Street Fighter X Tekken: Ryu meet Jin

2D fans have loved Capcom’s Street Fighter since the early 90’s. As PS1 garnered better graphics and more possibilities, Namco released Tekken, their 3D fighter. But the idea of putting the two brawlers head to head was just a wish the imagination of loyal gamers… until 2012. In honour of the Vita release of Street X Tekken, let’s talk a little bit about the game.

SFXT was originally released for the PS3 earlier this year. It focused around Mishima Zaibatsu and Shadoloo both trying to find a classic artifact in order to use it for their own evil ideas. Unlike MVC3, each character has their own specific partner they can do attacks specials with and will lead to their actual storyline and ending. Usually someone the character is friends with like Ryu and Ken, the game also pits otherwise normal enemies like Asuka and Lily together as teammates for some comic relief.

The game follows the classic 2D arrangement like other Street Fighter games as it was officially produced by Capcom (look out for Tekken Vs. Street Fighter, Namco's release in the not so distant future) and let's players pick two characters for their team. The controls system is also similar to that of Street Fighter so all ye Tekken faithful, be prepared to learn some new moves.
While the fighting system is fairly similar to that of Street Fighters, it left out (or changed) some of our fighters classic moves which can be a bit of a pain.
Something new to the game is the gem fighting system. Each character can have three gems which can be purchased from the store or earned in the game. The gems work as power ups for thing like increasing the strength of attacks or temporarily boosting defenses.

The game however was missing a few characters at launch and was seen as incomplete. Within weeks, they released a free download for MegaMan and Pac-Man, classic characters from the Capcom and Namco franchises who had never actually been seen in a Street Fighter or Tekken game to date.
The game also surprised us with Cole, star of Sony's Infamous and Toro and Kuro, two of their cute little cats.

Because the game is a crossover, it does not follow any storyline and don't expect the events to be referred to in any game from either franchise in the future (except maybe Tekken X Street Fighter)

Graphics 8/10
Gameplay 7/10
Fun Factor 7.5/10
Replay Value 7/10
Overall 7/10

Overall, the game is sadly a little disappointing. Street Fighter IV (and all the updates and new versions) was an awesome game title boasting beautiful graphics, great stories and an awesome fighting system. The most recent Tekken Tag was also one of the most well received game from the franchise. But this one felt like it was lacking. Maybe the change in controls or lack of flashier moves, I'm left feeling like I need to pop in MVC3 or TT2 every time I finish a round.

One redeeming factor is the games cross functionality with the Vita. Players that own either system can battle against each other which makes it great for gamers who like to game on the go and want to continue battling their friends from home or on the go. Hopefully we see more of this in the future. Until next time guys, keep gaming!

Resident Evil 6: The Evolution of Evil

October 2nd brought us the latest installment to the survival horror franchise that has held a special place in our hearts for almost 20 years and for anyone not sure of how it stacks up against the rest, be prepared to be blown away.

Resident Evil 6 focuses around 7 characters and introduces 4 original stories that intersect with each other. The stories focus on returning characters Chris Redfield - former STARS front man and current BSAA leader. Leon S Kennedy - everyone's favorite Raccoon City police officer who currently works for the government. Sherry Birkin - The sweet little girl from Resident Evil 2 who just wanted her parents who is now all grown up and a trained fighter. And Lastly, Ada Wong - the woman spy that no one quite knows if they can trust.

New to the series are Helena Harper - security for the President, Piers Nivens - second in command in the BSAA and Jake Muller - a man known to be immune to the virus and possibly the son of a former Resident Evil bad guy. The characters are all fighting for reasons of their own and happen to continue to cross paths. With such different personalities, you can be assured there will be a few fights between the protagonists.

The gameplay is like an improved version of that from Resident Evil 5. It carries all the tweaks from that game and brings in some new features like being able to run and shoot at the same time (finally) a real melee system and the option to run and dive into cover or attack. It also brings back the emblem system they had in five which you can search out and shoot for extra points.

The game can be played by yourself or with friends for 3 of the 4 storylines. The mercenaries game is back allowing users to fight with their favorite characters solo, split screen or online in a time attack battle that rewards the player with skill points that can be put towards things like more ammo pickups, faster health refills and unlimited ammo.

The story picks up shortly after the events of Resident Evil 5. Chris is back and a drunk?! Found in a bar by his second in command, Piers, Chris has lost his memory over a traumatic event and turned to the bottom of a bottle to solve his problems in Edonia. The first two chapters of his story is him remembering what happened to cause his memory loss and shaping up what he plans to do after he remembers what happened.

Leon is back in the states trying his best to come to terms with the fact he had to shoot his friend and employer who just happens to be the president, after he turns into a zombie. Struggling to understand how this could be happening again and searching for answers that are promised by a new ally named Helena, Leon works to unearth who is behind the most recent and possibility devastating zombie outbreak.

Jake is a mercenary given a drug that is supposed to be an ability enhanced. Taking the drug at the same time as everyone else in his crew, he notices nothing happen. However, his partners are all turning into what he learns from Sherry are called the J’avo; an evolution of the zombies that had tormented her as a child. She explains to him that his blood may be the cure to what is happening to these people and the two embark on a journey to come up with a vaccine.

Ada returns aiding Leon and tormenting Chris. Ally to one hero and villain to another, no one quite knows what Ada’s true intentions are.

The game was met with mixed reviews, citing it’s glitches as a reason to not play the game. Despite its imperfections, Resident Evil brings a whole new generation of evil with new characters, a new fighting system and over 3 hours of cut scene footage. The game makes for tons of replay value with different 4 different stories and 7 different perspectives.

Graphics 10/10

Gameplay 10/10
Fun Factor 10/10
Replay Value 10/10
Overall 10/10

It may seem like it is too good to be true, but Resident Evil truly is a game that covers all its bases and makes for a game that can enjoyed time and time again until the next one is released. As stated, the special edition comes with Resident Evil 1-5 so for first time players, pick it up and enjoy the horror from the start!

PlayStation Vita: Worth it's weight?

The Vita has been out for over 6 months and now its time to check on if it is really worth the cash.
At 249, the Vita isn't something that our cost conscious gamers can but on a whim, so the question of whether or not it really lives up to its price tag is a valid one.

The Vita comes with a 5 inch touch screen that is compatible with most Vita games. This gives users the option of using the screen or the classic 6 button keypad with the 8 point directional pad. It also improves over the original PSP with adding an additional joystick to match the Playstation controller.
The Vita brings back the internet connection that the PSP had and improves the user experience with a more user-friendly web browsing experience. It also incorporates applications so you can keep up to date with your Facebook feeds on the go. The North American version was originally to be launched with a 3G version as well as WI-FI, however the 3G was scrapped a few weeks before release due to poor sale projections and time limitations.

The system was launched with just 5 titles but has steadily increased its library since however it still lacks some of the heavy hitters available for the PS3. With that being said, there is a connectivity options that allows users to play games that are available for both systems. For example, if you purchased a game for both your PS3 and Vita, you could start a match on your home console, save and continue it on your Vita. This is exciting for people who enjoy playing on the go as well as at home.

While the system has a lot of features, and if done well, is well worth the price, the fact that next to no games are available to do this yet makes the price a hard pill to swallow. That combined with the fact that the game selection is still weak and the fact that it doesn't use UMD's, making your original PSP library obsolete, has people thinking twice about whether or not it's a needed investment.

If you are a Playstation loyalist like ourselves, you have already gotten the system regardless of its downfalls. For those not sure about whether or not the system deserves your attention, there is no doubt the Vita has some great surprises on the horizon. Maybe it might be a smart Christmas buy, because when it comes to gaming on the go, the Vita has made sure you'll have hours of fun.

Resident Evil: Start your chainsaws!

As the minutes draw closer to midnight, and Resident Evil fans slowly pack into this small game store, the nostalgia of the greatest survival horror of all time starts to set in.(And we secretly hope there is a zombie outbreak so we can start using the tips we have learned from the games!)It seems that Resident Evil isn't just a gaming franchise anymore, but arguably, a lifestyle.

While the movies are loosely based on the games story line and the acting usually does leave something to be desired, it has a cult following that are willing to go time and time again to see what trouble Alice has gotten thrown into and how she plans to punch, shoot and torpedo her way out of it. And even though she isn't a character from any game, she has still managed to win the hearts of most Resident Evil fans.

The live action movie isn't the only adaptation that has been made. There have also been two animated movies that were wildly popular. Resident Evil: Degeneration starred fan favorites Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, making their way through more seemingly impossible situations and doing it in style. Leon, who returns this year in Resident Evil: Damnation, made an appearance in the live action movie and is a main star in the upcoming Resident Evil 6 game title.

Movies aren't where Resident Evil stops. There has been more than a few comic book adaptations as well. The graphic novels star multiple characters from over the years in addition to new ones that have been added for twists and turns. Usually used to fill in the blanks between games, the comics and gotten a following of their own and are usually a hard read to put down.
Searching Resident Evil images on any online search engine will bring you multiple fan art images. People love the opportunity to show their appreciation of the franchise by leaving their drawings online to be remembered until the end of time.

What good is a popular franchise without action figures. (That's right, not toys, action figures!) Resident Evil has characters from every game ever made encased in plastic so you can decorate your room with their sweet anti-zombie paraphernalia.
Whether its the case to your phone or drinking your booze from collector cups, the popularity of Resident Evil cannot be denied. The countdown is coming to an end and soon the unboxing will begin.
If you haven't pre-ordered your copy of the zombie killing soon-to-be-classic, you may be out of luck with finding a copy on release date. So feel free to share our copy as we will be posting as much as we can about it.
Be sure to look out for pics videos and a review as the week progresses. Until next time, keep gaming!