The Negative Edge News Report 01.23.08

Posted by Tommy Coloma on 01.23.2008

Getting destroyed in online fighters and having fun doing it, the new Bionic Commando game that's worth getting excited about, getting down and dirty with politicians for the good of all gamers, this week's game releases, and More!




Good game, peace out

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Last Saturday I used my need to take a break from Persona 3 as an excuse to finally check out GGPO. Yeah, I talked about it a few months ago, but I never really tried it. After playing just one game of Street Fighter Alpha 2 online I was seriously pissed off at myself for taking so long to give it a try.

Essentially, GGPO is a program that allows you to play several fighting games online with little-to-no noticeable lag. That's not me simply summarizing some written description. It really is like that. I actually played against a former 411 writer who lives in EUROPE and the whole experience was superior to what I was getting while playing people in California through Xbox Live. It's that freakin' good! As of now, the only playable games are The King of Fighters 98, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Dungeons and Dragons, Marvel vs. Capcom, and Vampire Savior. The games came out during a time when I was not frequenting arcades so it's great that I'm finally able to enjoy playing them with real people instead of a computer.

After having a blast with KOF 98, SFA2, and Vampire Savior, it annoys me to think that after HD Remix and SF IV come out, I'll still be spending most of my time on GGPO simply because Live is incapable of delivering this type of an experience. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I seriously doubt it based on my experiences with pretty much every 2D fighter that's been playable on Live. Oh, it might be easier to implement a GGPO-like experience on PS3 since the system is more open, but I doubt that Capcom would be interested in trying.

If you want to see how fighters should be played online, go check out GGPO here. There are a lot of good players out there so I would not suggest using a keyboard. If you have a DOA 4 or VF5 stick you have a better chance at surviving. As for the roms, just Google "Street Fighter Alpha 2 (US 960306)". You can get the other ones at the same location.

I look forward to seeing you online!


The Music Box

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This week's song comes from the only Zelda game that features primarily side-scrolling gameplay. Since I love side-scrolling platformers, I rank this pretty high on my list of favorite Zelda games. What I liked most about it is the way you have to rush up to your enemies and attack them head-on. Maybe that's why I like Symphony of the Night so much. Unfortunately, this Zelda seems to be the least popular game in the series. Apparently, it was too much of a departure from and more difficult than its predecessor. I picked this after, in preparation for the now-delayed release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I fired up Melee and happened to come across the Hyrule stage which features a remixed version. The thought that not too many gamers know where the song comes from makes me sad.


The News As I See It

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Can I get my Bionic Commando without sausages please?
Last week it was revealed that somehow Capcom realized that the upcoming 3D Bionic Commando re-imagining probably wasn't going to please long-time BC fans as much as a new 2D entry in the series would have. Their concern for the happiness of said fans prompted them to greenlight a project which would see the creation of an update to the NES version of Bionic Commando... Alright, so maybe that wasn't the real reason they decided to do a remake, but wouldn't it be cool if it was? Regardless, this is the first remake of this sort that I've personally looked forward to. If you've never played the game before, all you need to know is that this is a side-scrolling platformer where you can't jump. Instead, you have to use an arm that can grab onto the ceiling so that you can swing from ledge to ledge or climb floors. Just look at the video and you'll get the idea. And don't let the video fool you - swinging in this game isn't just fun, it's beyond fun!

Side note: I just feel sorry for those who can only get the 360 version of the game. Bionic Command required precise timing and the ability to hit 45 degree angles at will. Is that possible with the 360's shitty d-pad? We'll find out this Spring.

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Walmart, SSBB, and Douchebags
A little over a week ago Walmart started to take pre-orders for Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the unbelievably low price of $19.82. At the time, I knew that they would not honor the pre-order so I didn't bother with it. Predictably, Walmart cancelled all of the pre-orders. They were a little shady by saying that it was the customers themselves who canceled their orders, but for the most part, Walmart did what they had to do, which was to keep opportunistic douchebags from taking advantage of a pricing error. After shielding themselves from a barrage of complaints from dissatisfied customers, Walmart decided to give the people who tried to take advantage of them a $10 gift certificate as a way to say that they were sorry.

My problem is that people are still bitching about not getting a brand new, currently unreleased, AAA title, which, by the way, just recently got a 40 from Famitsu, for $30 off the MSRP. They're acting like Walmart was trying to rob them, instead of the other way around. $10 is way more than they deserve, and if anything, the $10 should go to those who didn't try to take advantage of the situation.

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It's immoral, but I like it
The New York Times and Ars Technica just put out some thought-provoking articles about how the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is using its growing power to make it harder for politicians and the media to use video games to get people into a frenzy. Basically, the ESA has a lot of money and power and they aren't afraid to use it.

I'm glad that the ESA is stepping up as I was getting tired of waiting for those who don't know any better (i.e. older people who are easily lead to believe that video games are the devil's work) to die off. Yes, it's bad in the way that it's bad that oil companies pay off politicians so that they can destroy the environment, but honestly, can taking advantage of the political system really be that bad if it's just used to make sure that video games are no longer labeled as the spawn of Satan?

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An example of a good game compilation
I wouldn't normally bother with a game compilation in the news section, but SNK Arcade Classics: Vol. 1 is actually one that I would consider to be a worthy purchase as long as the emulation is done correctly. Of note is the inclusion of Sengoku. I'm pretty sure that this is the first time the game as been in a compilation in the US. I remember pouring so many quarters into that game...

Here is the list from their press release (I've bolded the more noteable ones):

- Art of Fighting: The first game in SNK's second fighting-game franchise, set in the same universe as FATAL FURY.
- BASEBALL STARS 2 - The sequel to SNK's popular baseball arcade game.
- BURNING FIGHT - New York detectives battle organized crime in this fighter.
- FATAL FURY - First released in 1991, FATAL FURY introduced the two-plane fighting system.
- King Of Fighters '94 - The first game in the popular King Of Fighters series.
- KING OF THE MONSTERS - In KING OF THE MONSTERS, giant monsters fight for power in epic battles.
- LAST RESORT - A challenging futuristic shooter.
- MAGICIAN LORD - Players help the wizard Elta save his homeworld in this platformer.
- METAL SLUG - Known for its humor and fast- moving gameplay, this run-and-gun side-scroller was the first in the popular series.
- NEO TURF MASTERS - A golf game which debuted on the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1999.
- SAMURAI SHODOWN - Set in the 18th century, SAMURAI SHODOWN features bladed-weapon combat and an international cast of characters.
- SENGOKU - In SENGOKU, players face off against undead feudal Japanese armies.
- SHOCK TROOPERS - In this run-and-gun adventure, players save a scientist and his granddaughter from the Bloody Scorpions.
- SUPER SIDEKICKS 3 - A soccer game featuring teams from all over the world.
- TOP HUNTER - Bounty hunters protect colonists from space pirates in this futuristic action game.
- WORLD HEROES - This classic fighter pits players against historical figures in a tournament enabled by time travel.

Six great games and a bunch of decent-to-good ones? I'm there!

Edit: The game will be released on both the PS2 and PSP within the first half of 2008.


The Release List

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Things are starting to pick up with the releases of No More Heroes (Wii), Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS), Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone (PSP Import), and Burnout Paradise (PS3/360) this week. Of course, those aren't the only games that are coming out -

Endless Ocean (Wii)
This was made by the same company that did the Street Fighter EX series. I don't think that I'd use that as a compliment. Regardless, this is a whole different genre. It helps that Arika had experience doing the Everblue series for the PS2. This game allows for customized soundtracks, so rest assured that you will be able to listen to "Under the Sea" while scuba diving... under the sea.

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Rainbow Islands Evolution (PSP)
The Story of Bubble Bobble 2. I'm starting to sound like a broken record. Can we please get Parasol Stars some day?

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Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers (Wii VC)
This is the first game that I ever sold back for credit. Essentially, I didn't like it at all; I didn't like the changes to the music and voices and I didn't like how it was slower than Street Fighter II Turbo. The new characters weren't enough to save this piece of crap. To this day, I still dislike the music and voices in both this game and Super Turbo. Super Turbo at least plays much better than previous installments so I can get past the audio changes in that game. I say that you should just save your money and wait for SF IV and/or HD Remix. Don't bother with this shitty game.

What we should have gotten: Street Fighter II Turbo
Yes, it's older than Super, but it is more fun and represents the high point of the series on the SNES.

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Exit (DS Import)

The PSP and Xbox Live versions have already been released, but if you want it on the go (and if you don't have a PSP), here's your chance. Oh, if you want to see how the game plays, you can check out the trial/demo here.

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SuperLite 2500 Brickdown (DS Import)
This is Success' take on Arkanoid. It's rightfully a budget title, but I like Success and the stuff they make so I might pick it up once the price drops to under $15.

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Dairantou Smash Brothers X / Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii Import)
You know what this is. It comes out in Japan next week, so if you want it as soon as possible (and have a way to play it on your system), you might consider pre-ordering it now.

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Devil May Cry 4 (PS3 Import)
The region-freeness of the PS3 is a wonderful thing. Why not take advantage of it? Like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, this title comes in next week so you should pre-order it now if you want to enjoy the goodness ASAP.

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Disgaea: Hour of Darkness 3 (PS3 Import)
Just read the description that I used for Devil May Cry 4.


This Week's Wallpaper

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Get Ready To Brawl! (update 20) by AbyssWolf
When I saw this in another news report (sorry, can't find it any more) I knew I had to find it. Oddly enough, I found it where I usually find video game art - deviantART. Unfortunately, that was the last place I looked so it took me a little while.

This contains all of the known playable characters in the game. The artist has been updating it since June (or maybe even longer). He just added Shiek, so if you downloaded an earlier version you might want to get it again.


To Be Continued...

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That's all I have for this week. I just got an invite to a fighting tournament from someone named R. If I can find two other people to join my team, I'll be back next week.