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.

Source

Jimmy Kimmel Tricks People With Fake iPhone 5

Here’s a man-on-the-street clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live that features a bunch of excited opinions on the iPhone 5. The problem is that Kimmel’s crew was showing the subjects an iPhone 4S. It’s pretty awesome to hear people say that it’s lighter, faster, better, etc. — especially those that claimed to own a 4S. While there are plenty of technically savvy people that use an iPhone, the ones in this video are fantastic examples of iSheep. Check out the video below and let me know what you think (please!). Continue reading “Jimmy Kimmel Tricks People With Fake iPhone 5”

Wii U Launches in America on November 18 For $299.99

Nintendo of America has announced the North American launch details for the Wii U console. Hitting store shelves on November 18, 2012, the Wii U Basic Set will be available for $299.99, while the Wii U Deluxe Set will be available for $349.99. Here are the differences between the two bundles according to Nintendo:

The Wii U Basic Set includes a white Wii U console with 8 GB of internal storage, one white GamePad controller, AC adapters for both the console and controller, a sensor bar and an HDMI cable. In the Wii U Deluxe Set, components are black. This bundle includes all elements from the Basic Set, as well as the Nintendo Land game, increased console storage capacity of 32 GB, a console stand, GamePad charging cradle and a stand that allows users to place the GamePad vertically on a table. Consumers who purchase the Deluxe Set also will be enrolled in the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which lets Wii U owners receive points for each digital download and redeem those points for future downloadable content from the Nintendo eShop. The promotion is currently planned through 2014.

As for the games, Nintendo listed a number of first-party and third-party titles that will be available within the Wii U’s launch window:

Additionally, Nintendo shared new information about dozens of games on the way for Wii U, including Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros.™ U, LEGO® City: Undercover, BAYONETTA 2, The Wonderful 101™, Capcom’s Monster Hunter™ 3 Ultimate and Activision’s Call of Duty®: Black Ops II. New Super Mario Bros. U offers unprecedented ways for friends and families to play together and explore Mario’s world using the GamePad. Nintendo Land, which will be available as a standalone game or included with the Wii U Deluxe Set, is a virtual theme park featuring a lineup of 12 playable attractions based on Nintendo’s greatest game worlds, including The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Mario™, Animal Crossing™ and Donkey Kong™.

The selection of third-party games on the way for Wii U will include some of the industry’s biggest names and most beloved franchises. Activision is set to bring several of its leading properties to Wii U during the launch window, including Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Skylanders Giants™ and TRANSFORMERS PRIME™. Other third-party games coming soon to Wii U include Assassin’s Creed® III, ZombiU™, Rayman Legends® and Just Dance® 4 from Ubisoft, Madden NFL 13 and Mass Effect™ 3 from Electronic Arts, Scribblenauts™ Unlimited and Batman: Arkham City™ Armored Edition from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two from Disney Interactive.

So there you have it! You know when it’s coming, you know what it will cost, and you know some of the games that will be available for the system. The question is, are any of planning to buy a Wii U? Why or why not?

Apple iPhone 5 Press Conference: Your Reactions

Apple just wrapped up a successful press conference for the iPhone 5. The presser lacked major surprises since most of the information was revealed through supply-chain leaks. Many Apple fans knew what was coming: four-inch screen, LTE radio, new aluminum-and-glass design, new connection dock, touch layer integrated on screen, EarPods, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure that the iPhone 5 will be a fantastic phone and I’m sure that millions of people will buy it, but were any of you amazed by the reveal? I want to hear your reactions to the iPhone 5 announcement. Please let me know what you think and if you plan on picking one up.

As for me, I love the construction and I’m looking forward to checking out the camera quality. It looks like Apple has raised the bar (again) for cameras on mobile phones. Aside from that, a lot of the features are underwhelming. The larger screen is too small for my liking and I’ve been accustomed to LTE speeds for well over a year. In a lot of ways, Apple was pushing 2011 features in 2012. Due to its rabid fan base and unsurpassed marketing, loads of Apple fans on Twitter were treating every feature announcement like it was the best thing ever.

I plan on picking up a white one for work purposes, but aside from the camera, I’m not really wowed by the iPhone 5. Again, I think it will be a great phone and the build quality will be top notch, but the competition has closed what was once an enormous gap in both hardware (love what HTC is doing) and software (Android Jelly Bean still works best for me). I suspect it’ll be great, but not amazing.

Now it’s your turn! Kindly share your thoughts on Apple’s iPhone 5 presser. Are you buying one? Black or white?

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.

Source

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?

10Terra Gives Your iPhone, iPad, or Nexus 7 Wood

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of mobile tech and eco-friendly products. I absolutely love when those two worlds collide. That’s the case with 10Terra, a company that’s raising money through Kickstarter for its eco-friendly cases for the iPhone, iPad, and Nexus 7. It’s offering bamboo cases (like my beloved Blackbox) and “eco-felt” sleeves. Here are some details from the pitch:

Bamboo is a beautiful, durable plant. Because of its rapid growth it’s an ideal material for sustainable products. Similar to bamboo flooring, our bamboo is carbonized, a process that creates the durability and exotic coloring bamboo is so well known for.

We have cases for iPad 2/3, the new Google Nexus 7, and we have two types of bamboo case for the iPhone 4/4S — two-tone and laser-engraved.

Eco-felt is 100% recycled material made from plastic water or soda bottles.

Our eco-felt cases are lightweight but durable. If you need to take more than just your iPad, but you’d like to take less than a bag, these will help you travel light.

When you have a chance, check out the video below and let me know if you’re interested in picking up one of 10Terra’s cases.

Today’s Poll: Brooklyn Nets Herringbone Floor

The Brooklyn Nets web site posted pictures of the herringbone-pattern basketball court at the new Barclays Center. The floor is unusual. I suspect that purists will think that it’s ugly, while modernists will admire its unique aesthetics. What do you think? Please vote in today’s poll and share your thoughts on the Brooklyn Nets’ court in the comments section!

[poll id=”163″]

Final Fantasy Dimensions (Not) Review After 54 Hours

So I’ve been meaning to write a proper review of Final Fantasy Dimensions for iOS. The problem is that the game is really long and really engrossing. I just started the fourth and final chapter this morning. My game clock at the end of the third chapter was a shade over 54 hours. I’ve maybe spent seven hours grinding to get certain abilities. Aside from a few spots where the random encounter rate was obnoxious, I’ve loved every minute of Final Fantasy Dimensions. Here’s a (not) review (and lots of screens) of three chapters and 54 hours of the game.

Final Fantasy Dimensions’ story is a straightforward JRPG tale. There’s an evil empire. The world is in peril. It’s up to you and your companions to stop the evil empire and make the world safe. What brings the story to life is the surprisingly fun, diverse, and well-written characters. Sol, for example, is your typical overanxious and youthful hero; unlike other games with overanxious and youthful heroes, Sol’s companions have no problem telling him that he’s an idiot. Alba seems like the sassy support character you’ve adventured with in countless games, but her lines are consistently funny and it’s later revealed that she’s much more than she seems. The characters archetypes are familiar to anyone that’s played several JRPGs, but they’re written in a way that makes them stand out and feel fresh.

[nggallery id=107]

The adventure hops back and forth between two parties of four — the Warriors of Light and the Warriors of Darkness. From a storytelling perspective, it keeps things interesting because there are two distinct, but related, adventures happening at the same time. You get to spend a chunk of time with one crew before adventuring with the other. From a gameplay perspective, each team has jobs that are unique to their party. So even though the core gameplay is the same for both, the powers and abilities exclusive to each side makes their respective battles feel distinct.

Fueling the battles is a slick version of the Final Fantasy job system. You can sculpt any character into any type of warrior you want them to be, though each character has stats that are better suited for particular jobs. There’s just a ton of depth and variety with the job system. You can craft a DPS warrior, a tank, a DPS mage, a support character, and any combination you can think of. You can go with straightforward jobs like warrior, black mage, and white mage. Or you can experiment with more esoteric classes like bard, dancer, and ranger. The ability to equip primary abilities and secondary abilities from other jobs your character has studied gives the game a ton of replay value. Old-school JRPG fans will have a blast playing around with the Final Fantasy Dimensions job system.

[nggallery id=108]

[nggallery id=109]

Fusion abilities add an extra twist to the customary job system. These abilities are discovered when a character uses an ability while its partner ability is equipped. For example, a white mage that casts “haste” and is armed with the bard’s “agility song” ability will discover the “hastega” fusion ability. The discovery happens randomly, with the only requirements being that one of the abilities has to be used while the other is equipped. This gameplay mechanic gives each character three layers of abilities: the primary abilities native to their active job, the secondary abilities that are chosen, and fusion abilities that permanently stay with the character once they’re learned. It’s another layer of depth and variety on top of a system that’s already deep and diverse.

So I’m digging the story and characters. I’m absolutely loving the gameplay system. When I wrote about the game in Coffee Talk #515, I mentioned that its music is wonderful. Everything is peachy, right? Not quite. I have some minor problems with Final Fantasy Dimensions. There are some stretches where the random encounter rate is annoying as hell. Sometimes the game won’t let you move for two seconds without triggering a random battle. There were a few occasions when I turned the game off because the random battles were pissing me off. The touchscreen d-pad can also be finicky (I’m playing on a 2012 iPad, btw), leading to imprecise movements. A couple of steps in the wrong direction coupled with an annoyingly high random encounter rate makes for some frustrating times in Final Fantasy Dimensions. That said, these issues are easily overlooked because the game excels in so many areas.

[nggallery id=110]

Final Fantasy Dimensions is an absolutely blissful game for old-school JRPG fans. It’s easily my favorite game of 2012 so far (keep in mind that I’m a total mark for the FF job system). When I’m not completely absorbed by the world of FFD, I find myself thinking about longtime Final Fantasy fans that haven’t enjoyed the last few installments in the series. Final Fantasy Dimensions is perfect for them. It offers many of the qualities that people love about the ’90s FF games. Even if the final chapter is utter crap (and I’m positive it won’t be), the 54 hours and three chapters I’ve played of Final Fantasy Dimensions have been delightful. To borrow a line from those old NBA commercials — I love this game!

[nggallery id=111]

[nggallery id=113]

[nggallery id=114]

[nggallery id=115]

[nggallery id=116]