Backlog - ROUND 2

So, the last time we spoke, I admitted to my massive backlog. Well, good news!

I tackled a massive chunk of it over my Easter holiday back in April (Namely Mirrors Edge and Dead Space 2), and now? It's summer

So... I'm free till October
First game that is up? Batman Arkham City!

ALSO! I've joined a Youtube collaboration channel with other gamer types - The Dudes With Thumbs
You should check us out or something

I PROMISE A BETTER UPDATE SOON! I have a topic I wish to tackle, involving the public image of the apple of my eye, Street Fighter x Tekken.

All the Best!
Adam

Spare time, lack of and backlog.

As many of you know, I'm now a University student studying film at Solent, Southampton. Now, as much fun as it is my gaming time has SEVERELY suffered as a result, and now, in chain reaction, I have a massive backlog of games to crack on with, and games to finish.

So, I have... A gaming new years resolution of sorts.

I'm kicking my backlogs arse and getting shit done

AS IT STANDS, the backlog is.... Well. It's huge. See below

1. Mirrors Edge
2. Just Cause 2
3. Medal of Honour
4. Grand Theft Auto IV
5. Gears of war 3 (Consider this a casting call for campaign buddies)
6. Portal 2
7. Dead Space 2
8. L.A Noire
9. Batman: Arkham City
10. Zelda - Spirit Track
11. King Of Fighters XIII (Story mode, believe me I've been rocking arcade and training and it's AWESOME)

...And these are games I haven't started yet, that I've either gained over the xmas period or picked up cheaply at some point or another. As for games that I'm partway through and need to finish:

1. Mass Effect
2. Dead Island (Most likely what I'll attack next)
3. Lost Odyssey
4. Zelda - OOT 3d (EDIT - Working on that TODAY!)
5. Borderlands
6. Fallout - New Vegas (Debating return, really got bored with this one. Word to the wise, avoid and get Fallout 3 GOTY edition)


Now, with my deadlines beaten for another semester (Barely, I should add) I finally have time to get on with these games. Please, leave me comments or tweet (@Alfain) with suggestions as what to tackle first, last or if I should use the game as a Frisbee for my labradors.

All the be-WAIT! MORE NEWS!

I'm on facebook I sold out. I'm a horrible, horrible person. And my girlfriend, who's blog you can find here is an excellent blackmailer.

All the best, Adam

XBL Alfarin.

Music, hype (!) and...

The relationship between games and music has always been simplicity made unnecessarily complex. Some of the best soundtracks to games are the simplest of tunes, performed in the most elaborate way possible (Case in point, anything in the Castlevania series) that get stuck in our heads like glue in glitter (Again, SORRY LIZ that was a genuine accident), mindlessly being hummed out of our lips while waiting for the bus (YES YOU, ANNOYING BERK ON THE HYTHE FERRY HUMMING THE DONKEY KONGA. FUCK YOU, THAT'S BEEN IN MY HEAD ALL DAY). But... This article, as much a celebration of the tunes of the video games we love, is also a look at another use of music. More so in competitive side of things.

I'm of course, talking hype music

And if you don't know what that is, let me give you a quick play by play - Ever watched someone play a game at a high level, or about to play at a high level, listening to music? That's pretty much the aim here, pumping yourself up before/during/after your match. In afterthought, this could also be under a larger "preparing for a tournament" article, but I digress.

And also, I provide a great example of something I listen to during some matches!

Also, ten points to the first person to tell me which racer this appeared in.

Something with a lot of power, a catchy riff, a punch, speed as well as a teensy bit of anger to help along my Cammy play is more than welcome. It can help keep a rhythm in my play, and most importantly drown out background noise from those around me. And believe me, that's more irritating than you will BELIEVE.

Sorry for the quickie this week, but... Let's just say a new collaboration article, based around swapping blogs with a good friend of mine is in the works.

All the best, Adam

XBL - Alfarin

A (little late) dissection of stupidity, and a major case of Left 4 Dead 2 syndrome

It's been a couple of months now since the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3, and the announcement of Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, and so now I HOPE that the masses will now listen to logic and reason, instead of flying off the chain after being treated like royalty to only have one thing go wrong (See - Left 4 Dead 2 boycott).

I start, with the dissection of this image that has flown around from site to site

EDIT NOTE - DUE TO SIZE ISSUES, YOU CAN FIND A LINK TO THE IMAGE HERE http://www.gamingsurvival.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/capcom-mistakes.jpg

...Flame shields UP, starting with Resident Evil 5

1. "On disc DLC at launch"

The DLC in question here, Versus, was... Eh. Not a real loss. The DLC at hand could be considered optional at best, and not a game breaker. Those of the achievement/trophy perspective quickly worked out that the mode is VERY easy to "boost", and can be completed in under 12 hours of work.

2. "PC version has no DLC"

http://www.gossipgamers.com/pirated-version-of-resident-evil-5-leaked/ . Blame pirates. PC gaming for many developers has become near futile, to the point that most AAA titles don't even MAKE it to PC, let alone DLC extras. Logic, please.

Up next, Dead Rising 2!

1. "Dead Rising 2 lite, prologue chapter"

.... I assume this is referring to Case Zero? Case Zero was an experiment in demo distribution. Instead of a "lite" version of DR2, Blue Castle (Now of course Capcom Vancouver) instead worked out a FULL STANDALONE TITLE. THAT WAS 400 MSP/FIVE AMERICAN DOLLARS. Seriously, unless you barely missed the Vietnamese hooker from Full Metal Jacket, what better things are there to spend $5 on?

Besides, it's not like it was half arsed. Metacritic has it at 79, with scores usually around 8/10 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Rising_2#Case_Zero)

2. "Acts as a paid demo as what to expect"

THIS IS THE SAME FUCKING COMPLAINT! See above. If you want to be lazy in being butthurt, I'll be lazy in dealing with it frankly

Next - DmC

1. "Devil May Cry Reboot"

http://forums.devilmaycry.org/threads/tameem-admits-dmc-is-not-canon.9589/

Actually.... It isn't. It's not even canon. I must admit I'm not a fan of this project but for crying out loud PLEASE USE THE WEDGE OF SOFT FLESH INSIDE YOUR SKULL! Think of it as an estranged spin-off.

2. "Developed by Ninja Theory"

Scoring between low 7's and 8's on Metacritic ( http://www.metacritic.com/company/ninja-theory) and with a somewhat decent reputation. See, if I saw any major clangers I'd be afraid but... I don't. Let's be honest, it's not like these people developed Daikatana!

BRING ON PHOENIX WRIGHT'S REPLACEMENTS SECOND OUTING!

1. "Has no plans to localise"

You do know what "Fan support" is, right? Fan support was the factor that saw the western release of Tatsunoko vs Capcom. Take the hint, and put down the R4 card.

Final Fight Double impact!

1. "DRM requires PSN users to always be online to play"

Blame gamesharers. That is all.

Bionic Commando Re-armed 2

1. "DRM requires PSN users to always be online to play"

See above.

Phoenix Wright x Miles Edgeworth

1. "No plans to localise"

.....Fan support. Tatsunoko vs Capcom. Sheesh, you guys are lazier than I thought!

CAN we PLEASE GET SOME LEGIT COMPLAINTS!

Oooh, this might be good - Marvel vs Capcom 3

1. "DLC is announced before even released"

....Really? REALLY?! EVERY DEVELOPER, FROM ACTIVISION TO 2K DOES THIS. Besides, it sets the faith in that the developer has plans to support and stretch out the lifespan of the game, installing faith in the fan base.

2. "Mega Man is missing in action"

Mega man is pretty much irrelevant now. Besides, wasn't the main focus point in the majority MvC3's roster to give new characters a chance to shine...? Oh, that and he was ASS in MvC2, and did not have the fan support of Tronne, or the TvC awesomeness of Zero. Ipso facto... Yeah. Put it together yourself, thankyou.

3. "Strider Hiyru does not fit in"

ACTUALLY! Completely false. The reason that Strider did not make it into MvC3 is that he is joint owned by Capcom and Moto Kikaku. Legal issues prevented his appearance, and he almost made it as DLC! But that's for the Ultimate rant.

4. "On disc DLC"

See, for the most part, this is nonsense. The costume packs are optional, and the shadow battles are cheap (80Msp) and also optional, but as far as the characters go, yes. This was irritating, but again, 400msp each, not like it's 1200 points for five maps that barely affect gameplay (Trollface)

The golden boy, apple of my eye, Street Fighter x Tekken!

1. "DAN IS KILLED OFF"

You're complaining because the joke character isn't in...?

Really?

....Look at this with a little perspective. The team HAVE to choose from not ONE series catalogue of characters, but TWO. Would you rather see the joke that is only used for poops and giggles, or a legitimate character that kicks arse? Plus, any way that the teams can cut out choices, and justify them is greatly appreciated. Sorry kids, it's how the cookie crumbles

2. Pulling Soul-Calibur esque fighter cameo

See, for the most part I DETEST these cameos, reason being that all they do is start fanboy console fights on message boards, and they are always banned at tournament level.

But that's JUST IT. You won't see Cole at EVO, so for the most part you don't even need to train against him. Hush up.

MegaMan universe!

1. Cancelled without any reason stated

2. Departure of Inafune believed to be cause.

...Actually, I'm doing this and Megaman Legends 3 together, and cutting out all the bullshit into one, solid, simple reason

INAFUNE LEFT

The ONLY man at Capcom at a high enough position with anywhere NEAR enough pull to get ANY Megaman project even GREENLIT is gone. It's basic nature, when a leader leaves, the group/pride/tribe/clan/idiots fall apart, unsure what to do and it always ends badly. Yes, Capcom are beating around the bush on an exact reason, yes it would be nice to get said official reason but IT'S PROBABLY THAT INAFUNE LEFT. DEAL WITH IT AND STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN.

Onto the PC release of Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition

1. "Stand alone version only"

...Dude, go to version info. Set to Super. You can play SSFIV instead of AE if you want. Bloody idiot.

2. "No upgrade option for PC SFIV owners"

See, if Super had come out on PC initially? Sure. Legitimate complaint. Sadly, it did not due to rampant piracy of Vanilla, and if it SFIV to Super was too big to do as DLC, what the hell makes you think that you're going to get AE as an upgrade? Bloody hell, are you FISHING for POINTLESS complaints to make your image look more important than it is?

Oh, wait, that's totally it.

3. "Uses Games for Windows Live DRM"

Actually, I do believe if you buy it from Steam, it uses Steamworks. Also, as far as GFWL goes, give it a break! It's barely been around for three years, let the kinks get worked out and THEN fire complaints. Bloody entitled PC games and Steam, I swear...

Monster Hunter Portable 3

1. "No plans to Localise"

2. "Same with PS3 Version"

...Just scroll up, and read up on "FAN SUPPORT"

Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D

1. "Players are prohibited from erasing existing save files"

This was IMMEDIATELY admitted a fault by Capcom. They apologised (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/868248-capcom-apologises-for-resident-evil-the-mercenaries-3d-save-system). Let it go, sheesh.

....Already covered Megaman Legends 3 above, go scroll up

Ah, finally, and far from least Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

1. "Announced Five months after originals release".

....HOLY SHIT A LEGITIMATE COMPLAINT. HALLELUJAH.

Serious now, yes it was a tad early. However, read on and you'll find WHY it was so.

2. "Mega Man still missing"

See - "Irrelevant". Also, for further reading, "Flogging a dead horse"

3. "Strider Hiyru suddenly fits in fine"

Umm, sadly, nope. He was never a "misfit" in the first place. As far as his appearance, one can safely assume that Capcom and Moto Kikaku worked out the legal issues that allowed his appearance. And also, he did have a crapton of fan support...

So. Umm. Yes.

4. "Mega Man Legends stage revealed"

One will assume here that the stage was designed when the project was greenlit. I can understand how this can be salt in the wound, so I'll let this one slide

4. "No upgrade option for MvC3 owners"

Funny enough, the new characters of UMvC originally had plans as... DLC. However. Due to the tsunami/earthquake disaster that hit Japan earlier in the year, Niitsuma's team instead, to make up for lost time, opted to go all out and make a "super" version of the game (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111849-Tsunamis-To-Blame-For-Lack-Of-Marvel-Vs-Capcom-DLC ), and frankly I can't blame them.

Oh, and let's look at it this way...

12 new characters, $5 each, 5x12 = 60.

UMvC3 launch RRP - $40/£29.99.

Which would YOU rather pay?

Upon reflection, this entire mess is a major case of Left 4 Dead 2 syndrome - If you don't know what that is, I will link you here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead_2#Controversy.

We've been treated like kings by Capcom for so long now, that when a few things goes awry a large group acts like The Westboro Baptist Church at a Richard Dawkins lecture. CALM DOWN. APPLY LOGIC. CARRY ON.

All the Best, keep using your noggin'

Adam/Alfarin

The decline of the arcade and the rise of the living room warrior

Today was a very, very sad day for me.

Today was the day I discovered that the only machine keeping my fighting game arcade spirit alive, an old MAME cabinet has been removed from the local SEGA park which ran GAROU, Darkstalkers, Vampire Saviour 2, Marvel vs Capcom, X-Men vs Street Fighter and, most importantly to me, Super Street Fighter II Turbo and in it's place.....

A novelty boxing game.

I... I shit you not.

To vent my frustration at SEGA parks love for crappy machines that nobody touches and removing machines that are popular and stand the test of time, I went home and raped the CPU on HDR with Chun-Li. Things I would not be capable of, or indeed stupid enough to normally try flowed out of me like a gushing wound. The anger, the irritation, the frustration..... All coming to one realisation.

The arcade is dead. Long live console, and herald the new regime of online.

All the Best.

Adam/Alfarin

Let's talk Adam playing fighters, and switching between them!

Hey all.

So, as many of you all know, I play a /lot/ of fighters.

.....Okay, who the fuck am I kidding that's pretty much ALL I PLAY.

ANYWAY.

The question I get asked a lot is, "how do you stay within a sensible skill level of so many different fighters?"

To be honest, it isn't that hard. The main thing I do, when picking up or returning to a fighter is to learn a basic combo with my character(s). Since, outside of SSFIVAE and HDR, I rarely play much outside of online multiplayer ranked/player matches, this is an essential tactic to gain a little ground. You'll be surprised at the amount of people who don't know basic combos, instead relying on mashing (ANDREW) to get the job done. Unless this is Tekken and you're the sort of asshole who constantly picks Eddie or Elen-CHRISTIE you're not going to be able to get away with that.

Secondly, pick a character who works well in the games system and suits your playstyle in said system. Again, this happens too damn often on and offline, leaving many people in the dark. And don't think that just because you can rush that shit down in AE with Ryu means you can do it in Third Strike! To give an example, I play Cammy in the SFIV series, and the polar opposite in Urien in Third Strike. From offensive rush down, to a refined technical bastard play.

Third and final, is once in a while play the damn games, even just for fun. Arcade mode has a leaderboard! Go and top it. Training mode exists! Blow some steam off after a shitty day, beat the shit out of the cheapest most irksome character on the roster (YUN) and in the process, find what works for you and fine love for the games you are playing. Without a little love? This genre will eat you alive

All the best

Adam

XBL - Alfarin

A rant

Smartphones.

Androids.

iPhone.

Whatever the fuck you call them.


May I ask a quick question, to those of you who constantly play with the "infinite bubble wrap game" or the "paper triangle flicking" thing?
DID YOU REALLY NEED A FUCKING £200+ PHONE TO DO THAT?! BUBBLE WRAP IS 99P A METER, AND
TRIANGLE BITS OF PAPER CAN BE MADE FOR 2P A FUCKING SHEET


PHONE GAME DEVELOPERS. MAKE SOMETHING FUCKING WORTHWHILE, JESUS MERRY CHRISTMAS!



Hearts, kisses and hugs

Adam <3