Mega May! week 2

Welcome back to the Mega May festivities!

As we continue our trip through the highlights of everyone's favorite Super Fighting Robot, it's important to remember that every hero has a dark side. So this week, we'll be looking at some of the stranger, darker moments in the Blue Bomber's history.

Street Fighter X Tekken
Straight off of the original box art of Mega Man (NES), here we have...eh, this thing.

Included as a joke, Mega Man appears as a playable character in the PS3 fighting crossover Street Fighter X Tekken. His every appearance and movement is bulky, clumsy, and foolish, but at the very least his costume is well made in terms of it's source material!

Source: Fighters Generation

Mega Man 2
Strike two for even remotely accurate box art. This image, while only pertaining to the European release, continues to invoke the question of how this series actually maintained popularity. They say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, and thank heaven for that, because this iconic character probably wouldn't exist if we did. Swing and a miss, Europe.

Source: Time Warp Gamer

Oil Man
Unless you've played (the highly underrated) PSP exclusive "Mega Man Powered Up!" chances are you won't recognize Oil Man. That's because he holds a rather shameful spot in Mega Man's reputation. Upon initial release of the game, Oil Man's sparked controversy over the color invoked the 1920s-30s depiction of "black face," a racial stereotype in which actors would paint their faces pitch black, and their lips and surrounding skin bright white. In terms of offensiveness, think Borat on steroids. The initial Japanese coloring replaced the navy blue with a near black, and the yellow lips with a light peach color. For obvious reasons, the colors were swapped before the game's US release, and larger controversy was avoided.

Source: Mega Man Powered Up

More recently, Oil Man was portrayed in the Archie Comics series of Mega Man comics as having his scarf cover his entire face, thus avoiding controversy entirely. Good move, Archie.

Napalm Man

Sometimes a video game can so accurately portray a war that simply by playing it, emotions are invoked in such a way that the player grows in their knowledge of history, and yearns never to repeat it's mistakes. 

Other times, a level designer at Capcom models an entire level after Vietnam, and names the boss Napalm Man.

Napalm Man's name alone doesn't place him in such a bad spot. Just take a look at his stage. Not only does it resemble a jungle, but it has Mega Man traverse tunnels similar to those used by the Vietcong. Finally when you add Napalm Man into the mix, it gets pretty hard to ignore. Unsurprisingly, this led to Mega Man 5 being banned from release in Vietnam.

Source: GamesRadar

Cancelled Games
Not every game that gets past the idea stage is destined for release. No genre or series is safe. Capcom, however, has built itself quite a gathering of haters in the past few years with how they've treated the Mega Man property.

Maverick Hunter
Planned as an FPS reebot of the X franchise, this game was cancelled before anyone even knew it existed. The footage and description made it sound like the game would follow in the footsteps of Metroid Prime. That said, it looked pretty freaking awesome!

The game was intended to be a trilogy, but not even the cancelled footage saw the light of day until 2013, a full three years after it's initial cancellation. If the series had taken flight, it would have followed X, and his human police partner. By the release of the third game, the protagonist would have been switched to Zero, who would then have to take down X, after he had grown too powerful. How cool does that sound?! Sadly, no reason was given for the game's sudden cancellation in late 2010. As such, I will forever mope that I never had the opportunity to experience this:

Source: Games Radar

Mega Man Universe
Intended as somewhat of a Little Big Planet approach to the Mega Man franchise, Universe was going to be released on Xbox Live Arcade, and Playstation Network. In it, players would design their own look for Mega Man (utilizing the appearance and weapons of other Capcom characters), build and share their own levels.

Unfortunately, Keiji Inafune, the co-creator of Mega Man, had a falling out with Capcom, and departed from the company. In the aftermath, the game was scrapped in March 2011. All in all the fan reaction wasn't horrible, considering the game looked like a cross between Mega Man and Robot Chicken.

Source: Game Informer

Mega Man Legends 3
Possibly topping the list in terms of disappointed fans sits Legends 3. Not only was the game going to continue the beloved Nintendo 64/PSOne series exclusively on the 3DS, but Capcom utilized Twitter to allow fans to choose a variety of character names, designs and features that would be implemented into the final product.

Capcom's pattern held true though, and in July 2011, the game was officially cancelled.

Rockman Online
Announced in 2010, Rockman Online was poised to be the first ever Mega Man MMORPG. Rumor has it the game was even near it's completed stage. There were even contest winners waiting to be contacted so they could be added as NPCs in the game! They were never reached out to, and rumors ran rampant about the game's fate until March of 2013, when it was officially cancelled. At the very least, we got a sweet trailer out of it!

Alright, he's taken his lumps. Next week, we'll talk about the highest highs of the franchise, as well as some fantastic musical tributes to the Blue Bomber.

Mega May! week 1

(originally posted on ForcedFable.com)

I love Mega Man. I mean, I LOVE this guy. As a kid, I couldn't beat any of the Mega Man (MM) games I owned, there was just something about the "Blue Bomber" that I absolutely adored. Every Saturday, I'd watch the super cheesy Mega Man cartoon (the whole series of which is available on YouTube), I had (and still have) all sorts of action figures from the series, I'd frequent fan site mmhp.net on a daily basis, and even though I couldn't beat them, I'd still play the games all the time.

What better way is there to celebrate this fan favorite character than with the mega month of Mega May! Last Year, Nintendo began this young tradition by releasing six Mega Man games on the Wii U and 3DS virtual consoles, and they're doing it again in 2015. Capcom may be dropping the ball with this cash cow, but Nintendo sure is trying to keep the spirit alive!

As of May 7th, Nintendo has released the Gameboy Advance version of the 1998 SNES game Megaman & Bass. This side-scroller gives players the choice of Mega Man or his rival Bass, as they fight through an original story. The look and feel of the game is very similar to that of MM8, so if you enjoyed that one, this is worth a try.

The rest of Mega May's Wii U virtual console releases will play out as follows:
5/7 - Mega Man & Bass (GBA)
5/14 - Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue/White (GBA)
5/21 - Mega Man Zero 2 (GBA)
5/28 - Mega Man Battle Network 4: Blue Moon/Red Sun (GBA)

Mega Man & Bass (GBA)
Source: YouTube

Each game is priced at $7.99, so unless you happen to have your old copies laying around, chances are you won't get this deal on eBay. Also released this week was the Mega Man Legends spin-off title "The Misadventures of Tron Bonne" on the Playstation Network Store. $5.99 on PSN will get you what $250 would on eBay.

So let's start out Mega May with one of my more recent acquisitions, and one of my favorite games that I own: the Mega Man Anniversary Collection!

Source: Wikipedia

Released in 2004 for Playstation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, this package included MM 1-6 (NES), MM7 (SNES), and MM8 (PSOne), and also included both Mega Man: The Power Fighters, and The Power Battle (Arcade) as unlockables. Among the other unlockable content was game music, concept art, a full episode of the Mega Man cartoon (PS2 version only), or a full episode of the Battle Network anime (Xbox version only).

As if all of that wasn't enough to make this one of the must own games of the PS2/GC/Xbox era, the game also included interactive menus, a save function, easy mode (for people like me), and a "Navi mode" for newcomers to the series. Navi mode teaches players the very basics of the series, and gives hints on how to find some of the series' shortcuts or hidden items along the way. Of course the easy difficulty and Navi mode are completely optional, so hardcore fans can still play the games just as they were on their original systems. If you're ever planning on picking up even one of these games in the future, this is the way to do it.

Going through each game individually, while fun, would take me months. So instead, I've chosen to highlight a few must-try parts of the Anniversary Collection.

1 - Mega Man: The Power Battle/Fighters
No matter which one of these two you decide to try, the arcade-exclusive Mega Man fighting games are a great time. When I was 12, I bumped into an arcade that housed one of these games once, and never again until I saw it at a convention last year. They're not easy to find, and this is a perfect way to play them, quarter free.

Source: Arcade Museum

In The Power Battle (1995) players can choose to fight as Mega Man, his brother Proto Man, or their rival Bass. The game foregoes the typical level system, and instead pits one or two players against the bosses of six previous Mega Man stages. After that, it's time to take on Dr. Wily and his mini-bosses.

The Power Fighters (1996) added newcomer Duo of Mega Man 8 to the mix of playable fighters. The core game play remained the same, but gave players three different story lines to play through, each with it's own unique set of robot masters to fight. Fun fact: This game also includes the first appearance of Mega Man X's partner Zero!

Both games are very easy to unlock within the Anniversary Collection, and can either be done by entering a password, or reaching certain areas in the original games. These two arcade brawlers carry a lot of charm within their well crafted sprites, beautiful stages, remixed music, and enjoyable co-op.

Source: Screw Attack 

2 - Mega Man 2
It is very true that MM 1-6 are largely the same, albeit with varied bosses, stages, and the occasional new power-up. That said, MM 2 has a reputation among the originals of being the easiest. So why suggest this one?

Chances are if you're playing this collection, you've tried the originals. The Anniversary Collection, while holding within it the same games that you would remember, do feel quite different when played on something other than an NES controller. Because of that, I suggest using MM 2 to break yourself in, and get the hang of the control scheme. Fundamentally, the game isn't drastically different from any of the others in the series, but there are moments and stages within 2 that have become some of the fondest memories of dedicated Mega Fans.

Source: Nintendo Wiki

3 - Mega Man 8
Yeah, I said it alright. For those who aren't dedicated fans, let me fill you in quick: People HATED this game. Whether it's because of the cheesy opening cutscene, the different feel of the controls, or the ludicrous bosses (yeah I will admit Clown Man is pretty dumb), it was far from a fan favorite.

You should, however, still give it a play through. MM 8 was the first non-Nintendo Mega Man game, being released on the PSOne in 1996. With the graphical capabilities at the time, the game oozes charm. The visuals and sprites are a treat in every level, there's plenty of challenge in every level, and the music is some of the catchiest I've encountered in any of the Mega Man games to date.

Source: Destructoid

There you have it, all the proof you need that the Mega Man Anniversary Collection is a must-own title. All of this doesn't even take the value into account! Given that the original cartridges can be anywhere from $50 into the hundreds, and this collection will only run you from $10 - $50, the choice is obvious. It's never been easier to get your Mega Man fix on than right now.

TGLM: Avengers: Age of Ultron

(Originally posted on ForcedFable.com)

Source: comicbookmovie.com

Avengers: Age of Ultron

(PG-13)

In July of 2013, Kevin Feige took the stage at the Marvel Comics panel at San Diego Comic Con, and teased the sequel to the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers. The dark screen lit up with the words "Age of Ultron," and the crowd erupted.

Reactions among comic fans were stellar. Non-comic readers, through blank stares and confusion, mumbled, "Who?"

Given how the past several movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have been teasing the arrival of Thanos, it seems a fair question. Those curious had a long wait, but finally in October 2014, the first trailer was leaked online, accruing tens of millions of views in mere days. It's safe to say the world is excited for this movie. Does it live up to the hype?

In one word: Hell yes!

Alright, two words.

It is worth noting that since the initial movie of the MCU, Iron Man, released back in 2008, moviegoers have had plenty to keep up with in terms of the series' overarching plot points. This movie is no exception. If you’re not like me, and haven't seen every movie multiple times, you may need to do some brushing up on a few characters, and briefly mentioned story arcs from past movies. To get the full effect from Age of Ultron, I suggest re-watching Avengers, Captain America 2, Thor 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy. It also wouldn't hurt to re-watch Iron Man 3, but it isn't quite as relevant as the others.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

The story picks up three years after its predecessor, as it opens on the team working as a well oiled machine. The good times don't last forever though, as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) inadvertently gives birth to artificial intelligence, taking the form of Ultron (James Spader), who believes the only path to peace lies in the destruction of the Avengers. The movie has plenty of subplots between the heroes, but all are easy to follow, and are neatly wrapped up by the end of the movie. While the story is enjoyable, most moviegoers will most likely be looking forward to the action, which Age of Ultron delivers in droves.

Throughout the film's two hour and twenty minute run time, there are a bevy of beautiful beat-em-ups. The action is frantic, fast paced, fun, and filled with plenty of humor and one-liners sprinkled in. The movie shines in the moments where one or more of Earth's mightiest heroes pauses mid-combat to deliver one of the movie's plethora of quotable one-liners. 

Anyone who has seen the past Marvel movies knows that Downey's Tony Stark tends to steal every scene he's in with his quick wit, and snarky overconfidence. This time around though, everyone gets more than a little taste of the spotlight. Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), however, steals the show. After his minimal role in the initial Avengers film, Barton proves that he's more than just a bow and arrow, while pumping out some of the most enjoyable lines in the movie.

A close second in terms of humor was the movie's title villain, Ultron. The previews didn't set a tone for the character beyond that of "bad guy who wants to rule the world," but Ultron is so much more. It's easy to see the correlation between Ultron and his creator, Tony Stark, through their similarly dry yet quick humor and one liners.

Source: denofgeek.com

Some critics have complained that the movie follows the formula of the original too closely, leading to a near identical movie. This is definitely not the case. The stakes that Ultron sets are much higher than that of the Chitauri invasion from the first movie. The settings and action are bumped up several notches, and since the team is already assembled when the movie starts, there is an immense amount of character development added. 

Others complained that it doesn't impact the Marvel cinematic universe in the same scale as the events of Captain America 2. This may be the case, but to that I have this to say: If you go into every movie in the franchise expecting a massive, universe-changing event or catastrophe, that leaves no room for actual development of the universe. There’s no room to care about those huge catastrophes, since there won’t be anything at stake. This movie's primary purpose is to prepare for the potential galactic war that will take place in Avengers: Infinity War. In that capacity, the story serves it's purpose beautifully.

By the time the credits roll, every Avenger has had their time to shine. Coupling this with razor sharp humor and intense fight scenes (sometimes at the same time), an engaging story, and a jaw dropping finale, Avengers: Age of Ultron delivers on all fronts.

Verdict: 9/10.

Even if you just want a fun, sci-fi action movie, this is it. But for those fans who have been following the Marvel cinematic universe thus far, it all pays off here. This is an absolute must-see, and a fantastic kick off of the 2015 summer blockbuster season.

There is one more thing worth mentioning. Marvel has earned a reputation for their post-credits teaser scenes. Age of Ultron is an exception to this rule. There is a mid-credits scene, but nothing at the end of the credits, as is the norm.

Source: hypable.com

Top 5 Most Entertaining Cheat Codes

(Originally posted on ForcedFable.com)

Cheaters never prosper, so they say. Even so, cheat codes have always been a fun way to get more out of your video games, whether you've mastered the game, or you can't get past level one. I've never shied away from cheat codes. They're a great way to get more entertainment out of games that you just don't want to put down. On that note, here are my top 5 most entertaining cheat codes.

NOTE: I've intentionally ignored easy picks like the Konami Code, because first, it's way too obvious. And second, this is about having the most fun, not which codes are the most famous.

5. Resident Evil 2: Play as Tofu

The early Resident Evil games were made to be beaten over and over. After one or two playthroughs, many players can easily conquer the games in little more than two hours, if not less. Capcom definitely took advantage of this fact and gave expert players plenty of incentives to replay the game. Each game has plenty to unlock, so long as the player meets certain requirements. Many unlocks involve conquering the game 5+ times and within certain time requirements. Or with the fewest saves possible.

Unfortunately, some of us aren't that good. So, lucky for us, Capcom saw fit to include cheat codes in the Nintendo 64 port of Resident Evil 2. The cheat code below allows you to play through an alternate story as “Tofu.” That's right: an actual block of tofu. The food. With a knife. Words can’t do this cheat justice, so here’s an example:

The Code:

From the Load menu (N-64 only): Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Left, Right, Right, L, R, C-Up, C-Left, C-Down, C-Right

Source: GameTrailers.com

4. GTA 3: Tank you very much

The game that revitalized the GTA series and, quite frankly, open world games as we know it, was riddled with fun cheat codes. Almost any fan of the game that you talk to will reminisce about the same memory: taking turns spawning a tank and storming the streets of Liberty City, seeing how long you can last until the cops mow you down. The controller changes hands, rinse and repeat.

It may be a very dated game by today's standards, and cheat codes in later sandbox games have definitely pushed the boundaries of fun and idiocy, but this will always be one of the fondest cheat code memories I'll ever have. Still one of the most fun to play, too.

The Code:

Spawn a Tank: Circle (6), R1, L2, L1, Triangle, Circle, Triangle

Source: YouTube.com

3. GTA V: I believe I can fly

If you get bored playing Grand Theft Auto V, chances are you play it too much. This game is jam packed with activities, varied locations, and an immense online mode that dwarfs the single player experience.

That said, this cheat combination will remind you just how fun (and beautifully crafted) this game is. Start out anywhere on the map by entering the "5 minute invincibility" cheat for full effect. Next, enter "Skyfall". You'll be warped to the top of the sky, and you can glide to your heart's content. It's a great way to get around the map too!

The Code(s):

Enter these cheat codes anywhere during gameplay:

5 Minute Invincibility:

Playstation 3 and 4: Right, X, Right, Left, Right, R1, Right, Left, X, Triangle

Xbox 360 and One: Right, A, Right, Left, Right, RB, Right, Left, A, Y

Skyfall:

Playstation 3 and 4: L1, L2, R1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1, L2, R1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right 

Xbox 360 and One: LB, LT, RB, RT, Left, Right, Left, Right, LB, LT, RB, RT, Left, Right, Left, Right

Source: YouTube.com

2. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: The Invisible Man/Woman

This hilarious bit of entertainment isn't so much a cheat code as it is a game exploit that was never fixed. The glitch allows the player to essentially make themselves totally invisible, rendering the guards completely ignorant of any actions you take. Makes the Gray Fox mask you worked so hard to obtain entirely useless.

The “cheat” itself specifically uses the item duplication glitch or, better explained, what you end up using it for. Sure, you could duplicate 1000 watermelons off a cliff…

…but why do that when you could stab guards, and watch them search in vain for the invisible assailant?

The Explanation (Code/Cheat):

Step 1: Obtain at least two copies of the same scroll. If you have more than two, that's the number of items that will be duplicated.

Step 2: In your inventory, click the scrolls once.

Step 3: Highlight, but DO NOT CLICK, the item to be duplicated, and drop it.

Step 4: Exit your inventory. The duplicated items will appear in front of you.

Step 5: Acquire a scroll of Invisibility, and a Grand Soul Gem.

Step 6: Duplicate the Grand Soul Gem, and use them to enchant any four pieces of clothing with Invisibility, and equip them. You will become 100% invisible, and guards won't notice anything you do. (You also won’t appear on screen at all)

And my #1 most entertaining cheat code is…

Saints Row 2: Madness in the streets

One of my favorite open world games to this day is still Saints Row 2. The game offers the player so much to do that you can easily spend countless hours taking over the city of Stillwater. After you win the day and the credits roll however, there's significantly less to do that you haven't already conquered.

Until you activate cheat codes.

Saints Row 2 offers some of the most enjoyable cheat codes in a sandbox game that I have yet to experience. There's one combination that guarantees a good time: by entering the cheat code "evil cars," the player suddenly becomes the target of every driver's pent up road rage. The whole world becomes one gigantic game of chicken, with no one budging.

Sound enticing enough to try? What about this: enter the code for "raining pedestrians," and watch the bodies rain. Literally. Want to combine laughs? Try this right after pedestrian rain: enter "heaven bound" and laugh as the bodies that rained from the sky hit the ground, and begin a slow ascension skyward.

There are plenty of other cheat codes to add that make this scenario even more fun, but be warned: adding too many cheats does tend to crash the game. If you're feeling gutsy, throw in "moon gravity" for some more fun!

The Code(s):

Pause the game, and go to the “phone.”

Type in the following numbers, and hit "send."

NOTE: This works on all consoles

You will need the “#” with each one.

Heaven Bound: #12

Raining Pedestrians: #20

Evil Cars: #16

Moon Gravity: #18

Source: GiantBomb

You can find countless Web sites and code books from NES to PS4. Everyone has their favorites, and these ones are mine. They may not be the best, or most helpful, but they’re definitely among the most enjoyable.

What about you? What cheat codes have made you laugh yourself to tears, or even just helped you beat a game you were struggling with?

WHERE'S MY SEQUEL?! - Freedom Fighters

I'M ALIVE!!! I promise! Sadly my weekly updates have gone by the wayside. Outside of work, my hobbies, exercise, etc. got a little stagnant, so the past few months have been super lazy. But I think it's time to shake off the winter ice and get right back into it!

I wanted to start with a new segment: Where's my sequel?!

(Originally posted on ForcedFable.com)

In a market oversaturated with fourth, fifth, sixth entries in a franchise, and many series even becoming annual releases, it got me thinking: what about the best games from the previous generations that never got sequels, but absolutely deserved them? Many of them even set themselves up for a sequel. There's been one on my mind since I first played it back on 2003: Freedom Fighters.

Source: Wikipedia

If you're unfamiliar, Freedom Fighters is a third person squad based shooter for GameCube, Xbox, PS2, and PC. The story centered around Chris Stone, a New York plumber who takes up arms in the wake of a Soviet invasion of America. Think Mario meets Red Dawn meets Homefront, except fun. 

The core gameplay wasn't earth shattering; aim gun at bad guy, shoot, repeat. But where the game truly shined was the ability to command squads of up to twelve of your fellow New Yorkers across the battlefield. The player could individually tell them to attack, defend a point, or follow. Alternately, you could just send all twelve wildly into combat in a blaze of gunfire. Freedom Fighters also featured competitive multiplayer, allowing up to four players each to command up to six soldiers, in a capture-the-flag free for all.

So why a make a sequel?

SPOILER ALERT: At the end of the game...the good guys win. Shocker, I know. But even in the wake of their victory, Chris sits, disheartened by the knowledge that the Soviets will be back someday "...with bigger guns, and more soldiers."

More or less, the story wraps up nicely enough, but is easily open enough for a bigger war, or even a counter attack by America, with Chris leading the charge. But why haven't we seen a sequel yet? Well, it's certainly not for lack of interest. In 2010, when being interviewed about the upcoming release of Kane & Lynch 2, game director Karsten Lund was asked about a sequel, and simply stated, "No comment." Later, Io-Interactive stated in a tweet in July 2011 that "It's definitely something a lot of us are interested in doing. But right now, the focus is on Hitman: Absolution."

Source: Twitter

The pitch:

Maybe it's for the best that we haven't seen a sequel yet. If the past has shown us anything, it's that the PS2/Xbox/GC generation didn't allow for a massive amount of growth in terms of unique sequels. I'm no game developer, but given that I've beaten Freedom Fighters more times than I can count, here's what I believe we would need from the sequel.

1. Keep it third person, but don't make it a cover-based Gears of War clone.

Army of Two is very fun. In fact it's one of my favorite “couch co-op” game(s) in recent memory. But when I'm describing it, all I can say is "it plays exactly like Gears of War." Every shooter on the market now gets compared to one of the giants: Gears, CoD, or Halo. Freedom Fighters was made before the dawn of cover based shooting, and the sequel should stay that way.

Source: Shacknews

2. Focus on one feature instead of trying to change the genre.

This is somewhat similar to point one. Don't clone. But if you're going to innovate, do so with one key feature that really blows people away. Freedom Fighters kept bringing me back through the entire campaign, time and time again, because of the immense battles towards the end. Watching your soldiers slowly progress through the battlefield, entirely under your control, was extremely rewarding. But if you weren't into standing somewhere high and barking out orders, you still had the option to charge in yourself.

Here’s an idea that isn’t outright cloning: The player could have up to 12 soldiers follow them at a time (a la the original), but could also guide smaller squads of 1 to 6 soldiers, via a radio/map system, in real time. Inspiration could be drawn from the original Ghost Recon, in which the player could drop out to a map, and order Squad B to various points. Freedom Fighters 2 could use a similar mechanic, but utilizing a physical map, and not moving to a new screen, keeping the player engaged and in the moment.

Concept of what the player might see while ordering soldiers in-combat
(illustration courtesy of the author)

There were several games in the PS2/Xbox era that attempted to fuse FPS and RTS mechanics together, ultimately failing because they spread themselves much too thin. For Freedom Fighters 2 to avoid this, the features would need to be seamless, and logical. Having Chris kneel down, pull out a radio and a map gives the player more urgency to make good decisions quickly, and get right back into the action. 

3. Don't focus on online multiplayer. Keep it single-player focused.

There's no shortage of online shooters for those who are looking, so why crowd the market with a half-assed single player campaign, and a semi-decent online multiplayer? In the great words of Ron Swanson, “Don’t half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing.” Games like Halo and Gears of War have proven that in a multiplayer focused market, there's still room for story.

The PS3 exclusive M.A.G. had a great concept: Set the stage for a massive fight, where some players give the orders, and some do the fighting. But the concept can easily fall flat for a number of reasons. A game can promise 200+ player battles, but that doesn't mean you'll get that experience every time. With Chris being the protagonist, and everyone wanting to be the protagonist, who would be the one following orders as opposed to giving them? The concept of unique multiplayer beyond just shooting each other would be too hard to pull off without interfering with the single player story.

4. Keep it modern day, not near future.

Near future tech games are a growing trend. Everywhere you look there are mechs, drones, cloaking suits, and overcomplicated HUDs that serve to show how kick ass the future can be so long as we keep drinking our Mountain Dew and stuffing our faces with Dorito’s. Freedom Fighters is all about a ragtag group of rebels, fighting with whatever they could get their hands on. To make this sequel a near future tech-heavy Michael Bay movie would absolutely destroy the feeling of "Holy cow, this could actually happen!"

Source: speed-new.com

With the newest generation of game consoles in full swing, we're starting to see how powerful they can really be. It's time for that to be put to the test. Games have been able to pull off large scale battles before, but that has never been the key focus of a shooter. Freedom Fighters 2 could change the way single player shooters are seen, and blow us all away. It just needs to get made.

TGLVG: DmC: Devil May Cry

DmC: Devil May Cry

2013, Rated M (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

A brief history:

Back in 2001, Capcom released the original Devil May Cry for Playstation 2, which followed the story of the snarky white haired demon hunter and half demon protagonist Dante. Praised for it's stylized combat, and punishing difficulty, the series saw the eventual release of three more games. The third game introduced the character Vergil, Dante's half demon twin brother, as the main antagonist.

Overall, the series saw great success, especially with Devil May Cry 3, and slightly less so with 4, when the series made the leap to the Xbox 360. But in 2010, it was revealed that hack-n-slash game developer Ninja Theory, famous for the equally devilishly difficult Ninja Gaiden series, was now holding the reins, and planning a full series reboot titled simply "DmC". At the 2010 Tokyo Game Show, a teaser trailer was released, which outraged fans when they got their first glimpse at the new younger, short black haired Dante. Long time fans cried foul, protesting that Ninja Theory was trying too hard to appeal to the "Twilight crowd".

But, when the game was released in January of 2013, critics raved, praising the new combat mechanics, and the stunning visuals. DmC averaged an outstanding 8.5 / 10 in basically every review. But despite these glowing accolades, the game didn't sell close to what it deserved. Fans were still too set in their ways to bother trying the game, and sales suffered for it.

I myself have been a long time fan of the series, and despite initially amid the crowd of "I don't like Dante's new look"ers, I found the game for cheap, and decided to give it a try. And holy crap am I glad I did!

Story: 8/10

Don't worry, I won't be spoiling anything that you don't learn within the first half hour of gameplay, but here is a brief rundown of the game's basic plot:

Dante is a hedonistic a-hole. He spends his days hunting and killing demons, and his nights sleeping with strippers, and drinking. But everything quickly changes when a large demon tracks him down and sucks him into Limbo, the world of the demons, parallel to our own. Here he meets a human girl, Kat, who helps him escape, and takes him to her boss, a mysterious figure named Vergil, the leader of a "terrorist" organization known as "The Order", hellbent on ending the life of the demon king Mundus, a demon posing as a businessman, who for years has been controlling the human race through brainwashing and manipulation.

The story has never been a big part of the past games. It has always been there, but it was never the reason that fans bought the games. This game, however, has a movie-worthy story. Whereas past games would provide a cutscene every three or four levels, giving you a feeling of "Oh right, I forgot there was a story...", DmC starts and ends every level with story related scenes, as well as dialogue throughout the levels.

I'd love to give the story a perfect 10, but I do have to say I was pretty disappointed with how thrown in the "twist" ending felt. Again, no spoilers, but the final conflict before the credits roll felt like it could have been further hinted at throughout the story. That said, I loved actually caring about every character, even so far as feeling brief, fleeting moments of pity for Mundus himself.

Gameplay: 10/10

It's safe to say that when it comes to difficult games, I'm not good. Given the chance, I'll always play a game on easy mode first, because I like to relax when playing video games, rather than become frustrated. This is the main reason that I was very hesitant to first purchase the game. Not only does the Devil May Cry series as a whole have a strong reputation as a very difficult series, but the addition of Ninja Theory as the new development team meant to me that the spike in difficulty would be too much to bear.

Well, I was dead wrong. Granted, thus far I've only beaten the game on it's easiest of the three initial difficulty settings, the game is challenging, but if you're looking for a fight, avoid the easiest mode at all costs. I can't often (if ever) say that I've been able to beat a game without dying, but I am able to say that in this case.

But don't let this deter you. Another trope of the series is the amount of unlockable difficulty settings. All said, DmC has seven different difficulties to try, ranging from "Human" (easy mode, basically made for those who want to experience the story with little challenge), all the way to "Heaven or Hell" (a remixed mode, enemies die in one hit, but so do you), and even "Hell or Hell" (enemies have normal health, but you die in one hit). The game is short, my first play through taking about 6 hours, but it's meant to be played multiple times, and to be mastered. The reward of playing the harder difficulties is the satisfaction you get from being able to take out a room full of enemies without being touched, all while pulling off stylistic attacks an combos. And oh my, are those fun to pull off. And on that note, let's talk about the combat. 

Fans of the series will remember Dante's main weapons: His sword "Rebellion", and his twin pistols "Ebony and Ivory". They're definitely there, but I don't think I used them much until the very end of the game. The game's combat is made truly intricate and in-depth by the introduction of Dante's half-demon-half-angel heritage, and the discovery of his Angel and Demon themed weapons.

Pressing the attack button has Dante strike with his sword. But holding the left shoulder button and pressing the same attack has him use his Angel weapon, a blue glowing scythe that attacks fast and wide, but much weaker. Holding the right shoulder button instead wields the Demon weapon, a powerful red axe that hits like a freight train, but is very slow. Certain enemies can only be hurt with certain weapons, but players can switch freely between all three weapons to create unending combos of destruction and chaos. Throughout the game's 20 missions, I didn't have a single mission go by where I didn't outwardly celebrate a new, previously undiscovered combo of death.

Presentation: 10/10

I am a strong proponent of the belief that video games are a form of art, or at the very least artistic expression. And in my case to prove it, I present this game as Exhibit A. The majority of the game takes place within Limbo, a variant of the real world where demons dwell. Whenever a new area is introduced, the player is treated with a cutscene displaying the change from the real world to Limbo, and these scenes left my jaw on the floor. The colors vary from rich oranges and blues, to a later level that presents segments of the area like drawings on a chalk board, representing your pre-rehearsed plan of action. 

Every level is entirely unique, and not a single moment feels recycled. All previous games in the series had utilized backtracking in immense quantities. DmC has you backtrack once, for about five minutes. Other than that brief (and frankly understandable) moment, every single setpiece is totally fresh. Combined with the controls, which allow you to push/pull pieces of the environment in order to traverse the layout, your eyes will never be bored.

Replay Value: 7/10

As mentioned earlier, a large factor of replayability in the DMC games has always been the ever-escalating difficulties that are unlocked with each playthrough. With many of them come changes in enemy behavior, and remixes of the levels themselves. This is a great bonus for those looking for a challenge, and a justifiable reason for the story mode being so brief, taking anywhere from 6-8 hours to complete. 

Each mission also contains collectibles, such as "lost souls" which are scattered through each level, keys to unlock bonus stages, and of course the bonus stages themselves, which reward you with increased health, or other similar prizes. These can be fun or infuriating. The race bonus stages are fairly poorly put together, but the combat stages provide a high amount of satisfaction when accomplished. One such stage has Dante facing a room full of enemies, whom he must defeat without being touched by any of them.

Completing various levels or tasks within unlocks concept art, and completing the story mode unlocks costumes, and further difficulties. But as for whether or not any of this is really worth it, my verdict only if you're looking for a challenge that will kick your ass several times over.

There are a few fun nods to the past games...

Final Score: 9/10

Buy this game. It's that simple. I found my copy for $10, which is slightly less than the average price for it now, and it is worth every penny. The combat is challenging but extremely rewarding, and the story is engaging, and will leave you wanting more.

BONUS - Downloadable Content:

Given that this game has been out for just shy of two years, there has been a DLC add on released. As of now I have yet to play it, but for those who enjoyed the story, the DLC follows Vergil immediately after the main story ends.

There are also three skin packs for Dante's weapons, and a costume pack, all of which aren't really worth your money. Your weapons move so fast that glimpsing the weapons won't happen often enough to make the weapon skins worth it, but the costumes are honestly up to your discretion. Personally, I'm a fan of aesthetic changes to characters, but they can all be unlocked in game, if you've got the guts.

TGLM: The 10-Movie Actor Challenge #1

Today I'll be trying something new. A few months ago, I was posed a challenge by one of my faithful readers: Review ten movies that all starred the same actor. This series is a long time coming, but, as I found out, it is surprisingly hard to come up with an actor I've seen in at least ten movies. That said, let's take a look at some ground rules before we dive in:

1 - The actor's appearance must be in a starring role. Cameos do not count, but antagonist/villain/partner roles do.

2 - Television shows and short films do not count, but to mix things up, video game appearances are allowed.

3 - If the actor is in a series, it will only count as one appearance. (e.g. Terminator 1 through 3 only counts as one movie for Arnold Schwarzenegger)

4 - Movies or other material that I've reviewed in the past can be used, though I'll try to avoid this when possible.

The rules have been established, and the challenge posed. So let's kick off the 10-movie actor challenge with our first contestant...

Will Ferrell

Zoolander (2001)
Starring alongside protagonist Ben Stiller, Ferrell plays the unforgettable villain and fashion mogul Jacobi Mugatu. Zoolander led the ranks of early 2000's star-studded comedies, standing out largely due to it's ridiculous plot, involving a male modeling political conspiracy that stretched as far back as the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

In terms of Will Ferrell roles, don't expect anything out of the ordinary. He's loud, obnoxious, makes funny faces, and has some of the movie's most quotable lines. It's exactly what you'd expect from him, in the best way possible.



Elf (2003)
In this now holiday classic, Ferrell plays the lead role of Buddy the Elf, a human who has lived his entire life in the presence and care of Santa Clause and his elves. But when Buddy grows up, towering over the tiny elves around him, he realizes he isn't quite as elf-ish as he once thought. So he journeys to New York City in order to find his birth dad, who resides on Santa's "naughty list", and convince him to change his ways and be "nice" once more.

As with Zoolander, expect typical Ferrell, but this time with a kid friendly twist. It's all here, the funny faces, quotable lines, and some gross out humor that cements his character as fully believable, and yet out of this world.



Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Self-obsessed, "good" looking, and on the top of his career path, this movie charts fictional news anchor Ron Burgundy's story of success, his hard fall to the bottom, and his attempts to climb back to the top.

As the pattern has begun to indicate, expect more funny faces, gross-out moments, and the most quotable lines from Ferrell's character. But, as Ron Burgundy himself says, he's nothing without his news team. His acting here does nothing to separate itself from his previous (or future) movies, unless you factor in his interactions with his star-studded cohorts. To me, it isn't so much his lines, as it is the whole news team's lines that stick in your head.



Kicking & Screaming (2005)
Phil Weston is a mild-mannered suburban dad, who cares deeply for his son, trying not to become the competition-obsessed neglectful father that his was. But when he strikes a wager with his dad (Robert Duvall) in order to get his son more play time on the little league soccer team, he is suddenly thrust into the world of competition he has avoided all his life.

While this family movie didn't earn any mind-blowing reviews, it remains one of my absolute favorite Will Ferrell movies. For about half of the movie, we get to see Ferrell in a role he isn't terribly accustomed to: a quiet, somber do-gooder. The movie has the best of both worlds, combining his goofy faces and shouting with a more subdued acting style, basically the opposite of what we've come to expect from him.



Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Harold Crick is the pinnacle of average. He goes to work, comes home, and keeps to himself, taking pride in his lack luster life. That is until he learns that he's the protagonist of a famous author's new book, via an unseen voice that only he can hear narrating his life.

This movie struck me fairly strongly the first time I watched it, mainly due to how much of a departure it was from Ferrell's typical mode of operation. He's still funny, but no longer due to the goofy faces and loud noises we've come to expect. For once, we see Ferrell playing a role that almost any actor could have played. While I enjoyed him in this movie, you could easily sub him out for any of a number of actors. (Jason Bateman, Jim Carrey, and Steve Carell all come to mind first) But that said, I love Ferrell in this role, mainly because of how unusual it is. This movie is absolutely worth a watch, if not a purchase.



Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Ricky Bobby, the most famous and unbeatable NASCAR driver behind the wheel, meets his match when French Formula 1 driver Jean Girard swoops in and quickly begins to steal his glory. Ricky's life and career begin to spiral out of control, as he must fight his way to the top once again.

Basically, this movie is Anchorman with race cars. I remember seeing this in theaters, and being disgusted by how advertisement-filled the entire movie is. At one point, it even cuts away for an entire Applebee's commercial as a gag. But upon later views, it becomes more apparent that the amount of ads within the movie IS the joke. This is especially apparent during the end credits and bloopers. That said, we get the same Farrell we're used to, a description I feel like I need a keyboard shortcut for at this point: Funny faces, loud noises, and the best quotable lines. However, I still thoroughly enjoy this movie. Just don't think too hard, and you'll get some laughs.



Step Brothers (2008)
Dale and Brennan, two 40-year-old slackers who still live with their parents, are forced to become step brothers when their parents marry each other.

Let's just get this out of the way quick: Funny faces, loud noises, quotable lines. Now then...the plot may sound simple and dumb, but this is one of my absolute favorite Will Ferrell movies. The chemistry between Ferrell and co-star John C. Reilly is much better than it was in Talladega Nights, possibly due to a smaller cast retaining the majority of focus. Either way, Ferrell is his typical comedic self. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?



The Other Guys (2010)
Starring alongside Mark Wahlberg, The Other Guys takes a new twist on the buddy cop / action comedy. The two decide to step up and be the heroes after the position of "hero" is left vacant by the sudden deaths of the typical burly super-cops.

As strange as it is to say, Ferrell takes a back seat to Wahlberg in this goofy action comedy. That said, Ferrell's approach is a bit outside the norm in this one, as it combines his normal wacky style with a subdued character, more akin to Kicking & Screaming. But talented as he is, the result is a memorable experience, one definitely worth multiple views. This movie is a must-see.



Everything Must Go (2010)
Nick Halsey is a former alcoholic, whose life causes him to relapse into his bad habits. In response, his wife kicks him out, dumping everything he owns onto the front lawn. Nick responds with laziness, choosing to live on the lawn. But when the police say he has to move, he decides to have a yard sale in order to have an excuse to stay where he is. But his neighbor's little boy befriends him, giving him a new viewpoint on his life.

This is definitely not your typical Ferrell. Much like Stranger Than Fiction, what we see here is a dark comedy that gives him a chance to show off more than just a funny face. The downside with these performances, however, is that while Ferrell can pull this role off, he doesn't do much to make you believe that he's the only actor who could do it. This movie is worth a watch, but it doesn't hold much that will bring you back to watch it time and again.



Megamind (2010)
With an origin story akin to that of Superman, the super villain Megamind is constantly at odds with his nemesis, the Man of Steel-esque hero, Metro Man. But when Megamind finally comes out on top, he's forced to rethink his goals. He's forced to ask himself a question he never thought of before: What do you do when you finally rule the world?

Lending his voice to this animated action / comedy, Ferrell brings his greatest strengths without subjecting viewers to the same funny faces we've seen countless times in the past. This family friendly movie by Dreamworks is absolutely worth multiple watches, and the stars that round out the voice cast hold their own along side the very recognizable voice of Ferrell.



Phew! That's a LOT of Will Ferrell. Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this new segment, and if you have an idea for an actor you'd like to see showcased, or if you have your own favorite Will Ferrell movie that I didn't mention above! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch something that doesn't involve funny faces and loud noises.