How I'd Spend My Summer Vacation (if I had one)

For every 10 minutes I spend playing a video game, six new games are being born (real statistic). Granted, most don't even catch my attention, but there's always a gem or two (or 8) I anticipate on a yearly basis. Most of the following are rooted in existing franchises, therefore, have the benefit of the doubt. Slap Castlevania or Metroid in front of something, I'll likely buy it on the spot (with a few exceptions). So in order of release date (that way you'll know when to buy them for me...or for yourself...AND me), LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Red Dead Redemption (May 18): Not sure how to feel about a western video game? Go watch 3:10 to Yuma and The Proposition then try to imagine a Quentin Tarantino remake of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Throw in this trailer of gals that would put Annie Oakley to shame, and pard'ner, you got yerself a customer.



Transformers: War For Cybertron (Jun 22): Now that The Transformers have been sodomized and will forever be synonymous with Michael "That's right, I fucked your childhood in the ass" Bay, I'm blown away to see a TF game that isn't a movie tie-in. Although, this could be trickery and upon loading the disc an image of Bay appears on screen with Optimus spread eagle in front of him. Watch this and mourn what a Transformers movie could have been.



Metroid: Other M (Jun 27): The Metroid Prime games are fun, but I'd take Super Metroid any day. So why not fuse the two? Oh wait, that's exactly what Team Ninja did! The look and feel of a side scrolling Super Nintendo game that's been given a Wii makeover. I'll take it!



Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (TBA 2010): I mentioned I'd buy anything with Castlevania attached to it. Add Patrick Stewart to that list. This one speaks for itself. You either know Castlevania or you should know Castlevania.



If you're not thoroughly satiated, maybe one of these are more to your liking:

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (May 23), Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Jun 29), and for those seeking the beautiful marriage of retro and new, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and Mega Man 10 (both available via WiiWare & Xbox Live)

The Little Nemo That Wasn't

Anyone who was watching animated features in the early 90's should be familiar with Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland. Now, I doubt that it's anyone's favorite film, but it has it's moments. The animation is fluid, the characters are endearing, and most importantly, it's fun. With that said, what could have made Little Nemo better? The love and care (and immense talent) of Studio Ghibli, perhaps?

In pre-Ghibli 1982, Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) and Isao Takahata (Grave Of The Fireflies, Pom Poko) were developing the then titled Nemo as an American/Japanese joint project for TMS Entertainment. One of the duo's key animators, Yoshifumi Kondo (Whisper Of The Heart), put together this test pilot, which in under five minutes, far surpasses the version that we ended up with.



The production folded due to creative differences (i.e. Big American Dollars = Our Way Or The Highway), and Miyazaki and co. decided to pursue other projects. Namely, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind; the movie that sparked the formation of Studio Ghibli. Although I admire them for leaving a production that compromised their integrity...I really, really wish they made it anyway! Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland holds a little place in my heart, but it's a little place. Not a BIG place like Ghibli's phenomenal library. C'est la vie.

Little Nemo didn't get a US theatrical release until 1992...a decade later! It's production is a bit of a legend in Hollywood animator circles due to the vast number of "hands" the movie went through before it's completion. Oh, and remember this?


Little Nemo: The Dream Master for the NES

A Boy And His Blog

Warning: You may find this blog boring. If you choose, you may skip to the section labeled "My point."



With modern video game consoles and their wide array of online content (i.e. Wii's Virtual Console or Xbox 360's Live Arcade), I have noticed a resurgence of classic gaming...and I love it! Be it re-release or remake, keep 'em coming. Top prize goes to Mega Man 9, which is a completely brand new game in glorious 8-Bit, made to be an original Nintendo game. Of course, they didn't distribute cartridges, so it's only available as a download. But I'm not complaining about that. Quite the opposite. I love my Nintendo more than a limb or any family member. So to get "classic style" games in the midst of big, graphically lavish, 20 minutes to load, explodie modern games, is a dream come true. Maybe I'm getting old? "Back in my day, we only needed two buttons, sonny!"

As much as I adore the Nintendo Entertainment System, I can't deny there were some terrible games that came out for it. And there were fan favorites that just never seemed very interesting. If you were to fill a room full of nerds and have them make a list of the best NES games, everyone's list would be somewhat similar. They would all have Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid and then seven of their favorite titles (that are probably just as universally adored). One such game that could likely rank on these hypothetical lists is a game I could never get into, no matter how hard I tried. A Boy And His Blob. I know, I know, you're thinking, "Get to the goddam point, please."

A Boy And His Blob is about a boy...and his blob...Blobert, actually, who when fed jellybeans can transform into a useful object that corresponds with the respective treat. Licorice jellybeans turn Blobert into a ladder and tangerine turns him into a trampoline. You use these abilities to progress through the levels collecting treasure (and more jellybellys). You and Blobert must face the evil emperor to save Earth and Blobolonia. Sounds...okay? It was actually pretty boring. I don't know if I ever figured out how to get out of the first stretch of sewer, literally, at the beginning of the game. Again...what's your freaking point?!

My point: Although I'm not a fan of the original, I'm really excited for the Wii sequel to A Boy And His Blob! It has its own style yet retains the flavor of the original. It looks immersive, adorable, and fun.


I think a majority of my excitement may be rooted in my love for these classic style games, and it makes me forget that I never liked the original...this may be no exception. But I'll give it a whirl based on principal. 2D games are still hanging on in the 3D age(Braid and Mega Man 9 sales reflect this), but they're few and far between. More than anything I just want more games like this and fewer first-person-shooters. Thanks for indulging me.

A Wii Bit Of News!

Nintendo has some great things in store for Wii in 2010! First up is Super Mario Galaxy 2! Now, Super Mario Galaxy could be described as "the most fun had playing a video game" and it'd be totally true. So a sequel (with Yoshi!) is very welcome! But wait! There's even more Mario heading your way! New Super Mario Bros. for Wii. Four player classic style Mario? Who do I make the check out to?



No three words are sweeter than "New Metroid Game." There has never been so much as a blemish in the series' history and I'm sure Metroid: Other M (from Nintendo and Team Ninja!), is no exception. So...totally...sweet.

I'm also super excited for the update to A Boy And His Blob, but I'll save that one for another blob, er, blog.

Oh yeah, and something called Zelda? More on that as it develops.

MVC2 Is Coming To XBLA!

Say what now? Nerds would know (inherently) that the above title reads Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is coming to Xbox Live Arcade! This is MEGA news! The original arcade game, circa 2000, has certainly withstood the test of time. Nearly a decade later it remains to be one of the best fighting games ever made. The home console versions (Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox) are highly sought after due to a limited print (Capcom was loosing the Marvel license) and will run anywhere from $40-75 on ebay! The steep price tag has always been a factor in my never owning the game. That's not to say the game isn't worth the money, I assure you it is, but the Xbox and PS2 versions were...lacking. Elements were added that weren't needed or desired and the gameplay handles differently; a bit slow, clunky. The Dreamcast version, however, is the identical twin of the arcade birth mother due to the use of the NAOMI system (for coding), which the Xbox and PS2 weren't compatible with. That's the trouble with ports, things will often get lost in translation. So when news broke that the original version was coming to Xbox Live for a mere $15 (1,200 MSP), I swallowed my tongue, coughed it back up, then sang praises toward the heavens.

Why is this game so great? What's the hubbub, bub? Well, it's Marvel dudes, um, and Capcom dudes...and they totally fight each other! With a roster of 50+ playable characters, and some of those being Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Ryu, Chun Li, and Megaman...I'd buy it if it were only those six. But I can almost guarantee your favorite Marvel character is represented. But what really sets this aside from most in the genre is the 3 on 3 battles.

Player: With so many awesome characters available, it's hard to decide which one to play.

Developer: You can have three at a time!

Player: Insanity! (Head Explodes)

It plays like any standard fighting game only your off screen pals can aid you during battle or simply "tag out" and take over as one of them. You're only defeated if all three of your characters health meters are drained. Each character has their own set of moves and combos plus group moves that include your whole team.


Here, poor Ryu is getting a makeover from a trio of badasses using said group move. He didn't stand a chance.

Update: A tentative release date of June 29. I'm counting the seconds.

For Love & Street Fighter: Episode 2

For Love & Street Fighter: Episode 1

A co-worker of mine linked me over to an animated short he made called "Happy Birthday, Uhura" on the site GoAnimate.com. It seemed like fun, so I decided, not only would I make a video myself, but that I'd start a bi-weekly series of animations just for you! If you aren't familiar with the characters of Street Fighter...then you're pretty weird, live in a hut, and likely don't know what a Super Nintendo is.



Hope you liked it! Check back soon for Episode 2.

Indy's Back!

No, I'm not referring to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. By now you should be in the final stages of repressing Jones' recent calamity. His next adventure will take place in the palm of your hand! Er, hands. Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is coming to the Wii.

Set in 1939, a year after Last Crusade, Indy finds himself in search for an old colleague who went missing on a quest to uncover the staff of Moses. You know, the one that parted the Red Sea? The biblical route always seems to work for Indiana Jones. The Ark of the Covenant in Raiders, and the Holy Grail in Last Crusade. Of the novels, the most successful and fan favorite was The Genesis Deluge which dealt with Noah's Ark. Sorry Sankara Stones and (stupid) Crystal Skull.

As you may expect, legions of enemies will be ready stand in the titular archeologist's way: from spiders and snakes to Lao Che's thugs to those ever so lovable rascals, the Nazis. A new villain, Magnus Völler, will be Jones' nemesis for this excursion. As for his main squeeze? No news as of yet, but I'm sure they'll throw at least one strong and sassy female Indy's way.

The Wii's motion controls play a big part in the game. You'll hold down B and swing the remote to crack Indy's whip. The whip can disarm enemies, grab enemies, swing across pits, interact with items that are out of reach, or may be needed to disarm traps. Hand-to-hand combat will also use motion control. You'll hold the remote and nunchuck in each fist (just like boxing in WiiSports) and the controller will mimic your blows. So if a few light jabs don't do the trick, give 'em Indy's mean left hook. The game boasts a very interactive environment. Indy isn't necessarily the strongest fighter in a scrap, be he keeps his wits about him. At a nearby pool table, for instance, Jones can pick up a cue and break it over an adversary's head. Or, grab the balls from the table and lob them at the bad guys from across the room. Grab an enemy and rush him head first into a gong...or concrete wall...or throw him off a ledge.

Aside from the main story mode, the game also features a co-op mode with it's own original story! The second player wasn't announced, but it is someone we'll know from the series. Henry Jones, Sr. or Sallah, perhaps? The co-op focuses on cooperative puzzle solving and the like. If that wasn't enough, there is also a four-player mode where you can have aerial dogfights! All of this sounds very promising. It delivers a new story while retaining everything we've come to love from the original adventures. And no contributions from Lucas! That's always a good sign. However, I would accept a written apology from him for making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Somehow I doubt anyone'll see one of those.

In closing, I'm super excited for this game! Couldn't you tell? I love Indiana Jones, and adventure, and video games, and though its sad I'll probably never have another Indy film (that is watchable) at least he can still make use of his fedora in other mediums. Look for it this Spring.