Category: Classics

Mega Man Creator Leaves Capcom, Calls for Changes in Japanese Video Game Industry

Mega Man

I’m getting a bit of an EA Louse flashback here, only with less tantrum.

For those who are not aware, Keiji Inafune is the creator of the popular Mega Man franchise, and has been a producer at Capcom for the better part of the last decade. Not only did he create the legendary character formerly known as Rockman, he also worked on Dead Rising, Onimusha, Lost Planet, Street Fighter 2, and Resident Evil 4 and 5. Needless to say, he’s been a staple at Capcom. Which is why it’s a shame to hear that he’s leaving the company, which he announced just last week.

Inafune has actually been critical of Capcom on numerous occasions in the past. He hasn’t always been happy with the direction of the company, and has been vocal about trying to change some of its culture. However, it seems he’s finally decided to part ways and take his talents elsewhere.

And for those of you who want the dirty details, he had some particularly biting things to say about both Capcom and the Japanese gaming industry as a whole. Continue reading Mega Man Creator Leaves Capcom, Calls for Changes in Japanese Video Game Industry

Defending Your Favorite System

Playstation 2

This is me putting on my flame suit and stepping out into the sweltering heat of the system wars, folks. While I have many systems that I’ve played the heck out of and cherished, I’ve maintained that the Playstation 2 is one of the greatest systems we’ve had to date, if not the greatest, simply due to its long resume of excellent games during its tenure on the gaming throne.

Apparently GamesRadar agrees with me in a recent article where they detail Six Reasons the PS2 Is the Best System of All Time. They actually give some compelling thoughts, including the fact that the PS2 was both casual and hardcore simultaneously, and that it had real backwards compatibility. Oddly enough, they actually fail to leave one of the most important things off the list: first party games.

Now, I know we’ve talked about what our favorite systems are plenty of times, but this gave me an idea to start the same discussion with a new twist: tell us your favorite systems and give your top six reasons why. Continue reading Defending Your Favorite System

GamerSushi Top Six: Gaming’s Greatest Inventions

As we move along from one generation to the next, it is becoming more rare to see brand new gameplay inventions in the wild. Some of this is simply logical: as games progress, new gameplay is more likely adapted from an old system or refined over time with small tweaks rather than birthed anew.

However, on the flip side, one could make the argument that developers have just gotten lazier over time. Part of this is because of deadlines and sticking with what’s easy, and part of this is put on them by their bosses, who steal their princesses (Bowser style), and force them to put out whatever clone happens to be selling.

Issues like this are never completely cut and dry, but one thing that we can say for certain is that when you experience great gameplay inventions, it crushes your face like a Mike Tyson uppercut, announcing that it has arrived in a way that you can’t miss. Either because it truly defines a title or is simply copied by everyone else, good gameplay is a bit infectious, and tends to have some staying power. Because it’s, well, good.

So, in thinking about great gameplay, I thought I’d come up with a list of gaming’s greatest inventions. Continue reading GamerSushi Top Six: Gaming’s Greatest Inventions

No HD Remakes in Microsoft’s Future?

KOTOR

For the last few years, I’ve been a major proponent of gaming in high definition, which is truly the best and shiniest of all definitions. I’m sure the rest of the definitions line up to pay tribute to it or something. You know, for being so high and awesome.

Because of that love of all things HD, I’m happy to see the new HD re-releases that Sony has been pulling out of its bag of tricks for the PS3. To me, last generation was perhaps the best generation of gaming we’ve had yet, so anything that helps bring those greats over to my HDTV will be welcomed by my brown burly arms. But what does Microsoft think of this new HD re-release trend?

Here’s what Microsoft Games Studio VP Phil Spencer has to say:

We obviously have a lot of new things going on, so the thought of re-doing a bunch of things is probably difficult to just weave into the overall portfolio. If you can provide real value to the customer, there could be possibilities for that, but I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it.

I guess that means I should stop holding my breath for HD re-makes of Halo, KOTOR 1 and 2, Jade Empire and Panzer Dragoon Orta then, yes? Do you guys think he’s talking crazy talk? Any other Xbox games you’d like to see in HD?

Source – IGN

What We Learn From First Person Shooters

Counter-Strike

I have a love/hate relationship with first person shooters. As much as I complain about “shooter fatigue” and how I’m tired of playing the latest Halo: Code of Duty clone, it’s undeniable that the FPS genre accounts for some of my favorite games as well as my most adrenaline-packed and enjoyable gaming moments.

One of my favorite multiplayer experiences ever happens to be Counter-Strike (1.6 and Source both get lumped together in my brain, I played them both equally), so naturally, any article about it is going to grab my attention. It’s good, then, that the folks at Joystick Division came up with a funny collection of Five Things We Learned from Counter-Strike. I found that some of these were definitely true for me, such as discovering that there are hundreds and thousands of people out there that are infinitely more skilled than you are, and that people will blame the best person in the server of cheating as soon as it’s acceptable to do so. On more than one occasion, I saw my brother get banned from servers for being too good, as it were.

Anyway, I thought I’d post this and open up the discussion a bit. What other nutty things have we learned from FPS games, including Counter-Strike, that you think ought to be added to this kind of list? Go!

Source – Joystick Division

Sonic Fan Remix is Just What the Fanboys Ordered

While I have not played the newly released Sonic the Hedgehog 4, I have heard that some sniping exists between two differing viewpoints on the game. Some complain that the game is too similar to the old school Sonic games from the Genesis days, while others complain that it doesn’t feel similar enough. In my mind, that probably means that Sega probably nailed it on the head, but that’s a topic for another time.

On the discussion board for today is an impressive demo of Sonic Fan Remix, a lovingly crafted HD remake of a few Sonic the Hedgehog levels. It might be hard to tell from the gameplay video, but this bad boy was conjured up by a development team of just two people. If you want, you can download that sweet thing and play it on your PC. Apparently it’s a bit CPU intensive, but you’ll have to judge that for yourselves. Or just watch.

Although some are a bit premature in claiming that it might be better than Sonic the Hedgehog 4, I’m going to say that it is certainly stunning for a fan made project, and begs the question, yet again – why didn’t these guys just make their own game? Have we not learned from Notch that there’s a killing to be made for small indie teams with great games?

So what do you guys think? How many of you have played Sonic the Hedgehog 4?

Source – Sonic Fan Remix

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Castlevania Game?

Richter Belmont and Wolf

Now that some of the excitement has died down regarding Konami’s latest entry into the series, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, I thought it would be a good time to look back at our memories of this gothic classic that has been with us since the early days of the NES. Besides, as Eddy bravely revealed in his review of Lords of Shadow, he is a newcomer to this series and this might give him a primer on where to go next.

Which is why this guide listing Castlevania’s Greatest Hits from GamePro is so handy! Personally, I was surprised at their selection for the top spot: Rondo of Blood. Now, I had always heard good things about it, but Symphony of the Night is widely considered to be one of the best games of all time, so Rondo of Blood must be pretty good, right? No idea myself, but I did run to my Virtual Console and download it, so maybe I will let you know the verdict on that soon.

So, what is your favorite Castlevania game? Which one did you play first? Has Lords of Shadow made you want to check out the series? Go!

Source: GamePro

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite NES Game?

Nintendo Entertainment SystemAs we talked about in our awesome new podcast, this is the 25th Anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly referred to these days as the NES. This blocky console revived the video game industry, launched dozens of franchises that we still play today and generated enough gaming memories to last a lifetime.

Which is why this list of the Top 25 NES Games from 1up got me thinking. In the podcast, we talk about some of the more obscure games, but we shouldn’t ignore the popular ones either. After all, they are popular for a damn good reason: they’re awesome. Personally, Final Fantasy, Super Mario Bros 3, Dragon Warrior and The Legend of Zelda and Contra were my favorite NES games. Metroid was a bit much for me at that age, so it just misses the list.

What about you? What NES games were your favorites? Did the 1UP list put anything too high or too low? Hit me!

Source – 1UP

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 10: Percentify

PercentWhat’s that? Two podcasts in one month? Welcome to generosity. Or just bored dudes with too much time on their hands. Either way, you get more podcast goodness. In this edition of the GamerSushi podcast, we chat about iPhone gaming, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Dead Rising 2, the 25th anniversary of the NES and play a hilarious game of percentages, hosted by the bearded one himself.

The exciting thing about this podcast and the last one for us is that we finally feel like we’re getting closer to figuring out the best format for what we do, and could maybe turn this into a weekly venture with some more practice and a few tweaks. I’m digging the “over/under” and “percentage” type games, and hope you find them just as enjoyable.

As always, please go rate this cast on iTunes and subscribe with the handy links to the right. Enjoy!

Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 10: Percentify

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What if Retro Games had Achievements?

While there are naysayers in the gaming world about the advent of achievements and trophies, I’ve fervently maintained that they send us back to a simpler and more community-oriented time in gaming. The era of high scores is something that was lost as games migrated from the coin-op to the couch or computer chair, left behind as some kind of relic in the arcade graveyards. What I’ve loved about achievements and trophies is that they feel like a return to that mindset of gaming gone by.

On top of that, I just like seeing where my friends are in the games they’re playing, and vice versa. It’s like displaying your marvelous feats of gaming for your friends to see – not so much for the e-peen factor (as many of its detractors claim), but for conversation and joining in on the shared experience and joy that only gaming can bring.

How awesome would it have been for your friends to see that you completed Super Mario Bros. 3 without the fabled whistle? Or that you located Cloud and Aeris in Final Fantasy Tactics? Or that you can beat Metal Gear Solid in under 2 and a half hours if you skip cut scenes (I swear, it can be done)? The idea that someone could look at one unified profile and see everything I’ve done in games would be incredible. This is sadly not possible, but it got us thinking: what if classic games had achievements?

It might look a bit like this: Continue reading What if Retro Games had Achievements?

The Question of Replay Value

Metal Gear SolidOne of the things that’s become a bigger part of game design over the last generation or so has been the idea of replay value. With game prices getting higher and used sales taking over more of the market, developers are faced with the problem of giving gamers more game for their money. This takes the form of multiplayer modes, branching narratives and any other number of things.

Over on Gamasutra, Adam Bishop recently posted a blog about The Myth of Replay Value, saying that this is an issue where the video game industry is missing the point. He goes on to cite how these added bits to games don’t really enhance replay value at all, but what really does is just making a good, rich experience. His main citation is Metal Gear Solid, a game that is completely linear with no variation, but still compels gamers to play through more than once.

Honestly, I only partially agree with this point of view. While I think it’s true that people aren’t going to replay through games that they didn’t love, there’s something to be said for offering extra incentives for players to jump back in time and time again. I think there’s got to be a mix of something there, because a great experience that’s only 10 hours long still isn’t my cup of tea, especially when the price tag is $60.

So what do you guys think of the question of replay value? How important is it to you? When buying a game do you care more about the experience or the replay value? Go!

Source – Gamasutra

Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Castlevania: GabrielIn 2009, I remember feeling a little left out of the geek fervor when I went to go attend a showing of the new Star Trek movie. For some reason or another, I just had never been a fan of the beloved series, and had only ever seen one movie (which I thought was boring). Still, the new movie seemed like it would be worth a watch, so I thought I would check it out with the rest of the red-shirt masses. Long story short: I left the movie feeling high on adventure, and itching to check out all the Star Trek that I had missed up until that point.

If you want to bring this over to gaming terms, I guess you could say that Castlevania has always been my Star Trek, so to speak. It’s one of those titles that I’ve just missed out on over the years. And now, after having spent a whole weekend plumbing the depths of Konami’s newest entry in the long-running classic action franchise, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the results are the same: I think Castlevania’s got a new fanboy. Continue reading Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

GamerSushi Asks: Boss Battles?

Lords of Shadow

It’s sad that more and more these days, the phrase “boss battle” seem to be getting removed from our vocabulary as avid gamers. Really, with so many shooters getting the green light over traditional games, there just doesn’t seem to be room left for great boss fights in most of the titles that we play. There’s something to be said for tackling a well designed boss, which is why I think Batman: Arkham Asylum resonated so strongly with me as an old school gamer.

Well, consider me stoked up on boss battles again, since I just spent most of the weekend marathon-ing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. The game is not shy about throwing boss after boss at you, and I was in geek heaven because of it. I’ll save some more details for the incoming review, but let’s just say I liked them.

So, since it’s fresh in my mind after completing the game, I thought I’d bring the question here: what are some of your favorite boss battles you’ve faced in games? Any that were particularly memorable because they were frustratingly hard? Sound off!

X-Men Arcade Comes to Home Consoles, Makes Me Feel Old

Comic-Con NYC 2010 is going down right now and, true to form, there are plenty of video game related goodies for us to peruse. While I might be a bit biased here, I can say with the utmost certainty that this bit of news is the greatest to grace GamerSushi this week. Remember that old side-scrolling beat-em-up starring the X-Men? Well, Konami and Marvel are pleased to announce that this old favorite is coming to the PSN and the XBox LIVE Arcade at some point in the future. Although no date was given, the downloadable title looks to be a straight-up port, but garnished with a new feature, six player drop-in co-op! Consider me psyched! Take a look at the trailer (shot off-screen, unfortunately):

I didn’t realize that this game came out eighteen years ago, which is why I feel old. However, a brand new generation of gamers can now experience the Earth-rending difficulty that this game featured, so that’s good news. Anyone excited about this? What other old arcade classics would you like to see re-released?

GamerSushi Asks: Overrated But Still Good?

Bioshock

Every year, the question of digging through the stacks of releases to find which games are worth your time and money is a pretty extensive one. It requires a fair bit of research, a little bit of hocus pocus and also gut instincts to nab the things that you think will jive with your gaming preferences most fully. This becomes especially hard as the video game world becomes obsessed with certain games, sometimes hyping and potentially overhyping whatever new Messiah of gaming has shown up this year.

We’ve all dealt with our share of overrated games not quite living up to what we thought they would be. In fact, we’ve talked about that very thing a number of times here on the old Sushi. However, I was thinking about this issue the other day when talking about the Halo franchise to someone: can a game be both overrated but also still good?

Personally, I think it can be, and the Halo games totally fit the bill. They’re not quite as great as everyone gives them credit for, but they’re still pretty awesome, in my book. Other games that belong here in my opinion include anything from GTA IV to Bioshock (great but over-praised, I feel), Final Fantasy X and even one of my all time favorites, Final Fantasy VII.

So, what games would you guys put in that category? Can games be both very good but also overrated?

Dear Hollywood: 5 Tips to Prevent a Lame Myst Movie

Myst coverAs you’ve no doubt heard by now, Myst, one of the most beloved and revered adventure game series of all time, has been optioned to be turned into a full length motion picture. While the content of the movie is no doubt up in the air at the moment, people have been taking shots at Myst and other video game properties for years now, hoping to stick some kind of tap into that overflowing font of money-making wizardry.

Here’s the problem: it’s no great secret that many video game movie adaptations are reviled by even some of their most beloved franchise fans. I’m not going to say that all video game movies are flat out bad by any stretch, but if we’re being honest, there is always plenty lost in translation between the monitor and the silver screen. Heck, just ask Mark Wahlberg. Or the Rock. Or Jake Try-To-Spell-My-Name-Without-Using-IMDB Gyllenhaal.

Looking around on the tubes, I’m seeing a considerable amount of concern out there for the Myst movie, with fans like myself wondering how it can even be portrayed in a way that works, and deservedly so. So, we thought we’d put together a list of things that will help Hollywood, and more specifically Mysteria Film Group, keep the Myst movie from suffering the fate of many other less than well-received adaptations.

Here are 5 tips to prevent a lame Myst movie: Continue reading Dear Hollywood: 5 Tips to Prevent a Lame Myst Movie

GamerSushi Asks: What Games Changed How You View Games?

Aeris and Highwind

This is a topic we’ve kind of covered before, but I love talking about it so much you’re not going to get me to stop. In my mind, there’s always that one game that gamers have that changed the way they felt about gaming in general. Somehow, it stretched beyond the boundaries of what we thought a game could be and do, and it stuck with us in ways that other games never did. Whether that’s because of emotional impact, story, a certain mechanic changes depending on who you ask.

For me, that game will always be Final Fantasy VII, and I say that completely unapologetic. As I talked about on our S games podcast, it’s a game that I played at exactly the right time in my life, and it not only turned my expectations of games on their head, but also the way I viewed story. As with anything I liked at that age, it’s by no means perfect, but it was perfect for a young dude like me and I think that matters.

I’ve written at length today about FFVII on my blog, but I thought the question would be pertinent here as well. What games changed the way you viewed games? Which have affected you most deeply, and for what reasons?

Catching Up with the Castlevania Retrospective

When it comes to original video content, I think that GameTrailers has some of the best retrospective features around. They’re usually informative, entertaining and ridiculously well researched. And to top it off, they’re about some of the biggest franchises in all of gaming.

This week, in honor of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow’s release, they return with part 1 of their Castlevania Retrospective, which is all about the origin of Dracula and his sordid history with the Belmont clan. Having never played a Castlevania game (don’t tar and feather me, Anthony), this whole thing is pretty fascinating to me, and I’d be a crazy person to hear that music and see that gameplay and not start itching to pick those titles up. Going to have to add Symphony of the Night to the list, and soon. I seriously can’t get enough of these things.

Can we get a roll call from the Castlevania fans out there?

GamerSushi Asks: Real Life Video Game Power-Ups?

Mario Fire Flower

Power ups are some of my favorite things created by game developers. Sure, they often take the form of nonsensical things, but what better way to mix up the gameplay in a stale title than to let your hero do something completely out of the norm, whether it be a special spin attack after eating pizza a la the TMNT arcade games or getting the Tanooki suit in Super Mario Bros. 3. Personally, some of my favorite power-ups include quad damage from the Quake series, as well as the Donkey Kong hammer in Super Smash Bros.

But what if we could have power-ups apart from gaming? That’s the question Filefront is asking in one of their recent features, 10 Greatest Game Power-Ups to Have in Real Life, and I found it quite entertaining. They cover everything from Pay n’ Sprays in GTA to skill books from Elder Scrolls. The number one is a bit obvious, but no less desirable. A few notable misses would include the speed shoes from Sonic and the star from Super Mario Bros., because who wouldn’t want to be invincible?

Which video game power-ups are your favorite, and which would you prefer to have in real life? Go!

Source – Filefront

Nintendo 3DS Screenshot Comparisons Might Surprise You

Metal Gear Solid 3 3DS

As much as I might express concern over the still unsure pricing of the Nintendo 3DS here in the U.S., I’m going to swallow my pride and just admit that I want one more than you can imagine. Although I suppose you could imagine it if you tried really hard and thought about something you really, really wanted, but that ruins the illustration, and makes you a jerk.

Anyway, while I knew from trailers and screenshots that the 3DS had rather impressive visuals, the only real way to tell just how much better Nintendo’s new handheld looks over its predecessor is to see side-by-side screenshots. On top of that, how much better do the remakes of the old N64 games like Ocarina of Time and Starfox 64 appear? The answer could be shocking (hint: it’s “a lot”).

Check out the comparisons after the jump. Continue reading Nintendo 3DS Screenshot Comparisons Might Surprise You