Game Reviews: Street Fighter IV

This review could also be called; “How I fell in love again.” There is no need to delay my verdict on this game in order to spark intrigue from the reader. It is simply superb. Having said that it is not without its flaws, and certainly there are some who will find the game unappealing, but personally this game represents a significant new chapter in the games industry. Not bad for a twenty year old franchise.

For those familiar with Street Fighter II, you are likely to be instantly at home with most of the characters and the control scheme. Delve a little deeper however and the intrinsic new subtleties in the combat system become more evident. The integration of the Ultra combos, Super Combos, EX moves and charged counters add levels of depth previously missing from an already involved fighter. Once you become comfortable with them it’s hard to remember how you managed without them, a fact that is highlighted by their absence in one of the challenge trials. The new moves tip the balance of the game towards favoring a more aggressive style, a positive step after the excellent yet more measured pace of Street Fighter III.




The designs of the characters might not be to everyone’s liking but to those who appreciate the cartoony 3D visuals, the game is very impressive. And as a poverty stricken individual like myself cannot afford a high definition TV, it’s important to note that due to the aesthetic style, the game even looks good in SD, something not all current generation games can lay claim to. The audio is again a matter of personal taste. The characters sound terrible in English but fortunately can be changed to Japanese, which is less offensive to the senses. The commentator’s constant chatter will either irritate the hell out of you or amuse you, but likewise he can be silenced. Unfortunately the same level of polish has not been applied to the anime cut scenes, which are frankly terrible. Choppy animation, weak voice acting and incomprehensible plots somewhat take the epic edge off the majesty of the game. Forgivable yes, but still disappointing.

And so to the most important aspect of this iteration, the online play. Thankfully it is generally very smooth provided you are playing with someone who has a good internet connection. There are the odd very laggy matches which are unplayable, but given the importance of a lag-free environment for a fighting game, Capcom should be commended for what they have achieved. There are a few areas beside the lag though that do need addressing. Whilst it is nice to be able to choose your opponent it does lead to some imbalanced match-ups, and being unable to see your opponents BP (battle points) before choosing to fight makes each fight a bit of a lottery. You can adjust settings in order to seek out specific types of opponents but none the less a little more attention paid to the presentation would have been welcome. Future downloadable content promises a revamping ranking system and tournament mode so at least it seems as if some minor quibbles could be addressed. Despite these points it is worth noting that it is amazing that you can hop online and constantly find opponents that challenge and invigorate you, something that only those who lived close to a busy arcade could experience regularly.

And on the subject of challenge, this game is punishingly difficult. Yes, I am aware that I’m opening myself up to ridicule and accusations of being a ‘noob’ but damn it this game is hard! I consider myself a veteran of the franchise without being an expert and I really struggle to finish the game on medium difficulty beyond my main characters. The time trial and survival modes are something that I am never likely to complete, even on the misleadingly titled ‘normal difficulty’. But that is one of the appeals of the game. Unlike most games, it constantly challenges you to improve yourself and the reward that you reap from dedicating yourself to the game is a marked improvement in your ability and the accompanying satisfaction. It only hurts you because it loves you, and if you have the right mindset and an appetite for a challenge, this game will not disappoint.

Finally the thorny issue of arcade sticks. Personally I bought a Hori Pro stick with the game and have no desire to play the game on a normal pad, but I aware that the experience could be somewhat different without one. Whether or not you decide to invest (and that word is entirely appropriate when the damn thing costs 150 bucks), is up to how much you think you will get out of the game.

Street Fighter is back to remind you that fighting games are fun, then to crush you. Enjoy.

Grade: A

The most important technolgical advancement yet?

This has to be immediately documented before it slips from my memory and into the sands of time. This morning on Japanese television I saw one of the most incredible and potentially life changing products/experiences I have ever witnessed. The lifestyle section of the show, which usually contained fluff such as how to store you clothes in a more compact manner or methods of customizing doors in order to make them less dangerous than the elderly, detailed a technological innovation that could change the face of the entertainment industry forever.

It puts you in the movie.


This could your smug and self satisfied face onscreen

You send numerous pictures of your head from certain angles; the company then makes a 3D image of your face and transplants it onto the body of a character in the specially made movie. The company is currently doing this for a drama movie starring a famous Korean actor. As was demonstrated in the segment, doting Japanese housewife fans of this particular actor can fulfill all their deepest desires and become his love interest, in a movie that will no doubt be watched so often that a replacement copy needs to be purchased. Let me be clear; the technology is far from perfect. Whilst the superimposed face looked pretty accurate, it still felt uncanny and discomforting. Like when you get the inescapable sensation that someone else has been wearing your shoes. Still, once this technology has been perfected, well, the possibilities are endless! Anime geeks will be queuing up to superimpose themselves in Love Hina; middle-aged men will be falling over themselves for a chance to be James Bond; Tweenaged girls can have their own Hanna Montana show; and stalkers can pop themselves into relationships that only play out in the realms of their imagination. Creepy. But like most advancements in technology, let’s be honest, 99% of people will use it for porn. Or even worse, the ‘Look whose talking’ franchise could be reborn… you have been warned.


The consquences could be dire

What the hell is Noby Noby Boy? And is it any good?

I would like to begin this article by apologizing to those who were searching for pornography and instead stumbled upon this article about Keita Takahashi’s Playstation Network game. Next I would like to apologize to those who thought that they were reading about a video game, because Noby Noby Boy is by no means a game video game in the conventional sense. Finally I would like to apologize for anyone who was hoping I had the balls to slap some kind of score on this review, but ultimately it would be a futile and meaningless gesture.


"Bat-shit crazy" a quote from me Feburary 2009

So, with that rather rambling introduction, I introduce Noby Noby Boy by the creator of another rather unconventional game, Katamari Damacy. I will let the creator explain in his own words what the game.

“Basically players can control and stretch Boy, the main character of the game. As players stretch Boy, the lengths to which he grows are uploaded to a persistent character known as Girl, who grows at the same rate as the combined length of all the players in the world. Girl starts at Earth and expands around the solar system. When Girl reaches a new milestone in the solar system, new areas are unlocked as playable stages for everyone around the world.”


That is Girl. She is being ridden by all the Boys in the world. Weirdly that statement is accurate.

This was in fact his most recent attempt at an explanation, having tried several times previously which merely lead to more confusion. He shouldn’t have bothered. Noby Noby Boy is wonderful, dull, bizarre, relaxing, insane, cumbersome, pointless, satisfying, frustrating and fun. Or not. But it isn’t a game, whatever it is. The fact that it exists is baffling but I have to say that I’m grateful it does. I think I like it. I’m pretty sure I like it. I might love it.

Whilst I generously thank Keita for his attempts at explaining it, let me just give you a few mental snapshots of my experience with the game. I ate a village of people then pooped them all out. I saw worlds where men rode turtles, ghosts rode crows, a horse rode me, giant letters fell from the sky, astronauts mingled with simian astronauts, fruit was combined with humans, and humongous mushrooms span gracefully through the air.
You eat people, your body gets bigger, you can poop and the longer all the Noby Noby Boys in the world get, the more new and exciting things Girl can see… I am fully aware how all that sounds and let me once again reassure you that this is not an adult movie. Just go on Youtube and enjoying trying to figure out the madness.
This is not a game,even to the extent that quitting the game earns you a trophy.


Congratulations. You have been mind-fucked. Here is a trophy.

Trophies or Achievements?

Finally, this year, trophies are mandatory in every PS3 game. The real question is not why, but why has it taken so long? With the success of Achievements on the Xbox 360, and with every current generation console being online it seems strange that Sony has been so late to the party.

For those who don’t know, Trophies and Achievements are rewards that are given to players for completing specific tasks in games. They range from the sublime, completing a game on the most difficult setting, to the ridiculous, in The Simpsons game, pressing start is rewarded. They are a way for developers to give the player incentives to play their games and to encourage the player to do so in a way in which they might not usually do. If that sounds confusing essentially they are bragging rights, a way for gamers to display their ability and dedication through a digital representation. And if there is one thing that gamers love to do, its brag.




Sony has made a number of unfortunate decisions regarding the implementation of trophies. Initially they were to be integrated into Home when it launched, but as Home got pushed back further and further, it became an unlikely scenario. When trophies were finally introduced, only one game, Super Stardust HD, supported them. Slowly more and more games began to support them, and more thoughtful developers made trophy patches for games that launched without them. Unfortunately the trophies were not retroactive, meaning that if you had done the appropriate action to get the trophy before the patch was introduced then it didn’t register. In a sense this was a minor inconvenience and many people replayed older games to get the trophy, thus getting more value for their purchase. However in a game like GTA IV, where a 100% complete file earns a trophy, this prospect of rededicating themselves to the game proved too daunting. Increasingly this will be of little consequence but as of this point it is almost a travesty that seminal games such as Metal Gear Solid 4 do not include trophies.

But one very positive factor for Sony is that PS3 Trophies are better than Xbox Trophies. This isn’t meant to be an incendiary comment but it certainly could be taken that way. There are four different types of trophy that can be awarded depending on the difficulty of the task; bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Games can only award platinum trophy and it represents a very impressive feat, usually collecting every other trophy. Thus if you see that another person has x number of platinum trophies, you can instantly gauge their dedication. On the 360 a numerical value is assigned to each achievement with the total for each game not allowed to exceed 1000 points. Without delving into another person’s profile, you can’t tell if their point tally is a result of playing a lot of games in an incomplete manner, or playing just a few games for countless hours. It is this difference that gives more weight to the importance of the Trophy system.

Another potential but as yet unrealized advantage of the trophy system will be to exchange them for products in the Home service. Sony has claimed that this ability to convert Trophies into something that carries a monetary value is coming, and if it does it will no doubt provide further incentive for many to play their games in a more completist manner. However as Home is somewhat of a mess at the moment it is difficult to predict when this system will be implemented.




And actually Microsoft might beat them to the punch. The achievement points system has been established for far longer and thus gamers have more invested in their point’s value. For some people the promise of more achievement points leads them to by the game on Microsoft’s console rather than on Sony’s. And for some the Trophy system might be too Meta, looking at a massive and steadily increasing numerical value is undeniably more satisfying. Whilst Microsoft had promised for a long time that achievements points could be used in order to purchase something, this has never emerged. But starting next year this will change and it could signal the complete victory of Microsoft’s virtual avatars over Sony’s. From next year, certain achievements in games will, we are promised, result in special items or costumes for avatars. The potential of this is massive. Imagine your digital representation carrying a Final Fantasy blade, or wearing the helmet from Dead Space. It would be very compelling for players to demonstrate their affection for a particular game by donning that costume. And it lends itself well to the appearance of the Avatars. They are cartoonesque representations and therefore unusual clothing would be in keeping with the aesthetic. But in the incredibly bland and sterile world of Home, I feel it would be unlikely to be as well integrated. But as a virtual space it would work better, where strangers would be able to admire your costume, and add to your sense of prestige.

Whilst I personally feel that the Trophy system is inherently superior to the Achievement system, for the reasons I have given I feel as though Sony has come too late to the party. And whilst in some sense the Home aesthetic was a shrewd marketing decision, the realistic feel will lead to a less exciting way of displaying your dedication to games. When and how you can spend your digital scorecard will go a long way in determining which system gamers will place more importance on in the next year.

Game Reviews: Winning 11 2009

Every time a sports franchise moves to a new system it finds a way to cripple itself. The first versions of a Madden or a FIFA for a next generation console come with a slightly higher resolution and sparkly presentation, but features that had become a standard for the franchise are curiously omitted. No doubt it has something to do with working on new and unfamiliar hardware for the first time or, more cynically perhaps, giving a reason for consumers to buy subsequent iterations of the game. We expect it, foolishly buy it and then expect the next game to improve and get closer to the feel of the last game of the previous console’s cycle. Step forward Winning 11 2009. As a lifelong fan of the franchise, who would passionately argue its case over its more successful but inferior rival FIFA, I feel as though my patience has finally worn bare. After purchasing last year’s version, which was predictably weak as the first for the next generation, I had high hopes for the next version. I was wrong. The handling of the players is only slightly less clumsy than last year, the presentation is just as bland and generic and the music is as excruciatingly terrible as it was last year. It is hard to recommend even for long time fans of the series, despite its minor improvements. I personally decided to invest based on the promise of online gaming including the new ‘be a pro’ mode. But sadly online is plagued by numerous problem including massive lag (and Konami not having figured out a way to deal with the ramifications fairly a la Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix), ghost town lobbies, match making that takes an eternity, and the simple fact that the current FIFA provides a much better quality service. If you want to read a review of Winning 11 2009, you should read a review of Winning 11 2008. Whilst EA and the FIFA team are constantly striving to improve their product, Konami seems content to rest on their laurels, somewhat ironic considering the roles were reversed last generation.

However, Winning 11 is still Winning 11. Despite its obvious problems it still possesses a smooth and comfortable control scheme, and it plays just as you remember it; for better or for worse. You will enjoy this game as much as you did the last one. This is sadly the fundamental issue in reviewing any sports franchise, but most are eventually punished for lack of ambition. It is my sincere hope that this game sells poorly and is greatly outsold by FIFA in the hope that it forces Konami to put more effort into the beloved series. It is sad that in a review about Winning 11, the name of its rival is mentioned five times.
Oh, and thankfully in this version there is no longer lag when watching highlights. That’s right, in the last game the frame-rate chugged just showing replays.

Grade: B-

Game Reviews: Valkyria Chronicles

Every year there are games that are lavished with critical praise and yet become commercial failures and go largely unappreciated. Valkyria Chronicles is sadly one such game. Whilst it is too early to write it off as another Okami just yet, in America the game has been unable to make an impact on the general public, although it has posted decent numbers in Japan. It’s a shame as it is yet another quality piece of software from Sega, who are having somewhat of a renaissance (barring the flagship Sonic franchise).

Essentially it is a strategy game, but it also seamlessly melds traditional Japanese RPG elements and real time aspects to its turn based combat. It is certainly difficult to imagine how it plays just by reading descriptions of the controls but once you have played through the tutorial it feels instinctive and comfortable. Because it combines the planning and resource management of strategy games, with real time elements to the combat and player controlled character development, success in the game feels particularly satisfying.
There are six classes of soldiers; tanks, scouts, shocktroopers, lancers, engineers and snipers. Each serves very different purposes and depending on the mission will have to be utilized in different ways. So whilst it is tempting to beef up your favorite class and fill your squad with them, you are unlikely to be very far due to the specific nature of their roles. This is reflected in the varied and interestingly arranged missions throughout the game. One of the strongest aspects of Valkyria Chronicles is that it never allows the player to become complacent. Whilst you many have found a strategy that works well in one mission, it is unlikely that it will be effectively implemented in another. Mission range from basic assaults on enemy strongholds, to stealth hostage scenarios, and even diverting the path of an unstoppable juggernaught. It is no mean feat to be able to provide such a diverse range of possibilities in strategy game lasting over thirty hours. It is likely that you will play through many of the skirmish battles several times as well as the chance to better your grade and to earn more experience for your charges gives the game longevity. The only minor disappointment is a lack of an online multiplayer mode. Whilst it may have been difficult due to the strong narrative that runs through the story, it would have been interesting to tackle human opposition.

The narrative, combined with the watercolor styled visuals and story book presentation make for a memorable and beautiful experience. Both clearly appeal to those interested in Japanese animation, and those people will relish the art style and dialogue that will seem very familiar. In fact, an anime tied into the series is due to be released this year. For those uninterested in Japanese cartoons, they are at least likely to appreciate the fact that despite the cartoon visuals, the story deals with tragic and serious themes in an impressively mature fashion. And the characters themselves are interesting enough that the player feel attached to their squad members, so that when one dies, permanently in some cases, you feel for them.

It has struggled commercially for a number of reasons. Its aesthetics have probably alienated more than have been attracted to it. Its title doesn’t seem compelling to anyone who has no idea what it refers to. The strategy genre isn’t especially popular and can seem daunting to those who have yet to try it. But once you get past these issues you get to an intelligent, heartfelt and visually stunning game that is likely to garner the same niche fandom as Dreamcast classic RPG Skies of Arcadia. Just because many others will miss out on this game, it doesn’t mean that you should let the opportunity slide.

Grade: A