Channel IX: Excellence of the Week; Retro Game Challenge

Welcome to Channel IX's Excellence of the Week! This week, the excellence is:

For the Nintendo DS!

So, yeah, if you haven't guessed it yet, I'm kinda into obscurities. Not to say that Yakuza is far and wide unknown, but it isn't name that all gamers know. This game is another such case. This is no demo though, this is the full-blown real deal. This is Retro Game Challenge!!!

WHAT IS THIS EXCELLENCE?!
Retro Game Challenge or as its called in Japan, GAME CENTER CX, is based of the popular Japanese show called, surprise of surprises, GAME CENTER CX!!! The show features Japanese comedian Arino as he plays his way through some of the toughest retro games around. I haven't seen the show, but I have heard its really good. The game works off essentially the concept, compiling a bunch of 8bit games and having you work through set challenges to move forward, with one exception; none of these games are actually retro. They are all 8bit games, but none of them are actually from the 80's. Said games were actually made specifically for this. Amongst them are a racer, a platformer, even a full fledged RPG! And that's only part of it. There are in game manuals for each game, along with magazines chock full of tips and cheat codes! It really is a sight to behold.

HOW CAN I GET THIS EXCELLENCE?!
Well, first off, get a DS if you don't already have one (If you don't, then shame on you) and go out and buy it, it'll probably only run you $2o at max.

HOW HARD A FIND IS THIS EXCELLENCE?!
In terms of offline shopping, its moderately difficult. Its not too well known but it is out there.

THE EXCELLENT WRAP-UP!!!
Retro Game Challenge:

EXCELLENCE LEVEL: Must Buy!!!

EXCELLENCE PRICE: $15-$20 (Used)

EXCELLENCE RARITY: Sneaky! (Average) 3/5

(Note: All purchase info is for offline purchases)

So, that is it for this weeks EXCELLENCE!!! Buy Retro Game Challenge, and maybe we'll get the second game localized!!!

See you next time,

-Nine

Next Week: Shin Megami Tensei Imagine

Channel IX: Excellence of the Week

Welcome to Channel IX's Excellence of the Week!

[EDIT] Yakuza is not on the 360. Neither is the demo. I was wrong.

Welcome to this week's Excellence of the Week where I talk about something really excellent that I happen to have. This week's Excellence is the Yakuza 3 Demo, available for free on and PSN.

Why is it?
First of all, its the demo of third iteration of one of my personal favorite series, Yakuza. You once again return to Kamurocho in the shoes of Japanese badass Kazuma Kiryu as he beats down all those who threaten his friends and his allies. Second of all, its probably one of the best Modern day, open world, Yakuza styled, japanese beat-em-up ever.

Why is it Excellent?
First, it has fast, brutal combat. This is one of the few games where I actively seek out enemies to beat down. This is the best its felt all series, which is saying something.

Second, it has minigames that don't suck! Seriously! Karaoke is actually a lot of fun, and the arcade games are also really cool. The claw game is UN-GODLY addictive.

Third, the details. This entire demo is good as a whole, but that can't attributed strictly to the combat. A lot of little new things like the lower to the ground camera, the people chatting, and my favorite, the Revelations system, which is both hilarious and useful.

Just how Excellent is it?!
In terms of Excellence, its within the ROCK AWESOME (4/5) echelon. Its really good on all counts, but is really too short for my blood. Either way, get this its free and awesome!

Goodnight! Nine, Out!

Channel IX: Bayonetta VS Dante's Inferno Demos; Part 1

Greetings from Worlds Beyond! This is Channel IX!

I'm a humongous action game fan. Just name a game in the genre and I'll probably like it. Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, Viewtiful Joe. I love these games they're fast paced, brutal, over-the-top romp through violent demon (or robot) filled worlds. Lately, two new games have caught my eye, the delectable new Bayonetta and the surprising "retelling" of the Divine Comedy Dante's Inferno. Both looked really good and when the demos came out I snatched them both up and I have some things to say about each and how people seem to act towards these.

Bayonetta-
First off, I have to talk about the publicity around the game of Bayonetta. Just about every hands-on I've read starts with the writer being surprised that it was an actual game and not just a game for pervs. Even when I was watching Xplay (Which I like now that they've taken the axe to the "comedic" crap) they acted as if it was just supposed to be all about the sex and said they were surprised that there was game under it. I think that this game has retained less faith from reviewers than any other game I've ever seen and in my opinion its because people keep forgetting two things:
1. This is Japan. I've seen some weird crap come out of there.
2. This is made by Hideki Kamiya, king of action games.

Honestly, this game is just sex-themed because its trying to stand out (and it is) and its from Japan! If you have read a single page of Bleach or pretty much any shonen manga ever, you'll see that Japan has a thing for this kinda stuff. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 was worse.
But I'm digging myself a hole here, so I'll get to the real meat of this, what the game is like and I have to say, this is easily one of my most favorite action game experiences ever. The combat is so flashy, so over the top, yet it is still fluid and it feels good to fight. The thing about combat is that it seems familiar and that's because it feels alot like Devil May Cry. It has a few of the same moves, like Dante's classic Sky High and his guns, but it does not feel like a clone, which I have heard some people say (and that angers me.). Bayonetta has the same kind of weight that Dante does, but also feels more natural than Dante. Her combos are longer, she has an extra attack button, combo finishers, I could go on forever. Its familliar without feeling like a clone.

I haven't even touched on half of this, but I'll probably make a video covering it more in depth. Essentially, it can be boiled down to one statement: "I freakin' love this demo." I am not exaggerating when I have never had a more pulse pounding feeling in an action game ever. I hope that the actual game does not dissapoint.

See you next time when I go over the demo of Dante's Inferno.

Its... interesting.

I am Nine, and see you on the other side.

Channel IX Rant: Capcom DLC

Greetings From Worlds Beyond! This is a Channel IX Rant!
Today's topic: Capcom and @#$!%*& DLC!

The other day I was on IGN, perusing their catalog of gaming information and whatnot when the front page ticker shifts its way to a new article. This one happened to be about the latest "addition" to the Street Fighter franchise with SUPER STREET FIGHTER 4!!!
SUPER Street Fighter 4 hadn't really been on my radar because really the only thing that was new that I saw was a single new character and maybe a new mode, I dunno. But when I saw the article revealing new characters I couldn't help but take a peek. At first I wasn't really surprised it was basically "Holy Crap! SUPER Street Fighter 4 is gonna be AWESOME!" but when I scrolled down a bit I saw revealed 3 new characters.

Damn.

You see, I never really got into the mainline series for Street Fighter until 4 mostly because it just felt a little too stiff and I never really could pull off character specials and whatnot, But I really liked the Street Fighter Alpha series, which in my opinion far exceeded the mainline series with its special finishers and super moves, not to mention its accessibility, lack of ridiculous rehashing (There was no SUPER HYPER STREET FIGHTER ALPHA ULTRA REMIX), and Alpha 3's ridiculously humongous roster.

So when I saw 3 Alpha mainstays, Guy, Cody and Adon, lovingly rendered in 3D, I flipped.

You see, by now I've had it with Capcom. If don't know why I'm mad about this game, let me fill you in: It isn't a downloadable expansion. If your inauguration into the series was 4 then you might not know what the big deal is, but its the fact that, in this day and age Capcom is still screwing people up the ass with their games. I knew that Super Street Fighter 4 was coming. Its tradition by now. The problem is, I shouldn't have to trade in my old SF4 copy and another twenty dollars to play as 4 new characters. It was ok back in the 16 bit and the PS2/Xbox era, but now, its unacceptable.

But that's not what grinds my teeth the most.

I would be fine if they didn't do DLC all that often, but the problem is is that they do actually do a ton of DLC. It just SUCKS.
Let's list off some of the DLC releases for three of Capcom's games.

Street Fighter 4: Costumes at $5 per pack.
Resident Evil 5: Versus Mode.
Megaman 9: Hard Mode, Very Hard Mode and the Protoman game.

Seeing a pattern?
Exactly these are all purchases that should have been in the games themselves. Costumes for fighting games are fairly standard, versus mode is a mainstay by most shooter standards and don't even get me started on Hard Mode. I shouldn't have to pay for things that actually might already be in the game. It's a load of crap and is exactly why I'm mad at SUPER Street Fighter 4. Capcom's DLC proves that they are capable of releasing downloadable content, but Capcom itself is proving that its marketing team is a bunch of cheap bastards.

To end this rant allow me to give some suggestions.
#1 Make Super Street Fighter 4 the replacement for the old SF4 on the shelves, but offer a DLC upgrade for those with the older version.
#2 Stop releasing crap that should be standard. Its stupid, its idiotic and it doesn't make me want to buy a game with its standard content locked until I buy it separately.
#3 Don't tell your consumers to F*** off. That's bad business, and makes Capcom Japan look bad. I'm talkin' to you Svenson.

Anyways, I've rambled for long enough. See you on the other side.
~IX