[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/fightingevolution/cover.jpg[/floatleft]I’ve been a 2D fighting fan for as long as I can remember. Some of my fondest arcade and home console moments have come in the form of one 2D fighter or another in the last 17 years that I’ve been gaming. When I heard that Capcom was making a game that featured a collection of characters across five games, I was truly floored. I had played the [i]Marvel vs. Capcom[/i] and [i]Capcom vs. SNK[/i] series into the ground, and I was really looking for a different kind of collectionA
PlayStation 2
Fighting Evolution
PlayStation 2 / Reviews / by
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Gradius V
PlayStation 2 / Reviews / by
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[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gradiusv/cover.jpg[/floatleft]The relationship that I share with games that fall into the shooter genre is dysfunctional at best. The way things seem to work is that even on the easiest of difficulties I try my hardest and the game ends up overcoming me with a measly little wave of bad guys. Despite my apparent lack of skills in playing these types of games, I love them.
[i]Gradius V[/i] is the latest game to be based on the ancient [i]Gradius[/i] franchise. The roots of this series go back a long way, and [i]Gradius V[/i] does a fantastic job of capturing the nostalgic feel of a true arcade shooter while staying true to the [i]Gradius[/i] series.
Like most shooters, the plot is very thin and you are thrust right into the action (although there is an irritating cut scene before the second level that you cannot skip and are forced to watch each and every time you play the game).
[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gradiusv/ss04_thumb.jpg[/floatright]Prior to beginning the game, there is one very special item in the config menu that you need to know about. This item is called Revival Start, and it is your enemy. When you die with Revival Start on, you are stripped of your power-ups and you start back at the last checkpoint. This makes the game about 100 times more difficult and frustrating. With Revival Start off, you lose your power-ups but still have a chance to recollect any multiples you may have earned. I will get to multiples and power-ups in just a moment.
Before I touch on the power-ups and things that make it possible to play [i]Gradius V[/i], I want to touch on the fact that this is one tough game. In fact, I would be willing to bet that unless you possess some freakish skills at the art of shooters, it will probably take you a good 10 or 20 times before you get anywhere near the end of the game. Due to the arcade ties, you start out with a number of credits or continues. Once these credits are gone, so is your shot at beating the game. The upside to this dilemma is that for each hour you log (and make sure you turn auto save on), you earn an additional credit to play. After eight to 10 hours of play, you should have enough continues to reach the end. After 17 hours of play, you will unlock free play, which is unlimited credits.
In my opinion, power-ups are what make [i]Gradius V[/i] a lot of fun. There is just something about lasers firing all over the screen that makes me want to keep playing. While I would say that half of your success in [i]Gradius V[/i] depends on hand-eye coordination, the other half depends on your ability to properly use your power-ups. As you start the game, you are given an option of choosing one to four types of ships. The type of ship you choose determines how your power-ups will affect your firepower and your multiples (i.e. invincible orbs under your command that greatly increase your firepower). In the Type 1 configuration, your multiples trail behind you, but pressing the multiple button (R1 by default) will lock them into place. This can be handy for concentrating all your firepower into a single place for boss fights or spreading them out for a wide beam of shooting. Type 2, by far my favorite config, still has the multiples trailing behind you, but holding the multiple button allows you to control the direction of fire for the multiples. This is the best use of your multiples for boss fights and areas where enemies are coming from all directions. Type 3 spaces your multiples above and below you. Using the multiples button increases or decreases the spacing between the multiples. Type 4 has your multiples rotating around your ship. You will need to experiment with each configuration and see which works best for your style of play.
[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gradiusv/ss09_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]You max out with four multiples, and upon death it would be wise to gather up your floating multiples while you are still invincible. The tricky part is obtaining power-ups and multiples. In order to activate the different power-ups, you have to collect a certain number of power-up capsules. Speed Up requires only a single power-up capsule, while a Force Field requires six. Collecting each additional capsule will highlight the next available power-up, and once it reaches the end, it will roll back over to the beginningA
Shadow of Rome
PlayStation 2 / Reviews / by
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[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/shadowofrome/cover.jpg[/floatleft]The time is 44 B.C., and the Roman Empire is in a state of turmoil. Caesar has been assassinated, and the wrong person has been accused. The general of the Roman army has become a gladiator. He begins fighting in smaller city arenas, but his drive to succeed takes him to the Coliseum for the final matches. Surprisingly enough, I am not talking about the movie [i]Gladiator[/i]. I am referring to [i]Shadow of Rome[/i], which is, from start to finish, an extremely beautiful game. Yes, the premise sounds exactly like [i]Gladiator[/i], and for the most part it basically is (heck, there is even a scene where General Agrippa, said gladiator, yells “Are you not entertained?” to the crowd). But to steal a line from Cone, if you’re going to rip off a movie, at least pick a great movie. And Capcom did just that.
I’ll explain the story in a little more detail. Agrippa, the Roman general, has led his armies to victory against the Germanic tribes and is on his way back home. What the general does not know, however, is that back home, Julius Caesar has been assassinated, his last words being “Et tu, Brute?”, and his father Vipsanius is being accused of the murder. As Agrippa returns home, his friend Octavianus warns him that his mother is on trial for a public execution. Agrippa tries to stop them, but he falls short and sees his mother die right in front of him at the hands of Decius, the new Emperor’s right-hand man. A girl of unknown origin named Claudia helps Agrippa and Octavianus escape, then together the three hatch a plan to save Vipsanius. Claudia suggests that Agrippa become a gladiator (her brother Sextus owns a gladiator stable), as the winner of the Coliseum games gets to slay Vipsanius, leaving a chance for Agrippa to save him if he himself wins. Agrippa agrees, and meanwhile Octavianus sneaks around the Roman Senate searching for clues to the true killer’s identity. I say that the game is like [i]Gladiator[/i], and fundamentally yes it is, but the game is more like an imaginative take on Shakespeare’s [i]Julius Caesar[/i]. The events of the story pan out very nicely, and the battle that is the culmination of all events at the end of the game is fantastic.
Naturally, with two stories going on at once (that of Agrippa and that of Octavianus), you can expect the game to split into two partsA
La Pucelle: Tactics
PlayStation 2 / Reviews / by
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[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/lapucelletactics/cover.jpg[/floatleft]The tactical role-playing genre has finally started to catch on. The years past have seen some games fly below the radar only to end up with nines and tens in the review listings. Nippon Ichi’s [i]Disgaea: Hour of Darkness[/i] won many accolades and is one of Snackbar’s must-haves. Well Nippon Ichi has done it again with its latest incarnation of humorous tactical role-playing in [i]La Pucelle: Tactics[/i].
[heading]This game has a lot of moxy[/heading]
One of developer Nippon Ichi’s trademarks is over the top characters and game play. [i]La Pucelle: Tactics[/i] is full of both of those. You are part of a special ops demon-hunting squad fresh out of training. Your group consists of the sassy Prier, her brother Culotte, and the teacher Alouette (see a French theme). Together they are on a mission from their God, and it’s up to you to control the party.
Gameplay is simple in execution but deep in development. Much like [i]Disgaea[/i], your team gets its turn before the enemy, and each character gets a certain amount of space in which to move. Basically, the frontline bad guys get a whooping first. You level, learn new abilities, and gain stats and items that affect your characters. Unfortunately, you cannot pick up your allies and toss them around. But that doesn’t take away from the cool stuff you can do.
[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/lapucelletactics/ss04_thumb.jpg[/floatright]Each character has special attacks and techniques, but it’s the ability to purify that takes the cake. You can purify enemies and have them join your team. Think of it as on-the-spot rebuking evil. If you purify an enemy successfully, they join your ranks, be it as fodder (go bats) or as a bad-ass comrades. Purification, however, doesn’t stop at enemies. Dark portals are scattered throughout the battle maps. Dark portals allow monsters to spawn into the fray, as well as affect characters that are standing upon them. Needless to say, you want to get rid of the dark portals ASAP. You can use them to your benefit by changing their direction and purifying them, sending an attack on all the baddies that stand upon them. Of course, it’s a hell of a lot deeper than that, but I would be here all day writing about the battle system. It’s deep, good, and everything you expect from a tactical RPG. Trust me.
[heading]OG 2D 2 Thumbs Up[/heading]
Old-school graphics return to create a colorful world of demons and ass-kicking. The animation is simple, but simple is better than overdoing it. If you can look past a non-flashy, 3D bells-and-whistles-laden game and see what [i]La Pucelle[/i] truly has to offer, you will find a game that begs to be played. The graphics, sound, and incredible voice-acting all score high marks. While [i]La Pucelle[/i] is the simpler and lesser of the Nippon Ichi family, that is not a bad thing. This is a great game to start the genre on. I highly recommend it to add to your library.
Viewtiful Joe 2
PlayStation 2 / Reviews / by
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[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/viewtifuljoe2/cover.jpg[/floatleft]If you thought things were done after Joe rescued Silvia from Movieland in the first [i]Viewtiful Joe[/i], you were sadly mistaken! Joe has now become an action hero for good, only this time he’s not alone. Sylvia, the damsel in distress from the first title, has begged Captain Blue for a V-Watch and is now a superheroine alongside her fearless boyfriend. They are out to stop the Black Emperor from stealing Rainbow Oscars in Movieworld, which contain the power of happy endings. This journey sends them through different representations of movies (such as the Samurai film reel) to stop the Emperor’s henchmen, of which there are hordes and hordes. Sound like a horrible story? Well, it is. But that shouldn’t surprise anyone, as the story isn’t meant to be mind-boggling. It’s supposed to be cheesy, and that’s what makes this series so fun.
[i]Viewtiful Joe 2[/i] is more of a new series of levels than it is a separate game. The fact that Joe travels around through different movie eras gives me the same distinct feeling that I had while playing [i]Turtles in Time[/i] for the SNES, which is easily in my top five favorite SNES games of all time. But I digress. The reason why this doesn’t feel like a totally new game is because it looks, feels, sounds (except the bosses were given better voiceovers, minus the [b]horribly[/b] annoying chameleon), and plays the exact same way as its predecessor. This means that if you excelled in the first game, this one will be a cakewalk because it’s generally easier. Each level (called a movie reel in this one) has several different acts-each having its own save point upon completion, making saves more frequent than in [i]Viewtiful Joe[/i]. Another cool edition to the game is that Joe’s father, Jet, changes the movie reels in the Real World, thus controlling where Joe travels to next, and the two exchange witty banter occasionally, adding to the game’s thick layer of cheese that already exists because of Joe and Sylvia’s interactions.
[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/viewtifuljoe2/ss03_thumb.jpg[/floatright]As I mentioned before, fundamentally the game did not at all change except for one addition. In the last game, Sylvia was one of several unlockable characters as which you could play the game. In this installment, both Sylvia and Joe are playable, and the use of the “Viewtiful Touch” allows you to switch between the two instantly while playing. This opens the door for two-person combos, but it also means that there are some areas where Joe (my favored character) can’t do everything and must call on Sylvia to get past a certain area. You still have to run through several 2-D side-scrolling levels, solving puzzles and smashing your way through torrents of enemies that keep popping up out of nowhere. You’re still trying to collect Viewtiful Points to buy powerups, and you’re still collecting Viewtiful Canisters to increase the size of your VFX (Viewtiful Effects) meter. And yes, you’re still using your VFX powers.
Let’s talk about said powers, of which there are four. Joe has all of his abilities back this time around, and they are still used in exactly the same way as before. VFX Slow slows down the screen so that Joe can unleash massive combos to gain tons of Viewtiful Points, and it can still be used to throw a super punch when the enemy is dizzy. VFX Mach Speed makes everything insanely fast, and as you purchase upgrades, you get multiple Joes running around, smashing boxes in the background that are otherwise unreachable. VFX Zoom In does just that, and this can be used to spin kick, spin jump, make a hard dive, or unleash my favorite move in the [i]Viewtiful Joe[/i] series: the Slow Zoom Red Hot One Hundred. One more power has been added to the fray, but Joe doesn’t get to use it. You must switch to Sylvia, and while she cannot use Mach Speed, she does have the ever-useful VFX Replay, which, as you can probably guess, takes a recording of a move and plays it twice more. So for scoring one hit, Sylvia does three times the damage. The only drawback is that if you use Replay and get hit, you lose three times the life.
[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/viewtifuljoe2/ss07_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]Following in the footsteps of the first installment, [i]Viewtiful Joe 2[/i] has several items to unlock as you progress through its difficulties (and I have not found any cheat code thus far to do this the easy way). As you progress through the game, you’ll notice several chamber numbers popping up on your screen. That is a message telling you that you’ve unlocked one of 37 chambers, which serve as bonus levels. The trick is to perform an exact feat while playing, thus unlocking a different chamber. For example, you might have to progress through an area without grabbing one film canister, or you might have to let yourself be killed by a certain enemy. There is also the obligatory unlocking of harder difficulties as you continually beat them, but to be honest, for me playing any game once through is enough unless it offers some cool incentive (and unlocking a harder difficulty is not the way to do this). The game fell short on the secrets department.
Overall, I would say that [i]Viewtiful Joe 2[/i] is pretty fun considering it is more of the same stuff given to us by the first game. I wouldn’t recommend playing this one if you haven’t yet played the original, and if you have played it, don’t expect any new groundbreaking features in the sequel. If 2-D side-scrolling with very cheesy dialogue is your thing, then [i]Viewtiful Joe 2[/i] is your game. I’m surprised to say that even though I hate cheesy and am not a fan of side-scrollers, I found this game humorous and enjoyable. When I heard Joe say, “Henshin-A-Go-Go, Baby!” for the very first time in [i]Viewtiful Joe[/i], I rolled my eyes and nearly shut the game off right there. Now I can honestly say that, as I played through the sequel, I chuckled every time I heard it. In closing, [i]Viewtiful Joe 2[/i] may be the same game with a different name, but I enjoyed that game, and I think it’s worth checking out.
