On April 27th, 2012 (yes, I unfortunately remember the date...) a new game was announced! There had been some rumors circulating toward the end of the preceding year that said a combat-heavy, Smash Bros style game featuring Sony's biggest characters was in development, with many details such as specific characters and stages included with the rumor as well. These rumors were confirmed to be just about 100%
accurate when gameplay was finally shown off several months later. The game became what we know today as Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale.
I love Nintendo and its line-up of characters and I love Smash Bros. style gameplay, but I also have a deep-rooted and long-running affection for Sony's diverse library of games. I love Sly Cooper, Jak & Daxter, Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, Ape Escape, InFamous, and possibly my favorite of all, PaRappa the Rapper. But even beyond that, characters like Kratos from God of War, Fat Princess, and Twisted Metal's iconic Sweet Tooth were rumored to appear in the game, meaning that the roster was sure to be diverse and represent a huge assortment of games, perhaps beyond even the extent of Super Smash Bros. There are also plenty of amazing third party games heavily associated with the Playstation brand like Metal Gear Solid, Spyro the Dragon, Final Fantasy, and Crash Bandicoot! Could they be represented in the game as well? Finally, my childhood dream of a large-scale and chaotic crossover of Playstation all-stars would come to fruition!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Top 5 Games of 2013
2013 has really been a big year for games. I played through tons of fantastic ones, but there are still a lot of amazing looking games that I haven’t even had the chance to buy yet! But of what I have played, there are several games that I think are completely outstanding and I can’t wait another second to gush all about them. I also have a couple of honorable mentions...there were a few too many games to condense this to a top 5, but not quite enough to stretch out to a top 10. Regardless, here it is, my top 5 games of 2013!
…also I haven’t beaten GTA5 or Tomb Raider yet. So…um…onto
the list!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Why You Shouldn't Buy a PS4 or Xbox One
After 8 years of incredible advances in technology, amazing games, and stupid consumers buying lazy, unfulfilling products, the next generation of video game consoles is upon us! The Wii U, the PS4, and in just a few hours, the Xbox One will be out and available for purchase! While the Wii U has been out for about a year, right now all of the interest is undeniably in Microsoft and Sony's new systems. Why...well...who knows? I'm not even sure myself. This is gonna be a really dumbed down piece compared to my usual reviews and other pieces on games. I'm not targeting super-informed gamers or anything, I'm talking
to the average Joe who wants something to play the new Call of Duty on. The premise of a new console launch is always exciting and it's easy to find yourself getting caught up in the hype. After seeing Killer Instinct and Dead Rising 3, I was admittedly ready to hop on the Xbox One bandwagon and pick one up myself. But thinking about it rationally for a bit, I came to a different conclusion: blowing $500+ on this thing the year it comes out would be the stupidest thing I could possibly do.
to the average Joe who wants something to play the new Call of Duty on. The premise of a new console launch is always exciting and it's easy to find yourself getting caught up in the hype. After seeing Killer Instinct and Dead Rising 3, I was admittedly ready to hop on the Xbox One bandwagon and pick one up myself. But thinking about it rationally for a bit, I came to a different conclusion: blowing $500+ on this thing the year it comes out would be the stupidest thing I could possibly do.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Last of Us Review
I’ve intentionally held off on talking about The Last of
Us until a few months later because I wanted to see if the game left an
impression on me the way the media said it would. The game got tons of perfect
scores everywhere. Naughty Dog is well-known for setting the bar on every
console they develop on; the charming platforming of Crash Bandicoot that
defined the PS1 era, the expansive and imaginative world of Jak and
Daxter on
PS2, and Uncharted becoming one of Sony’s flagship franchises for the PS3. The
Last of Us marks the first time since joining Sony that the developers have
worked on multiple series on the same platform, and it managed to slip in just
several months before the launch of the PS4. Did this game define its
generation of hardware the same way Crash and Jak did?Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Pokemon X/Y Review
Pokemon is something everyone can relate to. …well, not everyone, but
a lot of people! Pikachu is one of the most iconic fictional creatures
there is, the anime has been going strong for well over a decade, and
every few years we’re treated to a new batch of Pokemon to add to the
mix. For the record, I think Pokemon Black and White is the series’
strongest installment to date. For the first time in many years it
didn’t just feel like another expansion pack to existing Pokemon, it
felt like a clean slate! Not a single Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh
Pokemon was to be found until after the completion of the main game.
There were a total of 156 Pokemon to catch and not a single one was a
familiar face. Not all of the designs were spectacular, but
plenty of them were memorable and useful, making Unova really fun to explore. But the new Pokemon were just half of it; there were all kinds of new gameplay mechanics and additions to the battle system that made Black and White feel like a huge leap from Diamond and Pearl. Hoenn and Sinnoh felt like new adventures in familiar worlds, but Unova truly made you feel like you were doing something fresh and new entirely, despite the similar gameplay mechanics to previous installments. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Pokemon X and Y.
plenty of them were memorable and useful, making Unova really fun to explore. But the new Pokemon were just half of it; there were all kinds of new gameplay mechanics and additions to the battle system that made Black and White feel like a huge leap from Diamond and Pearl. Hoenn and Sinnoh felt like new adventures in familiar worlds, but Unova truly made you feel like you were doing something fresh and new entirely, despite the similar gameplay mechanics to previous installments. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Pokemon X and Y.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Pikmin 3 Review
After a 9 year hiatus, the Pikmin series is back. Notable for being
the first important Wii U game since it came out last November,
longtime fans and first-time players alike were all looking forward to
taking control of massive armies of the adorable little creatures. Given
the number of delays this game suffered, expectations were certainly
high. Did it deliver? For the most part, absolutely!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Sonic Adventure 2 Review
The past week or two some friends and I have been getting pretty
into Sonic the Hedgehog. Not like, marathoning every game or anything,
but we’ve been talking about some memories with the games, listening to
the music again, etc. One thing that would come up a lot was Sonic
Adventure vs. Sonic Adventure 2. The comparisons were…really strange,
but we eventually came to the conclusion they both had some advantages
and disadvantages over the other. I was in support of SA2 completely.
While I had loved SA as a kid, SA2 I had loved even more.
You see, I never had any Sega consoles as a kid, so my first
experience with Sonic was Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, which I looooved as a
kid. I got SADX shortly afterward, and loved it as well. So in 2010
when Sonic Adventure was rereleased and got abysmal reviews, I was
shocked. What had happened?! I remember that game being awesome! Was it
just because it was an older game? But even then, when games like Banjo
Kazooie and HD Collections of other 3D platformers from that era were
released, they were praised to the moon and back and sales were
terrific. How was SA any different than those other 3D platformers from
the time? And when SA2 was rereleased late last year, people gave it bad
reviews too. But how?!
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Review
I’ll say it right now, I think Sly 4 is an awesome game. It gave me a
feeling I honestly hadn’t had in quite some time. Most reviews have
said pretty much the same thing; it’s a good game, but it doesn’t change
much from it’s predecessors and feels dated at some points. Well that’s
fair I guess, but here’s something interesting: I’m not a Sly Cooper
fan. Let me explain: I played the first few hours of the 1st game and
it felt
really dated and weird. I wasn’t having much fun, and a friend told me to skip to the 2nd game, which I did and actually really enjoyed. Never played the 3rd one. So having played only one game in the series, what do I think of Sly 4?
really dated and weird. I wasn’t having much fun, and a friend told me to skip to the 2nd game, which I did and actually really enjoyed. Never played the 3rd one. So having played only one game in the series, what do I think of Sly 4?
Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed Review
Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing from 2010 is actually one of my
favorite kart racers. The tracks were memorable, there was a fun,
diverse line-up of racers and an awesome catchy soundtrack paired with
super
fast-paced racing. So when they announced there was gonna be a sequel, I was pretty excited. But having put some time into it, there’s a lot of weird little things that I’m not sure about.
fast-paced racing. So when they announced there was gonna be a sequel, I was pretty excited. But having put some time into it, there’s a lot of weird little things that I’m not sure about.
Games that Aren't Games
There are plenty of genres I like when it comes to games. Just
looking at some of my favorites there are plenty of platformers,
fighters, RPGs, and games of other genres that come to mind. Then there
are a few other games I think of that…I can’t really classify. When I
look them up I see a lot of genres listed for them, actually. Like
nobody can really agree. One thing I see for all of them that I can
think of is “adventure.”
What “adventure” means to me is that it doesn’t really fit into anything else. There’s not enough jumping to call it a platformer, not enough shooting to call it a shooter, not enough puzzle-solving to call it a puzzle game, not enough combat to call it a beat ‘em up, just a whole bunch of elements of other genres put together in a game where you progress from one area to the next exploring. That’s what an “adventure game” is to me. And I really don’t like that term, because the only games I can think of that really fit that genre are Zelda and games similar to it.
What “adventure” means to me is that it doesn’t really fit into anything else. There’s not enough jumping to call it a platformer, not enough shooting to call it a shooter, not enough puzzle-solving to call it a puzzle game, not enough combat to call it a beat ‘em up, just a whole bunch of elements of other genres put together in a game where you progress from one area to the next exploring. That’s what an “adventure game” is to me. And I really don’t like that term, because the only games I can think of that really fit that genre are Zelda and games similar to it.
DmC (Devil May Cry) Review
Devil May Cry is a really popular Capcom franchise that first came
into play in 2001 on PS2, and was considered a huge innovation in the
industry. There hadn’t really been many games like this before, and it’s
generally said to have had a huge part in starting the “hack ‘n slash”
genre. Without this game, we may not have seen God of War, Bayonetta, or
the newer Ninja Gaiden games. There was a sequel that got some pretty
poor reviews, and a 3rd game that was considered a masterpiece. Then
there was 4 on the 360/PS3, which was considered pretty good, but didn’t
quite meet the bar set by 3. While some say the DMC series has never
had a solid story as a strength, others disagree, and had been waiting
several years to see their favorite characters come back and continue
where they left off, killing demons and making cheesy one-liners. And
when TGS 2010 came around, they got their wish! …almost!
Crash Bandicoot: Warped Review
Crash Bandicoot is a series that had the misfortune of being handed
to a developer that just didn’t care. While it had a strong start on the
PS1 and the character became one of Sony’s biggest mascots at the time,
Naughty Dog lost the rights to the character around 2000 and he faded
into obscurity not long after. He got a fun PS1 party game in the form
of Crash Bash, some decent platformers in the form of Wrath of Cortex
and Twinsanity, and…well, after that, it wasn’t long before he gave out
and the character was more-or-less retired. The only other games he got
were some mediocre kart racers and the mutant series, which received
mixed reviews and wasn’t enough to pull the character out of the hole he
had fallen in. Just the last year or so, a lot of interest has come
back to the character. People are making lots of fan-games, he’s easily
the
most requested DLC character for Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, yet Activision seems completely ignorant of the fact that they own a beloved IP and haven’t done anything with it since 2008. So the character is pretty much dead at this point. It’s a shame, but we can still enjoy his classics! I decided recently to replay my favorite of the series, Crash Bandicoot: Warped.
most requested DLC character for Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, yet Activision seems completely ignorant of the fact that they own a beloved IP and haven’t done anything with it since 2008. So the character is pretty much dead at this point. It’s a shame, but we can still enjoy his classics! I decided recently to replay my favorite of the series, Crash Bandicoot: Warped.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Darkstalkers Resurrection Review
I’m a pretty big fighting game fan. From
my obnoxious Street Fighter phase in 2010 to my addiction to Playstation
All-Stars Battle Royale the last few months, there’s no genre I find myself coming back to again and again like the fighter. One thing I
noticed though is that I generally tend to gravitate toward the newer
ones. If a fighter feels dated I usually don’t really enjoy it, at least the way I do newer fighters like Street Fighter 4 or Marvel vs. Capcom 3. I can have fun with it, but there’s usually a lack of modes, a smaller roster, and the fact that everyone else has been playing 10 years longer than I have so there’s no point in getting better. With Darkstalkers Resurrection, this isn’t the case.
ones. If a fighter feels dated I usually don’t really enjoy it, at least the way I do newer fighters like Street Fighter 4 or Marvel vs. Capcom 3. I can have fun with it, but there’s usually a lack of modes, a smaller roster, and the fact that everyone else has been playing 10 years longer than I have so there’s no point in getting better. With Darkstalkers Resurrection, this isn’t the case.
Starhawk Review
Starhawk is a game that got really overlooked I think. Despite being
less than a year old it’s now available for $20 new, the studio shut
down after the release of the game, and there aren’t many people left
offline. And that…well, that kinda sucks. This is the spiritual
successor to the game Warhawk, which was released early in the PS3′s
existence and got critical praise for it’s awesome multiplayer combining
dogfights and third-person shooting for a really cool experience. In
2012 this concept was revisited as Starhawk. There were a lot of changes
made to the game, between actually adding a single-player mode and
giving the game a space setting and sci-fi themes. Neat! But does it
work?
Project X Zone Review
Namco, Sega, and Capcom are undeniably 3 of the biggest names in
gaming. They own some of the most beloved IPs of all time; Pac-Man, Mega
Man, and Sonic the Hedgehog are 3 of the most popular and recognizable
video game characters there are. In Project X Zone however, only one of
these characters appears. Yes, several of these companies’ most
recognizable characters are absent. This game was definitely made with
the Japanese audience in mind; outside of the Capcom side, very few
members of the cast are from genres besides RPGs. In a fighting game or
something the character choice isn’t as important, but this game is a
tactical RPG. Story and characters are a huge part of this genre and
this is a category that Project X Zone simply fails to deliver in.
Why Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale Failed
This
was one of the only games last year I was excited for. After 2011
pumped out game after game after game after game, 2012 was lackluster to
say the least. The Wii U and the Vita came out, but there weren’t many
games to get me pumped. There were some cool little games like Twisted
Metal, Asura’s Wrath, etc., but I just wasn’t feeling it. The only
exception was PSAS. Honestly, I think Nintendo is stupid for not
exploiting Smash’s success. It’s one of the biggest sellers gaming has
to offer, it’s one of the first things to come to your mind upon hearing
“crossover”, competitive players like it, casual players like it, Smash
is an amazing series. Then why do we only get one game per console? I
understand that they put TREMENDOUS effort into these games and that
they take forever to come out, and that they want each game to have time
to be appreciated for what it is without being immediately overshadowed
by a sequel, but Smash could be so much more than that. Pumping them
out yearly like COD or something wouldn’t be the answer, but just
imagine if Brawl had been treated to the DLC and balance patches that
other modern fighting games have received, or if it had at least had
decent netcode.
Unfortunately Nintendo and DLC almost never work out, or haven’t until recently at least, so Brawl didn’t reach the potential it could’ve. It still sold, there are SOME people who still play it, but it could’ve been much more. That’s why I wish more people would imitate the Smash formula! If Nintendo won’t embrace a lot of the features that make modern gaming what it is, someone else should. But every time there’s a Smash styled game, it’s something random given to a garbage developer with no idea what they’re doing. Cartoon Network! Ninja Turtles! Ninja Turtles and Rabbids! This is why Playstation All-Staras had me SO excited. Unlike other games that have tried to compete with SSB, Playstation is actually relevant, but also has a strong history! It has a huge and diverse lineup of characters to choose from, and a team has been assembled consisting largely of competitive fighting game players like Clockw0rk! It’s looking to blend elements of more competitive fighters while also being accessible to more casual players. How could this game not succeed?!
Unfortunately Nintendo and DLC almost never work out, or haven’t until recently at least, so Brawl didn’t reach the potential it could’ve. It still sold, there are SOME people who still play it, but it could’ve been much more. That’s why I wish more people would imitate the Smash formula! If Nintendo won’t embrace a lot of the features that make modern gaming what it is, someone else should. But every time there’s a Smash styled game, it’s something random given to a garbage developer with no idea what they’re doing. Cartoon Network! Ninja Turtles! Ninja Turtles and Rabbids! This is why Playstation All-Staras had me SO excited. Unlike other games that have tried to compete with SSB, Playstation is actually relevant, but also has a strong history! It has a huge and diverse lineup of characters to choose from, and a team has been assembled consisting largely of competitive fighting game players like Clockw0rk! It’s looking to blend elements of more competitive fighters while also being accessible to more casual players. How could this game not succeed?!
Hey everyone! It's me, Jacob Collins
I made a Blogspot so I can post all my awesome game reviews! Maybe someone will even read some of them! Play it loud in stereo DUDE!
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