Tiers - Why they do and don't matter.

I always enjoy looking up tier lists made by high leveled players for the fighting games that I play. I love to see opinions that match my own and opinions that may or may not cause me to reconsider my initial thoughts. As it turns out, I find that most tier lists match very accurately with my own, with only a few deviations here and there.

My personal definition of what I think about tier lists is simple: They outline which individual character has the easiest time racking up wins utilizing a playstyle that meshes neatly with what's known as "the metagame". The term "metagame" is the description of the game being played in the communities head, where as the actual game itself acts as a sort of tool to help you play the metagame, not too different from the limbs of a fighter in a mixed martial arts match. Developers often have a metagame in mind, and in the games initial release the metagame slightly at the discovery of new techniques. It is for this reason that post release patches are often issued, so that the metagame could be further reinforced, as well as rebalance the strength and abilities of the roster.

But, I digress.

Tiers take on different meanings depending on the game that they originate from. Generally, a tier list in a two dimensional fighting game is a list that outlines which characters have the smallest amount of bad matchups, if any. Logically, having a discernible advantage over a large fraction of the entire roster would make a strong character. An advantage that tiers can provide would be to show players what to expect from each character in a roster.

Tiers aren't a good reason to choose a main, however. People often forget that choosing a character that holds their interest the longest means having more dedication to improving their skills with that character. I believe that people that truly love/enjoy the characters they use will reach heights in half the time it takes for a player that only uses high tier characters.

Tiers also don't necessarily mean they are the best. While a high tier character has more match ups in their favour, a player that has more experience with a low tier character against a high tier character is practically guaranteed a win over the player that uses the top tier but has next to no experience.

Lastly, tiers DO NOT justify the need for buffs and nerfs! As I said earlier, patches are only there to make steps towards realizing the metagame that the developers had in mind! Giving nerfs and buffs should only be implemented to define and develop characters further.

Tiers can be fun and interesting, but they are all just opinions at the end of the day.

Surely I'm not the only one?

The general opinion has been like this since day one, and no matter what the devs say in order to placate the fanbase, people keep finding more reasons to hate the upcoming reboot of Devil May Cry.

Devil May Cry holds a special place in my heart not for it's infamous difficulty but because of it's setting and the characters that inhabit it. When I heard that a new game was on the way, I was excited. And then when the Tokyo Game Show rolled around showcasing little reboot Dante's new design, I understood the changes made by Ninja Theory, the developers taking over the project.

What people don't seem to understand is that reboots are supposed to be different, not just more things that we expect and love. While the writing has taken a more vulgar direction, and that the unique weapons that will be employed in this game require a different mindset before taking them to battle, the over the top action of DMC is still going to be there. It just looks different, and the changed core gameplay promises to be a fresh new experience for veterans and newcomers alike. Surely that's reason enough to justify the black hair and cigarettes?

Perhaps the only gripes that I have about this reboot is that I find the writing to be extremely vulgar (f-bombs and s-bombs galore in E3 2012's gameplay trailer). Part of what I enjoyed so much in Devil May Cry was that the language Dante used was relatively clean, while his mannerism and tone still had enough bite to anger any demon he enountered. Unfortunately, that seems to be the direction that Ninja Theory is aiming for. Hopefully, it won't take away from my enjoyment.

When I saw the gameplay trailer, I was amazed by what I saw. The overtop combat that the series is known for is making a return, this time in true HD. Let's hope that it'll be polished enough so that I can dive into this game on launch!  

Ultimate Spiderman! My thoughts

It looks like the Ultimate good guy just got a little more Ultimate!
My friend introduced me to Disney XD's new cartoon series for everyone's favourite webhead, and it's now one of the most entertaining shows I've seen this summer. It's a fun, zany show, chock full of fan service for even some of the biggest followers of the Marvel universe. While at times the show's humour may seem over the top and incredibly cheesy at times, at it's core it's an enoyable romp with Spiderman and younger versions of  4 heroes that have become all but forgotten in the storm of Hulks, Wolverines, and Iron Men.

Perhaps the drawn out humour also works for the shows benefit, with Spiderman often breaking the fourth wall as the narrator each episode, and cutting to some strange fantasy that he cooks up on the spot. It may seem jarring and unnecessary at first, but each cut provides humour through it's varied nature as well as it's shock factor (Nick Fury on the Price is Right? Awesome!). Sometimes if you're going to have a sense of humour, you may as well go all out.

This is also a great way for me to pass the time in between seasons of other shows too!

Hear VILE say "like" and "um" 500 times!

Now that my next batch of Project Dark videos are ready for uploading tomorrow morning, I can't help but still be caught in the habit of saying "like" and "um" after nearly every other sentence. In my walkthrough, the commentary I make is actually recorded live as I watch the playback. I believe that the main reason I tend to stutter and drone on and on is because of flaws in my current system. That's why, starting in my next batch, I've decided to change my method of commentating.

When I first started doing recordings, my form of commentary was done live as I was playing the actual game. However, the process was a bit difficult, as I was (and evidently still am) terrible at multitasking. But since Project Dark takes more concentration than your average game, I've opted for "post recording" commentary. And yet my dialogue still comes out as forced and disorganized, and is therefore not an enhancement to my videos.

And so here I am, searching for a new solution. 9 parts into the walkthrough, I've decided to try writing out my commentary after recording, and then reading off of it during my post record commentating. It sounds a bit lame right now, but this can definitely help bypass my occasional disorganized wording and will also give my brain a little more room to help me enunciate my words so that the commentary will be more enthusiastic. I believe that this will be a strong stepping stone on my way to improving the quality of my projects, and becoming a much more genuine sounding speaker.

What am I REALLY looking forward to?

E3 was a couple of months ago, and I find myself speechless at my strange lack of feeling broke like as I usually feel after watching and reading about every press conference in previous years. Truth be told, I can't find anything to look forward to with only a few exceptions.
Why is that, then? Could it be that I'm content with everything that I have, or do I feel like gaming has become so stagnant that I feel that only a few titles are worth my attention? Or perhaps is it that I haven't heard enough info regarding any upcoming titles to get me stoked for the next big game? Maybe it's a bit of each reason, maybe it's something different entirely.

One game that I actually am looking forward to is Assassin's Creed 3. I've never been a huge fan of the franchise and it's gameplay, but the story has had me intrigued ever since I sat down to play AC2. And now that the upcoming title will take place in a completely new setting and that the story should (hopefully) be drawing to a close, I definitely will be putting some money aside for this.

The next games that I'm anticipating are constantly thrashed by their fanbases, with the sole reason being that they are "different". It's because young Dante's hair is black, and because Rising plays differently than Solid. In every scenario, change is just as likely to be detrimental as it is likely to be successful. With the Devil May Cry reboot and Metal Gear Rising in development, I'm looking forward to seeing some exciting action and bizarre atmosphere's for their games.

The next two titles represent the transformation of survival horror becoming perhaps a little too action oriented. Fans may cry that Dead Space 3 and Resident Evil 6 have completely abandoned their horror roots, but they do so at the risk of being unable to appreciate the excitement of encountering some awesome monster designs and a story grounded in a battle between rogue agents and corporations. And really, sometimes that's all I need to enjoy a game, and I know I'm gonna play the hell out of each of them because I loved the previous installments of their respective series.

And finally, the upcoming downloadable content for Dark Souls. Really, so long as I have more excuses to play 2011's rpg epic, I'm sold. With new areas, bosses, and equipment, I'm looking forward to dying over and over again in the face of the game's new challenges.

Update as of JULY 27 2012

Yesterday I've continued doing some recordings of Project Dark, although I've made several mistakes against one of the bosses and two of the mini bosses. It's not all bad news though, I've changed the brightness setting and hopefully that'll make things much clearer. I'm going to continue work on the project this weekend.

Been playing a lot of UMvC3 lately. Currently working on a character that is particularly execution heavy. My head and thumbs hurt just thinking about it...

Speaking of games that I've been playing a lot of, Mass Effect 3's multiplayer is back and more addictive than ever with the new Earth DLC. I've been going crazy trying to find one of the new N7 characters, but so far I've only found two characters from the Rebellion Update. Still, the new Operation will be starting in about 3 hours from the time of writing, and the allied reward includes at least one N7 character. I hope I get that sick looking N7 Slayer Vanguard...

I really wanted to go see The Dark Knight Rises today and visit the place where the FGC meets up in my town, but I was called to pick up an extra shift. It's a little sad, but on the bright side it'll give me money to do some fun stuff next week when summer school is over for everyone else.

Why I LOVE fighting games pt.1

I wasn't all that into fighting games until last year. Truth be told, the closest I've ever been to dedicating myself to a fighting game was back when I played a lot of Melee and Brawl. Of course, those games are more like intensified party games than actual fighting games in my opinion, but only now I realized that the reason I was hooked on those games was the prospect of improving my skills and beating whatever challengers came my way.

It was last year when a friend of mine got a copy of Mortal Kombat 9 for his 360. Of course, the MK series had been infamous for it's over the top violence for a long time now so of course I was already familiar with the series although I never really played the games myself. And so I played my friend and got my ass handed to me every single time. I didn't care though, I was fascinated by all of the characters and wanted to play as them all. Eventually I bought the game for my Ps3 and that was the only game I played for that entire summer. I learned a few combos, but my win rate for the online mode was dismal at best. I scoured Youtube for videos that would give me stronger combos that I couldn't have been able to think of myself and spent hours finding them and practicing them.

Yet no matter how strong my combos were, I was still routinely beaten after every few wins. Eventually I happened upon Test Your Might, and searched every thread for ways to improve my skills. And so new terms were added to my vocabulary: mind games, punishes, whiffs, unsafe on block, active frames, match ups etc. I learned ways to improve and what mistakes I should avoid. And after every loss, I'd always ask myself "what did I do wrong and what should I do to win next time?"

The feeling was, engrossing. I loved the sense of accomplishment that came with overcoming obstacles in terms of my defence and the thrill of taking down dreaded opponents. And whenever there was a new technique hitting the scene, I was always sure to learn about it and adding whatever knowledge I had to my arsenal.

To this day, Mortal Kombat 9 remains the most played game in my library.

Quick update as of FRIDAY THE 13TH

Picked up the Metal Gear Solid HD collection as well as MGS4 for my Ps3 the other day. I finished the remainder of Guns of the Patriots' campaign from when I borrowed it from my friend last year in one sitting, although I'll admit I skipped a large chunk of all the cutscenes (I know, shameful).
I'm looking forward to getting started on the HD collection, although I'm already knee deep in video games as it is now that I'm working on "Project Dark" as well as still being addicted to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Not to mention that I still have the overpowering desire to challenge the fighting game community inside of my town as well, so as you can see, I'm swamped and I'm loving every minute of it.

My sister recently bought Epic Mickey for the Wii. I was interested in the game when it was announced back in 2010, but my attention was turned to other things by the time the final product was released. Now that I'm seeing the game in action, I'm looking forward to getting a chance at playing it.
One of the biggest critiques for the title was that the camera would be insufferable at times. However, instead of apologizing the developers defended the quirky camera by claiming "the players weren't playing it right". In my view, this is a lame excuse. I'm reminded of every other platformer game I've ever played, and there was no such thing as "playing it wrong". In Super Mario Sunshine, there was no wrong way to reach a shine, there were only variations of ways. When you're a little kid like I was when I played that game, I played however I wanted and had fun when I did. Developers need to remember to keep their games accessible, especially if said game was geared towards a younger audience.

I've already uploaded the first 6 parts of "Project Dark", although they're not without their own fair share of issues. You see, the game is very dark and I didn't make any adjustments to the ingame brightness setting because I was fine with the way it was. The footage still looked perfectly clear on my computer, it's just that when I uploaded them to Youtube, things became super dark. I've already used Youtube's option to brighten the video, but it only does so much. The best I can do is advise the viewers to view the first 6 videos in full screen mode, that way the game environments will look much clearer.
The continuation of "Project Dark" will be happening next week, hopefully.

Project Dark is going live!

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally committed to starting my first video walkthrough with my new Gamecapture HD!

Dark Souls is one of the most exciting and rewarding games I've ever played. It's also one of the most challenging, with every dungeon or area acting as a sort of thrown gauntlet from the developers at From Software. Whether it's being faced with overwhelming odds against a horde of undead knights, or living in the fear of falling into some sadistic trap, the challenges are as varied as they are clever. Incorporating the very best elements of your standard role playing game, the nuanced combat system is wrapped in a moody and dreadful atmosphere. Dark Souls is a game a serious RPG fan should never miss.

Of course, being the dark game that it is has presented a few problems. The first 2 hours of gameplay had been recorded with no adjustments to the ingame brightness level. The footage looked just fine when I was editing them on my computer, but as soon as I uploaded them to Youtube the darkness became apparent. I've done what I can at the moment, using the option Youtube has given me to increase the brightness of the video, but for now the most the viewers can do is view the video in fullscreen mode to get a clearer picture. This issue is more obvious in the cavernous areas.

The first batch of video is currently being uploaded, and I have plans of recording more footage tomorrow.

The Road to Ruin: My experiences as a Videographer pt1

I love making movies. Whether it's making the cheesiest horror film possible for a school project, or just combining a soundtrack to a gameplay video that I recorded, I'm always eager for a new opportunity to see what I can do with whatever I've been assigned.

My earliest experiences started off when I was about 13 years old, playing Adventure Quest (awesome game, by the way). Spending some time in the games forums, I decided to look up some powerful techniques that could be used on Youtube. As soon as I hit the search button, I happened upon a gold mine of information that would help me step up my game. Suddenly this single player, browser based RPG had all the community of any decent MMO. These videos and these other players gave me better ideas of the uses of powerful armour and weapons, cool skill builds, and solid strategies for some of the strongest bosses at the time. I decided that I would become like these people, and so I started making some videos of me using whatever strategies and builds that I came up with.

Of course, my family's desktop wasn't exactly a powerhouse. Eventually the simple act of using an unregistered Hypercam became too much for my old computer, and eventually I decided to stop recording altogether since I was running out of ideas as well as interest. Then I got into high school and joined the media arts class. The course challenged me to use different styles of film that I've never known before, and as a result I've become more familiar with the styles while becoming more versatile myself. All throughout high school I spent my lunches in the library expanding my imagination and in the computer room editing whatever footage I had filmed while jotting down whatever shots or scenes I still had to take.

In my final year of high school, I discovered a method of recording console gameplay. Being the avid gamer and videographer that I was, I couldn't resist...

Metal Gear Solid 5 (!)

I'm not sure what to think of the recent announcement of MGS5.

On one hand, if anyone can make a sequel to a grand finale work exceptionally, it's Hideo Kojima. On the other hand, I feel like making another Metal Gear Solid game is unnecessary, especially after the epic send off that was MGS4.
Back in 2008, Kojima did the seemingly impossible by successfully tying up all the loose ends of the entire MGS franchise in the final hours of Guns of the Patriots. The Patriots were defeated, old feuds were settled, and cryptic secrets were finally revealed. Why should we reopen the wounds that took a painfully long time to heal?
The reason I was so excited for Metal Gear Rising was because I was glad to see the franchise breathe some fresh air rather than continue to milk something that worked until it gets old. Now, I'm not saying that MGS5 will simply just be a "milking" title, but I just felt that stepping into completely new territory in the form of Rising was the step in the right direction for the series.
According to a recent article on Gamespot, the developers are considering adding story trees, meaning there will be dialogue options in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid game. Personally, I'm a little skeptical about this addition. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE role playing games, especially whenever they involve branching storylines and dialogue options. It's just that Metal Gear has always been more like a film to me (an excellent one, mind you!) and I sort of see that as a MGS staple.

Since the game isn't out yet, no one can really say for sure if this  game will be terrible or the next big thing. All we can do is just wait for it's eventual release, and give the game a fair chance for when it comes out. You know, like any game.

ASTR: A Summer To Remember

Summer is often overhyped. Last year, a lot of my friends were disappointed because it didn't live up to their expectations. All I can really say to that is "Of course nothing happened. You didn't do anything!" And even if you do something, you'll still end up feeling empty because it still doesn't live up to the hype. To me, summer is what you make of it. Personally, last summer was the best I've ever had and this summer is going to be no different, if not maybe even a little better.

So what exactly made last year so enjoyable for me? The pleasant surprise that came in the form of the fighting game genre. Prior to last summer, I was a little intimidated by the technical proficiency that was required in players. All I ever knew about fighting games was button mashing, and anyone can get bored of that. And then Mortal Kombat came out in 2011, and it single handedly gave me a fascination with fighters. Naturally, that took up a huge chunk of my summer, and I still hunt tirelessly for stronger opponents online and offline.

This summer I'm hoping to hang out with some friends and build stronger relationships with old and new friends alike. There are also a few games I'm hoping to play, such as Dragons Dogma and the Uncharted series, just to name a few.

This summer, I'm really just looking for some adventure every once in a while, whether they're big or small is immaterial to me.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 - My impressions

Say all you want about Capcom trying to milk every beloved franchise they own, they know how to make an exciting game. UMvC3 is a well polished, frantic fighting game that's every bit as tasteful as any other fighting game out there. Bringing an additional 12 characters to the already staggering roster, there's more than enough fanservice to keep even the biggest comic book geeks satisfied, and the well defined art style makes each fight a spectacle to enjoy. The soundtrack and voice work is also exceptional.

The game does have it's faults, of course. Though the game is simple enough for all sorts of players to ease into, it also makes it easier for more experienced fighting game players to find and exploit some very dangerous and frustrating tech. Some of said tech is found in the annoyingly long combos, which cannot be interrupted until it finishes after what feels like forever. While this is very much part of what the game is about, it will be difficult for newer players to adapt, and likely result in a few broken controllers. The only real solution to this is to adapt and to ensure that one is never caught in these combos, which takes patience that very few players have. It is very annoying to have to pay big time for one mistake in one's blocking, so as a result lucky reads play a larger role in this game than in most other fighting games.

All in all, it's a great game. While most beginners might want to avoid online until they've gained some offline experience (against other players, of course), it's every bit as rewarding as any other fighting game out there. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D review

I picked up a 3DS almost a week ago, and me being the huge Zelda fan that I am, purchased the remake of the critically acclaimed N64 title Ocarina of Time. For it's time, there were many great things that could be said about it. Not only was it the successful first jump into the 3rd dimension for the ever popular Legend of Zelda series, it was a technical marvel on the N64, perfecting third person gameplay with it's revolutionary Z targeting system, and is to this day considered one of the best games out there.
And now, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has remade this game with some visual improvements for the 3DS.

Personally, Majora's Mask is my favourite game in the series, but it was Ocarina of Time that helped ease me into the series when I first started out. One of this game's biggest strengths is around it's tightly paced main story. Every once in a while you may be forced to do some backtracking, especially early on in the game, but for the most part you'll feel like you're covering a lot of ground and enjoying yourself while doing so. A good chunk of the fun is found in the games dungeon exploration, which always involves a good blend of puzzle solving and combat. One minor complaint that I have for the game's combat, and for the whole game in general, is that maneuvering the 3D world using the 3DS's stick takes quite a bit of getting used to, although I feel like that at the beginning of every Zelda game sometimes. Complaints aside, it's great to be able to play a console sized game wherever I go, and I'm looking forward to similiar experiences on the 3DS.

In terms of differences between the remake and the original, Nintendo has definitely addressed some of the concerns made by the fans. Some adjustments have been made to bypass level design issues, such as a camera focusing on the location of a possible hidden plan, and much care has been put into the infamous Water Temple so that players won't get lost as often (I personally have only gotten lost once in the remake, as opposed to the 5 bouts of wandering in my first playthrough). Hint videos are also available ingame, which is a great way to welcome newcomers to the series while at the same time staying true to the original level designs that players have grown to love and cherish.
The music and sound design is largely the same as they were on the N64, as well as the original art style. Although, all these things have been touched up a little in the remake, which is great because we get to see and hear like it was new while still retaining what the developers had in mind back in 1998.

This game is quite an adventure that players won't soon forget. It has certainly aged better than other games in the past, and will probably still be remembered after most of the games in the 90's have been forgotten. While the game certainly looks prettier, the core gameplay that we all know and love is safely intact. And for those that have played this game in the past, you'll all know how valuable this information is!

First post: This is just to clear things up!

This actually isn't my first blog. I made my first blog last year for an assignment in my high school media class. What started off as a desperate attempt at making easy marks became a very enjoyable past time for me. Now I find it to be a great way to keep my writing skills in use, a fun way to pass the time, and a suitable outlet for whatever stress/frustrations I may encounter in my life (think of it like a punching bag but with letters and articles).

So what will this blog be about?

For the most part, it'll be mostly me talking about current events from my perspective, just like a typical blog. This blog will outline my opinions on music, movies, books, the occasional newspaper/online article (I'm a sucker for controversy), and my personal favourite: video games! Of course, these are simply just my opinions, and I'm sure plenty of readers have opinions that are far different from mine.

Can we share our opinions with you/ask you questions?

Absolutely. You can either contact me by Twitter, my Youtube channel, or simply just drop a comment in one of my posts. All my contact information can be found in to the side of this page. If I find your opinion fascinating enough, I may even dedicate a full post to address whatever questions you may have about me. I'm not all business in this blog, so we're all allowed to have fun with this!

One of my personal issues with my previous blog was that I was inconsistent. Sometimes I'd feel motivated to write several posts at once, other times I wouldn't touch the blog for weeks. A big reason why I decided to start this blog was not only to have a clean slate, but to train myself to turn in good writing whether I was up to it or not. I guess you can say it's a sort of ambition...

That's all for my intro post for now. Until next time, enjoy the Shocker!