Category: Videogames

Football Heroes = Tecmo Bowl + Beat ‘Em Up + RPG

Ever wish you could play an arcade football game like Tecmo Bowl that was infused with beat-’em-up action and RPG elements? That’s exactly what you’ll be playing with Football Heroes. Being developed by Run Games, a studio founded in 2011 by EA veterans Nathan Lazur and Michael Marzola, the game is set for release on Android and iOS some time in November 2012. The studio is seeking additional funds through Kickstarter. Check out the pitch video below for more details on and some gameplay footage of Football Heroes.

The game looks pretty sweet. Like many of you, I’m a huge fan of arcade sports games like Tecmo Bowl and NBA Jam. I love the retro graphics and gameplay shown in the video. As an RPG nerd, the special attacks and stats appeal to me too. Any of you interested in contributing to Football Heroes by Run Games?

Tyler “Tyler2k” Bustinza Talks Tekken

My Tekken Tag Tournament 2 interviews continue with Tyler Bustinza, also known as Tyler2K. A fixture in the Norther California Tekken scene, Tyler has a pair of Tekken sites that fans should check out: www.tyler2k.com and www.tyler2k.info. Known for his prowess with Sergei Dragunov, Tyler2K sometimes has problems against certain characters. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

Tekken is pretty balanced, so you can get destroyed by anything if you don’t see it coming or if you’re not expecting it. Interestingly, I didn’t like going up against Steve Fox in Tekken 6 because he had a lot of tools and he was pretty high-tier. In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, because he’s lost a lot of his gimmicky, crushing nonsense, he’s much easier for me to play against so I don’t mind facing him so much. It’s the same with Lars Alexandersson. He was pretty much a counter-pick for Dragunov in Tekken 6, but because they nerfed a lot of things for him he’s not so…for a lack of a better word, B.S. in Tekken Tag Tournament 2. In Tekken 6 it was definitely Steve and Lars that gave me a hard time, but in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 I don’t mind so much because they lost a lot of their nonsense. They’re still very good characters, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that they lost a lot of their nonsense again my character.

Check out the full interview over at PrimaGames.com when you have a chance (please)!

Dragon Age III: Inquisition Details Confirmed

BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah has written a blog post on Dragon Age III: Inquisition. Sadly, it has nothing to do with the lovely musical number from History of the World, Part I. Here’s some of what Darrah had to confirm:

  • The next game will be called Dragon Age III: Inquisition.
  • We won’t be talking about the story of the game today. Though you can make some guesses from the title.
  • This game is being made by a lot of the same team that has been working on Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins. It’s composed of both experienced BioWare veterans and talented new developers.
  • We are working on a new engine which we believe will allow us to deliver a more expansive world, better visuals, more reactivity to player choices, and more customization. At PAX East, we talked about armor and followers… Yeah, that kind of customization. We’ve started with Frostbite 2 from DICE as a foundation to accomplish this.

As a BioWare mark and a fan of the series, I can’t wait for Dragon Age III. While I understood the second installment’s shortcomings, I liked it quite a bit and felt that its criticisms were overblown. One area where the criticism is warranted is its graphics. The majority of BioWare games have had average, though not necessarily bad, graphics. Dragon Age was no exception. I’m looking forward to seeing what DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine (used in Battlefield 3) bring to the table.

The game is slated for a Q4 2013 release. Any of you psyched for Dragon Age III: Inquisition?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s not a lot out this week, but the quality should more than make up for the quantity. Borderlands 2 is set to pick up where the critically-acclaimed original left off. One of the most exciting and popular new franchises this console generation, Borderlands thrilled fans with RPG-infused action and a distinct art style. Fighting game aficionados will want to pick up the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set. In addition to the great games in the series, this bundle includes a documentary, soundtracks, an art book, and a statue of world warrior Ryu (it lights up!).

Any of you picking up new games this week?

5th Cell’s Run Roo Run (iOS) is Free and Universal

5th Cell is awesome. The company makes cool games and has a hot community manager. One of its latest titles, Run Roo Run, has been updated. This cute and challenging (at the later later levels) iOS game is now free and universal (just like me!). You should download it now because it’s free for the next week only and 5th Cell makes sweet stuff. After you’ve played for a bit, please let me know what you think of Run Roo Run in the comments section.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

In addition to my regularly scheduled Outernauts and Final Fantasy Dimensions time, I’m hoping to add a double dose of digitally downloaded games this weekend. First up is Double Dragon Neon. Justin and I checked out the game at E3 2012. It looked like good, old-school fun with a Zack Ryder-ish twist. Next is La Pucelle Tactics. I’m delighted that Mastiff has rereleased this Nippon Ichi tactical RPG. It rocked on the PS2 and I’m sure it will rock on PSN. RPGs that take place on isometric grids are awesome!

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Rene “Kor” Maistry Talks Tekken

My conversations with the authors of the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 strategy guide continue with Rene “Kor” Maistry. A two-time winner of the Evo Championship Series and frequent winner of MLG tournaments, Kor is one of the best players on the Tekken scene today. Here’s an excerpt of Kor talking about how his fighting style and character selection has changed with the series:

My style has actually evolved throughout the various Tekken games. I’ve changed from a defensive fighting style to an offensive fighting style. Now I’ve combined the two, using both defensive and offensive techniques, using something that’s a mix between the different fighting styles I’ve used.

I started out with Ganryu in Tekken 5. He was a great character for a defensive style. He’s great for being patient and waiting out your opponent’s mistakes. Then I moved over to Bob Richards in Tekken 6. He’s great for a very offensive style, where you make move after move against your opponent, forcing them to guess or block. I combined what I learned with those two characters and put them into Lars Alexandersson. You can be successful with him both as a defensive character and as an offensive character.

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Reepal “Rip” Parbhoo Talks Tekken

For the last week or so, I’ve been doing phone interviews with some of America’s top Tekken players for PrimaGames.com. Today, the first one has posted! The questions were all set, so it was pretty much the same chat with each guy, but the answers were pretty interesting. The Tekken community is one of the most vibrant of all fighting-game communities in America. The guys I spoke with are the leaders, the best of the best. Check out my chat with Reepal “Rip” Parbhoo from LevelUpYourGame. Here’s an excerpt:

I’m a turtle. That means I play more defensively. I like to let my opponents make mistakes and capitalize on them. Lately I’ve been trying to add more offense to my game, because it’s hard to be correct on your defense 100 percent of the time. Generally, I play the game defense first.

I started playing this way because of the players brought up around me. I got to play with a lot of legends in the Southern California Tekken scene. The character that I was using, Marshall Law, had a lot of good tools to utilize as a turtle. That’s what my gameplay style developed around.

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iNiS and Square Enix Team Up For Demons’ Score

Flying teddy bears, distressed damsels with machine guns, and demonic inhabitants of an asylum — all of that and more is going on in Demons’ Score. This on-rail shooter is being publishing by Square Enix for Android and iOS. It’s being developed by iNiS, the company behind the outstanding Ouendon and the excellent Elite Beat Agents. Demons’ Score combines gameplay from iNiS’ music-rhythm games, a survival-horror feel, and music by several renowned Japanese videogame-music composers (Naoshi Mizuta, Keiichi Okabe, and Yoko Shimomura). Check out the intro movie and tutorial below.

As a big fan of iNiS, flying teddy bears, and cute girls with machine guns, I’m really looking forward to Demons’ Score. Any of you interested in this game?