to put a lot of favorites on the PSP, naturally their gameplay is going to DEMAND TWO JOYSTICKS, even if its for something just as simple as camera control (which, I might add, is one thing that has ruined what otherwise would have been really good PSP games). Secondly, why did you think the replacement of physical UMD's was going to be a good idea? I mean, some games (I.E. Birth By Sleep, one of the most highly anticipated PSP games), is not playabe on the download-only PSP Go. SO yeah, if you were a PSP Go owner who was looking forward to play Birth By Sleep, then I guess it sucks to be you, huh? AND ON TOP OF THAT, you're asking to retain your original versatility of having pictures, music, and video on your memory, but now you wanna add FULL ON GAMES too??? I mean, the 360 can get away with that becuase it's capable of having 250 gigs worth of memory. The PSP Go, does not. The PSP go isnt even capable of half that. And then my biggest problem with the device is, WHY DID IT DEBUT AT DAMN NEAR THE SAME PRICE AS THE PS3??? I mean, really??? PSP Go, at its debut, was only $50 cheaper than the PS3. FOR WHAT PURPOSE? I mean, at least in the PS3's defence, it does do quite a bit, on top of playing it's average at best games, so I could at least justify it's price. BUt the GO is not capable of a lot of things the PS3 could do. So long story short, if you're gonna buy a PSP, don't buy a Go. Or if you're just looking for handheld, turn to Nintendo.

And speaking of Nintendo, they're coming out with what has the potential to be the greatest handheld system known to mankind, the 3DS. And no, it's not just the 3D aspect. What's more impressive is the titles that we never believed would be on a portable console. I mean, I flipped out when they were not only able to port Super Mario 64 to the DS, but ADD more too it. But the fact that they're porting games like Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Starfox 64 is simply mindblowing. I mean, if you just simply imagine what those games looked like, the fact that they can be ported onto a handheld system is simply incredible, ON TOP OF being able to play in
3D. Of course, ON TOP OF THAT (as if all that wasn't enough), you have a whole library of orignial games, made by both Nintendo and other developers. I mean, after all, DS stands for Developer's System, so if they're able to fully utilize what the 3DS is capable of, you have a system with ENDLESS amounts of potential.

Of course, there is the price. Now they haven't announced an offical North America price (or release date, for that matter), but rumor has it that the 3DS is going to run you about $300, simply becuase that's about the price equivilancy of how much it costs in Japan. First of all, I do have to state that prices are not always directly transfered over from Japan, meaning that this system could actually have a much cheaper release price. However, if it does come out for $300, I DO think it will hurt how much it sells on it's release date. I mean, after all, this handheld system costs MORE than the Wii does right now, which is a first. But even though I won't be getting it on it's release date, I definitely think it'll be worth that price at some point, once a bit of it's potential is achieved. Regardless of the price, however, one can pretty much guess who's gonna win the handheld war.

But, even with the 3DS and all it's heavenly capabilities, would I call it the future of gaming? Or handheld gaming in general? To this, again, I say no. And why is that, you may ask? Simply becuase time has proven this to us again, and again, and again. Every handheld system looks more impressive than the last, but they never seem to stack up to their console counterparts, and I think the 3DS will befall the same fate. Impressive? No doubt. But even it can't compare to consoles.

So now I wanna discuss, very briefly, about iPods, iPads, and smartphones. Honestly, I'm just going to put it out there, no, they're not the future of gaming. Truth be told, they're kind of like counting flash games online as the future of gaming. They're cool devices, but hardly gamer worthy.

So before we jump into console gaming, I want to discuss how you console err.. game. While we still have CDs (and in some rare cases, cartridges), there's also been a noticible increase in downloadable games. So this begs the question, are we gonna see downloading replace CDs? My bet goes to no. I do believe downloads are here to stay, but mostly for what they do now. Rereleasing old games, new indie games, and add ons to your favorite CD games.

So now we come to the big one. Console games. So first we have to identify, who are the major competitors in the console wars. Right now, Microsoft and Nintendo. Why not Sony you ask? Simply becuase, it seems like with every turn, Sony is playing catch up. The only real advantage the PS3 has that some other console doesn't is that it plays Blue Ray. That's it. Good PS3 exclusives are few and far between (even so much so that Final Fantasy, a game that for the LONGEST time was Sony exclusive, is now on the 360), and most of the good PS3 games can be played on the 360 as well. Now all of this probably wouldn't have kept it out of competition had it not tripped up so bad early on. I mean, numerous bugs, zero backwards compatibility, and the ability to do everything BUT play games, kept it from taking off, and unfortunately, it's a little too late for them to really catch up.

So who is going to win between Microsoft and Nintendo? It's a little early for me to say. Yeah it's true that the Wii has sold nearly twice the amount that the 360 has sold, but at the same time, at kick off, the Wii was really popular. But (and while it really does pain me to say this), the Wii's popularity has severely decreased since it's launch, do to problematic controls with some games, and very little decent 3rd party support. Not to mention the small variety of good games for it. There aren't many FPS, RPGs, or anything of that sort on the Wii. But a lot of kid friendly games.

However, Nintendo does have the advantage of 1) being the cheapest console available, and 2) unlike the PS3, it's not too late for itself. If it can build up its library to include a lot more, hardcore gamer oriented games like a lot of fans have been ASKING for, and show everyone that you can utilize your online ability, then you might be a legit contender. However Nintendo, at this rate, it's only a matter of time before Microsoft takes over.

Now we talked about motion control last time, but more so in the respect of "will it put any one company on top?". But is it the future of gaming? Are we going to be throwing our entire bodies into the games we play? Nope. Personally, I think motion controls are just a fad. Nintendo decided to try something new after the dismal sales of the Gamecube, and it caught on, so Microsoft and Sony decided to follow suit. Now does that mean we're going to go back to traditional controllers? I suppose only time will tell, but that does bring me to my last topic.

New consles. When, if ever, are we going to see them again? And I know what you're thinking: No new consoles??? You're CRAZY!!! But some experts have questioned whether or not there is a need to ever come up with a new console? I mean, just look at the 360. That thing has been around for 5 years now, and rather than coming up with something new, the 360 has just continued to evolve. With so many new games coming out on these systems, and downloads to back games up, allowing them massive replay value, it'll be a long time before we see new consoles, however, I do believe that we will see new consoles. Each of the big 3 will have to try something new at some point, and in this order: Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft. Sony really should retry with a brand new system. Drop the price of the PS3 until you come out with a new idea, and try and capture the magic that won you the last two console wars. And Nintendo has a little life in them too, and the power to win this console war, but it is Microsoft with the most lasting power. But even they will have to create something new at some point.

So now that we've covered all this, I'm sure you wanna know.... what IS the future of gaming? And that's simple. The future of gaming, are the gamers. I know I know, it's cheesy, but its true. Notice how, regardless of what comes through this industry, if the fans don't go for it, it doesn't stick. Gaming is easily the most fan influenced industry out there. So if there is a major backlash against something, just give it time, and it will die out. So we decide what does, and does not, stay in this industry. So we are the future of gaming.

My Perscription: Get out there and wave your gamer flag proud!!!
Dr. Buck

Doc's quick fix: Updates and Changes

Really quick blog post. Honestly I wouldnt even say its a blog post, more like a newsletter, but I have just a few things to tell you about.

First of all, about the only actual change may be the layout. As you may notice, I've added something to the little sidebar. Appearantly I have really opinionated friends, and a lot of them decided to focus their thoughts into blog form! Now my blog decided to put it in a random order, but here's a basic layout of them

Abombs World - Not to be confused with popular website abaum's world, this site is ran confusingly enough by my friend Adam. He's a review on anything he feels need reviewing, and always has an interesting opinion on everything, so if you like topics of discussion, he's very interesting to read

I Can Has Catboy - Also not to be confused with... a lot of things I'm sure your wild imaginations could think of. Run by another friend of mine and a member of our con going team M.O.B. (Midwest Otaku Brigade), she leads a rather interesting and amusing life that's definitely worth reading about. Plus, she posts very helpful and intersting food for thought from time to time, and she has a bit of the nerd as well!

Parbuit - Now I won't claim to know what the name means, BUT, I will claim that when it comes to tech advise, here is a good place to look. Run by Edward, if it has to do with computers, internet, and a bunch of other things I dont understand, you'll probably find it here!

Now of course going to these sites never excuses you from coming back here and getting my views on the latest Video Game and Anime topics. And also, if you have a blog, lemme know and if I like it (which I probably will), I'll add it to my list of blogs.

Second bit of news, I'm currently looking for a sort of Anime correspondant for this blog. Does that mean I'll stop writing about Anime? No, but I do feel like the topic goes undiscussed compared to my gamer side. So if you're someone who likes Anime, and knows a LOT about it (and I mean a lot. Im talking about not just specific anime, but companies, voice actors, and the such), then apply either here, or on Facebook or Twitter!

Lastly, I do have to let you guys know that I recieved an email to go and be a part of a new idea by the guys behind the videojug who are opening a new portion of thier site called videojug pages. Now I'm still trying to work things out, however, if we can iron out all of the kinks, this blog may be on the move. Naturally, I'll let you all know before such a move takes place, however, I wanted to prep you for it.

And thats it! I dont really do a lot of these sort of kamikaze updates, however, when changes are afoot, this is how I will let you know. So thank you for reading, and until my next actual post!

The Battle of Motion Control

So in case you've been sleeping under a rock recently, there's no doubt you've seen the numerous attempts Sony and Microsoft have made to make it into the Motion Control realm. But why are they trying to break into the motion control realm? Are they trying to be innovative? Not at all!

Now try to remember back to 2006 (I know thats a long time ago, so don't strain yourself). Nintendo had decided to throw it's hat into the seventh generation battle, a war that had been started by Microsoft a year earlier. But Nintendo had forsaken the conventional controllers in favor of motion controls. This took Nintendo out of the funk that the Gamecube caused, and launched the Wii into being the number 1 selling console of this generation, a record they still hold today.

But the question is, will Sony's Move or Microsoft's Kinect lead their systems to that number one spot? Well let's look at both systems, starting with the Playstation 3's Move.

Now first of all, if you look at the Move, the first thing you'll probably notice is... the design is very very simmilar to Nintendo's Wii and Nunchuck combination. The biggest difference between the two is that the Move is wireless. Now what I've seen from the Move, it's clear that they're trying to emulate the Wii. Even their initial demonstration was very identical to the Wii's original demonstration. So no, Sony isn't trying to hide the fact that they're attempting to be a Wii killer. But how does it play? Well it's impossible for me to say personally, since I've never even picked up the controller, however I've heard from several sources that the controls actually DO improve on the Wii's controls. Which is great for them, since, lets be honest, Sony's first attempt with motion control, the Eye Toy, was an epic failure.

Now let's look at the Kinect. Unlike Sony, Microsoft isn't expressly trying to prove their superiority over Nintendo. Which is odd, becuase they're definitely the ones that have the right. Rather than coming up with a new controller to play with, Microsoft is going completely controller-less. The Kinect integrates your whole body into the game, much like the Eye Toy attempted to do. And some of the games almost feel like you're a motion capture employee, which is really cool. Much unlike the Move, which seems to be a bit more focused on integrating their motion controls into other games, the Kinect's main focus seems to be games made specificaly for the Kinect, which as Nintendo clearly proved, is the better idea. (Trust me, as a die-hard Nintendo fan, I know how bad it sucks to just slap on motion controls to another game).

Regardless, it's true to say that both of them improbve on the Wii's controls. But does this mean that these new motion controls are going to put them on top. Truth be told, no, I don't think so, and here is why.

First of all, the demographic is all wrong. Odds are, if you were looking for motion control, you got the Wii. Most of the people who bought the 360 or the PS3 don't really care about Motion control. As a matter of fact, they tend to be the main skeptics of motion control. Most of them are going to look at something like the Kinect, and think "$150 for this little add on, or 3 brand new games? I think the choice is obvious". And most of the people who DO buy it are people who just have the money, or people who probably won't use it too very much, other than to show off the fact that they have it.

So you're probably thinking then, "Well maybe they're trying to appeal to a new demographic". And odds are, you're probably right. I think the whole point is to try and take away that audiance of Nintendo's. The problem you run into there is price. Now we assume that when you think of a new audiance, you mean someone who hasn't bought your system, right? Therefore, starting with the Kinect, you still have to buy a $300 system, then the $150 Kinect. And this alone isnt even including games! However, the Wii is currently sitting at $150, meaning the Kinect alone is the same price as the Wii! And Im not sure how much the Move is, but I do know that the PS3 alone is still more expensive than the Wii. Therefore, the Wii definitely has price working to its advantage. That, combined with the fact that the appeal just isn't really there as far as as the Kinect and Move go.

But I think the biggest problem is is the timing. Truely I believe that it's far too late to be trying these things. I mean, had Microsoft or Sony tried this before, I already know they'd be on top over Nintendo, becuase they are improved over their motion controls. However, going back to the demographic, most people already bought the system they wanted, and those that wanted motion controls, got the Wii, and odds are, those that want motion controls are going to stick with the Wii.

As always, this is my opinion. So, if you think otherwise, let me know here, on Facebook (facebook.com/djghostpirate), or on Twitter (@ghostpiratedj).

My perscription: Wait and see how the Move and Kinect develop. And maybe wait for a drop in price
Dr. Buck

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: First Look

So yeah, I'm back. I know I know it's been a while, but I haven't really had a lot of things anime or video game related that caught my attention. Now granted, that might be becuase for the longest time, I had no way of getting with my usual news sources (which may or may not be g4tv), but now I do. I have this fancy laptop that I'm typing this blog from, and now I can get back into things.

So I figured I'd start off by talking about the reason why I've never been more excited to see the number 3 (Sorry Fable 3! You're a very close second), and that is of course, Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Now if you remember back to my first post, I did state that I was a fan of MvC 2. Well that's a bit of an understatement. I absolutely LOVE that game. I've loved the whole series since it was simply X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Now I'm nowhere near as good at the game as some people are; I cant really fight all fast paced and what not, but I still adore that game. But a lot of us thought MvC 2 was the last game in the series we were getting. So imagine how happy I, and a lot of others were that we were getting another one.

So diving right in to my first look, let's talk about the visuals. Now while initially I was hoping they would keep with the visual style of MvC 2, the new visual style is actually really impressive. It's the first game with fully 3D visuals, and yet it remains very faithful to the Marvel comic books. It's actually very interesting, becuase while it DOES remain very faithful to the comic books, it also remains very faithful to Capcom fighting games (Street Fighter IV to be exact), which isn't an easy task to do at all. Yet the visuals are all on point, with both Marvel and Capcom characters being done proper justice (at least so far).

For the most part, I'm going to skip audio becuase I haven't really heard much of the game's soundtrack, however I do want to state that I'm a little sad that they're replacing the jazzy soundtrack of the last game. I mean, one thing that a lot of fans agreed on is that the soundtrack is actually one thing that set it apart from other 2D fighters, rather than featuring your traditional rock-induced soundtrack. But whatever they replace it with, I hope its just as unique as the MvC 2 soundtrack.

Now typically I would save gameplay for last, but since the big attraction here is the characters, we'll cover gameplay first. Now one thing one should know is, much like Street Fighter 4 or the Super Smash Bros. Series, while the characters themselves are rendered in 3D, the core gameplay remains 2D. So yes, MvC 3 is a 2D game, and there's nothing wrong with that. You're still expecting the tag team warfare that you recieved in MvC 2 as well as the flashy finishing moves, but the biggest change this time around is that they're attempting to simplify the controls. They're cutting down the number of buttons in the hopes of opening up to people like me, who weren't really good at the fast paced action. This decision (as well as a few other things we'll cover a little later), was influenced by simmilar Wii fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. They've also changed a few minor things about some of the returning characters such as Iron Man being able to fire his Proton Canon at an angle, and the Hulk not completely sucking in arial combat.

Another cool gameplay element is that character specific endings are making a return. Every character will have their own storyline ending, rather than the generic ending of MvC 2.

And now we're on to the characters. First an overall look at the current roster. I'm impressed by some, disappointed by others. Capcom has currently stated that the roster is locked down. That does NOT mean that the current roster is the ending roster, however what that does mean is that they characters they are adding to the game are not going to be changed, and the characters that have been added, (excluding some major reason), are not going to be excluded from the game. This game, while appealing to the more recognized series of the last game (Spider-man, X-Men, Street Fighter, Mega Man), it also attempts to include more of the under/not recognized series of the last game (Dr. Strange, Fantastic Four, Resident Evil, Okami). Now a few of the Capcom characters could have been influenced by TvC from the Wii. Viewtiful Joe, who was included in that game, now makes and appearance in the MvC series too. And Yami, the final boss in Okami, was also the final boss in TvC, possibly leading to Amaterasu's inclusion in MvC 3. So already, you should be able to tell that we can look forward to an interesting roster.

So let's talk about the included (so far). I mean, we can't really touch too much on returning characters like Iron Man, Spider Man (although, on a personal note I'm really happy the wall crawler's back. His fans were worried for a little while), Ryu, Captain America, Chun Li, ect. And odds are, you don't really wanna hear about them anyway. You're probably more concerned about the new characters right? Well let's start off with Capcom fan favorite, Dante. Yes Dante of Devil May Cry fame has been included in the game, and the moment he was announced, Capcom fanboys all over the globe wet themselves. I guess Dante is a widely popular Capcom character, which shocked the hell out of me, becuase I didn't really hear much about him. Honestly for a while, I actually thought he was Castlevania character, which didn't make sense since Castlevania is a Konami game. But he's here, so enjoy.

Cooler and more notable than him however (<- personal feelings, I know), is Marvel fan favorite, Deadpool, who has been gaining quite a bit of popularity between MvC 2 and now. For a lot of people who didin't know who he was initially, their first taste of Deadpool was probably in X-Men Legends 2, where he was a boss and playable character. This increased his popularity enough to where he was included in Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and then MUA 2. He was also featured in Hulk vs. Wolverine, and featured in that crappy Wolverine movie we don't talk about. So here he is, the Merc with a Mouth himself Deadpool. One thing that really got fans excited was that his trailer featured him fighting against Dante, probably becuase not only do they have simmilar fighting styles, they have a simmilar fan base too. So easily the biggest Marvel addition (at least in terms of fan demand), here he is, only, there's one problem. Naturally you would think he'd be voiced by John Kassir, the guy that voices him in X-Men Legends 2 and MUA 1 and 2 right? WRONG! He's actually voiced by that sucky guy that voiced him in Hulk vs. Wolverine. And yeah, that irritates me. I'm convinced that when it comes to Deadpool, John Kassir should be his OFFICIAL voice when not in live appearance. Becuase nobody does it better than him.

Other new Capcom characters include Chris Redfield and Albert Wesker of Resident Evil fame (whether or not Jill Valintine of the same series is coming back has yet to be determined, but here's hoping). I can't actually say much about these two because I really haven't played any Resident Evil games, however I know there are a lot of fans that are happy to see them both included. I know second only to Dante, Wesker was one of the most demanded Capcom characters, same with Chris.

Also included for Capcom is the always interesting Viewtiful Joe. Now the one thing I was worried about was since he's so short, was he going to have a Servebot effect where he can duck under just about everything without even trying. I'm happy to report that that is not the case. Granted, there are a few shots that he's going to duck under, but that okay. For the most part, he's a really balanced character, so Im happy to see him included.

However to me, the BIGGEST new Capcom character is Amaterasu of Okami fame. Easily one of the most underrated Capcom characters of all time, here she is in all of her god-like glory. I am worried that a few of her moves are easily spammable, however, for the most part she seems to be rather balanced, which is nice. I'm hoping to see a lot of people picking her to be on her team, becuase I know I will be.

And for the first time ever, you're able to see one god go toe to toe with another, since one of the new Marvel character is none other than Thor himself. Now I was a little skeptical of his inclusion at first, however, Thor definitely kick ass, and a ton of it. Other new Marvel characters included Dormammu (who I will actually talk about in a little bit) of Dr. Strange fame, Super Skrull (same as Dormammu) of Fantastic Four fame, and X-23, the female Wolverine clone. None of these characters are particularly exciting to me, however the one that sticks out the most as being the least exciting is X-23. I mean, why? We have Wolverine, and nobody really remembers X-23, much less cares, so why include her?

Now while we do have those that are confirmed to be included, we do have a few that are confirmed to be excluded. First off, we want to point out that Mega Man X is not included in the game. Now does that mean no incarnation of Mega Man is in the game? Well that we'll have to wait and see. My guess however is that SOME form of Mega Man will be in there, since Tron Bonne, a minor Mega Man villian is included, but, don't believe that Tron Bonne is Mega Man's ticket into the game, and here is why.

While I did say that the Fantastic Four series was expanded on in this game from more than just Dr. Doom (who has returned), some of the people not representing the Fantastic Four... are the Fantastic Four themselves. Literally none of them are playable characters. I mean, we figured they weren't going to included Sue Storm, and probably not Reed Richards, but no Thing or Human Torch? Instead, they're represented collectively by Super Skrull, who somewhere in Fantastic Four history managed to obtain each and every one of their powers. Now the mystery is however, it was actually Marvel that requested that the Fantastic Four didnt appear, and suggested Super Skrull as their replacemet. Now why that is is anybody's guess, but we can't blame Capcom for that one.

However, we can blame Capcom for Dormammu. Now originally, I didn't have a problem with him simply becuase I had never heard of him. I didnt know what series he was from, or what he could do. However, it turns out that Dormammu is from Dr. Strange, who happens to be one of my FAVORITE Marvel characters in existance. However, Capcom has confirmed that Dr. Strange WILL NOT be playable in this game. Which makes no sense! I mean, why would you put an obscure character in the game, but not the Sorceror Supreme himself! I mean, it was bad enough that he didn't he didn't appear in MUA 2, but now he's replaced by one of his lesser known characters? Why? I mean I understand that you're trying to expand to the lesser known series, but don't you think you should put the TITLE character in the game, and maybe include Dormammu too?

Others on the chopping block who were I guess in high demand included Daredevil, Emma Frost, who I'm personally sad about, The Punisher (who I'm also disappointed to hear about), Ghost Rider, and Pheonix Wright, since I guess people thought that a lawyer would fit in a fighting game.

On top of this, all of the original characters of MvC 2 are not to be included. This includes Amingo, and... it pains me to say it, but it also includes Ruby Heart. This is probably the saddest Capcom character I have to say goodbye to. I loved Ruby Heart and really really hoped that she would be returning, but I guess Capcom didn't want to keep the original characters around for the second game. Sadness. And although he hasn't been confirmed, they also hinted at the exclusion of Cyclops, which also irritates me. I wanna know when exactly Cyclops fell off? I mean, he's the LEADER of the X-Men, second only to Professor X himself, so why is it that not only was he absent from MUA 1 (outside of DLC), COMPLETELY ABSENT from MUA 2, and now he's likely to be absent from MvC 3, even though he's been in EVERY crossover game to date?

And of course, my picks for who I want in the game. Now of course, this list includes only those that have not been confirmed one way or the other. My list includes:
Marvel:
1) Venom
2) Beast
3) Cable
4) CYCLOPS
5) Colossus
6) Gambit
7) Jean Grey
8) Psylocke
9) Storm (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BRING BACK STORM)
10) Rogue
11) War Machine
12) Magneto
13) Green/Hobgoblin
14) Dr. Octopus
15) Carnage

Capcom:
1) Baby Bonne Hood
2) Anakaris
3) Mega Man
4) Roll
5) Zero
(just as a side note: Please don't include any of those bucket of fail NT Warrior incarnations. I mean I understand its not likely, but the DID get a game, so Im just saying, please avoid them like the plague)
6) Ken
7) Cammy
8) Dan
9)Guile
10) M Bison
11) Balrog
12) Sakura

So there's my first look at the game. Yeah, you can expect a full review as soon as I pick it up. But for now, enjoy the fact that I am back, and I did give a decently lengthy post as promised, although it wasn't the topic I was originally going to talk about (which was, ironically enough, Fable 3). If you want more MvC 3 material, look on youtube, g4tv.com, and all over the internet.

My Perscription: Keep waiting for more developments
Dr. Buck.

Chrno Crusade

So with an e3 come and gone, you're probably wondering what will I talk about on this blog? Well first of all, I gotta say, those who know the video game industry knows that its future is constantly evolving, and constantly changing. New updates are posted all the time, and I'll be here to discuss them.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that the point of this blog isnt to provide news on the gaming world. I just comment on certain topics. And while we have a very bright, changing future, we also have a deep past, and numerous topics I can comment on.

And then there is the third alternative. I dunno how much my readers have paid attention to the site itself, but you'll notice this blog is also tailored to anime! Yes, there is a second topic this blog focuses on! And for my first anime related post, I would like to talk about one of my favorite anime ever, and that anime is called Chrno Crusade. And I know its an unusual first thing to comment on, but I do want to point out that the name is not a typo. Yes it is pronounced Chrono, but there is indeed only one O. And I know that bothers some people, and honestly I dont know what is the official spelling of the word, but this is how it is spelled in this case.

Now for the basics. What is Chrno Crusade about? Thats a little hard to explain. The story does take place in 1920's New York, however, don't let that fool you. While it takes place in the same time period as the Al Capone and his reign, it really doesn't focus on the going ons of that time period. Much like the later episodes of That 70s Show, the setting really just plays a back drop to the events at hand. The story is really about demon killing! I bet you never would have guessed just based on the setting. It follows one particular member of the Order of Magdelene, Rosette Christopher and her friend Chrno. Essentially, Chrno is a devil himself, but one without his horns. So to stay alive, he has to share the life of Rosette. Every time Chrno taps into his true power, he saps Rosette of her life.

Now Im not gonna spoil how this came to be, or a lot of details about this anime. But I do wanna talk about how this series really does something that no other show does. The drastic change in this shows emotion is just incredible. This show starts with such an emphasis on humor. The first few episodes are some of the funniest episodes in anime you'll ever watch. But as the show progresses, it begins to take such a serious turn, and by the end of the series, its one of the most drama-oriented anime's you'll ever watch.

I will warn new viewers that this isnt one of those anime you can watch just sorta in passing. Trust me, if you don't give Chrno Crusade your full attention, you will miss details and be so confused later down the road. This anime does a great job of keeping filler to a bare minimum. Just about every episodes has SOMETHING important to the plot or character development in them. Which is one of the advantages of a one shot anime like this one, vs a long, several season series like Naruto, Inuyasha, and the such (this debate too will be looked upon in later posts). This means of course, that all while watching this anime, you are almost gaurenteed to be entertained.

So would I say I wanna see a sequel to this series? No. Now while I wouldnt mind seeing more simmilar to it, I feel that the way it ended, despite the fact that they left it open for a sequel, wrapped everything up quite nicely. And its sequel possible ending actually provides for a lot better of a twist ending that leaves you thinking. Fortunately (and at the same time unfortunately), this series wasnt super popular, nor did the dvds sell very well, so i do believe that we are safe from a sequel.

However, that does not excuse you from not going and watching this series. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you think. I personally give Chrno Crusade a 5 out of 5.

Stay Healthy, Have Fun
Dr. Buck

Doctors Note: Im sorry for such a short post, however, next time's promises to be a very very lengthy one. And if you knew what I was going to talk about, you would know why.

e3 Wrap-up time

So I figure I should do this while e3 is still relevant, so a lot of people wanna know, what was I impressed by? What was I not impressed by? Well I suppose I'll tell you.

First of all, I gotta say I was just impressed by e3 in general. For once, EVERYONE decided to go big, and there was a LOT to talk about this year. And so many impressive games this time around as well. This years e3 was definitely a lot better than 2009's e3.

That being said, what is there to talk about? Well I already spoke upon the two new systems introduced at e3, the 360 Slim and the 3DS. But I guess I haven't really commented on the three big companies themselves. And unlike last year, Im actually impressed by every single "big 3" company (albiet some more than others). So I guess a good place to start would be with the big 3.

Microsoft, for them, I was mostly impressed by the new X Box. I mean, I think the built in WiFi should have been something included in the original 360, however its nice to see that they're finally including it. And the fact that they kept that hardrive in there is very very nice indeed. Its quieter, smaller, sleeker, and just generally more improved than previous models.

So I bet you're wondering, what do I think of the Kinect? Personally, Im not very excited about it. Granted, I think a lot of the things they did are very impressive, and you know, maybe in a few years after this system is out for a while, it might be something Im actually interested in. The motion controls are very sleek and smooth, and the fact that it doesnt require a solid controller is nice. So maybe in a few years, when the ridiculous price drops, I might look into getting it.

And then there's Sony. Am I impressed by the Move? No. Am I impressed by the PSP2? Not at all. The BIGGEST sony related thing that Im impressed by is Portal 2. Sony claims that the PS3 version is going to be the best version of the game. So what is it that impresses me? Sony is taking that bold statement to try and propell themselves back on top. So Sony, I wanna know, what is it exactly that will make the same game better on your system?

Other than that, what am I impressed by Sony wise? Nothing. Much like the Kinect, I feel like the only reason they're doing motion controls is simply to catch up to Nintendo. But where as Microsoft is actually trying to be better than Nintendo (whether or not thats the case is up for debate), Sony can't even match them. The Wii can do everything the Move can do and more. Why should I be impressed by this hack of a concept?

And the PSP2? The only thing that stuck in my mind was... Why bother? Much like the DS vs. PSP, the 3DS is simply going to burry the PSP2. Already the 3DS is proving to be just as impressive (and in some cases more impressive) as the consoles themselves. So again I ask, why bother? Why not just save the money you're putting into this already doomed portable device and fuel it into the PS3 that desperatley needs it.

So then that leaves Nintendo. And especially comparing to their dismal display last year, Nintendo did everything right this year. They kept that bit of mystery to keep people guessing with the 3DS, but now they've created a fan frenzy with the multitude of games coming back (i.e. Donkey Kong, Kid Icarus, Kirby, ect.), a new Metroid game, Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (which has numerous fans in a frenzy), and of course, Mario did not go forgotten with new Mario Sports Mix, a new Mario Kart, and a New Paper Mario game (a game Im personally excited about). Plus a new Dragon Quest game, more Professor Layton, and several Pokemon games in the works. Nintendo showed us exactly what e3 was about: giving the fans what they want. My only hope is that all of this measures up to the hype it generated.

So what about everything else? What individual games am I excited about? Well as a personal favorite, Im excited about Smackdown vs Raw 2011. Of course, that becuase Im a wrestling fan. But what game am I most excited about, even more so than some of the previously mentioned games? Simply put, Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Its been soo long since Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was released, and I cannot wait to put my hands on this new one. Hopefully some of my favorite characters come back, like Cyclops, Storm, Gambit, War Machine, Ruby Heart, and Amingo to join the ranks of new characters like Deadpool (BEST NEW CHARACTER IN THIS GAME. SCREW DANTE. DEADPOOL > EVERYONE). Also from Capcom, Okamiden, a sequel to the original Okami on the DS, and Street Fight 4 on the 3DS. And trust me, if you've seen Street Fighter 4, you'd understand why its such a huge deal that this game is on this handheld system.

EA I was surprisingly dissapointed in. I mean, I love EA, but they mostly did a huge revealing of a lot of sports games, which Im not really interested in (although I did love NBA Stree 3). I mean, I guess Dead Space 2 and Crysis 2 were big deals to some people, but seeing as I havent played the original version of either game (though I hear I should, but thats hard without the proper system), Im not too excited.

Namco can suck it. I waited ALL of E3 to hear about some of the many Tales games in limbo (i.e. Tales of Graces and Tales of VS.), only to really hear about a Dragon Ball game, a Naruto game, and Pac Man Party. No Soul Calibur. No Tales. I love Namco, and I guess these are games they should talk about, so I suppose its not really fair for me to get TOO mad. I just really really wanted to hear about a Soul Calibur 5, or a new Tales game for the US.

Various other games Im looking forward too include Mortal Kombat (SO F*CKING HAPPY THAT KUNG LAO IS BACK). It looks like a really nice mix of the more recent 3D games, and the 2D games that launched the title of the ground. Pretty much, this is to to Mortal Kombat series as Street Fighter 4 was to the Street Fighter series.

Seeing as i loved The Conduit one (and if anyone out there has it, lemme know. I'll get a FC for you), Im really excited for The Conduit 2. I just hope they fix all the problems with The Conduit 1's online play (like the lame ass hackers that make themselves invincible), and make a more detailed story. Which it looks like they're definatley looking at that, seeing as this game takes you all over the GLOBE. And Sega said they were looking to improve online play, and the new graphics look incredible. Almost as if they were on an X Box 360.

Im also hoping at least ONE of the new Sonic Games don't suck (Sonic Colors has promise, just saying, Sega). Little Big Planet 2, Infamous 2, LoTR Aragorn's Quest, Super Scribblenauts, Fable III (Two words. HELL YES), and Animal Crossing 3DS are all games Im personally excited about. Any games you wanna talk about? Displays you were excited/disappointed about? Lemme know on Twitter (ghostpiratedj), Facebook, or right here!

Stay Healthy, Have fun
Dr. Buck