I'm opening this topic to talk about the various videogames I'm playing, and to give my comments on them. In many cases, I want to post about a game yet I don't feel like I have enough content to create a whole new topic, so I'll be using this one as a common ground. Feel free to comment on whatever game I'm playing at the moment, of course!

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Right before going on vacation, I picked up Dead or Alive Dimensions for my Nintendo 3DS. I wanted a new game to play on the go, and I had been curious for a while to pick up a new fighter. I've got to say that I wasn't disappointed: this is a solid game, and the first 3DS game now available that I care about.

It's the first Dead or Alive title that I even tried, so I jumped in a bit blind with no assumptions outside of a few known facts. What I got is a solid fighter, with a lot of characters and stages to choose from, and some fun gameplay. The music is surprisingly catchy too, I must say that I wasn't expecting that out of a fighting game.

The game makes no compromise because it's on a portable system: it's a full experience, with plenty of options to choose from and solid controls that don't drag you down. I especially like the moves list that can be displayed on the bottom screen. It's a great reminder of the possible combos and moves.

The Chronicles mode retells the core plotline of the main four games in the series. Unfortunately, the presentation is messy at best: it gives the impression that the series has a complex lore, but the way the Chronicles mode jumps from scene to scene leads to a lot of confusion and little structure. That's too bad, because it got me curious about several details of the franchise, and it's the only negative point I can give to the game.

This completely replaced my first 3DS game (Lego Star Wars) as the one I want to play, and I don't think I'll be looking back. I'll probably play some matches online once I get a better grip of the combo and counter systems. Feel free to catch me there if you want!

Edited by Dr. Cossack on June 24, 2011 at 23:44:01

So you did get it sounds excellent, however,
you should start going online as soon/right after you learn how to play and beat CPU's. Why?

1.You'll meet with other people who barely know how to play, thus giving you experience on PvP before you get destroyed once the good/experts start coming in later.
2.You'll learn strategies
3.You can observe how people play characters, and assimilate their knowledge into your collective experience.
4.You'll learn alternate move usages.
5.Finally, you can look at the character the other guy is using, and say "Is the other guy good? Do I want to main him above my own Main?"

That good enough?

Note: I main SETH in SF4, and I have learned several strategies to keep him alive online.

It's been a year since I purchased this game, and to this day I'm still playing it at least once a week. Others have come and gone, but the cartridge for this one is always near my 3DS. I ended up playing mostly as Ayane, and at this point I'm pretty much wiping the floor with any CPU characters the game throws at me, throwing combos like mad and evading attacks as gracefully as possible. Only two missions gave me a lot of trouble, and I beat for the first time the 100-man survival challenge three weeks ago!

Heck, I've got a music track from the game playing right now!


Console-wise, I've started up on Xenoblade Chronicles not long ago and I'm playing it slowly but steadily. I'm impressed so far: the game design feels quite modern for a Japanese RPG, with none of the common annoyances that usually come with those games. The fact that you can simply walk by most enemies if you decide not to engage a fight allows you to explore much more freely!

Being for the Wii, the graphics don't have that shiny HD look but the team managed to develop a solid style that works very well. There are lots of details, the distance from which you can see far away elements is often impressive, and the world itself feels alive thanks to all kind of movements everywhere. The soundtrack is equally as enjoyable, it clearly shows that they hand-picked real talent to put this together.

I'm looking forward to see how the game unfolds from here!

I'm now heading to Colony 6 for the first time.

I'm not as far as I wished I was, I've been jumping in and out of it since I started playing some weeks back. Like you, that has nothing to do with the game itself, I'm just having trouble sitting down to have some quality gaming time in front of the TV!

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. It's the most difficult game name to remember how to spell in a long time (excluding most titles in the Kingdom Hearts series), but it's also my portable game of the moment. I wasn't sure if I'd really like it, as I'm not a fan of the rhythm genre, but playing the demo (available for free on the 3DS eShop!) convinced me to dive in, and I have no regrets!

A rhythm game lives by two main criterias: gameplay and music selection. It's hard to go wrong with 25 years worth of Final Fantasy music, and I confirm that the game has the playlist to make it work! Each main numbered game is represented in series mode by it's intro, a battle theme, a field stage, an event song, and it's closing theme. That makes 65 base tracks, while many more can be unlocked and played through Challenge Mode or the Chaos Shrine. If THAT isn't enough, an extra selection of 50 tracks is available as DLC (a 3DS first) for 99¢ a piece. Since they are purchasable individually, you can handpick a few favorites to play over and over again.

I wasn't sold on the game's SD style for all characters and enemies, but I quickly got used to it. It now seems a good match for the recreation of the classic battle screen and overall joyful tone of the game.

Recommended for old-school and new-school fans of the Final Fantasy series alike.


Note to game publishers: release more demos of games. This is the second title this year that I pick up after having a chance to try it first. I discovered new series that way over time, some toward which I'm still faithful to this day.