Trailer Tuesdays – Resident Evil 6 and The Expendables 2

Resident Evil 6 (Capcom)

The latest entry in Capcom’s classic horror franchise is the largest and most expensive to date. But will it return to its survival-horror roots, or will it continue to be action-oriented like Resident Evil 5? We’ll find out this November.

The Expendables 2 (Lionsgate, Nu Image/Millennium Films)

Wow. That trailer will put hair on your chest. The original Expendables survived on its ensemble gimmick, and the sequel looks to be upping the ante in that regard. Plus, Stallone vs. Van Damme? This I have to see.

News Roundup: 5/11/2012

Some things I’ve accumulated while I was busy studying/sicking:

Like Cultural Anxiety? I hope so. Well, in between my writings check out this Tumblr Box Vs. Box, which does a box art comparison much like I do, but without the in-depth textiness. I’ve gotten some ideas for future posts from there. Worth a look!

Curious about the Street Fighter manga by Masahiko Nakahira? Be curious no more, for Jason Thompson at ANN thoroughly details them out here. Now I want to read them!

If you want to wander through your days to the themes of the Gamecube Animal Crossing, now you can.

1UP’s The Grind digs into the latest Fire Emblem quite nicely here.

Okay, I think that’s all for now. I’ve got other things to do, so I’ll see you tomorrow!

The Joys of Retro Gaming: Street Fighter Alpha 3 (GBA)

I have the oddest obsession with the GBA port of Street Fighter Alpha 3. My opinion goes more in depth as to why I like it despite its flaws, but I’d like to focus on an event that happened yesterday. Now, as you may know, the GBA port does feature 3 bonus characters that the Dreamcast never saw. These include Eagle, Maki and Yun, all borrowed from Capcom Vs. SNK 2 (appropriate, considering how many fighters Capcom ripped from the Alpha series to pad its side of the roster in that game :p ). I usually play Survival mode in the game, but on a whim I decided to play through the Story mode with Eagle. Story mode is crippled in this port, with the barest of plot explanations and no real ending. Still, I wanted to do something different, so off I marched. I’m not fantastic with Eagle by any stretch of the imagination, but I did fairly well, only losing once to Sagat in the 9th match. I came right back and pummeled him, and reached M. Bison. The first round went adequately, but it’s the second I want to talk about.

It was one of the more surreal moments in a fighting game I’ve had. I totally abused the system. Eagle has a throw where he slams the opponent onto the ground and then jams his sticks into their gut. If an opponent techs out of the throw, they fly back into the air. Well, I managed to catch M. Bison five times after he teched out, air throwing him each time he escaped. He slipped out of my reach the sixth time I tried to keep it up, but he was startled by my good fortune. He couldn’t land a hit on me, and I managed to score a Perfect on him. I think it was the first Perfect I’ve ever had on M. Bison in any version of Alpha 3. Considering it was the first Perfect I had the whole time I played with Eagle, I was pretty stoked. I even exclaimed my shock at landing the five throw combo aloud, making Grace wonder what the hell I was doing. :p

When I compare that thrill to Super Street Fighter IV, I admit that I haven’t really gotten that excited by playing SSFIV yet. It’s a fine game, no doubt, but I think it overdid its control scheme (Ultra moves with three buttons? Why?!) and doesn’t react as smoothly to my commands as I’d like. There’s something magical to me about the Alpha series that Capcom has lost over the years, so I’ll always treasure the experience of that franchise, even with its dumbed-down GBA port.

Image from VGMuseum.

Virtual Console Recommendations – Super Street Fighter II (Genesis)

Super Street Fighter II (SFAC)

W- AGAIN? Another Street Fighter port?!? Over Demon’s Crest, Bionic Commando, Breath of Fire and Mega Man 64? Capcom, you’re killing me here. Luckily, there is the bonus incentive of online play that makes this port justifiable to some degree. Nester breaks down the two ports quite nicely here, so I’ll defer to him. I for one will skip it.

VC Alternate Version Guide update – Super Street Fighter II

Joining the SNES version, the Genesis version of Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers is now available on the Wii Virtual Console in both Europe and North America, and as such I’ve updated the Virtual Console Alternate Version Guide:

Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (SNES, 800 points)
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (Genesis, 800 points)

Did we get enough Street Fighter II yet? Capcom says no!

Both versions are nearly the same, with only minimal cosmetic differences. The Genesis version has grainier but higher contrast graphics, while the SNES version looks softer. The sound effects and voices are also significantly more gravely on the Genesis than the SNES, although it also has a couple of minor extra gameplay options.

The Genesis version does have one clear edge however: ONLINE PLAY! That’s right, this is the first Virtual Console game in North America to allow online multiplayer. You can hook up with anyone you’ve shared Friend Codes with, or with completely random, anonymous strangers. It’s very bare bones, but that may not matter to you.

Another question, however, is whether you should choose between Super Street Fighter II or Street Fighter II Turbo. Well, aside from the allure of online play, different people seem to have specific preferences in this department. It is worth noting that even the SNES version of Super SFII has heavily compressed audio, and thus actually sounds worse than the SNES version of SFII Turbo. However, all versions of Super SFII have a full 16-character roster, including the four “New Challengers.” Yet, some people don’t like the changes that were made to the existing characters, and consider Turbo to be a more balanced game. Taking all of these things into account, you’re going to have to make your own call on this one. Good luck!

Fatal Fury – The Other Street Fighter II

I quite enjoy SNK’s Fatal Fury series. I’ve recently posted an article at my personal blog discussing the original 1991 Neo Geo fighting game and how it’s really like an alternate evolution of Capcom’s 1987 Street Fighter:

A common misconception is that Fatal Fury is a rip-off of Street Fighter II. It was easy to come to this conclusion in 1991, being that Fatal Fury‘s release trailed Street Fighter II by nine months, and given the enormous popularity of the latter, it was impossible not to compare them. What needs to be realized, however, is that both games share common ancestry. Fatal Fury was the brainchild of Takashi Nishiyama, who had previously worked at Capcom, and was actually the creator of the original Street Fighter. Both Fatal Fury and Street Fighter II were building off the foundations of the same game, but taking its concept in entirely different directions.

You can read the full article at my blog, Lark’s Island: Fatal Fury – The Other Street Fighter II

The Joys of Retro Gaming: Final Fight 2 (SNES)

So I finally got around to putting CFW on my PSP.  Now I can get some actual use out of the damn thing by messing around with emulators for classic systems.  My first choice to exercise this new-found freedom?  Final Fight 2 for the SNES.

This was one of the few games that I had wanted to play as a kid, but was never able to, due to the local rental store never carrying it.  For the most part, it’s a very by-the-numbers sequel, though the ability to play in 2P co-op is very much appreciated.  It still doesn’t compare with the 3P functionality of the arcade version of the original Final Fight, but it was a definite step in the right direction.

Anyway, I thought I’d mention two distinct moments that stood out to me in the game, both of which took place on stage 3, Holland.  For the uninformed, Final Fight 2 decided to eschew Metro City for a whirlwind tour of the world, beating the same five or six guys into a bloody pulp across a varied landscape of racial stereotypes.  What I found most interesting about this was when you get to the start of stage 3, you’re presented with what appears to be a war-torn, third-world country.  Also, land mines.

Now, I don’t have the most comprehensive knowledge of world history, but I’m fairly certain that Holland is known more for windmills and wooden shoes than devastation and buried explosives.  This is just a mild curiosity, though in comparison to what happens at around the 5:45 mark in the above video.

To the untrained eye, this probably appears to be completely unremarkable.  You just don’t have a dirty enough mind, I say.  Think about where this is taking place…

…give up?

Capcom made a game where you got to Holland and go inside a dyke.  Not just a finger, either.  Your whole damn body!

Even More Resident Evil 6 Details

Lots and lots more about RE6 has bene revealed since the trailer, but I’ve been a bit busy to retype them all up myself.  With a bunch more being revealed today, I’ll merely do some quoting from Siliconera.

Capcom have put up a brief internal interview with three senior members of their Resident Evil 6 team on their community site. Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Executive Producer), Eiichiro Sasaki (Director) and Yoshiaki Hirabayashi (Producer) touch upon a few points of Resident Evil 6’s story and play style, and while there aren’t any major reveals during the talk, they do tease some interesting things.

First off, as suspected, Chris’ style of play is more action-oriented—since Chris and the BSAA are waging a war against bio-terrorism—and Leon’s is slower, with a greater focus on horror. This decision was made very early on, but the three creators say that the Chris sections of the game won’t be straightforward action. Depending on the paths you take, you’ll encounter horror aspects as well.

You may recall that, at one point, Capcom used the term “dramatic horror” to describe Resident Evil 6. This shouldn’t be a considered a new genre—the basis of the game is still survival horror, but “dramatic horror” is the term they’re using to indicate that they’re trying to create a story that will make the player feel involved. As previously reported, Resident Evil 6 will also have a considerable amount of voice-acting, and this will be reflected in the form of the characters constantly talking to their partners.

On the subject of characters, while only Chris, Leon and Jake are playable—as far as we know—each of them also has a partner. Chris is teamed up with fellow BSAA member Piers Nivans. While this is the first time Piers has appeared in a Resident Evil game, he was introduced in a Resident Evil manga in Japan a while ago. In 6, Capcom want to give the impression that he’s been a part of the BSAA for a while.

Meanwhile, Jake Muller, who is also Albert Wesker’s son, is teamed up with Sherry Birkin, who makes her first major appearance since Resident Evil 2. Sherry was affected by the G-Virus and lost both her parents at a young age. Meanwhile, Jake has Wesker’s blood. These parallels between the two characters will bring them together and a bond will form between them during the course of the game.

Finally, poor Leon finds himself in a situation that’s all too familiar to him. The dev team feel that Leon gives off the impression of someone that’s been used by many women throughout the years, and wanted to play up that aspect further in Resident Evil 6. Leon’s partner is Helena Harper, and there are several mysteries surrounding her. The developers tease that he may find himself being used by a pretty lady once more. No mention was made of whether the other lady in the recent trailer was Ada Wong, but if it was, one would imagine Leon has much to look forward to.

Counting each playable character’s partner, that makes for six protagonists. Capcom decided on this because they felt it would give them an opportunity to tell a more interesting story. With regard to the partner system, one of the major improvements being made is the ability to drop in and out of co-op play at any time. You won’t have to return to previous checkpoints or start stages over from the beginning if someone wants to join your game.

Finally, zombies are a part of the “dramatic” storytelling style, too. The zombies in Resident Evil 6 are a result of the C-Virus, but how they’re born is being kept under wraps for now. When you encounter them, you may see them holding items from their former lives as humans. For instance, a former chef may wield a cleaver, while another zombie might be holding a baseball bat. So, zombies can use weapons, and they’re faster than players are accustomed to, too, in order to make them more frightening.

Some other news: RE6 will have a pre-order bonus of extra Mercenary Mode maps depending on the retailer, a super-expensive deluxe edition has been confirmed for Japan (with Leon’s leather jacket!), and find out more about “Wesker Jr.”, aka Jake Muller.

New Resident Evil 6 Trailer

Wow, this is looking pretty damn epic if you ask me.  Shame I’m in the middle of a Capcom boycott (but hey, I can buy it used :p ).  It appears that we shall see some old friends again, with Sherry Birkin (!) confirmed to be the blond woman with mercenary “Wesker Jr.” (wow, that’s …creative :p ), and Ada Wong appears to be a major antagonist once more, continuing to affect Leon (as you will see at the end).  She’s not named, but she has the same voice actress, I’d bet money on it.  I’ll pass along more as I hear it.

Artistic Discussion – The Good and Bad of Gaming Box Art: 4/9/2012

Good – Ecco the Dolphin (Genesis, Sega)

Unlike our last visit with Boris Vallejo, this one is quite spectacular!  I’m curious about the oceanic world Ecco inhabits, why he has stars on his forehead, and am overall impressed with the ambiance of the piece.  This looks like a fun game (which it is, for the most part) from the cover, and I definitely would consider it as a purchase.  Well done, Sega!

Bad – Magic Sword (Super NES, Capcom)

And then there’s this.  The woman at the left is probably the best thing about this piece.  She looks appropriate and she isn’t marred by some hideous problem (her left thigh is a little odd, but not super noticeable).  The hero, however…what exactly is he staring at?  It’s not the villain!  His pecs are also a little lopsided, his arms don’t look like they were originally attached to him, and I don’t think most people would be successfully defending attacks holding a shield like that.  That and he just looks too…prissy to be out in the battlefield (well, our heroine as well looks a little too dolled up, considering the game’s context of her being locked up in a wizard’s tower for a few days minimum).  The antagonist looks like he’s laughing, is doing some great jazz hands magic, has a dorky costume, and his horns aren’t even.  And why is that dark gem randomly floating around?  I don’t recall any purple, cloudy sky in the game, either.  Nor mountains.  Doesn’t it take place in a TOWER? And the space to the right of the villain seems like a rather sudden shift of colors, from pink to dark purple with no transition whatsoever.  I’ve seen worse boxes, but this one has quite a few thorns, that it does.