Monday, February 27, 2012

Pokémon Remake: Pidgey

Let me just start this off by saying I love the Pidgey...The Pidgey line holds a special place in my heart. I remember back in the 90's catching my first Wild Pokémon...It was Pidgey! I'm going to hold off on saying any more until it Evolves...



So, yeah, I have a great Nostalgia for this line of Pokémon, so I worked harder on it than I probably should have, but yeah, I hope you all enjoy my hard work, and I'll see you next time with yet another Remake!

LTTA: Sonic the Hedgehog

By now, you're all aware that we end up with a fair share of Let's Try That Agains we never actually plan like Kirby's Dream Land 3 and The Great Circus Mystery. Well, here's another one. Basically, I was streaming one night, beat Sonic 1 and in the process, we had a lot of great conversations and I decided I was going to put it up. Still, don't be surprised when we talk more about Zelda, Mario and cartoons than we do Sonic the Hedgehog.

The first video is below and a link to the playlist is below that.



Matt's Top Five Favorite Mario Kart 7 Tracks











When we first started this blog, I kicked things off with my list of the ten best Mario Kart tracks in my opinion. In many ways, it was to celebrate not only my love for the series but the then upcoming 7th installment, Mario Kart 7. Well, Mario Kart 7 came out in December and I’ve had plenty of time to play it so I figured I’d go back and list off the tracks I think are the absolute best in Mario Kart 7. 

Sure would be nice if Waluigi was in this game.
Of course, when I say “absolute best,” I mean of the new tracks. While Mario Kart 7 easily has the best selection of retro courses in any Mario Kart yet, it’s unfair to compare the likes of Waluigi Pinball and Koopa Cape, already great tracks that were on my original list, to the new tracks I want to talk about. Also, I’m only going to be listing off five. Any more than that and I’d be listening almost all the new tracks all together! One last thing, and this should go without saying, no Battle mode tracks. I know they barely count to begin with but I just feel the need to remind you that they're not going to be included. Even if Honeybee House is kind of cool.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

VGM of the Week #17

I got so caught up in my Sonic '06 review and playing Kirby's Epic Yarn with my girlfriend and the gang last night that I completely forgot today was my day for VGM of the Week. But it's okay, I'm on it.

I've known what my pick for this week was going to be ever since the last time I posted; the Throwback Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy 2. Yeah, I know, every pick I've made so far as been a remix but they're all so good. Not only was the Throwback Galaxy a really fun little nod to Mario 64 but it also had a really awesome remix of the tune from Whomp's Fortress. It's kind of jazzy and upbeat, I like it even better than the original, personally.

Review - Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Yes folks, I finally got around to review what may be my most anticipated game review yet. The dreaded Sonic '06. Yes, it is as bad as everyone says. No, you should never play it. Yes, you should totally watch my video.

Pokémon Remake: Unown

This is by far the biggest update I've ever done...Not one Pokémon, not two Pokémon, but TWENTY-EIGHT Pokémon! And this isn't my biggest sheet!


Ok, so yeah, I got a little lazy, but in all honesty, it's TWENTY-EIGHT Different Movements for a Pokémon with one Attack...So yeah, it's a little lazy, but the original one was just as lazy

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 Announced.


Well this was unexpected. Instead of the long-rumored third entry in the series, "Pokémon Grey" being announced on Pokémon Smash today in Japan, instead, series producer Junichi Masuda announced direct sequels to both Black and White. So that's right, four entries in the same series rather than the usual three. Little information is known about the games with the exception of the names, the fact that they'll be on the DS, not 3DS and that they come out in June in Japan.

They also revealed that the game will involve two new forms of the third dragon, Kyurem. They looked to be fused versions of Zekrom and Reshiram to me. We'll keep you posted as more information on this (admittedly bizarre) announcement as it comes up.


Pokémon Remakes: Diglett & Dugtrio

I think this is my first Journal about something that I've been doing since this project started: Remakes

This first one contains two awesome Pokémon, Diglett & Dugtrio...Yes, I know Dugtrio was on our top 5 Worst First Generation Pokémon, but that was only because he's lazy. Otherwise, he's an awesome Pokémon, and one of the only Shiny Pokémon I caught way back in Fire Red (The other one being an Onix, who I started using).


Diglett Dig! Diglett Dig!
Trio Trio Trio


As with everyone else on the planet ever has, I've wondered what Diglett & Dugtrio actually look like fully above ground, and if you've seen a hacked one use Fly in any of the 3D games, you know that not even they know (As the Ground flies up with them)...I just don't know how they can use Scratch...



I'm still on the remake train, so no hints!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 Gameplay Trailer

As I mentioned in my previous post about Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2, the gameplay trailer was scheduled to be released through Gamespot today. Well, here it is.


I do think, visually, it looks better than Episode 1 but not by too much. It's certainly not on par with Generations but I never expected it to. After all, it is a downloadable title. The gameplay looks like a nice return to form and the physics look better, though one can't be sure until the game is released. I'm not sure how I feel about the team-up moves but at least they look to add a little bit of a depth and give Tails a purpose for being there other than to drown a lot. Plus, it'll probably be especially fun to use those moves in Co-Op. The stage design, while completely ripped-off from past games, is looking pretty sweet too.

I'll remain cautiously optimistic for now, mostly because of the physics. Though I do honestly believe Sega was going to listen to the fans and fix them. The engine is supposed to be from the ground up. After Sonic Generations did so much to please the fans, I'll give Sega the benefit of the doubt if only this once.

New Pokémon Sheet: Swablu

I love Swablu. Back when I originally played Sapphire Version, I had one on my Team! I love everything about this guy, it's color, it's cloud wings, it's feathers on it's head...That's pretty much everything, aside from his typing which is nothing special...UNTIL IT EVOLVES!

Click on it  to see the Full Size...Hey! I can add Captions now!
It was nicknamed Sacreblu...But enough about me, back to the topic at hand...Swablu's a cool Pokémon, end of story

I'm going to be doing a few Remakes of older Pokémon sheets, so...NO HINT FOR YOU!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Nintendo Direct 2012.2.22 recap










If you missed Nintendo Direct when it was live, you can still check it out here.

For those of you who don't have time to watch a 12 minute video, here's a basic rundown of what Reggie had to show for us. No bombshells, of course. They save those for E3 obviously.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

New Pokémon Sheet: Barboach

Barboach is a...strange Pokémon...I mean, I love Whiscash, but Barboach just seems kind of strange to me...I mean, when I first saw him in Generation 3 (After my 3 year-or-so break from Pokémon [yes, I actually hated Pokémon for a few years, but not anymore]) I thought Barboach was Qwilfish, which is...Strange.


I think that he's pretty forgettable, but, unlike most of the other forgettable Pokémon, I don't hate him...he's not my favorite, but he's not awful

Next up is a Pokémon that, when it evolves, it has a different Primary type, but the same Secondary type

Monday, February 20, 2012

The Ten Best Disney Video Games











Hey, let’s talk about licensed games. Ever since video games have existed, there have been video game tie-ins for popular movies, TV shows and books to try to capitalize on the success of both gaming and the franchise. Often times, these games range from mediocre to complete garbage. Developers don’t seem to put the normal amount of effort they’d put into their regular, non-licensed games. It could be because the company that owns the franchise doesn’t want to actually pay a decent amount of money for a development team or they rush it to meet a deadline or something but regardless, licensed games are notorious for being bad. 

Seriously, this game is terrible. Look at it!
However, they’re not always terrible. In some rare cases, licensed games actually fall into capable hands and have a lot of more effort put into them. This was quite a bit more common in the 8-bit and 16-bit days. Developers just seemed to care more back then. One company in particular who seemed to care about whether their games were good was of course Disney. Games based on Disney properties have been around since the days of Atari and for a while, many of them were some of the best for their respective consoles. Sure, in recent years they’ve sort of gone down the tubes making games like Monsters, Inc.: Scream Arena and Hannah Montana: The Movie: The Video Game but at one point, Disney had a pretty good track record with video games and even worked with some of the finest developers in the business. So, I’m counting down the ten I happen to like the best.

Also, before we start, for the sake of fairness, I’m not including any Kingdom Hearts games on the list. Kingdom Hearts is one of my favorite video game franchises of all time and likely every major entry of the franchise would find a place on this list but I’m not going to be doing that just so we can give some love to other games that deserve it.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

VGM of the Week #16

You guys already know the drill. I had some tracks in mind for this week last time I did this but it's been so long that I forgot already!

I've been playing a lot of Retro Game Challenge lately as well as listening to a lot of the Chrono Trigger OST on loop but I think I'll have to go with...

I feel like the music in this game really sticks, given the amount of time most people put into it. This one plays when you're around and about on the spaceship which is like the hub for taking missions, shopping, storage, and health care. So, you're always going to come back and hear this after grinding it out on a bunch of monsters with three other friends OVER THE INTERNET (which was a revolutionary thing at the time when considering the fact most people were still on 56k). Anyway, I think this tune is great. Probably my favorite from PSO.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

New Pokémon Sheets: Volbeat & Illumise

hey, you guys get to hear from me twice in one Day!

So yeah, if you know us, you know our views on these guys...I didn't feel they deserved 2 Separate Posts, so...yeah, they get a joint one!


Saving on space and Time! All right! But yeah, these guys aren't too good...They're yet another Duo to show off Double Battles...Literally right after another duo in the Pokédex, Plusle & Minun...


Next up is a Pokémon who can learn Spark, but is not an Electric Type

Things I Would Like to see Happen with Pokémon Grey

I’m thinking about making “Things I Would Like to see Happen with...” a thing, as I tend to think (or in most cases over think) about these types of things...I already did this with the “Next Iteration of the 3DS,” and I think it was well received...Anyway, onto what this Blog Post is all about: Pokémon Grey!


Friday, February 17, 2012

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D Demo out on eShop










The demo for the stereoscopic remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is now available for download in the eShop! Likewise, this demo also has a limit of 30 uses. It's 1,070 blocks so make sure you have sufficient space.

As a side note for 3DS Ambassadors, there was also an update for Super Mario Bros. that you can download. When you enter the eShop, it'll notify you of the update which is kind of neat. Nothing was changed with the classic game itself, of course. It now features a Restore Point like the Virtual Console Gameboy games as well as a cool new logo on the Home menu that resembles an NES and a TV.

For my impressions of the demo, hit the jump.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

LTTA: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

I meant to post this yesterday but forgot so instead I'm just going to post over myself. Joy.

So anyway, here's our latest Let's Try That Again. This time it's of perhaps the best platformer on the Super Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. We've wanted to do this one for a long time and even attempted in our infancy but due to technical problems (always) it never worked out. But we finally got around to it. YAY! We brought our good buddy David along for the ride too since he knows a lot more about this game than most of us. We like to think it came out pretty well.

I'm uploading two videos a day because it's a little bit longer than our average LP (about five hours I'd say) so only the first four are up. You can check out the first part below and a link to the playlist below that.


First Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 Screenshots Released


Tuesday, a handful of screenshots for the upcoming second part of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 were released on Xbox.com and today, a few more were shown off on Sega's own blog. I figured I'd share them with you all because 1. we've posted about this game before and 2. they look fantastic.

On top of the new screenshots. We also got a little bit more information about the game. It's set to include an all-new graphics and physics engine, which we already knew, but part of that new engine involves teaming up with Tails to do a number of partner moves including flying to reach new places as seen above. It was also confirmed that the game will have four zones, like the first. There's a rumor going around that it's also supposed to feature co-op multiplayer both local and online but X-Box removed that information earlier. Still, the game is looking great and sounding great. The first gameplay trailer is set to release next Thursday on Gamespot.com.


Hit the jump for the rest.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

New Pokémon Sheet: Finneon

Oh Finneon, you're so...Forgettable...I remember actually liking your design when I first saw you, thinking you would evolve into our first Dolphin Pokémon, only to have those dreams shattered seconds later by seeing the horrible Pokémon you actually evolve into...


Anyway, like I said, Finneon's pretty forgettable, but looking back, I do actually kind of enjoy it's design...I don't exactly know why I thought it would evolve into a Dolphin, but I think it might have to do with how slick it looks...and it wouldn't be that strange, considering that it wouldn't be the weirdest Evolution (That one still goes to Remoraid -> Octillery)...But yeah, not much to say about this guy (Even though there seems to be a lot of text here...)


Next up are two Single form Bug-Type Pokémon who are hatched from the same egg

Monday, February 13, 2012

Review: Rhythm Heaven Fever

The third game in the Rhythm Heaven franchise (though only the second to see an international relase) fits right into the delightfully wacky, decidedly Japanese mold that the first two games have established. Veterans of the series will find themselves just as charmed and just as challenged as they have in the past, while newcomers are in for a much more accessible experience than they might have found had they jumped aboard on the DS.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

New Pokémon Sheet: Wormadam

Wormadam's...Alright...Unlike Burmy, you can't change it's form, so it's forever in its Plant, Trash, or Sandy Cloak

Saturday, February 11, 2012

VGM of the Week #15

Hey, it's Josh here again with another VGM of the Week!

This week, I decided to go with a tune that's been on my mind since I started listening to the music again. It's the Music that plays during the Ganondorf Battle of Wind Waker:



I really love most of the Music from Wind Waker (And I really love how the game looks as well), but this one has always stuck out to me. I've always felt that the Music added to the Intensity of this Final Battle with Ganondorf. At the same time, it also kind of pumps you up!

It adds all of the pressure and encouragement a Final Battle theme should have! I think that Nintendo pulled it off perfectly with this track, and that's why I chose this as this weeks VGM.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Super Mario Bros. Crossover 2.0 Released










It's actually been out for a couple days now but it's the first I've heard of it. I figure since we brought up Abobo's Big Adventure, we should post this too! For those who don't already know, Super Mario Bros. Crossover is a flash game that let's you play through Super Mario Bros. as various classic video game characters. Each character offers something different and is fairly true to the original in how they play. For example, Ryu Hayabusa can climb walls and Mega Man can slide and charge his buster. New in this version are playable characters Luigi and Bass. With that, they added a ton of skins in different styles for the characters and levels along with hundreds of new music tracks. All of this is customizable to your liking. If that hasn't sold you, Haggle Man and the Demon from Retro Game Challenge appears as skins. Now you have no choice but to play it!

Here's what the creator, Jay Pavlina, has to say about the release from his website:
I am very happy this day has finally come. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it to see it all come together. We hope you’ll enjoy playing Super Mario Bros. Crossover 2.0. We’re very excited to finally release it, and even more excited to start working on our awesome original game. Exploding Rabbit will entertain you for many years to come!
So yeah, go check it out now and get some Bass all over your face.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Mario Kart 7's Maka Wuhu Problem











When it comes to gaming, glitches are a common thing. No game is really ever safe from having an occasional bug or programming error that messes with the game. Sometimes dragons fly backwards or characters get stuck in walls but for the most part, in any good game, glitches are few and far between and with the introduction of online gaming, even minor glitches are capable of being fixed through patches made by the developer.

Even the game of the year has horses that can climb up the side of mountains.
However, one developer seems to be a lot further behind the times than any others when it comes to online support with patches. Of course, I’m talking about Nintendo. Nintendo isn’t much for the whole “online” gaming thing and they’ve never sent out patches to fix any of their game’s problems even if they were in need of them. Thankfully, Nintendo games are pretty safe from glitches, their quality control is top notch. Too bad one of their latest games has a glitch that is beyond game breaking on a global scale.