Rainbow Moon Shines on Vita This December

It's been a while since I've talked about Rainbow Moon, and there's still a while yet before I'll be able to really talk about it again.  It was announced all the way back in September of 2012 that Rainbow Moon would be receiving a Vita port, since a lot of folks interested in the PS3 version asked about it.  A Vita port of the game just made sense, considering it's a Strategy RPG and a handheld device is perfect for that, and the developers agreed...but made it known that it wasn't going to be quick.  The game engine was built from the ground-up for the PS3 for best performance and would have to be completely re-tooled for the Vita.  It was a daunting thought, one that almost no studio would be willing to undertake, but Sidequest Studios did and we should all praise them for it, for the commitment if nothing else.

Still, that statement that it wasn't going to be a quick port could not have been more true as we will still not see the game until December 3rd of this year, a full year and change after the announcement was made.  The hope is that, with all the time they took in working it onto the Vita means that it'll retain its locked, smooth framerate and such, so the wait will hopefully be worth it.  There are also a bunch of updates to the game that will be baked into it at launch (and patched in to the PS3 version) to bring them up to complete parity, since Cross-Save is also going to be supported.  That way, anyone who has already bought and played the PS3 version will be able to bring their save on the go, as intended, which is an amazing boon.  It's also another incentive for owners of the PS3 to buy the Vita version as well, with the original incentive being a discount on the price for PS3 version owners.  The discount is hopefully going to be 50%, at least that's what Sidequest is shooting for, and I dare not even consider how the PS Store team will make that work, but I don't have to worry about it myself since I have not bought Rainbow Moon yet and am holding off on this Vita version.

As a result of not having played it yet, I don't really know a lot -about- it, and the above video does very little to elucidate on its merits and mechanics.  From what I can gather, it seems like a wonderfully deep Strategy RPG that looks gorgeous and runs smoothly in its PS3 incarnation, so I can only hope for the same with the version that you can hold in your hands.  All of that means, of course, is that this is the part where I shrug my shoulders and go "Well, I'm buying it" because, really, I was sold long, long ago on the PS3 version, I just never bit and patience has proven to be a virtue as my buying will go to the version that I actually really want.  I always like having a good strategy RPG around and while I do have that in spades...well, one more can't hurt, right?

it looks all sorts of flashy and such which is good, and I can't -not- support hard work I mean come on

Split Your Lungs with Blood and Thunder

Continuing my Halloween/Horror-themed game playing to be season-appropriate that started with Sleeping Dogs' Nightmare in North Point, I put my PS3 to the test yesterday and found out whether or not it could just...you know, download the 3.1 Gig download that is inFamous 2:  Festival of Blood, which I had purchased last year for a cheap Halloween sale but couldn't play because reasons.  Reasons that include not being able to leave my old PS3 on for the fifteen hours that was required   Reasons that have since been resolved and thankfully so, because I honestly didn't know what I was missing from my life by not having played Festival of Blood and now that I have fixed that little error, things seem that much better.  Brighter and sunnier, even.  Just nicer all around.

Much like Sleeping Dogs, inFamous 2 was just an absolute joy to play and that still holds true to this day, having gone back into it for the first time in months and picking it all back up rather easily and happily.  That means that inFamous 2's fluidity and enjoyment translate well into FoB at base, not even counting the fun little bits that FoB adds, and does it ever add a doozy.  And much like Nightmare in North Point, Festival of Blood changes things aesthetically for the most part, but leaves the bulk of the main gameplay in standard.  Your amp is replaced with a cross from a coffin that still has a bit of pointy wood left on it and that does change the animations - to finish vampires, you need to stake them with the pointy wood, obviously, and it is satisfying.  But the bulk of Cole's moves are still in play here, or at least the main suite of them - Zapping, repulsing, grenades, rockets and gliding are all present and accounted for and they're your bread and butter powers anyway.

The funny thing is that inFamous 2 got a lot of praise (from me, at least) for having the best system for freedom of movement I've played, and that's up to current standards, but Festival of Blood even manages to one-up it there.  Admittedly, it cheats a little to do this, however.  One of the first vampire powers you get (if not -the- first) is the Bat Swarm ability which allows you to turn into....well, a swam of bats and actually fly.  No gliding, no hovering or anything like that - actual sustained flight.  It's fast flight too!  You zip around the city pretty wildly with it....which is why there's a fairly drastic timer set on it.  You see, in addition to your Electricity Gauge, you have a 'blood pool' or what have you, which fuel your Vampire Powers, obviously.  Flight drains it rather quickly and you only have so much to start with, though you can collect upgrades (think blast shards, but in the form of blood jars) that extend your maximum blood pool which gives you more flight time.  It is definitely worth it to track them down (100 of 'em) once you're able to, and it's made trivial if you find glyphs that unlock your Advanced Vampire Sense, since that will point them out on the map while you're in bat form.

The only issue that I have with Festival of Blood is that...it is rather short, unfortunately.  I started it sometime around 2:30 PM this afternoon and had nearly 100% completed it in under six hours.  All I have left to do for all the trophies is completing some User Generated Content missions which will unlock what I imagine is the final power that I don't have, triggering both trophy unlocks in a single stroke.  (One for doing the required amount of UGCs, one for getting all the powers)  It was a hell of a ride while it lasted, and granted, the game is still just fun to toy around with, flying about (literally now) and such, but I only have so much time for games and far too many games for that little bit of time, so I'm afraid I'll have to be moving along as soon as I mop up the last little bit here.  I can't help but feel as if there's a little disproportionate return on it as, while I got it for cheap (I think it was honestly $3 when I bought it) it still took more than two times the length of time to download it as I'm going to put into it play-wise...which is my ISP's fault and not the fault of the game, of course.

Aside from that, one more night in inFamous 2's New Marais was an enjoyable experience all told.  I'd definitely recommend Festival of Blood if you dug inFamous 2, and if you didn't dig inFamous 2 then you just hate fun, so I don't know what to tell you.  If you're interested, it's currently $3.99 for Playstation Plus users (and will probably stay that way til November 5th, 2013) and it's definitely worth that, no questions asked.  I do however feel like I'm kind of the last person who played inFamous 2 but not Festival of Blood at this point, so it might be a bit moot anyway, but it's still always nice to put a recommendation out there.  Never know who's going to check things out, after all.  And with something as good as Festival of Blood was, you're gonna wanna make sure it's known universally.

I was just so happy when I thought of the Blood and Thunder thing, you don't even know

Is Final Fantasy Type-0 Still a Possibility?

Probably not.  Still, hope springs eternal and all that.

If' you're unaware of what Final Fantasy Type-0 is, then you're likely part of the overwhelming majority which likely includes at least half of Squeenix itself.  So, for the uninitiated, Final Fantasy Type-0 is the renamed Final Fantasy Agito XIII, which was one of the three games announced back when Final Fantasy XIII proper and Versus were also announced, all as arms of the Fabula Nova Crystallis branding.  In 2006.  And, as we all, know, that has gone so swimmingly with one and a half of those three titles having actually seen release.  I say half, of course, because one of Final Fantasy Type-0's many changes, aside from the transition from a Cell Phone game to a full-fledged PSP title, was its name to Type-0 for its Japanese-only release.  In 2011.

Being that it's been so long since its Japanese release on a platform that didn't particularly do well in the West, most everyone has just assumed it will never see a Stateside release.  Or rather, if you still believe that it will see a release in the West, you're one of the outliers, since there's almost no reason, no incentive to do it.  Except making fans happy and selling a product, but who the fuck cares about that.  Certainly not Squeenix unless it's Eidos-developed, sells more than any iteration in the entire franchise it's a part of, yet is still 'underwhelming' which I am not bitter about at all, no sir.  None of this is helping, however, and is only tangentially related to the game, so let's shift gears.

As stated, Agito XIII began its life as a Card-based game for Cell Phones and eventually transformed into a sort of real-time action RPG with online and social elements that eventually was known as Type-0 on the PSP.  A game so large that it required two UMDs, and remains one of the few titles that have ever needed this functionality.  To say that it grew and evolved into something quite different than it started is an understatement, and that's not only for the game itself.  In its humble origins as a Cell Phone game, nobody seemed to really care for it, as it would just be another After Crisis or similar - a game that wasn't very good and we didn't get it anyway - and it was only after it started evolving, became a PSP game and went unreleased long after XIII came out to its polarizing opinions and Versus became considered vaporware that it was turned to, latched onto, even.  There had to be one project from this Fabula Nova abomination that wasn't going to cause some sort of rift, the same opinions as XIII or the same nebulous assurance of quality unseen with Versus.  Type-0 was all at once something more tangible and more tantalizing than either of the other projects.

With that set of circumstances, it's not hard to see why the game has a sort of cult undercurrent of support and hope behind it.  From its pre-release information, the videos that showed it off, it seemed to have the things that are missed from older games, that it had some itch of the Final Fantasy Formula in it.  A story that seemed genuinely heartfelt, or at least keyed to play on your emotions.  An overworld that you eventually gain an airship to traverse, as well as Chocobos to do the same in a much more limited fashion.  It felt like taking those classic games and actually 'evolving' them with the multi-player aspect to it, rather than taking a game and tacking on something to it.  Or attempting to attach it to every single mechanic the game offers.  Or at least, this is all the impressions I've gathered since I've barely heard a peep about it since it was actually released in Japan.

It's not impossible to consider that Type-0 has become much more than it actually is because of all of this, and that, should it ever actually see a release, it might be taken as "underwhelming".  In fact, I would almost bet on it, since we are a fickle bunch like that.  Still, we can all be proven wrong on things.  If this trademark registration of "Final Fantasy Agito" (dropping the XIII entirely) is, in fact, indicative of a re-release of Type-0, a Western release at that (or even an international release that is actually international), then it will prove enough people wrong there to believe anything.  But I personally don't buy it.  Perhaps I'm overly negative of Squeenix these days, but this seems to easy.  It would be a soft-ball pitch to just do this and have it mean an actual localization of the game.  Or even an enhanced Vita version of it that would actually be released to the west.  I'm betting on them taking this opportunity and striking out, and in a spectacular fashion. 

So really, I'm either betting on a PS3 HD Remaster that will stay Japan-Exclusive, or that this is just for a Cell Phone/Tablet game and will actually be the card game promised all those years ago.  Prove me wrong, Squeenix.

no, seriously, prove me wrong and while you're at it, announce a Drakengard 3 localization so that I can love you forever

I Haven't Talked About BLOOD DRAGON Yet

After you watch the above video, you'll know why this is a Bad Thing™ that I haven't yet.

So I'll give you some time to do that.

...
...

It's a bad thing because BLOOD DRAGON is every shade of fucking awesome.

I need only remind of my love for absurdity and I think it all becomes crystal clear since Far Cry 3:  Blood Dragon is quite possibly one of the most absurd things to happen to video games in a long time and that is a very good thing.  I mean, if someone does a Live-Action trailer for the game where the main character gets into a cyber katana duel with a robot while a shockwave from a nuclear explosion barrels towards them, you have to give it up for that shit.  Because that's not the craziest bit about the game by a long shot and it's still so fucking awesome that I cannot emphasize the point enough and I think you realize that by now.

If you don't know what Far Cry 3:  Blood Dragon is beyond the sparse ramblings of "it's fucking awesome" that I've put forth, it's....well, rather unique to explain.  Basically Dinosaurs got busy with the 80s and injected pure Neon into the baby.  If you think I'm joking then perhaps have a look at some of the more official things attached to the project, eh?

The Logo, plus some....endorsements.

The official reveal trailer for the game

A screenshot literally steeped in Neon Lights

I guess I can throw down some actual technical aspects of this thing since that's about the only coherent thing you'll get from me about it.  Blood Dragon is a stand-alone expansion to Far Cry 3 coming out for PSN, XBLA and Steam which means you do not have to own Far Cry 3 to buy and play Blood Dragon.  It's simply built off of the same engine which is fairly evident.  Of course, you -should- own Far Cry 3 because it was fantastic as well, even if Blood Dragon will literally be better than it in every conceivable way.  It's set for release on May 1st which means there is no reason it shouldn't be the very first game you buy in May, especially since it'll only be $15.  (I believe)  Being that it's built on the Far Cry 3 engine, it's carrying over a lot of tenets from that game, even if it paints them all with neon and badassness - people might've noticed a neon bow and arrow in the trailer, plus the knife which looked like a futuristic dragon dagger (like you eventually get in FC3), so those remain, as will at least some of the wildlife.  The free-roaming island won't be anywhere near as large as FC3's, but it'll still be expansive to be sure and similarly filled with things to do, like larger outposts to infiltrate and conquer.

I...really don't know what else I can say.  I really don't think there's anything else I have to say.

You want Blood Dragon.

Buy it.

fuck yeah Blood Dragon fuck yeah

Guacamelee! Was Pretty Good, You Guys

I'm not going to review Guacamelee! because I don't think I can rightly give it a fair shake, given the week that I've had.  I honestly do think that it had -something- of an impact on my overall experience with the game, given that, after beating it tonight and starting up a Hard Mode playthrough, I started having a lot more fun with it.  Not a lot is different about Hard Mode from what I noticed - you start out with less health and I imagine health orbs initially heal less as well, but I don't think damage has been toyed with, or if it has, then it's negligible.  Being that I'm a lot less stressed tonight than I have been since, hell, Sunday, I imagine that I might have just been enjoying it because it is, indeed, enjoyable, but I'll never get to play it for the first time again, so I can't say what I thought then versus what I think now.

Still, I played Guacamelee! to completion, as I stated (100% completion at that) and I am going to talk about it, because holy shit I've played like five games that I haven't even talked about on here and that is a daunting thought.  So if I've just gotta spill now to get it done and go back to the others, then that is what I'm going to do now that I've broken the hold that Disgaea 3 had on me and Soul Sacrifice is still two weeks off.  And I have been feeling oddly excited for Soul Sacrifice in the past few nights (especially with news of a demo next week) so it's safe to say that I will be playing the hell out of that when I get my hands on it.  At least, I hope I will be.  Because that will mean that it is a good game that I agree is a good game.  Since I can be contrary sometimes, you see.

Anyways, to segue that into Guacamelee! - people have been saying that Guacamelee! is a good game.  A great game, even.  A Metroidvania through-and-through that shines brightly and plays nicely.  These people?  They are not wrong.  Even in my stress-riddled state where I was not up to fully enjoy anything, I couldn't fault Guacamelee! much.  It plays smoothly and looks gorgeous on the Vita, both aesthetically and mechanically.  The game has been fine-tuned to run at something that is locked, framerate-wise, whether that's 30 or 60, I'm not sure, but I would guarantee that it is, in fact, locked to it because not once did I see a stutter or hiccup or even the briefest moment of roughness.  I'm not sure I even expected there to be any problems with that, really, but that there weren't any was reassuring, if nothing else.

As stated, the controls handle rather well with only a few minor complaints here and there on them.  Combat is, obviously, the main portion of the gameplay and it is definitely no slouch in that area.  Though there aren't a -lot- of attacks, the ones that are there are utilized in such a way that you have a healthy amount of combo options at your fingertips which only expands and gets more complex as you gain new moves from breaking Choozo Statues (homage, honest).  The complexity of these combos is demonstrated if you happen to step foot into a dojo in one of the few cities in the game where you are tasked with completing combos of varying difficulty on a Skeleton Luchador who just kind of stands there and takes it.  Still, even with the equivalent of a sack of sand as a sparring partner, pulling off twelve input combos that require precise timing is not an easy thing to do, nor is it something you'll likely use when you're -actually- fighting.  Unless you go out of your way to do so, which you might want to if you're looking for the combo-oriented trophies.  Or bragging rights.

Indeed, if you played like me, then a lot of fights went something like "Rooster Uppercut, Derpderp Dash (it's seriously called this), Punch, Punch, Punch, Grapple, Piledriver" and then it was dead, if not before then.  That's not saying that I -didn't- use variety, nor is it a good idea to fall back on a basic combo and spam that, but it's what I did because it was effective.  And, well, piledriving skeletons never gets old.  (I personally would've liked to see a powerbomb move as well, but alas)  Still, combat is responsive and dodging works fantastically, which some games get wrong somehow.  Not -everything- can be dodged, but what can't be can be evaded easily enough regardless.  It's as deep or as shallow as you want it to be, which is a nice slider, I think.  It's simple, it works, just how flashy you want it to be is up to you.

Every single move you pick up has a utilitarian use as well, which is part of the whole Metroidvania base that the game was running with.  Some of the moves, like the Rooster Uppercut and Derpderp Dash (seriously, I am not lying when I say it's called that) are meant to help with the platforming, giving you a little bit of extra air time and coverage to try and get to places you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise.  Still, other moves serve limited, but useful functions as well, such as the Headbutt, which will stop you in the air for a moment or two in case you need that moment to get a platform under you or something like that.  Of course, there are more direct uses for exploration in the form of colored blocks that correspond to different moves, meaning you can only get into certain areas after you have that move.  Much like the different barriers in Super Metroid requiring the Ice Beam, Super Missiles, etc.  The inspiration is pretty clear and pretty well-implemented regardless.

One of the places where the game falls short is the actual story and characterization.  It's not that what's there is -bad-, more like what's there just isn't -enough-.  It is a barebones experience which has a veneer of charm overlaid onto it, which is fine, but not necessarily meaty enough to really come away satisfied if that is your thing.  You get enough to get from Point A to Point B and punch someone with a reasonable excuse, but that's -it-.  Everyone is essentially an archetype with a flimsy attempt at adding another point to it so they're not directly out of the book, but it's barely there.  -Especially- with our main character, Juan.  There is precisely one attempt to flesh him out in the entire game and not only does it fall flat on its face, but it has nothing to do with anything, really, and is never really brought up again.  You can connect a few dots with what's laid out, but it's not going to win anything for writing, which, for me is a shame, but I suppose it's not a necessity.

Still, the question with most games is "Is it worth the price?" to which, for Guacamelee!, I say yes.  Even at the normal price of $15, it would be a worthy investment, if only for the smooth combat, lovely visuals and clever map design that manages to not be contrived in forcing Metroidvania elements while actually using a few of the moves in smart ways.  (Mostly Goat Fly.  By the way, I love Goat Fly)  All of the things it supports - Cross-Buy/Save, Vita Controller functionality, etc. - are things we want to support as well, so your purchase is getting you a good game -and- doing a good thing.  It's flawless!  It's made that much easier a decision if you buy it for the sale price ($12, so not a big discount, but a discount no less) and, equally easier if you consider that it's part of the Indie-Themed Spring Fever Sale that will be going on for the rest of the month. (Sale is only good for the launch week, however, so buy Guacamelee! before Tuesday)

In short, Guacamelee! rocks and you should buy it if you're at all interested in it.

Fez Getting Ported to Things

Obviously, Fez is about the experience, man, and not the money.  No sir.  And when the timed exclusivity expires, I'm sure we won't see the game hit Steam because who cares if "the game would have been fixed two weeks after release, at no cost to us.", because money doesn't matter!  No amount of money, no tens of thousands of dollars, matters!  Because it's about the -game-, goddamnit, because this is Indie Gaming.  It's about the principle of it all, which means standing up for the little guy who gets ignored when it's not profitable to help them!  So, seriously that settles it.  You won't be seeing Fez on any other platform even after the exclusivity runs out, because it's purely about making sure everybody gets the full experience of the game and not like....most of the experience.  Minus the ending.  The whole experience.

 -Me from this post. (July 19, 2012)

oh no, that wasn't sarcasm and I've been proven wrong whatever shall I d-of course it was fucking sarcasm

Alright, while I'd love to just sort of post that and be smug and get off of here, I can't exactly do that.  At least, that's not what I want to do, except I kind of do and it's confusing so don't worry about it.  It would be fun and funny to me to do that, I guess, but it's not helping anything.  Not that sitting here and actually talking about it is actually helping anything, but, well....alright, let's try again.

Fez is hitting Steam on May 1st which is completely and totally a sealed deal barring last-minute delays or what have you.  It is, for the moment the only port that is scheduled.  It is not the only port that's in some sort of process of being a reality however.  In reality, Fez will likely be seeing a port to just everything without a Nintendo logo on it (though that can't be discounted either) in the window of 'eventually'.  Mentioned specifically are Mac and Ouya versions as 'definite', a Linux port as "part of vague plans, but plans nonetheless", ports to Sony's consoles hinge on him 'working something out' with Sony, and an iOS version is "highly probable".  None of which is surprising in the least.  Mac and Linux versions, specifically, are practically expected at this point, what with the whole Mac thing being a Mac and Steam going more towards Linux, where PS3/Vita versions (PS3 at least) should be highly considered because of the previous exclusivity to 360.  And iOS being what it is is certainly something that I doubt anyone can really resist as a possibility since that market promises so much profitability.  It....rarely delivers, but it is so tantalizing.

Something that's interesting is the already mentioned lack of Nintendo support.  Obviously, it's likely a bit late/difficult to throw this up on the WiiWare shop or whatever the Wii has, but the Wii U and the 3DS are things and both of them likely should be powerful enough for Fez if an iOS/Ouya version are seriously in consideration as well.  With the Wii U specifically, it's been said that Nintendo are doing their best at being Indie Friendly, yet we have barely seen anyone taking advantage of that.  Specifically with Fez, there could be a lot of neat things done with the Wii U Tablet (Not calling it the Gamepad, sorry, it is a tablet) should they choose to go that route (of course, they wouldn't put any effort beyond the porting, just saying they -could-) and, in general, they kind of seem to want to put the game everywhere.  While the Wii U's audience is currently fledgling, it is also a Nintendo console which means that it's just a matter of time before it gets somewhere between 'solid' and 'oh my god are you kidding me', so getting in now just seems like a smart play for the long-term.

What's reassuring is that the build of the game that'll go around should very likely be the build that includes the patch that cuts out that nasty game-ending bug that plagued the 360 version and was not patched out because 'money'.  So if, for some reason, you have any faith in them fixing this version should a problem arise, or you don't care about gaming politics or whatever, you can probably buy this free of worry.  Clearly I am not very enthused at the prospect of buying the game, but first and foremost, it's because I'm just not interested in Fez.  Obviously, being that I ranted about it and such, I think it's a shitty thing what Polytron did if moreso in the handling than the reasoning, but I've gone out there and stated times before that I don't really -get- boycotts or anything like that.  If you -want- something, just buy it and leave the bullshit at the door.  -Not- buying Fez has a more direct impact on Polytron than not buying the next Call of Duty from Activision, but in the end it's very likely that you're not going to send a message either way, especially with the shotgun strategy for Fez here.

That's not to say that I cannot enjoy my small victory here in pointing out how full of shit Fish is.  Since I very obviously am.  It's not even a personal thing, I just find it amusing.  If anything, it's just another reminder that there's not really as big of a gap between Indie and 'the man' when it comes to these types of attitudes that we don't like and attach to 'the man' to further demonize it.

Regardless of anything, that's pretty much all there is here - Fez hitting Steam on May 1st, everything else but Nintendo things at some point(s) thereafter.  So if you're looking for a (hopefully) bug-free version of the game, ready your purchasing methods at your buying point of choice!

Jetpack Joyride is Free, Pretty Good

It's slipped my mind, unfortunately, but last week when the Playstation Store updated, said update included Jetpack Joyride, specifically tailored for the Vita, for the all-too-tempting price of Free.  I'm not sure why - perhaps because it is another freemium title like the delightful Treasures of Montezuma Blitz (in that you can spend all sorts of money on coins and such if you desire) or perhaps because it was simply a late Christmas Gift.  I'm not sure, but it is certainly something to be thanked, to be celebrated, because the little game is something else, that is for sure.  I'm not sure I can even attribute it to the price being nothing (though it certainly helps) because in the very same update, in the Playstation Plus section, Chronovolt was also free and it is terrible.  But Jeypack Joyride?  It's quite a nice little time-sink when you've got a bit of time.

I'm well aware of Jetpack Joyride's beginnings as a simple Mobile game and that much certainly shows even now in this product, but that's not necessarily ever a bad thing.  Yes, we deride mobile games, usually for actual reasons, but sometimes their simplicity and charm end up with something that is just fun, much like this.  I mention charm specifically because there is quite a lot of it tucked away in the corners and cubbyholes of the game, from the main characters name being Barry Steakfries to premise simply being stealing a Jetpack to fly around in for funsies (hence the name) to the various little touches you'll see in the background and coin layouts.  This is clearly a game that was made with -care- and maintained in much the same fashion which is a respectable thing no matter what.

The way the game plays is rather simple.  It starts when Barry bursts through a wall, dons the jetpack and begins his funsies.  You're in a constant state of going right at a rate of speed which is not to you to decide and your only -real- input is whether you are going up or running along the ground.  Those of you familiar with Canabalt probably get that - the goal is simply to go right for as long as possible, dodging obstacles and gaining coins in the meanwhile.  Thus there is no way to 'beat' it, you simply aim to do a little better each time.  Perhaps knowing of its own simplicity, the game does add a deceptive amount of variety with the various tools it implements along the way.  The coins are an obvious one, of course - you use these to purchase upgrades, different clothes, gadgets, all variety of things to make your next run more enjoyable, more silly, or simply more suited to you.  The long-standing goal, by that virtue, is likely to simply buy everything available that is not a consumable, which is a task that will take some time to be sure.

Something that also adds to the experience is that you're not -always- piloting the titular Jetpack, but at times you encounter a power-up that will place you into the seat of another random vehicle or transportation device.  I've encountered six, which I believe is all of them in the form of the Hopper (a giant robot suit), the Anti-Gravity Suit (exactly what it says on the tin.  Think VVVVVV), a motorcycle that is pretty bitchin' (and comes with a shotgun that Barry will unload into scientists without mercy), Mr. Cuddles (a giant robot dragon), the CFT or Crazy Freakin' Transporter (I believe that's the name) and the Profit Bird, which is a robot bird plane thing that is clearly a riff on Angry Birds and it's -hilarious-.  Each vehicle has its own method of use that varies the gameplay up and they all have the benefit of being able to take a hit for you to be discarded so that you can continue your run beyond the one hit that you can take.  An upgrade you can slap on any and all of the vehicles is a magnet which will draw any nearby coins to it as you pass, so it can be quite lucrative to be in one as well.

I think the thing that's the best about the variety, the entrenching mentality of the game, is the Mission system.  You're given exactly three missions at a time, no less no more, that you will complete over a run or several.  Doing so earns you coins for your stash and Stars for your 'level' which, s'far as I can tell, doesn't really do anything but give you a new title and a new card with even more stars to fill before you level up again.  Every mission requires something -different-, some specific thing that is a meta-challenge you can assign to yourself whilst playing to ensure that you do, indeed, keep playing.  Simple things like "High Five Seven Scientists in a single run" which means 'run by scientists and see a flash and hear a slapping sound' or 'Brush by 10 Flashing Red Lights' are present and easy enough to do most of the time, where there are also clearly long-term things like "Collect 1000 coins." or "Collect 10 Spin Tokens" added into the randomizer.  The missions are not endless, I'm assured, but there is likely a lot and it's quite a lot of fun, actually, to see them through individually.

As if my Vita needed more things to tantalize me with, between the ever-alluring Youtube and Persona 4 Golden (at least), Jetpack Joyride has ingrained itself as something that I'm just going to find myself playing sometimes.  I won't know how, but I'll certainly know the why, which is simply that the game is fun and takes no real time to enjoy, though extended play sessions are nice to get those missions accomplished and such.  Because hey, this time it wants me to get on the motorcycle and stay there for 600m, and that sounds like a challenge I can accept.  Oh, if I get three hundred more coins I can upgrade the Profit Bird!  And so on and so forth.  So if you have a Vita and you have 32 MB of space clear (seriously, it doesn't need much), do yourself a favor and grab it.  It's free (unless you need like ten thousand coins right now), it's tiny, it's pick-up-and-play and it even has trophies right off without needing them patched in like the other freemium games that are out on the Vita.  It's simple, charming fun.

Retro City Rampage is Too Awesome, Words Fail Me

I never do this.  Ever.  Or at least not in the year and change that I've been doing this blog.  I just want to preface this.

I cannot quantify Retro City Rampage with words right now.  There are words circling in my head, words that are itching to be put to keys to be put to whitespace on a computer screen, but I just can't do it.  Not right now at least.  So I'm just going to throw this up and perhaps come back to it later, I don't know.  Possibly edit in some -actual- thoughts and such when I can actually form them, but for now, all I can do is announce the high praise that is "I cannot stop playing this game for long enough to think about words.".  Because I think that -is- high praise indeed.  Seriously, if you have the cash, go buy it, or if you have the PS3, get the demo.  (There's not one for the Vita)  You really don't -need- a demo, I don't think, but if you worry even slightly that my taste and yours might diverge on this, then by all means.  But at the very least, give it a shot.

Release Dates and Reveals and Announcements, Oh My!

So I alluded to it the other night when I talked about Retro City Rampage and how it has a release date now, but on that day, a whole bunch of other stuff -also- got a release date or a reveal or -something-.  As a veritable treasure trove of information, I can't exactly pass it up, but at the same time, it's just a -lot- of stuff all at once and I don't really have an attachment to much, if any of it, to really be able to talk at length about it.  Of course, that was all before I really delved into the trailers and such for this stuff which is pretty much what I'm going to do now.  And with the magic of this all being a single post, it'll just take the distance between this paragraph and the next to make me knowledgeable, if at least a little bit more than I was about these games that I will talk about tonight.  So hopefully, I'll be able to do them a bit of justice, which they probably (definitely) deserve.

First up is the above pictured Planet In Distress which was just recently shown off at the Playstation Blog with a release window of "Very soon", so I suppose that, and the fact that it's been in development for two years and shown before this means it's not technically new but I'd not heard of it prior to now, so there.  What it seems to be is a sidescrolling Adventure/Puzzle Platformer type game with a reliance on a few tools to get around.  In the trailer that's in the blog post itself, it pretty much just shows off the thing that you throw to put out reverse tractor beams - things (pictured above) that just sort of push you in a direction slowly without offering much deviation, allowing for some nice precision.  What seemed to be the highlight of the post I linked, however, is something that seems to be a trend with platformers as of late.  The big thing seems to be about the difficulty of the game, which is a very, very delicate thing to be messing about with.

Specifically, the trailer goes to show off the vast amount of differences in layout and play-style between Normal and Hard mode.  It honestly looks like two entirely different levels even though the backgrounds are the same from Normal to Hard footage, simply because there's just so much more and different in the Hard mode videos themselves.  This is interesting, I thought, making difficulty -that- much of a difference.  I'm not quite sure how it will work in practice, but it definitely goes to show the level of dedication on the part of the developers, since they have to, essentially, put in double-time to the game - design it twice, more or less.  Once for Normal which entails trying to keep it at an acceptable level while also scaling, and then again for Hard to make sure it's, well, Harder than Normal but -also- scales nicely.  For my part I'm....not especially interested since Sidescrollers are a thing that are very hit-or-miss for me, I've learned, but I'll keep an eye out for it at least.

Next up is The Unfinished Swan, which has been given a release date of October 23rd, though Playstation Plus members will be able to purchase the game as early as the 16th.  It also has a price announced of $14.99 which is...pretty much what anyone could have expected, I would say.  That's more or less what games are kind of coming out for anyway, and nobody really wants to push up into $19.99 unless it's Capcom releasing an HD version of a mediocre-but-universally-loved shitfest of a game.  One that I'm not bitter about or anything like that.  And $9.99 apparently doesn't pay the bills unless you're really budgeting properly (which means nobody prices their game at $9.99).  $14.99 is certainly not a bad price, and certainly not for a game that looks as....well....interesting as The Unfinished Swan does.  Yet, I say this as somebody who still has absolutely no idea what the game is.

I watched some trailers.  I've read a little about it.  It is certainly a -thing-, but what that thing is, I'm still not sure I can quantify it in my head.  If I'm right, the game is about a kid who is chasing a swan into a world of white space.  You can navigate the space in a first person perspective, using paint that you throw about to understand the actual geometry of the world to be able to get around.  So you throw paint on the ground to know where there's a gap, where there's stairs, etc. etc.  Of course, that's basically just the introduction as, with the screenshot above as evidence, you'll get into areas that are plenty defined all their own, and I suspect your painting abilities will be used in another fashion.  It seems like one of those games that you have to play to absolutely understand it yourself which is fine with me, by all means.  I am definitely curious to say the least and would go so far as to suggest that I would be willing to throw 15 of my dollars at it to experience it, if just for the simple fact that I get to use my Playstation Move wand with it.  Since I kind of need to use it.

This definitely looks like the kind of game that just....needs a demo, though.  I mean, yes, it's all about being surprised and intrigued and such, but that's what makes it the perfect candidate for a demo - since you give people a taste of that, which is very addictive.  Provided you can capture just the right bits of the game in it that will effectively show off how you use this mechanic, it'll give anyone who plays it, -anyone-, reason enough to say "You know what, I can definitely buy this to see what's going on with it".  I say this because I'm really, really hoping for a demo so I can experience the game in some fashion, even though I'm not planning on getting it right off because, well, I can't really afford to.  I just bought a $20 Playstation Card I didn't need to buy Retro City Rampage and Xenogears Tuesday (I hadn't bought Xenogears yet.  I'm...terribly surprised.  But waiting to just get both at once.) and there's Ragnarok Odyssey and Assassin's Creed:  Liberation coming in this month and there's just no money to be had.  But there are also games to be had.  It's a terrible cycle.

Instead of picking out any of the remaining five games to talk about, I'm just....going to bring up the rest of the five games to get their news bits down and be done here so I can go off and do...other things.  Gaming things.  If you want to imagine that I have five note cards that I read off of and then throw off behind me unceremoniously in a semi-dismissive manner then I certainly cannot stop you, though it's not a sign of disrespect.  Just that I cannot really speak well enough for these things as I'm not really in the 'fandom' for any of them, I'll say.  This Tuesday Joe Danger 2 will be releasing like several other things and will come with some rather extensive exclusive content known as Joe Danger Gaiden.  It is....basically an entire other Joe Danger game (10+ hours) which is really, really neat and kind of a 'sorry 360 had to get this game with stuff we could never give you' gesture I suppose.  Also coming out Tuesday, October 9th is Machinarium for the PS3 at least at the $9.99 pricetag -just- to spite me for what I said earlier.  A Vita version is incoming, but at an unannounced date. 

The very last Dreamcast game ever(?), will see a Playstation 3 release later this fall as Under Defeat HD which will be a retail and digital release, both for $29.99.  People who buy a Physical version of the game get....a lot of stuff, with most of it not confirmed to also be in the digital version.  I mean, I don't see how you could put a letter from Hiroyuki Maruyama in the digital game, but the rest seems like stuff that could be included in the digital download itself.  We'll just have to see, I suppose - it might also just be free DLC outside of the game download itself.  Or paid, which would be a bad idea for the devs that would get blamed on Sony, but whatever.  Also joining the October 9th line-up is the Vita Version of Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock which has been a long time coming.  Is.....is that a pun?  I didn't mean for it to be a pun.  The wait was basically because they were implementing touch controls, Near functionality and making sure shared cloud saves with the PS3 version worked.  Presumably they do. 

And finally, the last title that was announced recently, outside of Playstation Blog's 'The Drop', is SunFlowers for the Vita, a $3.99 puzzler to get your pick-up-and-play fix sorted for folks who might be burnt out on Treasures of Montezuma Blitz.  At $4 and coming alongside a demo, the game pretty much deserves -some- of your attention, if not your dollars, so why not show them a little support?  If you're not too busy playing any one of the like twelve -other- games coming out the 9th that is.  So there it is.  There is the News Dump of announcements and reveals and release dates and such that was served up as a deluge the other night that I had to at least try and concentrate into a post to get that information out there and give me a reason to look into some of the titles that I haven't looked into otherwise.  Since you never know what you'll learn!  I learned SunFlowers was getting a demo which is really cool.  Also other things.  I learned other things.  Mostly about The Unfinished Swan.  So what I mean to say is that I think I learned things, but I really just...don't know.

Treasure Park is Like Minesweeper, Only Bad

So....I'm not really going to mince words here.  I normally don't, but I will do so less-so tonight because this is a thing that I just absolutely don't get.  Treasure Park is a thing that came out months late, being announced way back in April to compliment Welcome Park and Paint Park which released on time.  I'm not really sure why it's this late.  Actually, I'm completely sure why, but I'm just trying to convey the point that there is literally nothing to Treasure Park that warrants a month delay.  To say it is bare-bones is being quite generous since there's really nothing of substance here unless you are a very, very lucky person.  Which is tied into the reason why it was delayed.  The reason why it was delayed and the reason why it's.....a thing that I don't care about really are the same reason:  it relies 100% okay, like 95% on Near.

Near, as you may remember, was one of the things updated in the last patch and whether or not it's healed some of the more widespread problems with the app, I'm not sure.  Near simply does not work for me unless I get about forty minutes into civilization because there's simply no SkyHook hotspots out here and I'm not about to create one because I really don't care -that much-.  To its credit, when I am in locations where SkyHook has points, I'm pretty sure it works because it has logged locations and I have gotten distance traveled and game good offers and such through it.  But clearly, it's not a thing I get to use that often which is counter to the point of Near, being something that is encouraged to be used daily as you are out and about.  Because while I am out and about fairly regularly, I am not out and about in the correct places for the app's liking.

Basically, if I was reading the tutorial correctly, with Treasure Park you set up a card, as I have done above, and whenever you use Near, provided Treasure Park is set-up with it correctly and such, you could send your board out to whomever picks you up on it.  And similarly done is how you receive other cards out there.  When you get cards, you can try to solve them which is where the Minesweeper comparison kicks in.  If you'll take another look at the card above, you'll see four different types of icons:  A bomb, a bear trap, coin stack and a diamond.  The former two are things to avoid if possible where the latter two are what you're shooting for with the ultimate goal of getting the Diamond which will end in victory for you.  Hitting coins, I believe, just adds to your score where I imagine bear traps detract and bombs end it outright.  I think, again there was only three cards that I got and the first one, the first box I picked had a diamond.  I didn't have the foresight to screencap those screens because I am a dumb.

There's a rank system involved as you can see from my rank card but as to what it controls, I haven't even anything approaching a clue.  It's probably just a meta-game in the vein of the other things out there since I can't figure out what you could 'get' unless it's other card layouts.  As in, cards that have the colored blocks in different places since that is a static image.  (Perhaps you can rotate the overall thing of it, but I'm not certain.)  I gained medals (which are the coin stacks, I guess) from getting medal stacks as well as diamonds and it's got me there which is about 1,000 medals away from ranking up which means I need, likely, something around 6 more cards worth of success to do that which is....a bit out there.  Likely a task that I will not accomplish for some time which isn't something that fusses me too much as I will probably forget about the app completely until some undetermined time in the future when I see that I have a card to play from a Near trip.

To be honest, I wanted to talk about this purely because I want to put it out there that this is a thing that I don't understand.  The timing of putting this out there is solely because I have something else I do want to talk about, but I'm not quite sure where I want to go with it just yet.  So I'll likely have to clock a bit more time in the game in question to be sure which side of the coin I'm going to fall with it.  Since Treasure Park was pretty much the only thing in reserve and there's nothing news-worthy that I'm going to give any attention to, or that I can formulate enough thoughts about out there, this won by default.  I'm not quite sure if Wake-Up Club will get similar treatment after it comes out (with any luck, this Tuesday) since I similarly have no idea about it, but we'll see.

Japanese PSN Is Getting The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter

So, The Legend of Heroes:  Trails in the Sky (Japanese Eiyū Densetsu VI Sora no Kiseki FC), a trilogy of games released in Japan.....years ago, saw its first State-side release back in March of 2011 as, well....The Legend of Heroes:  Trails in the Sky.  (Note that there's no FC, indicating First Chapter, thus giving no real indication that it is, in fact, a trilogy)  It was not only a game localized by XSEED, but a promise for continued efforts on the PSP in the West.  Not only was Trails in the Sky promised, but Second Chapter and The Third as well, which might have been a bit more than they rightly could have promised, considering where we are now.  We are more than a year past the anniversary of the first game's release and this, this mention of Second Chapter finally going on the Japan PSN is the first, the only bit of news about the process of getting the other TitS games we've gotten recently.

You see, Second Chapter provided a rather interesting problem for the whole situation - a problem I think that everyone underestimated, which culminated in the cluster of problems we've seen now.  Recall that, for the year TitS has spent being released here, it was originally released in Japan in 2006 for the PSP and the other titles followed suit in reasonable time-frames I should say, with Second Chapter officially releasing in 2007 for PSP in UMD format.  Dual-UMD format, I should say, which is the real rub here.  Yes, Second Chapter is one of the first (if not -the- first) and few games to require two UMDs for the whole thing, and it's even more of a pain than the days of yore (and....current-gen, if you're a 360 gamer, though cases are rare) when you were forced up from your playing position to meander to the console you were playing and switch out disks to progress further.  I'm not sure how, but by virtue of being UMDs, it adds a whole other layer of technical gubbins or somesuch which affected the entire way it was coded.  And thus made it coded in a way that was conducive to being on two separate things, and not one -thing-, like a digital purchase.

That one thing, and the fact that Second Chapter's script is literally twice as big as the first game's have been the two issues mentioned when asked what the hold-up with the localization has been.  Which is not an unreasonable thing, I should say.  "We're waiting for Falcom to make the game work" is as good a reason as any to hold off on doing a whole lot with it, though I do hope they've at least been able to get some preparations done.  Getting some of the script translated and paced out and such so that when they actually get the game to play around with in a state that means something, they can jump into it and hit the ground running instead of hopping in and starting on everything right that moment.  The localization process, admittedly, is a nebulous one to me, as I can likely place some of the things that occur in it, but certainly not all or even most of them, and it's all just based on my own notions which is not mired in anything resembling first-hand experience or even second-hand experience.

As you might remember, I quite enjoyed Trails in the Sky and the fact that it leaves off on a very, very wonderful cliff-hanger is one of the main reasons why I am a man who waits for Second Chapter like a man waits for water in the desert; not well, and is furiously cursing the powers that be when that next dune offers nothing more than the previous one did.  Beating TitS and then trying to find out about the localization of Second Chapter was painful as mum is the word, apparently, on progress and ultimately I found out that progress was more or less just a misnomer.  Or that's what it seems like at least as finding anything beyond XSEED saying basically "It'll happen when it can happen" has been a fool's errand.  Of course, I understand why it was an issue now, what with the whole 'game wasn't in a playable version of the format you're getting' thing and all, but something of a reminder or an official statement about that would have been nice.

Oh, and yes, I should mention that when we get Second Chapter, there's almost no chance that it will be anything but PSN-Exclusive.  Perhaps they might roll out an Atlus trick and make a physical version a 'Collector's Edition' which packages it with some stuff to validate a $40-60 pricetag (whereas I would imagine digital-only will be $30 to start) that include the game on its dual-UMDs, but even that, done in limited quantities (perhaps even with the caveat that you have to order it direct through their website or something) is likely not going to happen.  I would buy the shit out of it if it did, but it's not, so I'm fairly safe in assuming my money is safe.  I know I've been staunch in my stance that digital-only is not 'the future', nor is it even 'the present', but there is simply no way to say this without making myself a hypocrite:  I don't care, I'm buying it. 

I've sort of alluded that I am completely and totally lenient on digital things for handhelds but it does not match my blanket statement, for which I am kind of....well, embarrassed.  I have my own justifications of course, in that handhelds have been molded to more or less -be- digital platforms, whether you're trying to edge out Apple or just copy their success in the field, as well as the fact that it's just all-around safer in a sense.  If something were to happen, you could just yank out the memory stick, toss it into another system and, after setting it up with your account (and deactivating the old one) you are right back there, no real progress lost.  When my PS3 died, I lost everything on it and this would also be true for a PC platform if your PC shits the bed as they are wont to do.  Since you cannot really just yank the HDD out of the computer and put it in a new one with the same ease as a memory stick in a handheld.  Aside from all that, being a portable thing, it allows you to go to places that offer the internet, faster internet than you have, and make use of it which cuts down the annoyance of those download times considerably.  Just earlier today, I was at a place where a demo that would take me hours to download here would have been done in a mere 24 minutes.  It is not perfect, but it is also not hours of time spent waiting.

Justifications and qualifiers or not, Trails in the Sky Second Chapter is a game that I am foaming at the mouth over for a mere chance to be able to download.  I want it that much that I've taken the stance I've taken with all of the other games of its ilk (digital-only), and I've thrown it aside because there are no principles to stand on or excuses to hide behind with this game.  It is a simple thing - when Second Chapter comes out, I will buy it and I will go wherever the hell I have to go to download it if necessary.  I say when because I firmly believe that XSEED is committed to bringing over the entire Trails in the Sky series, and I applaud them for it.  Of course, I believe as I do because I suspect the backlash of not doing so would be legendary, since the game inspires as much verve, as much excitement in me as it does and I am certainly not even close to being alone in this.

Way of the Samurai 4 Released Today, I Can't Play It

In the rather beefy PS Store Update today, Way of the Samurai 4 joined the ranks of several other games in appearing in the digital storefront, most of which provide a rather disturbing reminder for me everytime I consider it.  Way of the Samurai 4 is just yet another game that's out there that I -want- to play, and just cannot, since they are relegated behind a wall that is much higher for myself than others, though I am assuredly not alone on this side of it.  As a digital-only title, Way of the Samurai 4 requires only three things to open up to you, the consumer, as a product to be played and experienced:  Enough money in your account to buy it, enough space on your hard drive to store it, and the internet connection that is fast, reliable and unrestricted enough to allow you to download it.  That third bit right there is something that we, as a whole, seem to be wholly disregarding as an idea, though it's a very, very real reality that is simply unreachable for many people like us who enjoy sharing this hobby that we do.

I've lamented it several times before, and will likely continue to do so - My internet connection is entirely too slow for me to even -consider- going digital for more than the odd title here and there, much less going full-digital as 'everyone' assumes is the future.  I might seem as if I'm in the minority in this, but I suspect that is the exact opposite of the case as a standard (since it's not only gaming that assumes everybody has internet to freely do this and that and devil may care on the size) and it's unfortunate since it's only going to get worse from here on out, I'm sure.  And even for those not in my situation, there's the chance for another one entirely, when they have the speed, just not the ability thanks to internet caps designed to hamstring people attempting to enjoy the internet unfettered because infrastructure was never considered properly and it's too difficult to change now.  So while 'internet' as itself is not a finite resource, that which enables it certainly is, which is where these absurd charges, theories and caps come from.

Let's just take today's Playstation Store Update for an example.  It was a very beefy update, as I said, and I could see the same person wanting to get a lot of the items offered.  So let's say they decide to download Metal Gear Solid 3:  Snake Eater HD, Way of the Samurai 4, Metal Gear Solid 3:  Snake Eater HD for Vita, and Gungrave Overdose.  This is being conservative.  All together, the file size for all that is in the neighborhood of 19.5 GB alone.  This is just for PS3 and Vita gaming.  If you are a PC gamer, then boy-oh-boy, are you looking at a large internet usage every month just from obtaining things that you are purchasing.  Imagine, if you will, that you are in one of these awful places where the cap is very low per-month where they give you only so much and no more, charge you ridiculously if you go over, cut the speed when you pass the arbitrary number or do some combination of the three.  Now not only are you unable to get something that you've paid for already, but you might be screwed out of using the internet as a whole for a period of time, or it'll cost you a ridiculous amount.  How does this make sense at any level?

Now, I -get- that the -option- is nice for people who can make effective use of it.  I encourage a digital future so long as it is a companion to physical since it is not as widespread an option as people think, nor will it be in the foreseeable future.  And I get that there are some companies who endeavor to make smaller games that only have a chance of success at digital retail.  The counter-balance to that is that these companies keep their games, as you might think, -small- so as to not need the 5-15 Gigs of space some of these games seem to think they need.  (Seriously, why is Michael Jackson:  The Experience 15 gigs?)  There are things in place to make the digital space as user-friendly as possible, and there is a giant difference involved then between a full retail game going digital and a game being built from the ground-up as digital.  The former becoming the only option is just horrid for everyone involved since it honestly just completely loses sales from people like me who want to buy your game and just can't.

And that's what the case here is.  I want Way of the Samurai 4 for reasons that are well beyond me.  It's not a serious game, nor is it likely a technically amazing one, but it offers a specific scratch for a specific itch, and I want to procure it for said itch.  But like Warriors Orochi 3 before it (and basically every fucking KOEI game to come unless I buy a 360 and they actually release it for that) that's simply not an option unless I go above and beyond my own means instead of doing what I should be able to just do with any other game.  But thanks to this wall that has been established by things well and truly out of our hands for silly reasons, it's just not an option.  With niche games like this and KOEI-fare, you really cannot afford to cut out -any- of your customers, though that's exactly what they're doing.  It's simply worrying because if we can't buy their games, we who normally would, that means they're getting even less than normal and are thus less inclined to continue.  And that's.....well, that's just a real shame.

Tokyo Jungle Has a Western Release Date

Last December, a little game called Tokyo Jungle was more or less thrust onto a lot of radars thanks to the absolute pure absurdity running through its veins, so to speak, as well as the real, undeniable uniqueness the game holds.  I was....confused about the game and I still am, but I can say with some certainty that it's definitely grown on me a little bit.  I don't know what it is in particular - perhaps just that it's one of those silly little titles that embraces absurdity and runs with it (which you know I am a fan of, despite how I wobble on that stance sometimes) or perhaps it's just that the game will allow me to play as 50 different animals at base, including a goddamn dinosaur, which, let's be honest, enough games do not do this.  I don't really think you can disagree with me on this either, because "You get to play as a dinosaur" is a goddamn bullet-point if I've ever seen one, and I look at a lot of game boxes.  Guess what?  THEY DON'T SAY THAT.

Ahem.  Anyways.  Speaking of game boxes, this game will not have one when it releases as a PSN-exclusive on September 25th which is a -really- bad day because sorry Tokyo Jungle, I will be playing LittleBigPlanet Vita for the next few months starting on exactly that day.  I believe that means you don't have to have a permanent mental break, Chance.  Well...I dunno, it was a retail release in Japan (possibly retail/PSN both), but not here or in PAL territories so....take that for what you will.  The game launches here at $15 which is a lot less than said retail release in Japan, and probably makes it a -lot- more palatable over here for those folks on the fence about it.  Which I can only imagine is just about everybody, so with any luck, there will be a demo for it up on day one or shortly thereafter.  There was for the Japan PSN, but then again, Japan's PSN seems to get -everything-, so it's not that farfetched to think that they got it solely for that reason.

Still, to recap, since I am actually interested in this game and want it to succeed, the game is pretty awesome in premise.  If you looked in the Playstation Blog post to check out the trailer (which is exactly the same trailer as last year with english text) then you'll know this already, but Tokyo Jungle is a survival-based game at its core.  In a world where at least Tokyo has become completely uninhabited by people for some reason, nature steps in and fills in the gap by involving a rather diverse assortment of creatures; at least 50 of them.  Everyone has to fight for their spot in the fragile eco-system and you, as the player, will likely be doing that fighting for them.  Or, rather, as them, since that 50 number is the number of creatures playable in the game.  I assume the story mode has a limited assortment of them (something in the 15-25 range) on focus as they establish their dominance in an area while also finding out just what the hell has happened.  I assume that is more for the player's benefit, as I'm not quite sure just how smart the animals in the game will be, but I'm just not sure on a whole lot of the game, really.

In addition to the Story Mode, there's another mode called "Survival Mode" which seems to stick to its guns with that title, tasking you with taking to an area, making it yours, and going on the hunt not only to survive, but to look for a mate to create future generations that I assume you step into as well once your initial animal has passed on.  Seems almost RTS-like in a sense, since you will likely end up losing because you have been over-taken by another species that has done the same thing, or will win because you reign supreme, though 'Survival' leads me to think more of the former for whatever reason.  Basically just lasting as long as you can until you just can't anymore, I mean.  Ecosystems are hard things to manage after all, especially when you're an animal in the middle of a ruined city with other animals.  Really, it seems simple enough as a system, and the intricacies likely just come in with how you use it.  Since it is basically "Run around, attack, consume", though overkill in some areas is likely a bad idea, as an example.

I really don't know what else there is to say about the game.  It looks neat, even though it's not really a good-looking game, especially for the year 2012, but knowing there's 50 differently modeled animals plus all sorts of costume pieces for them all to wear softens that a little since, -yeah- that is going to be a little hard to manage, especially for this niche of a title.  Seeing your dog run around in a construction hat as he passes by hippos, baby chicks, a crocodile and a kangaroo likely beats seeing your expertly textured dog running by similarly textured dogs that are basically just clones, but hey, at least they look good, right?  I'll take variety over looks super-duper any day of the week, though both is quite nice as well.  Perhaps next generation we'll finally get that level of variety and detail at the same time, since it seems we just won't with this gen quite yet.  Glad to see we still get some of these quirky games rather than mostly just different takes on 'sure sells'.  Because this one surely won't sell all that much, but it'll be unique indeed for the people that play it.

How Did I Forget About Sound Shapes?

So, being one of the first wave of titles really announced for the Vita (then NGP), Sound Shapes has surely been in the back of all our minds for quite a while.  And there has been news coming out for it steadily since the early stages of the Vita's release, as Sound Shapes, er, shaped up more and more in development, but I suppose I filed them all aside in lieu of not being release date announcements.  But I suspect that it was a little too much, as even when the release date was finalized through the PSN PLAY promotion (August 7th, for those interested, which should be all of you) I haven't really given it too much thought.  So tonight when I was anxiously looking about for something to talk about, I saw the latest news on it, the fact that three new Beck Songs will be in the game, I had a moment where all of that excitement and such that I should have had going for weeks now hit me at once.  So much so that I wondered just how I left it overlooked so pointedly to this moment, but that doesn't matter so much as I am making steps to rectify that now.

In that vein, let's sort of re-familiarize ourselves with the news that has come out about the game in recent memory, shall we?  The biggest news, I suspect, is that some time prior to E3, Sound Shapes was announced to be a PS3 title as well which was sort of a double-edged sword, of course.  People will always complain when a game is not available on another system, as well as when a game is announced for one system, and is then later moved to something else.  Because, in terms of the latter, it makes the original version 'less special' or other such nonsense.  I'm sure others have already claimed that a PS3 version simply shows a complete lack of faith in the Vita to carry the game and blah blah blah, nobody cares.  The upside to this, however, was that everybody, regardless of owning a Vita or PS3 or both, gets to enjoy the game at the same price - $14.99 (or $11.99 if you have Plus).  And when I say the same price, I mean the same price overall, as if you buy one version, you get the other version on your account.  So if you own one system only, Sound Shapes will be there waiting for you if you pick up the other eventually.  Obviously any DLC purchased will work on both versions as well, should you go that route.

Now the question swings to "Okay, it's a game about music, so who all is involved?", which is an easy thing to answer of course, but not exactly a short answer to give.  Attached to the game already is Beck (as mentioned above), Superbrothers, Jim Guthrie (same link) and Deadmau5 who you all might have heard about by now.  Just...maybe.  You know, people who clearly have had no musical impact or anything like that.  (Of course I'm being facetious.)  That's all that has been announced so far and I imagine it might be all that'll be announced for the game proper.  Of course, this is where you have to wonder about DLC and consider that they could technically try and woo just about anybody they want.  It's a musical game, after all, which means by its very nature that it's supposed to be a varied thing in its own build.  While I could suggest a few people I would buy on-sight (Daft Punk, of course), I'm not really going to put down a whole lot here, as I'll choose to simply be surprised.

We know what the game is 'about' in a way, what with all the talk of music and such, but that leaves the very real question of, well, what -is- the game about?  The game is a platformer built around music.  That is the simple answer.  The complex answer is....well....complex.  You'd be best served finding one of the many youtube videos about the game to help you with understanding the concept.  (I'm not linking any here because they're all in the Blog posts I've linked already)  But allow me to try, because when I say it's a platformer built around music, I mean exactly that.  The level creation tools (you can make your own levels, of course) have you make a song first and then you tool the level you make around that so you're running through parts of the song as you go through the level for an interactive music experience.  It sounds -really- cool just as a concept and, after looking at some of the videos, I'm convinced that it works in practice as well.  Because, I mean, I see it work in the videos, especially the Jim Guthrie video, as he goes through the process of making a level.  It doesn't show the entire process of course, but it seems fairly intuitive.

I'm not too sure how successful I'll be in the whole creating music thing, but I'm more than willing to give it a shot, of course.  Being that I'm in Plus and I'm interested in the game, I think $12 for two copies of the game is more than fair and will likely be buying it for my Vita as my new "Play whenever I have a minute" game over Treasures of Montezuma Blitz, hopefully.  Or at least being -one- of said games, since I gotta level with you, I'm friggin' seeing in match-three vision I play ToMB so much.  It's ridiculous.  Getting to enjoy some new music while also playing a new game, a platformer at that, is tantalizing, so I don't see a way I would be able to think I could pass it up.  Let's hope that others feel the same way come August 7th, as I really want this game to succeed, if just because it's a different game, and if just because it's been associated with the Vita since it was announced.  Would be a nice bit of validation, I suppose.

And the Next Dreamcast HD Title Is...

...Sonic Adventure 2.  Obviously.  On the one hand, I am completely surprised, because there had been several hints and leaks and such in the past that painted the game following Jet Grind Radio HD to be Shenmue (which was from a reliable source, even!) which I honestly would have really liked.  On the other hand, I am completely -not- surprised, since in all honesty this is a little late as-is, considering Sonic Adventure 1's port was released last year and it's not like it took an entire year to port it.  It also likely would have been a much stronger start to the string of four Dreamcast releases Sega is more or less expected to come out with.  Yes, Jet Set Radio HD is certainly nicer to have, and ultimately something to be more excited about than SA2, but everybody knows what Sonic Adventure 2 is.  I will never understand the methods with which companies and such decide to do this sort of thing, and as I will likely always be on the consumer side of dealings, it's not like it matters since it seems like a matter of eventuality rather than anything else.  Which is a good thing, all said.

This is a little bit more interesting than what it is on the surface, however, since it highlights a few things that I can't decide if they're worrying or just strange.  At the end of the video embedded in the Joystiq link above, the logos denoted as the platforms it's coming out on are simply ones that suggest Playstation Network (PS3) and XBox Live Arcade (360) with nothing suggesting the PC at all.  So if you'll just play along with me for a moment, let's look at the last three ports that Sega has announced, along with the platforms suggested for them.  Jet Set Radio is set to release on PS3, 360, Vita and PC through Steam.  Nights Into Dreams (from the Saturn) is set for release on PS3, 360 and PC through Steam.  And now Sonic Adventure 2, as already stated, is simply set to release on PS3 and 360.  So it seems like with each successive announcement, they lose a system.  This sort of gives me the mental image that Sega is simply using what little manpower remains to pump out all of these ports at the exact same time, meaning that every new thing gets less and less of the attention that it deserves.  Which could very well just translate over the entirety of all three remasters.

Of course, the fact that all three games are set to release in the "Fall" does sort of help tip one off of the fact that maybe they're stretching themselves too thin.  Just....potentially.  I imagine the thought process is that, if they release everything so close together, they'll make a steady stream of money through the season and be able to go into the new year flirting with what lies above the red line.  Regardless, I wouldn't be surprised if a PC version of SA2 was simply overlooked, as Sonic Adventure 1 was released through Steam, and it would be rather odd if the sequel skipped that avenue, especially considering how vocal the Steam community seems to be about Sega in general.  I'm not too optimistic, however, on the games announced to reach to systems they're not otherwise announced on which does sort of crush my dreams of continued Sega support through their Dreamcast re-release library this go around.  At this rate, 'Volume 2' as it were, will be Jet Set Radio, Sonic Adventure 2, ??? (theoretically Shenmue, but I'm not holding my breath on it currently) and possibly Seaman to round us up around the Holidays.  Not bad, of course, especially if the third game -does- end up being Shenmue, which would elevate it from "Not Bad" to "Yaaaaaay!".  With any luck, a Disc-based Collection won't be exclusive to Non-PS3 this time around.

I can't say that I have especially fond memories of Sonic Adventure 2 as I barely remember the lot of it, if we're being simply honest.  I don't even own it, having only been exposed to playing the game by borrowing a friend's copy of it.  I think.  I might've rented it.  Regardless, the point is that I don't remember.  Except I do remember that while I was playing it, I also had to do a Science Fair experiment which I did in between sessions of playing as Rouge since playing as the bad guys was so new and awesome even though, looking back, they were....fairly sub-par.  Character-wise, that is.  Again, the memory, she is not so great.  I do remember the Chao Garden, of course, which I will likely enjoy the hell out of whenever I get around to playing the game.  Because I will, you see.  Regardless of what systems it is and isn't released on, this is Sega, and I've given in to the fact that I will simply play all of the Sega games.  Sometime.  Eventually.  On something.

I can only hope that Sega at least releases one or two of these games before the next announcement comes around.  Even if it's Shenmue, because I would hate to think and worry that the Shenmue HD port might be 'tainted' by lack of focus.  I doubt there'll be a problem with the way any of these turn out; I don't recall there being any issues commonly stated for the last year's versions, but at the same time, one could assume that Sega was doing at least a little better last year.  With any luck, however, these remasters, fired off in quick succession as well as a hopefully present Yakuza Collection (that will come out in the states on-disc, I'm still holding out hope considering it'll cost me a lot of cash if it does) will bring in some serious cash for Sega, alongside Phantasy Star Online 2.  More money for them means more greatness for us, after all, so long as you're not buying a new Sonic game.  Though, after Generations....well, still maybe hold out for reviews, if such a thing were to happen.

Yakuza HD Collection a Possibility

So, Joystiq brought it to my attention (almost personally, it feels like) that the possibility of an HD Collection of Yakuza 1 and 2 is a thing that could happen.  Listed for a brief moment on a Sega Japan Release Schedule, the Yakuza 1&2 HD Edition leaves little to the imagination, suggesting that it is simply HD Editions of Yakuza 1 & 2 (Presumably sold separately, since Japan seems to be finnicky about bundling games, as is referenced by the Ico/SotC Collection, and Peace Walker HD).  Of course, I saw this Joystiq post and proceeded to immediately lose all of my shit.  Look around, do you see things that shouldn't be there?  Yeah.  It's my shit.  Because I lost it.  For a moment that was entirely too sweet, entirely too brief, I experienced what I can only describe as ecstasy unlike any I have experienced in recent memory at the mere thought of being able to re-visit Yakuza 1 and 2, older and wiser and more well-versed in the series as I am now without plugging in my PS2 and dicking around with Memory cards and all that we have more or less sworn off since the days of the PS2.  To see Kamurocho as it started in a resolution that isn't torture on the eyes, even if it will not be as detailed as 3 and 4's (seen above) offerings.

For that all-too-brief moment, life was amazing and everything was wonderful.

And then I had that reality check that I'm sure you have already been thinking of since you read the title of this post.  Sega is in the shit.  It makes perfect sense to start doing things like this, up-porting old games for a quick buck that has fairly little spending associated with it.  It makes sense to do this and release it to a public that absolutely loves the Yakuza series where the sales numbers shows as much.  And that all happens.....in Japan.  Not so much here in the States.  So that sort of makes one think that the Collection just might not make it over here because Sega doesn't want to part with the paltry cost of localization.  And if they do, then the chances of them doing it on an actual disk are pretty much incomprehensibly infinitesimal.  Which for me more or less means that they shouldn't bother localizing it at all since I'll never be able to play the fucking things.  So this whole thing has the potential to be bittersweet at best, and infinitely disappointing at worst unless Sega just kind of magically does the awesome thing with money that they presumably don't have.

That means there's really not a whole lot I can do or say alongside this, honestly.  If this happens to play out and get localized on-disk, I'll be a very happy man, but if it doesn't, or if it's DD-only, I don't know what I'll do.  I'll probably buy them anyway just to throw Sega the $30-40 and the support, even if I won't be able to feasibly play the games by any stretch of the imagination.  (It takes me a ridiculous amount of time to download shit.  Like, three hours to download a 500 MB game at best ridiculous.  Not so much an issue on Portables since they're not about to explode or anything, but my PS3?  Nah.)  But goddamn if I won't be bitter as -fuck- about it the whole time and for quite a time thereafter.  It's pretty much this sort of scenario that I was basing an entire "Digital Distribution is Not the Answer to Every Fucking Problem" article around and never got around to writing because I just started to lose a little bit of the venom I had with it.  The thing is, I'm not anywhere near alone in the "I have shit internet and I must scream" territory, but it just doesn't seem to matter one bit since way of the future and other such utter fucking nonsense.  In a world of data caps and shit internet infrastructure not to mention shoddy internet security (From everyone, not just Sony don't even -start-) we can't just throw every fucking thing on the internet and do Jazz Hands until magic happens, people.

It's honestly a little more than depressing to have that realization weigh-in like that.  At first, I thought that maybe the Collection, should it exist and come out, could be an example of Sega's willingness to give physical media for the Yakuza one last shot, despite it not being one of the 'key' franchises that they're basing their physical releases on.  But it's hard to think of a scenario where I could realistically expect them on-disk, which means I still don't know what to think of Yakuza 5.  Even though I'm in the camp that says it would be the worst fucking idea imaginable to go DD-only with Yakuza 5, I can't realistically say it's not a possibility.  And one that'll be all the more real if the sales numbers of the theoretical DD-only Collection run more or less along the lines as they would expect it to, meaning the people who buy the series are still -there- and willing to buy it no matter what.  I guess I am over-thinking it more than a little bit, but as I've made it perfectly clear more than once here, the Yakuza series is that series for me, and it sucks that the reality for it is as negative as it is.

With any luck, all my sudden sullenness and negativity will be for naught and we'll get some good news from the whole scenario.  It's wholly unlikely, of course, but Sega does so love proving me wrong (I figured they would've announced a new Phantasy Star for Vita - PSO2 doesn't count - by now, I figured something would happen with the two Yakuza:  Black Panther games for us, figured we'd hear -something- about VC3 in the west, I could go on and on) so that does leave a slight window open.  I can say with some certainty that if they -do- prove me wrong and throw us a disk, I will probably be buying several copies of the game if just to send the message that physical games will still sell, I assure you.  So there's at least some incentive there.  Only thing left is to see it play out, I suppose, which will likely be more painful than several things that I'm not going to bother to explain because I'm sure you can think of painful things.

Update!:  Aaaand it's official.  For Japan, at least.  I'm sure we'll get localization news....uhh....sometime.

Maybe.

Please give us this, Sega.