Konami has begun its final preparations for global… Wait scratch that, it’s take over of Hudson. Since 2005 Konami has been the parent company of Hudson, owning 54% of the company. Come this Spring Konami will absorb Hudson, meaning Hudson’s CEO Michihiro Ishizuka will resign on 3/31 and will be replaced by Konami Digital Entertainment’s Kazuhiko Uehara. With the joining of the company’s can we expect to have a Bomber-Gear Solid come out, or even a possibility of an Adventure (Castlevania) Island?
Konami + Hudson = Hudnami?
Super Street Fighter IV 3DS
The Nintendo 3DS is one of the few hand held systems that I’ve been looking forward to owning since it’s announcement. Capcom has popped the lid off of one of the bigger releases for the 3DS. Come March 27th not only will the 3DS be released, but Super Street Fighter IV 3DS will out the same day. The only thing left to do is to wait, and practice my dragon punches, and the motion of the dragon punch for the game.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood’s Animus 2.0
Animus Project 2.0 update for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood goes live today. The 2.0 update will revamp the multiplayer mode and add a new game mode called “Chest Capture”. Chest Capture is a team based capture the single flag game Assassin’s Creed style. Along with the new multiplayer mode is a new map called Pienza, a large city that looks out over vineyards filled with multi-tiered buildings and alleys. Best of all, it’s all free. Well enough talk… En garde!
PS3’s Portal 2 To Feature Cross-Platform Functions
Portal 2 for Playstation 3 will be jumping it’s way in and out of PC and Macs come April 20th. Full cross-platform functions such as multiplayer (PC/Mac vs. PS3), and cloud based storage of saved games, and last but also very important is chat. Gabe Newell, co-founder and vice president of Valve stated at E3 2010 that he wanted to make the PS3 version of Portal 2 to be the best console version. So far with the integration of Steam into the PS3, it looks as if cross-platform gaming is taking a huge leap through the portal towards the future of gaming.
Gran Turismo Anywhere Soon To Be Here
Kazunori Yamauchi expects that Gran Turismo Anywhere, Gran Truismo 5’s remote racing, to be live within early February. The thought behind Gran Turismo Anywhere’s remote races is based on it’s B-Spec mode racing. Players take the role as the coach, guiding their team driver to speed up, slow down, over take, and keep pace, all while monitoring their driver’s mental strength, fatigue, stress, and status of their car. GT5A will allow players to log in on the official Gran Turismo 5 website from computers and mobile devices to let drivers earn more credits to put to rare exotic cars.
[Source: Kazunori Yamauchi Twitter]
Bulletstorm Demo Hitting PSN and XBLM
Bulletstorm has been one of the many games on my radar for 2011. Luckily the demo will be out three short weeks on January 25th! In any FPS, shooting takes skill, but to build up the combo streaks and multiple ways to shoot one person will make it an art. The demo will consist of a mode named “Echo”, a score-based mode using the game’s “Skillshot” system to challenge the leaderboards. You’ll have access to a number of weapons in the demo, including the Peace Maker Carbine, the Flail Gun (it fires two grenades linked together by a chain), and the Screamer, “a powerful revolver that turns enemies into human fireworks”. No word on a PC demo yet, but the full game will be available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC on February 22.
Update: Killzone 3 Goes Gold
Killzone 3 has gone gold and has a steady site set for February 22. Killzone has come a long way throughout it’s Playstation career and is guaranteed to be one of this year’s blockbuster hits for Playstation. If you haven’t heard already, Killzone 3 will have Move support to play a rail based interactive version of Killzone. So instead of pew pew pewing just in your mind, you’ll be able to scream like Rambo and unload a full heavy machine gun clip at the screen while everyone watches and laughs in amazement.
Finally! Ys I & II Arrive at US Shores for PSP
Back in the end of 2009, it was announced that the US would get Ys I & II Chronicles and it looks like we will be getting it very soon! It is slated for early February release of this year for the PSP.
Chronicles is actually a remake of a remake of a remake. Ys I & II was originally released in 1989 after the original releases as separate games. In 2001, Complete was born for the PC. Two years later, Eternal Story came out. And finally in 2009, Legacy was added to the list of remakes, which by the way have only been out in Japan. At least until now.
The new PSP remake will have nice, crisp graphics and sound and will remain true to the original games as well as the PC remake. So be sure to look out for Ys I & II Chronicles sometime this February!
Ys: The Oath in Felghana Soundtrack Review
Oath in Felghana was originally released back in 2005 for the PC and re-released for the PSP, last year, both only in Japan. It wasn’t until last November that we saw it for the PSP on Western shores. Now the soundtrack was first released back in 2005 but since we are just getting the game now, I figured why not review it. The game’s score was composed by Falcom Sound Team JDK, the same team that does all of the music for the Ys series, as well as Legend of Heroes. Since the first Ys game back in 1987, I would say that Falcom has had a lot of experience in composing beautiful music. Of the games in the Ys series that I’ve played, I have to hand it to Falcom, they do an amazing job. When playing a classical RPG, you need a particular kind of music. Falcom gets the job done.
Environmental themes – When you’re traveling the world in the main world map, you have to have epic traveling music. One that will make you really feel like you’re on that adventure and up for anything like the true hero that you are when you play as Adol. I believe that “Prelude to the Adventure” does just that. With powerful strings and twirling of winds, it’s as if you’re out there on the road, traveling to your next destination.
Action themes – Combining synthesizers, electric guitars and a fast beat will definitely get the blood pumping as you take down your enemies. “Be Careful” has a beautiful build-up to when the guitars just start wailing and every beat just takes you into the heat of the battle. Another theme like “A Searing Struggle” sounds like a classic rock song with nothing but pure guitar solos. No matter how many times I listen to the tracks, I just can’t get tired of them.
Emotional themes – With a deep-sounding string instrument leading the song, “Dear My Brother”, the piece becomes deeply emotional simply with a piano accompaniment. The slow tempo of the piano accentuates the portraying sadness of the string instrument’s arrangement . There is a second arrangement of the same called “Farewell ~ Dear My Brother” but with a larger orchestra. I actually found the second to be more powerful because of the additional instruments emphasizing the sadness in the song.
Character themes – Even though this is one of the few RPG games that basically have you on your own (except when you party with NPCs), there are very few character themes. Even so, at least I know that the themes they do have will be just amazing. Adol’s theme, “The Boy’s Got Wings” which is one that is used over and over again in the different games of the series, is recreated every time with different arrangements. This version for Oath is a beautiful combination of dance and classical styles that really gets you pumped up during the powerful scenes. It has to be one of my favorites of the soundtrack, the violin leads into amazing solos that make you really feel like you’re Adol.
Prelude and Ending themes – “A Premonition =Styx=” is a powerful yet delicately composed track which does a beautiful job of giving the player a sense of the world introduced in the opening cinematic. Definitely worthy of being called an introduction to what would be a very beautiful game. The ending “Wanderers from Ys” follows the tradition of more classic RPG’s, with a classical march. Though I do love the fact that it does not sound cheesy at all, the track keeps a steady pace all the way to the end. As you watch the areas of the world you finished traveling through, it actually feels like a movie that ends the game in a satisfying way.
Love themes – Unlike most other RPG’s, Ys does not usually have a love interest for the hero. The only related theme that I could apply here is “Prayer for Love” though it doesn’t really sound like it has anything to do with love, unless getting married in a church, since it is used as the chapel‘s theme. I do love the organ and all but definitely wouldn’t consider this theme for love.
Least Favorites – Sadly, I would have to say, “Dark Beasts as Black as the Night” is one of my least favorites. It sounds like there is too much going on, especially with the electric guitar solo. There just doesn’t seem to be any arrangement and it’s all over the place. “Behold!!” is not as bad but it’s also one of my least favorites, the track just doesn’t quite seem as exciting as most of the tracks that are in this game’s score.
My final thoughts – I am very happy to say that I loved more tracks than ones I disliked. This soundtrack is great. With the new arranged versions of the older Ys songs that have fresh new styles, I could play the two discs over and over. Overall I am definitely happy with this soundtrack.
Xbox 360 HORIPAD EX 2 Turbo Review
It’s always great to have different options for controllers. In any type of video game, you are only as good as your controller. Having a good controller will not only guarantee good gameplay, it also gives a better gaming experience. So can the Xbox 360 HORIPAD EX2 Turbo offer that quality gameplay?
Let’s begin with the physical design, the HORIPAD EX2 Turbo resembles the original Xbox controller with a few tweaks. The controller button layout is identical to the original 360 controller but has six smaller buttons instead of four, with the left and right bumpers being the additional 2 buttons on the face. The controller does have a bit of a learning curve to get accustomed to, depending on the type of hands a player has, this can be a nuisance. Also included with the design is a turbo switch with 3 speeds and a switch to control the sensitivity for the analogue sticks. The turbo functionality is offered on the controller for almost all the buttons including the D-pad. The only buttons that aren’t included are the start and select buttons and the two analogue sticks.
The smaller buttons wont feel comfortable at first but you’ll learn to adapt. This controller offers a lot of options for gamers. It’s clear that the developers want this controller to work for different types of games.
The thumbstick and D-Pad feel great. Both thumbsticks house a small but deep groove with four directional points. The groove gives players easier fit for their thumbs for extra precision. You can compare the D-Pad the PS3 D-Pad, it’s accurate. It’s even more noticeable when playing fighting games, it simply feels natural with this controller. The shoulder buttons have the most difference in design. The shoulder buttons are not as raised as the original 360 controller. This design doesn’t damper the experience, however it will feel awkward at first, however once adapted, you will certainly love the controller.
In all, the Xbox 360 HORIPAD EX2 Turbo is a great alternative wired controller. Even with the slight learning curve, the control you have with this controller is amazing. With a 6 button layout, extra thumbstick sensitivity settings, and 3 turbo speeds all for $29.99, its a great investment. Players will have great time and great control with this one.
