What can Capcom do next?

CapcomWhat was once an unstoppable leading force is a straggling company today. Who would have thought that Resident Evil would become absolute trash, Street Fighter a rerelease sellout and Megaman go extinct? What angers me the most is that nobody asked for this stupid change. Resident Evil was doing great, I remember waiting for part 3 and going crazy when a class mate brought it bragging. Why did Capcom completely ruin the highest selling horror game and keep insisting on going nowhere.

Why did Megaman go bye-bye when Megaman X was doing great? I ask myself what happened as I brows eBay for retro Capcom games? Would it hurt any one if Capcom released Final Fight 4 on 3DS or even Xbox live arcade?

megaman x

Why do I have to replay Resident Evil Code Veronica instead of Resident Evil 6? I don’t know if anything can be done at this point but as they say; better late than never. Capcom should start making things right before its too late including and not limited to:

  • New Street Fighter
  • New 2D Megaman X style game
  • Port the Megaman X collection to arcade, PSN and Steam
  • Resident Evil 2 remake
  • Final Fight port or even new part

I must give credit where credit is due: Capcom is trying hard with PC gaming and is cross porting the games along with great optimization. I want Capcom to be successful as they are one of the last old school game makers that did great games. I know that we can not always control the destiny of the things or people we love but I really hope for the best.

The Evil Within first impression

The_Evil_Within_boxart

Now that the most awaited game of our era is out, I managed to grab it for my brother’s Xbox One while missing the chance to grab one myself. Why you ask? I still did not decide if I’m going with the 360, PC or Xbox one but at any rate, I’m grabbing the 360 version very soon. Now that my sad rant is over it is time for my first impression.

Keep in mind that I watched my brother play it up to chapter 3 so my first impress will be about the first two chapters.

Installation

After retrying the installation for the second time, the game started downloading a 7 GB day one patch. Strange and disappointing although we were given permission to play while download. What amazes me is the size, 7 GB day one patch? Why? and for what? Gone are the days when I can slide the disk into a console and start playing and came the days of a late 90s PC problems.

Graphics

the evil within

Truth be told, the graphics look good. Some aliasing is there but nothing game breaking. Everything looks good and detailed. The atmosphere it self is realistic but you cant help but notice the Hostel movie inspiration in the first chapter. All good, nothing to complain although some may argue that the graphics are far from next gen, for me personally everything looks good. Yes, this is a last gen game ported to Xbox One and PS4 and yes, PC can pull better graphics but consider the full package and not just one part.

Gameplay

the evil within

Resident Evil meets Metal Gear. This is what Resident Evil 4 should have been so Capcom please take note. Ammo is nowhere to be found so running, stealth and environment traps is the way to go. The movement looks realistic and smooth and many Resident Evil like stuff are in like memos and burning the corpses. The game itself feels like a Resident Evil we never got.

Sound

.The sound effects and music is good, fits right in the game. The gun firing and burning sounds along with everything else is a job well done

Conclusion

.I am yet to play it myself but from what I’m seeing, the game is amazing. Will pick it up today for deeper review but you cant go wrong with this game

So whats happening?

I apologies for not blogging much during the last two weeks. I had a few things going like finishing Resident Evil 6 and starting 4 on the Xbox 360, sorting my eBay purchases which are yet to arrive and some other things.

I was planing to get a PS4 and later Xbox One but decided to give it more time since no big games are coming out that are not available on the PC. I will be placing an Evil Within preorder on my Xbox 360 until I decide what to do next.

I have also placed an order for a replacement CPU for my brothers old rig which is yet to arrive.

 

AMD Athlon 64 3200+
AMD Athlon 64 3200+

Other than that, Crash Team racing also arrived which I think is the best vs racing game on any system including Mario Cart.

Crash Team Racing

 

Im still searching eBay components for my new Rig but may grab a rare Saturn game or two in the process. So how is everyone? Keep Gaming and have fun.

DirectX 12 coming to Windows 10

Unreal 4 Engine 4.4 Supports DirectX 12!

So as expected, the upcoming Windows 10 will have DX12. Technically, DX12 can make things better and smother on development side. Still not sure on the upgrade but things looking good on the gaming side. I’m waiting for more information and actual test before deciding on getting windows 10 but like I said, exiting PC gaming days are ahead of use if and only if developers started to use the full power of PC gaming instead of using the bench mark set by PS4 and Xbox One.

I’m currently building a new PC and thinking of going 64 now that 4GB is becoming standard and newer games may require more soon. Will update you all once actual testing takes place. Hoping that Microsoft starts taking PC gaming seriouse again.

Why am I holding out on next gen

never was amazed by the lunch of the so called next gen consoles. Not only were the graphical updates normal, the lack of good games made the case even worse. At times I wished I had atleast one of them but soon I realize that spending the money on a useless consoles with no real games is no wise choice considering all the good games are coming out on PC with better graphics or on Xbox 360/PS3 which I both own.

I apologies if I offended any one but for me, and please take that as an opinion is no reason to buy them yet. Not when PC gaming is still around. So let us start with PS4:

PS4_Logo

Believe it or not, I actually skipped PS3 even though I loved PS2 and PSone. Well I have a few games like Initial D but I did not give it a serious go. All that changed when PS4 was released. At first I was skeptical and with my problem of no user change or region change things didn’t look good on me going toward Sony again. After looking around more I started liking it to the point of almost getting one.

What happened?

Two things: Region and games. Where I live, Pal is dominated the market with no sign of NTSC. Now I know that I can continue doing the thing I already do which is getting my games from Amazon and eBay but having the option to buy cheap games is always a factor. The other problem is games. Apart from The last of us remastered which happens to be also on PS3, Rayman Legends and The Evil Within of which all of them aavailableon Xbox 360 and PC there are zero games that I care about. Well technically The Order is on my list but apart from that, nothing.

xbox-one-logo-wallpaper

Xbox 360 was my main gaming console this gen -PC not included- so it was only natural to jump on the next Xbox. Sadly the same problem as the above; no games. Lower resolution aside, the Xbox One had nothing to offer. Forza 5 and what? I am patiently waiting for Gears of War 4 but until released, there is zero interest in it for me.

So what will I do?

Build a new PC for less. I triad upgrading my old rig which by the way plays Batman Arkham Origins fine with extra ram but things went horrible fast. Slow PC, not booting and so on. Yes PC gaming has its downs but until the next gen starts offering real games count me out.

Wii U Super Smash Bros. Bundle on Amazon

ssbwu

 

The upcoming Nintendo’s signature fighter Super Smash Bros for the Wii U is now live on Amazon via a bundle package. The box includes the game, a repackaged GameCube controller and the controller adapter all for $99.99. Personally, I think this is a great offer considering you NEED a proper controller to play fighting games and while the GameCube controller is not that amazing it is still better than Nintendo’s iPad for the Wii U.

You will also be able to use the controller on other games which is a win unless Nintendo will only allow you to use it only on Super Smash which would be a stupid business discussion.

Call me old school but I still find the best way to control a game is a simple controller. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all triad to control games via other methods than the controller and failed miserably. Sometimes you gotta understand: if it ant broke, don’t fix it.

The adapter itself looks normally good which is a good thing as no fancy designs required. Great deal although some may say little pricey but you cant complain on the things given inside even though many would argue that Ninntendo should have made GameCube controller ports on the Wii U. Guess they thought the iPad controller thing would shape the future, guess not.

Get it at: Super Smash Bros. Wii U from Amazon

Bethesda’s The Evil Within System Requirements reviled

Finally after months of speculating and guessing the system requirements for the upcoming horror game are live and they are NOT what everyone expected. Note that these are the only the recommended high requirements and anything lower is NOT supported.

64-bit Windows 7/Windows 8
i7 with four plus cores
4 GBs RAM
50 GB of hard drive space*
GeForce GTX 670 or equivalent with 4GBs of VRAM
High Speed Internet Connection
Steam account and activation

So not only will you need to upgrade, you will need to be a hardcore PC gamer upgraded with dedicated knowledge and budget to play this game. Now I know that so of you will say: PC gaming was always an expensive hobby. Im sorry but since when did PC gaming became a no choice platform? PC gaming was always about choice. You have a low hardware? No problem. You have high end hardware? Good for you.

Asking people to upgrade this insainly is an open door to hell. Suppose I sell my arm and leg to get this and the game still is having issues? The game should be optemized to the max and make you feel that it is using every bit out of the hard earned upgrade or otherwise whats the point? I can easily get the Xbox 360 version and call it day but I want to have the best experience and experience the best gam play and graphics aka PC version.

I have a feeling the game will be poorly optimized hence the reason for such a high upgrade like the many before it namely Watch Dogs and GTA 4. A 64 bit Windows 7 or 8 only? Really? Bethesda, you are asking people to spend allot of money on something, make us feel that the spending was worth it.

I may be wrong but so far this is the only game that is requiring such a powerful hardware with nothing else supported so I hope to God that Bethesda knows what its doing.

 

Waiting for more news and possibly a demo or a batch mark in order to confirm or disregard my fears.

Microsoft could be buying Mojang

mojang

Latest latest rumblers claim that Microsoft will be buying the minecraft creator, Mojang. If that is true I expect it to go Xbox One/360/PC exclusive as it makes sense to put it on Microsoft controlled hardware except the PC which is running windows as a gaming platform.

What will the shift mean to all the mine craft fans if true? A logical solution is to keep the already out game updated but add exclusive worthy updates or DLC to the Xbox, even make it free or cheaper like Steam is doing with Left 4 Dead 2. Microsoft is a multi billion company and needs money to stay at the top and buying Mojang must have been about business and not ego.

We wait for more news and or conformation regarding this.

WB client in works and why do I care

wb-play-It is almost confirmed that WB will be entering the clients war. I don’t own a crystal ball nor do I use magic to read the future but this could go wrong, especial for Batman lovers.

Steam did something right and revolutionized the digital era, what followed by the industry was not so great. Sure, EA Origin is catching up but nothing beats Steam in terms of flexibility, reliability and the ease of use. The uPlay was a disaster and although I do have a choice of not using anything else, that window is closing very soon. The problem arises when games become exclusive to a platform. Origin did it and now WB might too.

batman_arkham_knightBatman Arkham Knight coming out next year, by this time the WB client will most likely be out. If and that’s a big if, the game requires it many problems could arise and even make people buy the console versions instead. Early applications tend to be buggy, just go back and count the years it took steam to be where it is now. Batman will be a demanding game, anything else slowing it down like eating system resources by supposedly this clinet will have a negative impact.

Everything I said is not confirmed so I may be jumping the gun but fears are fears. I am looking forward to this game and will end up buying it on more than a system like I did on the previous Arkham games so this is a big deal to me. Once again, anticipating the future and hoping for the best.

 

Daily Pickups: Animal Forest Ninntendo 64

While shopping on eBay I came across these collector items and couldn’t pass the deal. While I am little tight on cash as I need to spend it on my car and bills, little retro joy couldn’t hurt.

animal_forest

Not many know that Animal Crossing as well as some other GameCube games were also released on the Nintendo 64 in Japan. 64 was still popular in Japan that Nintnedo decided to support it with some of the GameCube ports like the above Animal Forest (Japanese name for Animal Crossing).

Although I’m still not sure how I will be able to play it considering that everything is in Japanese. Yes I know the game and yes I will most likely make my way around but some stuff just needs reading and answering. Never the less, this is something I wanted for sometime. There are some difreeance between this and the GameCube port, listed bellow and taken from the Animal Crossing wikia:The real-time clock made a new feature for games.

  • A player catches a Herabuna, an Animal Forest-only fish.
  • Questions are asked to determine your look.
  • The Able Sisters and their shop are not in Animal Forest; thus, designs are not available.
  • When fish are released in the N64 game, they bounce along the ground and into the water instead of diving straight in.
  • Insects are not restricted by acres and can freely wander into other acres. Banded Dragonflies and similar, airborne insects cannot fly too far out to sea in the N64 game, but in Animal Crossing there is no limit.
  • Some of the wallpapers and carpets from Animal Forest were redesigned or removed in Animal Crossing.
  • Some of the clothing from Animal Forest, for example, the N Logo shirt (G Logo in Animal Crossing), are redesigned or removed in Animal Crossing.
  • Two sets of stationery from Animal Forest, the New Year’s Card and the Fortune Paper, are redesigned.
  • The holidays from Animal Forest are either changed or removed in Animal Crossing.
  • Tom Nook wears slightly different uniforms.
  • The Wishing Well from Animal Crossing is a Bell Shrine in Animal Forest. On New Year’s Day, instead of tossing a coin in the fountain, the player shakes the thick rope in the middle and the bells ring.
  • The input keyboard from Animal Crossing is a dial that contains the letters, numbers, and symbols that appear on the screen in Animal Forest.
  • The dial input system in Animal Forest (taken from a fan-translated copy)
  • In Animal Crossing, Gulliver would give the player a rare furniture piece for saving him. In Animal Forest, he gives the player a random furniture piece.
  • In Animal Crossing, three items could be stored in container furniture such as dressers, wardrobes, etc. In Animal Forest, only one item can be stored in those kinds of furniture.
  • In Animal Crossing, a player’s initial home had a wooden box that had a college rule journal on top. In Animal Forest, this is not included, so this means this feature was either not included or both items have to be bought from Nook.
  • In Animal Crossing, the catalog has a section called “Handhelds” where umbrellas, pinwheels, fans, balloons and tools could be ordered. In Animal Forest, this section is called “Umbrellas” and only umbrellas can be ordered from that section. This means pinwheels, fans, balloons, and tools cannot be ordered from the catalog.
  • In Animal Crossing, the player could store multiple airchecks in Stereos, Radios, etc. In Animal Forest, only one aircheck could be stored in them.
  • Buildings such as Tom Nook’s shop, the Post Office, and the Dump have slightly redesigned logos in Animal Crossing.
  • There is no Museum, thus there is no Blathers. The Faraway Museum still exists, and fossils can be sent there for identification.
  • Taking a trip on Animal Forest requires the player have 1 Controller Pak to save travel data on, and two Controller Paks are needed to travel directly. In Animal Crossing, an extra Memory Card is used to save travel data, and the player can travel directly to the other town if 2 Memory Cards with town data are in use at the same time.
  • e-Reader support was added to the Japanese and North American releases of Animal Crossing.
  • Mayor Tortimer was not a character yet, and no gifts could be obtained from him.
  • During the Cherry Blossom Festival, all the villagers sit on mats like the Japanese do.
  • Katrina wore a white headband instead of the normal veil that she wears.
  • Instead of buying stationary as a pack of four, only one piece of paper can be bought at a time.
  • In Animal Crossing, a Money Rock appears for every player in a village each day. In Animal Forest there is only one money rock per town per day, no matter how many people are playing.
  • There was no tropical island and there was no Kapp’n.
  • Villagers were not affected if a player hit them with a net.
  • Blanca does not exist.
  • The live version of DJ K.K. uses a different set of guitar riffs, which were most likely changed due to their similarities with the song “Get Ready for This” by 2 Unlimited.
  • Stella2
  • Stella’s original design.
  • Items looks different when on the ground. Stationery is a paper bag with a leaf on it, clothing are treasure chests, and tools are toolboxes. These aesthetics were later re-used for Animal Crossing: Wild World.
  • Mystery items for sale at Nooks. (early January?)
  • Bluebear’s and Stella’s original designs were also slightly different than now, and their appearances were tweaked to the current design in Dōbutsu no Mori + and Animal Crossing. Some of the other villagers have gone under these tweaks as well.
  • There were no coconuts in Animal Forest.
  • When getting bad fortunes identified by Katrina, slightly different effects happen. This can include tripping and falling half as frequently or less malfunctioning of the friendship of other villagers.

One thing is for sure, I will be using the Expansion Pak to displayed the game in a higher resolution 640×480 from 320×240. I will update you all how it goes along with my progress. Very excited to play this soon.

animal_forest_2