Joystiko

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T10:43:00.000+08:00

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FREE Comic Book Day!

2011-05-02T09:49:00.001+08:00

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2011 is SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011 at Comic Odyssey's ROBINSONS GALLERIA branch. This year is the 10th Anniversary of Free Comic Book Day and it promises to be the biggest one yet!

Aside from the yearly FCBD sponsored comics, Comic Odyssey will also be giving away thousands and thousands of comics from their own backstock going back 15-20 years. They will also be holding their annual FCBD SALE...their BIGGEST SALE of the YEAR! Save up to 50% OFF all graphic novels, hardcovers, action figures, manga, and more.

PLUS all back issues in our bins will be only Php 50.00 each!!! Our Back Issue bins will be fully restocked for FCBD.

For more info and a peek at the confirmed Artist Guest List, please click here.

HATAW sa Summer KOMIKON!

2011-04-10T11:40:00.001+08:00

Payatas Highschool needs YOUR Help!

2011-04-02T00:00:00.000+08:00

The GREATEST MAN on the INTERNET

2011-01-10T07:01:00.000+08:00

The GREATEST MAN on the INTERNET is coming to sign your COMICS!

Happening January 29 at 9:00 PM, Saturday - January 30 at 2:00 AM, Sunday at Sputnik located at Shop 60 Cubao Expo Gen. Romulo Ave. in Cubao, Philippines.

Confirm your attendance at the event's Facebook Page.

Date a VIXEN! Get Enduranz

2011-01-08T09:36:00.002+08:00

Enduranz is giving you a chance to date your favorite Vixen! Watch Karen as she tells you the easy steps to win that dream date!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T10:32:00.001+08:00

Joystiko Mix #2

2010-10-15T03:08:00.007+08:00

Off to another edition of Joystiko Mix, And this time we'll be talking about Gran Turismo, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd and Star Wars: Force Unleashed .

*Not long ago, Gran Turismo head honcho Kazunori Yamauchi and his team at Polyphony Digital apologized yet again for another Gran Turismo 5 delay.

Yamauchi apparently tweeted his apology saying that "Everyone, it's inexcusable, wait a little longer".

Fans if the series might recall that Gran Turismo 5 was first unveiled to the public on 2006 with the team coming up with GT 5:Prolouge to satiate gamer appetites.

*Capcom's Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (MHP3)returns with a number elements straight from it's predecessor Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii. MHP 3 also has its own unique elements like the capability to bring along 2 Felyn companions this time, a number of monsters unique to it and of course new gear to bust those aforementioned monsters around.

MHP3 should come around December this year but the demo's out featuring 9 character presets and 2 new monsters to play with. Download the demo here (special thanks to our friends at the HobbyBox for this one).

*And rounding up our mix today is an awesome video for Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2 featuring some nifty dual-light saber wielding action!

Video Games | The Force Unleashed II | Xbox 360 Demo Gameplay: Part III

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Joysiko Mix #1

2010-10-13T03:46:00.000+08:00

We're gonna start off into a new format starting this week: Joystiko Mix which will feature update and news bits from all over the video gaming world. And that's on top of our crazy articles by the way. And since it's about time for Halloween, we'll gonna take a look at a couple of excellent horror games this side of town.

*First off, A Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (is it me or does 'FTW' is already 'for the win') update with more characters joining the fray: Arthur and Nathan "RAD" Spencer (Bionic Commando), Sir Arthur (Ghost and Goblins), and Albert Wesker (Resident Evil) at Capcom's side while it's gonna be Marvel's Magneto, M.O.D.O.K.(holy!), and symbiote suit Spider-Man for Marvel.

Video Games | Marvel vs Capcom 3: FTW | NYCC 10: Gameplay Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

*Next up, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was released a few days back and its been receiving rave reviews since, totally discounting the fact that there were 2 previous 3D Castlevania games from the PS2. Check out just one of the reviews courtesy of Kotaku here.

*And just in time for Halloween, the classic Namco horror action title 'Splatterhouse' makes it debut on the next-gen systems (PS3, Xbox 360). If you love the original Splatterhouse (which at the time was revolutionary,thanks to its anti-hero) then expect tons of blood and entrails to be spilled on this one. Check out more mean screenies here.

That's all for now on Joystiko mix. More to come!

Dissidia's (awkwardly named) Sequel

2010-10-07T03:45:00.001+08:00

Dissidia: Final Fantasy sequel, awkwardly named: 'Duodecim' will be released early 2011 in Japan with a Western released confirmed not long after.

Dissidia is the single, most epic Final Fantasy crossover series ever, featuring characters, places and elements throughout the series' history. 'Duodecim' continues where the first one left off and fans (yours truly included) of Square-Enix's cross-over, hybrid fighting game should expect more action courtesy of Lightning from Final Fantasy XII and Cain Highwind from Final Fantasy VI and...wait for it... Tifa of Final Fantasy VII!

Got your mouth watering? What are you waiting for? Watch the trailer now!

9 (Infamous and) Memorable Video Game Cartoons

2010-10-02T03:07:00.000+08:00

First up, we'll be talking about cartoons, video games cartoons at that. We would have to discuss video game anime next time so be patient young grasshoppers.

So without further ado, this is Joystiko's 9 choice(Infamous and) Memorable Video Game Cartoons, in no particular order after the page jump

1.Super Mario Super Show/Zelda - One of the more entertaining video games turned cartoon series of all time with live-action sequences from former pro-wrestler 'Captain' Lou Albano (R.I.P.). The show was succesful enough to spawn a second season which came with a Legend of Zelda cartoon.

2. Captain N the Game Master - a rare cross-over cartoon which features Kevin a kid trapped in an alternate dimension where largely altered characters from popular Nintendo Entertainment System games such as Kid Icarus, Megaman/Rockman and Simon Belmont from Castlevania rub elbows with each other. Video game companies back then apparently have not yet declared war on each other back then, hence this cartoon.

3.Sonic the Hedgehog - No where near his anime counterpart but lovable nontheless, the American version of Sonic the Hedgehog follows simple plots and a lesson-for-the-week format that's hard to find in cartoons these days.

4.Double Dragon - the cartoon deviates from the original game waaaaaay too far with Billy and Jimmy wielding swords and power armor while battling cybernetic foes(what happened to Abobo?). It would have been better if they removed they renamed the series altogether, then it could have been recognized as an awesome 90's cartoon that looks like a 80's throwback. Forget about the live action movie for this one. It doesn't make sense.

5.Megaman - close but it doesn't take the cake. The Megaman in this stand alone cartoon is better than his Captain N version but still pales in comparison with their Japanese counterpart.

6. Street Fighter - a decent Street Fighter rendition were Guile is the focal character instead of Ryu (which is always the case for Western countries). If by any chance you have seen this in its entirety, I urge you to hunt down the TV anime (Street Fighter V) and the animated movie.You'll know after watching those that aside from both are infinitely awesome, Ryu and Ken not portrayed as lovers.

7.Pac Man - is a game. Pac-man is a cartoon. Pac-man is pop culture. THERE.

8. Earthworm Jim - it's hard to tell whether the cartoon or the video game came first but whatever's the case, Earthworm Jim is still surprisingly entertaining and faithful to the game.

9.Pokemon- It's hard not to include Pokemon in this list considering that it was an anime before it became a sanitized cartoon when it came to the West. Still, Pokemon is a phenomenon and worth the mention as one of the cartoons that thought the value of collecting to children the world over.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Nintendo 3DS

2010-10-01T03:38:00.000+08:00

Awryt it's Joystiko's 100th post and what better way to commemorate it than with some good news.

Jump in for more details!
Nintendo has announced that the 3DS would be available in Japan on February 2011 for 250,000 yen which is about $300, the price of a brand new Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.

The specs (courtesy of The MagicBox) are as follows:

* Dimension: 134x74x21mm
* Weight: 230g
* Display Top: 800x240 pixels, 3.53" wide screen with naked eye 3D support
* Display Bottom: 320x240 pixels, 3.02"
* Camera: One side camera, Two outside cameras, 0.3MP (640x480)
* Wireless: 2.4GHz WPA/WPA2 1EEE802.11, Surechaigai (Tag Mode)
* Input: A,B,X,Y,L,R, D-Pad, Start/Select, Slide Pad Analogue Input, Touch Panel, Microphone, Camera, Motion Sensor, Gyro Sensor
* Other: 3D Volume (Adjust 3D output), Home Button, Wireless Switch, Power Button
* Connection: Card Slot, SD Card Slot, AC Adapter, Charge Connection, Headphone Connection
* Game Card: 3DS Game Cards, same size as DS cards, maximum 2GB at launch (can be upgraded in future)

The system will initially be available in 2 colors: Cosmos Black and Aqua Blue. The basic package will include: system itself, a charging stand, AC adapter, touch pen, 2GB SD memory card, 6 AR Cards for camera, starter guide and instructions.

Game Trailers gives us an overview video of the system:

Video Games | Nintendo 3DS | NC 10: Japanese System Overview Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Aside from the already promising features such as the front tandem camera and controls layout, what I'm most impressed about the 3DS is it's wi-fi interactivity: some video games like Street Fighter IV 3D would let you go against other players even when you're not actively playing the game. The system can apparently store ghost data which could be used to go up against an active or another inactive player when your systems are in close proximity of each other.

So what's not to like about the 3DS?

Highlights from the First CEBU Comics Convention!

2010-09-27T19:41:00.002+08:00

Video games are good for you

2010-09-25T03:27:00.001+08:00

There has been an on-going debacle on whether video games are good for anything other than entertainment. Now there's proof that video games ARE good for you.

First, I'd like to pint out that not all video games are 'shoot-and-kill' games.Through the years, educational video games have been used to teach children how to count, spell and improve hand-eye coordination.

A recent article from Kotaku cites a study being conducted by the Center for Vision Research at the York University in Canada proved that subjects acquired improved hand-eye coordination after playing video games that involve a lot of Psychomotor skills. This was found out after having the subjects examined under a MRI scanner (rather than during gameplay), showing that brain activity increased even after the subjects have finished playing video games.

Another study, this time conducted by the University of Rochester in New York have yielded rather fascinating findings: that people who play video games, especially fast-paced action/shooter games, have improved decision making and team playing skills compared to those who play casually. Those who play real time strategy games on the other hand have better resource handling and multi-tasking skills than those who play other types of games. Starcraft 2 anyone?

So next time someone criticizes you that you're playing too much video games, think again. Now you can really say that video games are good for you.

Tekken Tag 2 or "Like I'd actually team up with you!"

2010-09-23T02:03:00.000+08:00

One of the biggest announcements from the recently concluded Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is a game that fans have been wishing for so long:

Tekken Tag Tournament 2! The King of Tag Team Fisticuffs is back in full next-gen glory! Jump in for the debut trailer. Now!

Yes fight fans, we'll be getting Tekken Tag 2 before we get our hands on Street Fighter x Tekken. The trailer shows old-school Tekken Tag action but with a few more twists added in like new tag moves and tag attacks.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is scheduled for a summer 2011 release on Japanese arcades with a worldwide release expected to follow soon.

Tokyo Game Show Roundup

2010-09-21T03:20:00.000+08:00

The Tokyo Game Show's (TGS) over and boy, what a show it was. Aside from the big video game revelations, there's the uber-cute TGS booth girls and hands-on demos of course.

Here's a roundup of things to come for the last quarter of 2010 after the jump:

So you've probably heard about Devil May Cry getting a reboot but that's just icing on the cake.

Game Trailers provided us with some of their eagerly anticipated games, most of which we have featured not too long ago like Ni no Kuni, Catherine, Deus Ex, SF x Tekken, Metal Gear Solid Rising.

Among the new things revealed were two Final Fantasy games Final Fantasy Versus XII and Final Fantasy Dissisia 2: Duodecim both of which are expected to redeem the franchise after a not so good reception to the main game.

What is really surprising is the announcement of Shadows of the Damned, the latest from Shinji Mikami (director of the luscious Bayonetta and Devil May Cry) and Suda7 (of Killer 7 fame). Shadows of the Damned promises to be a third person shooter like no one has ever seen before and with those two guys on the helm then that might be an understatement.

Team Ico's entry into the next gen wagon, The Last Guardian on the other hand promises to be what the company has delivered throughout: slow, plot-driven but otherwise beautiful games.

Video Games | GT Countdown | TGS 10: Top 10 Anticipated Games of Tokyo Game Show

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Still more announcements from TGS. Hold your breath now!
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 gonna come summer of 2011
-Monster Hunter Portable 3rd coming this December will feature stuff from Metal Gear Solid.
-a slew of mecha games with the likes of Virtual On Force, Front Mission Evolved, BanGai-Oh coming our way.

All that and more in the last quarter if this year!

The First Cebu Comics Convention!

2010-09-19T20:46:00.000+08:00

We'll see you guys there!

Cry Devil, Cry

2010-09-16T03:15:00.001+08:00

Does Devil May Cry really need a reboot?

A lot of us may say 'No, please carry on with the story please' but Capcom says otherwise. With Shinji Mikami (the game's original creator) out of Capcom and doing games for other companies these days, Capcom now has liberties on the DMC franchise.

Footage from the Tokyo Game Show (show's in progress by the way) reveals a game simply called 'Devil May Cry' with a black-haired and supposedly younger Dante shown kicking some ass.

Video Games | Devil May Cry | TGS 10: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

So far, what is known is that the game will be made in conjunction with Ninja Theory and that it is slated not just for a Playstation 3 release but a Xbox 360 release as well. no release date has been announced but a 2011 release would be very much appreciated.

Happy (Belated) Birthday Super Mario!

2010-09-15T02:46:00.000+08:00

With all the excitement going on for the latest Gundam movie here at Joystiko, we almost forgot a very special occasion:

It's Super Mario's birthday last September 13!

Everybody's favorite plumber just turned 25 and what dizzying ride that was. Mario (and Luigi. Don't forget Luigi. Ever.) has sprung from one video game world to another jumping consoles from the Game and Watch to the Wii.

Super Mario is the brainchild of Nintendo chief Shigeru Miyamoto and was supposed to have been named 'Jumpman' before he suddenly realized that the plumber looked like their office landlord in the U.S. (which, incidentally also looks like Mario). Mario shares the status quo with other video game icons like Pac-man and Sonic, all of which are easily recognizable to any video gaming kid all over. In Mario's case, the mustache, the red overalls and bulbous nose says it all for him. With tons of games, merchandise, a Saturday morning cartoon and (I hate to say I have to) a movie under his belt, Mario is without doubt one of the most loved video game characters ever created.

And to commemorate the occasion, Nintendo made a special 25th anniversary commercial for him. Hold your tears now video gamers:

Here's to another 25 years of Mario!

Joystiko lists: 11 OPM videos with Videogame References

2010-09-10T02:24:00.000+08:00

These days, video games often have dedicated official soundtracks (OST) accompanying them. But the opposite can also happen: video games can inspire songs.

Pinoys are not far behind when it comes to this. We wrap up 11 OPM videos that have video game references:

1. Sana by UpDharmaDown -Not just a reference to video games but to Japanese game shows as well, Sana by UpDharmaDown is a prime example of a well crafted OPM music video. Watch out for 'Kuya' Bodjie Pascua as the game master.

2. Martyr Nievera by Kamikazee - is another chop suey video made up of video game and Chinese martial arts movies. The subtitles lend a distinct touch to the video. Plus Rica Peralejo in a Chun Li outfit is already worth the price of admission.

3. Julie Tearjerky by the Eraserheads -"She's a Final Fantasy", "Super strategy guide". If those lyrics doesn't spell 'video game reference' then you've slept through most of the 1990's and thus, have not known this gem of an Ereaserhead song.

4.Picha Pie by Parokya ni Edgar -Parokya ni Edgar loves to poke fun at everything. They'd make a spoof out Korean novelas, boybands, superheroes and of course, video games. Namco's Tekken was not spared, masterfully parodied by the band in this song which coincidentally is also a spoof of the song 'I will survive'.

5.Chiksilog by Kamikazee -another entry on the list by Kamikazee. Chiksilog is also the term for MMORPG players (especially guys) that love to disguise as a character of the opposite sex.

6.Theme from Happy Battle by Francis M. -The late Francis Magalona love video games and as a testament to that, he made a whole album referenced to it. Not just one song but a whole album. Figure that one out.

7. Mas mahal mo ba ang DOTA? by Sour Cream - a wild card on the list. Tailored especially for guys who don't have time for their significant others because they are so busy PWNING other guys at DOTA.

8. Taralets by Imago - a clear reference to Mario Kart complete with Go-karts, color-coded costume and digital power ups.

9 to 11. Novus is Burning by Wolfgang, Empire Accretia by Razorback and Battlecry by Greyhounds - these 3 are all bunched up because they have these things in common: the songs are for Level Up's RF Online and they were all performed by iconic Pinoy bands. Nuff said.

Novus is Burning by Wolfgang

Empire Accretia by Razorback

Battlecry by Greyhounds

RPG Metanoia

2010-09-08T03:04:00.000+08:00

RPG Metanoia is a testament that we Pinoys love video games and other things geeky.

Born perhaps from the sprawling MMORPG front from recent years, RPG Metanoia claims to be the first full-length Pinoy made CG animated feature. It centers around a boy named Nico and a handful of his friends who's much like any group of kids until they step into the world of Metanoia, a MMORPG everybody is raving about where they take on their enemies with their respective avatars modeled after Pinoy warrior archetypes. In time, Nico and his friends discover that Metanoia is more then just another MMORPG to play with and it is up to them to discover the secrets behind it.

Produced by Star Cinema and Ambient Media, RPG Metanoia is set for the Manila Film Festival on December 25 2010. Visit the official site for character sneak peeks, merchandise previews and desktop freebies.

Take a look at the official trailer:

Rock Band Will Teach You Music Young Grasshopper

2010-09-07T03:15:00.001+08:00

Rock Band is being criticized for 'dumbing down' music but fact of the matter is, Rock Band is a completely different activity. You see, Rockband is a game. A video game that simulates playing music. But as far as the video-gaming public is concerned, it is a way to vent out that hidden rockstar in one's self.

Then again, Rock Band is also known to be played by real musicians in between gigs and roadtrips. Some of them attest that Rock Band is a good simulation, the closest that you can get to the real thing but by any means it's a video game to the core.

But all things change and video games are no exception. Rock Band 3, the latest incarnation of the hit music game will feature a lot of new elements that the developers claim will blur the line between game and simulator.

Take a look at Rock Band 3:

Rock Band 3 will feature a new instrument: the keyboard which pretty much looks, feels and plays like the real thing. The developers are also looking into revamping the guitars to include more buttons which equates to more advanced gameplay.

And with new instruments comes new music. Here is the complete Rock Band 3 set list spanning 4 decades:

1960s:
Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations (Live)"
David Bowie, "Space Oddity"
The Doors, "Break on Through (To the Other Side)"
James Brown, "I Got You" (I Feel Good) - Alternate Studio Version
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Crosstown Traffic"
The Who, "I Can See for Miles"

1970s:
The B-52's, "Rock Lobster"
Blondie, "Heart of Glass"
Bob Marley, "Get Up, Stand Up"
Chicago, "25 or 6 to 4"
Deep Purple, "Smoke on the Water"
Doobie Brothers, "China Grove"
Elton John, "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
Foreigner, "Cold As Ice"*
Golden Earring, "Radar Love"
John Lennon, "Imagine"
Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Free Bird"
Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated"
Steve Miller Band, "Fly Like an Eagle"
T. Rex, "20th Century Boy"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "I Need to Know"
War, "Low Rider"
Warren Zevon, "Werewolves of London"

1980s:

Anthrax, "Caught in a Mosh"
Big Country, "In a Big Country"
The Cure, "Just Like Heaven"
Def Leppard, "Foolin'"
Devo, "Whip It"
Dio, "Rainbow in the Dark"
Dire Straits, "Walk of Life"
Echo & the Bunnymen, "The Killing Moon"
Huey Lewis and the News, "The Power of Love"
INXS, "Need You Tonight"
J. Geils Band, "Centerfold"
Joan Jett, "I Love Rock N' Roll"
Night Ranger, "Sister Christian"
Ozzy Osbourne, "Crazy Train"
The Police, "Don't Stand So Close to Me"
Roxette, "The Look"
The Smiths, "Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before"
Tears for Fears, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Whitesnake, "Here I Go Again"
Yes, "Roundabout"

1990s:

Faith No More, "Midlife Crisis"
Filter, "Hey Man, Nice Shot"
Jane's Addiction, "Been Caught Stealing"
Maná, "Oye Mi Amor"
Marilyn Manson, "The Beautiful People"
The Muffs, "Outer Space"
Phish, "Llama"
Primus, "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver"
Rammstein, "Du Hast"
Smash Mouth, "Walkin' On The Sun"
Spacehog, "In the Meantime"
Stone Temple Pilots, "Plush"
Swingin' Utters, "This Bastard's Life"

2000s:

Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"
At the Drive-In, "One Armed Scissor"
Avenged Sevenfold, "The Beast & the Harlot"
Dover, "King George"
The Bronx, "False Alarm"
The Flaming Lips, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1"
HIM (His Infernal Majesty), "Killing Loneliness"
Hypernova, "Viva La Resistance"
Ida Maria, "Oh My God"
Juanes, "Me Enamora"
Metric, "Combat Baby"
Paramore, "Misery Business"
Phoenix, "Lasso"
Poni Hoax, "Antibodies"
Pretty Girls Make Graves, "Something Bigger, Something Brighter"
Queens of the Stone Age, "No One Knows"
The Ravonettes, "Last Dance"
Rilo Kiley, "Portions for Foxes"
Riverboat Gamblers, "Don't Bury Me...I'm Still Not Dead"
Slipknot, "Before I Forget"
The Sounds, "Living in America"
Tegan & Sara, "The Con"
Them Crooked Vultures, "Dead End Friends"
Tokio Hotel, "Humanoid"
The Vines, "Get Free"
The White Stripes, "The Hardest Button to Button"

Rockband 3 hits the streets on October 26,2010 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 an Wii.

Pixel Fantasies: Princess:Princess Zelda

2010-09-04T04:31:00.002+08:00

Princess Zelda Slum book

Age: 18 (in Hyrule terms).
Height: Unknown, though obviously taller than Link.
Weight: (We didn’t dare ask, lest we be the subject of her wrath).
Measurements: All we can say is she’s got more curves than Princess Toadstool.
Likes: Dates on horseback, magical swords.
Dislikes: Dirty, moldy dungeons, secret trap doors.
Ideal dude: Annoying-long nosed adventurers.
Absolute Turn-off: Pig-faced sorcerers.

Remember that old Legend of Zelda cartoon? The one that came along with the Super Mario Bros. Super Show? Then perhaps you might recall Link’s immortal lines, “excuse me, princess”.

And the princess in question is no less than Princess Zelda who, strangely enough, have several games under her name whether or not she has any involvement in them. Like any other video game princess, Zelda is an enigma ‘til you finish the game.

But then, unlike any princess worth the time and effort to save, Zelda is not your average maiden in distress. Long, gorgeous hair. Check. Pouty, model lips. Check. Cerulean eyes. Check. Adventuring attitude? A resounding yes. And then there’s Zelda’s ears which has been a subject of many a debate among hardcore gamers. The game doesn’t explicitly indicate Zelda’s (or even Link’s) race but her ears do suggest that she’s Elven (or Sylvan, whatever you might prefer).

Whatever she is, Zelda does not fail to charm us with what the queen has given her since birth.

Zelda’s popularity extends beyond the NES. Valiant, one of the U.S.’ comic book publishers came out with a Legend of Zelda comic book which extrapolated on the adventures of the princess beyond the game. Also, as mentioned before, Zelda also starred on a 15-minute cartoon segment that came along with the Super Mario Bros. Super Show (quick bit: the Super Mario portion was starred by no less than by pro-wrestling icon “Captain” Lou Albano, R.I.P.).

While the game shows just about a tiny visage of the princess the cartoon show offered little to the imagination, showing the princess in all her glory. In the show, she is more often than not shown arguing with Link (supposedly) her leading man, with most of the episode showing his advances to our lovely princess only to be jilted time and again.

Zelda does have the “X” and an attitude to boot to steer away from other princess stereotypes.

Video gaming Ladies and Gentlemen, if there ever was a beauty contest on Hyrule we have a winner here. We have to thank the Nintendo guys a lot for a babe like Zelda. They sure do know a way to make babes after our own gamer hearts. So what are you waiting for fanboy? Grab those Wii nunchucks of yours and save Zelda.

Before she saves you.

Gamer Spotlight: Josh Juntilla

2010-09-02T01:57:00.000+08:00

We here at Joystiko feature gamers from all walks of life. Josh, a salaryman by day, describes himself as "...just a ordinary guy wandering around the net. One who likes browsing the Internet, watching anime, and playing video games. In the serious side, I like to work around with computers, web designing, programming, photo and video editing..." but when it comes to video games, Josh is not just your ordinary gamer. Here's why:

1. First of all Josh, tell us the lowdown on you: like how old are you, how long have you been playing video games etc.

Okay, my real name is Joseph but you can just call me Josh if you like. I’m 27 years old..-- wait, 27? Wow, I haven’t even realized I’m already at this age, heheh! Ah, *ahem* sorry, (^^) anyway.. I think I’ve been a gamer for more than 20 years already. I became hooked on games around my elementary years. I still even remember those first games I played like Super Mario, Battle City, Exerion, Galaga and Elevator Action. Though, I think I’m not much of a “hardcore” gamer like others may think, because there were times that I would miss out some games. But nonetheless, I pretty much appreciate almost all kinds of games whether old or new ones.

2. How many consoles you own and/or have ever owed?

Well, I’m a poor boy back then so the only console I officially owned was a Famicom. Before, I would sometimes borrow my cousin’s Super Nintendo and played it like crazy for a whole day (^^). Same goes at the Playstation where I would also borrow my friend’s Playstation and played for the whole Christmas vacation.

3. Which console do you liked the most? Played the most?

I don’t have any particular consoles that I like. Other than the Famicom, the console that I most played before was the Playstation. Since I don’t own one, I would usually gone outside and go to some gaming shops to play... a LOT. (^^)

4. What type of game (genre) do you usually play?

I always prefer playing side-scrolling, action/adventure games in general like Megaman, Castlevania or even Metal Gear Solid. Shmups are also good for me, it’s been one of my favorite olds-school game genre. Other types of games I most love to play are RPG’s like... uhm, -- lots of them, actually =p, Turn-based Strategy games like Super Robot Wars and SD Gundam GGeneration and Horror-theme games like Silent Hill.

5. Tell us about your most loved/memorable video game?

Hmm.. memorable... first came into my mind was the old-school RPG, Dragon Quest because it was the very first RPG I ever played and Dragon Quest III was the first RPG I finished despite of its Japanese language. Yeah, I’d actually finished it even if it was in Japanese and even without any walkthroughs and hints. No Internet for me back then, you could imagine me how I grinded myself just to figure out what should I do or where should I go. It was all just my instinct and gut back then (><) despite of that, I still love every moments of it (^^)

6. How about the your most hated, like the one that gave you a very hard time?

I don’t have any hated games in particular, but when it comes to games that gave me a very hard time, back in the days... it would probably be the first Megaman game. Now, I don’t hate the game but I hate the fact that I never ever finished it because it was SO hard. And oh yeah, the first Castlevania also gave me a hard time. I never finished it also. I didn’t even pass Death there (-_-). *sigh* ah yes, those games...

7. Were there any people from the video game industry that inspired you in real-life?

Don’t have in particular, actually.. I think the closest I could think of is Hideo Kojima because of his Metal Gear Solid series. I’m actually amazed on how he gave a crazy yet very good story to MGS. The way how MGS’ story was made had inspired me to write convoluted stories like that since I also fond of writing stories and such (never succeeded, though). But one thing’s for sure, his games were one of the things that boosted me and my ideas regarding story writing.

8. You often post you’re your love for classic video games. Is that what you are hooked on right now or are there any other games you’re crazy about now?

I always appreciate old-school games up until now so they’re times that I would sometimes come back to play some old games once in a while. For now, I’m enjoying playing with my PSP. I just recently had done playing with Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker and still currently playing Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.

9. Which upcoming game(s) are you most excited about right now?

There are several PSP games that I have been looking forward to like 3rd Birthday (the third Parasite Eve), Valkyria Chronicles 2, Patapon 3, God Eater Burst, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Felyne Village (I really hope there would be a US release on this game) and most especially Monster Hunter Freedom 3. Among those games, the one I’m most excited about is the upcoming Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (or whatever would be the title of its English version).

10. This one’s fun: tell us one thing that you learned from video games.

For sure I didn’t learn how to use a whip, a gun or even spitting fireballs from my hand XD ... hmm, wait, maybe adapting Metal Gear Solid’s sneaking actually come on handy sometimes XD. Okay seriously, for me, I pretty much learned from game’s moral story. I’m actually moved from morals of the story in every RPG’s and sometimes it became my inspiration.. like one of most notable for me was the moral story of Final Fantasy VI where they reflect the value of “keep on moving forward despite of despair”. Other games also inspired me like in the Metal Gear Solid series, such as morals in the game like in MGS1 reflects the value of “Life” and MGS2 talks about “Choosing your own destiny”.

11. Lastly: if you were in the video game industry, what would you be and what sort of game would you come up with?

If I were in a video game industry, I would like to be a Game Developer and if I were to develop a game it would most probably be a Role Playing Game (^^) I always dream of having my own RPG, actually, hehehe! Thanks Josh!

Also, check out one of Josh's Megaman 7 gameplay videos.

You can read more of Josh's and other otaku's video game and anime exploits at the HobbyBox.

Thanks Josh!

Joystiko 10: Local Video Game Phenomena

2010-08-28T03:09:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since we had a Joystiko 10 list. Here are 10 of the most phenomenal video games that have hit our shores:

10. Dance Dance Revolution - Anyone who denies that he/she did not play DDR is lying to himself/herself and deserves to be put into solitary confinement. This game put beat/rhythm games into public consciousness. How did you say? Well DDR gave us a mix of dancing, delectable music and video gaming. If that's not a formula for success then I don't know what is.

9.Street Fighter II - where can you find a game where us video game geeks can beat the crap out of jocks? Fighting games of course and SFII is the granddaddy of all of 'em. The Street Fighter franchise captured every Pinoy's fighting spirit and with that it remains as one of the most loved video games here. Ever. Those who oppose would be beaten to a crap. Digitally of course.

8.Counterstrike - "GO Go Go!", Fire in the hole!", "Cover me!". What? you didn't know this Half-life mod that turned into a full game? Where were you in the early 2000's? Sheesh.

7.Ragnarok (MMORPG)- speaking of phenomena, this one is epic in itself. Ragnarok single-handedly launched the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) industry in the Philippines. And it still thrives with most of it's servers still teeming with gamers playing it 24/7. Not only that, Ragnarok also spawned it's own mechandise line, convention and cosplay subculture.Not bad for a MMORPG that's almost a decade old.

6.Plants vs Zombies- Your played it first. Then your little sib got into it too. Then your mother got curious about that Michael Jackson zombie terrorizing your lawn. And the last thing you knew, she finished the game before you did. And she did it while you're away from the PC. Plants vs. Zombies have so much universal appeal that even those who are not into video games have played and finished it because of it's sheer fun factor. Amen.

5.Farmville - It started out as a humble Facebook game. You shared it with your friends. You posted your achievements on the 'net and later on you''re on an arms race to see who's got the biggest earnings or most unique item on their virtual farm. Farmville is so influential that Time magazine labelled it as one of the 50 worst inventions in recent memory.

4.Starcraft- The sequel took more than a decade to be released. It became Korea's national pastime. It redefined the RTS (Real Time Strategy) genre. It is taught in universities as a model for microeconomics and resource management. It is StarCraft. And it became a video game that changed human lives forever.

3.Tekken - Badass? Brutal? Yes. Up close and personal? Yes. Ragdoll physics? Yes. Bone-crunching moves that you can feel? Yes. Tekken is all that. And more. Despite crticisms about it not being a 'proper' fighting game, Tekken remains as the fighting game worthy of bragging rights.

2.Warcraft III: Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) - You've heard of this one: "Yo! let's DOTA!" After school or work, nothing beats a group of friends huddling together in the nearest PC rental shop to get some good ole' DOTA. The game was so widespread (mainly due to it's rabid fan base) that this has officially become "the StarCraft of the next generation". Some players even go as far as wager their allowance in a session. Now that's what I call competitive.

1.Tetris- Remember the 'brick game phenomenon"? The one when almost every other guy in the country owns a 'brick game'? Blame it on this game. Love it or hate it, Tetris became one of the nation's past times when brownouts were so frequent that hand held Tetris game consoles sold by the bundle. Better that than going cuckoo over heat and boredom.

Hardcore no more?

2010-08-26T03:05:00.000+08:00

We video gamers have to admit: playing video games can be quite demanding. Few of us have the luxury of free time and there are a number of us that find our little gaming comfort zones through portable games systems and cellular phone games.

And then comes the issue of playing too much video games. There has been a lot of issues concerning long gaming hours; news of people neglecting their studies, work or even their daily lives have raised public concern and outrage over video games.

Deaths due to fatigue caused by extended gaming hours has been reported since 2005 when Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPGs) were at the peak of their popularity. Domestic neglect was not far behind; cases where parents or guardians prioritize games over their children or siblings increased such in the case of a South Korean couple who let their child starve because of their obsession for a MMORPG.

Now, gaming companies are on the move to prevent these cases. Square-Enix for example has recently announced their move to integrate a 'fatigue system' into their upcoming MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV.While it is not yet exactly clear on how this will turn out, FFIV's director Nobuaki Komoto explains that "...the main concept behind FFXIV is allowing those players with little time on their hands to play effectively, and game balance is based off of that. Furthermore, it is being designed to not give those with more time on their hands to play an unfair advantage".

But the bottom line is this: responsible gaming still lies on our hands, video gamers. Remember that video gaming, like any other activity has its hazards. Better believe in your body when its handing out signs of tiredness and fatigue. Finishing the game or leveling up your character is never worth having our lives at stake just for a video game.

Shoot with your Playstation Move!

2010-08-25T02:44:00.001+08:00

Did you missed Time Crisis? I know I do. I miss hearing that '"Action!!" voice prompting me to load my (light) gun. Well here's some good news: we can now take the (pardon the pun) action home as Namco will be releasing a compilation three of their hit arcade light gun games for the Playstation Move.

The compilation is entitled Big 3 Gun Shooting and will contain the console versions of Time Crisis:Razing Storm, Dead Storm Pirates and Time Crisis 4. The North American release of the compilation will simply be known as Time Crisis:Razing Storm with the 2 other games billed as 'additional content'.

All of the games will be compatible with both the Playstation Move controllers and Guncon 3. A special bundle pack of the game will include a Playstation Eye,a Move controller shooting attachment and a Move controller.

Big 3 Gun Shooting will be released on September in North America and October n Japan. Meanwhile, enjoy the Japanese commercial for the game above.

Couch sold separately!

Catherine

2010-08-24T02:31:00.001+08:00

Atlus is at it again.

And it seems that they delight in making controversial games. As if rumors of a new addition to the Persona series wasn't enough, along comes their new offering simply titled 'Catherine'.

Many thought that Catherine would be a spin-off of the Persona series and this may be partially true. The protagonist named Vincent seems to have had a cameo in Persona 3 as a lonely guy drinking in the corner of a club in the game. Atlus could have built the game around this scenario and by far with the video below, it seems that Catherine is a whole new game in itself.

Official statements from Atlus say that the game would be adult-oriented with adult themes and scenes that might earn the game a 'M for Mature' rating or worse. The game is being touted as a 'erotic nightmare action game' that Atlus claims will be the first of it's kind in any format. Catherine will also feature animation from the award winning anime production studio Studio 4 degrees.

Catherine is slated for a Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 release with the street date still to be announced.

Marvel vs Capcom 3: The Roster Thus Far

2010-08-21T02:12:00.002+08:00

I'll leave you through the weekends with the Marvel vs. Capcom 3's current roster which includes:

Marvel side:
Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man,Captain America
Deadpool (which is turning out to be an early fan favorite), Doctor Doom,Super Skrull, Thor
...and just off the press: Dormamu!

Capcom Side:Ryu (Street Fighter), Morrigan (Dark Stalkers)
Chris (Resident Evil), Dante (Devil May Cry), Felicia (Dark Stalkers),Chun-li (Street Fighter), Trish (Devil May Cry), Amaterasu (Ookami)...and just recently added: Viewtiful Joe (Viewtiful Joe)

Video Games | Marvel vs Capcom 3: FTW | GC 10: Roster Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Video Games | Marvel vs Capcom 3: FTW | GC 10: Domammu Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Video Games | Marvel vs Capcom 3: FTW | GC 10: Viewtiful Joe Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Series Spotlight : Persona

2010-08-19T04:25:00.000+08:00

Lemme talk about a Role-playing game that's close to my heart: Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei Persona.

It started out inone of those console rental shops back in 1997 when the Playstation was king. A lot of games back then had ground breaking elements and RPGs were no exception. Persona was one of the first Japanese RPGs that were localized and I remember watching a player playing it.

The Persona game series revolves around the concept of 'the other self', stemming from Carl Jung's theories on psychology. Every installment of the series involves a distraught teenager waking with the power of his or her Persona, another aspect of a person possessing other-wordly powers just waiting to be unleashed. That power is put immediately to good use as the protagonist and his/her friends (which also happen to be empowered by their own Personas) are caught up in a chain of cataclysmic events which only they can resolve.

Perhaps the idea of 'saving the world while in high school' is what got me hooked on the series. I played through the series with whole-hearted empathy for the main character and his/her friends, with each installment of the series more endearing than the last. Sure, adults can be portrayed as superheroic saviors time and again, but being a teenager entrusted with a power that you are reluctant to use for the good of the world seems much more interesting.

Shin Megami Tensei Persona currently has 4 incarnations already. The first Persona game was released around late 1996 and created much controversy due to some demonic references. Persona 2 was divided into 2 parts: Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment which are meant to be parallel stories. Innocent Sin did not see an American release, prompting Eternal Punishment to be known as 'the Persona 2' in the US. Like the first game, Persona 2 was riddled with controversy because of depictions of teenage violence, the appearance of a ressurected Hitler and homosexual themes.

The series had a long hiatus and it was around 2006 when Persona 3 came into light for the Playstation 2. Persona 3 became the most popular in the series not only because of it's wide distribution but new gameplay elements as well. Persona 3 is also well remembered for its bubblegum J-pop soundtrack and the 'Social Link' feature akin to 'dating simulation' games which Japan is (in)famous for. Once again, the series almost never saw a translation because of the censors. Most notably from depictions of suicide: the characters in the game must use a pistol-shaped device (called an Evoker) to summon their Persona. Persona 3 is also knwon to be the only game in the series to have a follow-up title called Persona 3 FES which ties up the whole plot from the previous game.

Persona 4 takes on from where Persona 3 left off, continuing the Social Links system and other aspects from the earlier games. By far this is one of the most positively received, with some critics pointing out the smooth flow of the gameplay and better graphics. The series had its fair share of controversy though, as a number of the characters have some sort of sexual identity crisis going on.

The appeal of the series didn't die down with the last installment. 2009 saw the remake of Persona 1 for the PSP with a lot of things redone from the ground up. The portable remake was such a hit that it stayed on the top of the new releases list of Japan's Weekly Famitsu magazine. A few weeks ago, the portable remake of Persona 3 entitled Persona 3 Portable was released with about the same warm reception from its fans. The game has added features (most notably, the ability to play as a female main character) and streamlined game play. Atlus even announced a fifth installment for the PS3 soon.

Awryt, I'll be leaving you with more Persona goodness with one of my favorite tunes from Persona and see for yourself why this series is so good.

Square-Enix and Eidos comes up with Deus Ex Human Revolution

2010-08-18T02:30:00.001+08:00

We've seen opposing forces work together, and the results are epic at times. Marvel superheroes and Capcom characters were notorious for breaking each others faces in their Vs. series (which we will have the latest installment soon enough). But Square-Enix, known for their top-notch RPG teaming up with Eidos is a bit queer though. We could have seen a Tomb Raider/Final Fantasy cross-over, But they came up with this:

This game boys and girls is Deus Ex: Human Revolution, akin to Square-Enix' and Eidos' legitimate child. It's an action game chock-full of cyberpunk elements reminiscent of Blade Runner. Heck, if Blade Runner was made today it could have probably looked like this.

If you remember the good ole Playstation days, there were 2 games already with the name and apparently Deus Ex: Human Revolution is going to be an eye-popping prequel. The game's plot revolves around human augmentation, with a lot of stealth, bone-crunching melee and gun-blazing action to be expected.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is set for an early 2011 release for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC format.

Joystiko at Gamer vs. Gamer

2010-08-17T02:32:00.000+08:00

Joystiko was there with the Komikon gang at the first SkyCable's Gamer vs Gamer last Saturday August 14, 2010. A-venue was already packing even before the start of the event and we found ourselves sitting with the likes of the country's premier comic book creators: Lyndon Gregorio, Hazel Manzano, Andrew Villar, Gio Paredes, Syeri Baet and hubbie Jon Zamar.

The event had quite a turn-out, people ranging from MMORPG and Console players, Arcade goers, cosplayers and a cadre of Tabletop gamers all joined in the fun. Freebies were given upon registration, with a free photo booth thrown in for kicks. Data Blitz and E-games provided free use of their consoles and PC's for a taste of their latest offerings. Time Zone had some of their arcade machines set-up in the middle of the hall while Neutral Ground's table top battle fields were situated at a large corner portion of the venue.

The program kicked off with a performance from a Michael Jackson impersonator ( a good one at that) followed by a K-pop inspired dance number and cosplay catwalk. Gaming tournaments ensued thereafter, most notably from the MMORPG and tabletop gaming sides. Bands Stonefree and Blue Boy Bites Back performed later through the night till the event's closure.

Gamer vs Gamer was good for its first run, being the first (and hopefully not the last) one of its kind made possible by SkyCable. The event had quite a few downsides though; the tabletop gamers pointed out the lack of lighting inside the venue, causing most of their games to be canceled. Some gamers also complained of the arcade and console gaming sector to be under represented with just a few arcade machines and consoles provided throughout the event.

Thanks again for Sky Cable and here's hoping for more of Gamer vs.Gamer.

SEGA knows how to punk

2010-08-14T03:27:00.001+08:00

It's like an episode of 'You Got Punked', only a bit nicer.

This is what happened to Aaron Webber, one of SEGA America's staff which was out of office for a few weeks. The rest of the guys pulled out his stuff to 'sell or burn' and started an epic prank. Upon his return, the shocked but otherwise amused Mr. Webber found his workstation turned into the the first (Green Hill Zone 1 to be exact) level from Sonic the Hedgehog. Here's Aaron's reaction, recorded for all to see:

Apparently the guys at SEGA America are known for their pranks. Go check out their YouTube channel for more of their crazy antics. If this ever happened to me, I'd be one happy video gamer!

NEVER Mess with GAMERS!

2010-08-13T18:41:00.000+08:00

Some would be robbers found out the hard way.

"A gaming cafe in Kaneohe, Hawaii was robbed last week, three youths storming in and demanding money from the customers inside. They got the money, but I don't think they were ready for one guy to fight back."

Click here for more details and a video.

Real-life imitating video games

2010-08-10T02:16:00.000+08:00

Now we know video games sometimes imitate real-life but how about the othe way around?

Meet Malthe Jehmlic and Matthes Mikysec, the geniuses behind 'Racer', a R/C car game made to look like a video game.

RACER DEMO 0.1 - video game mashup from sputnic on Vimeo.

Now if you notice, 'Racer' may seem a tad familiar to you. Remember Wipeout? Yes, the futuristic racing game that made us wow and barf endlessly because of its insane speed and graphics. Well, 'Racer' was inspired by that game. The track is made up mostly of cardboard set-up on a metal frame, look closely and it resembles levels in a video game. The 'car' is a barebones R/C chassis fitted with a wireless video camera. The remote control is made to look like a classic arcade cabinet complete with steering wheel and over-sized buttons.

All in all, the project took the guys around 2 months to complete and their efforts have paid off from the looks of it. Check out more of Malthe and Matthes' projects in their website http://www.sputnic.tv/

Gamer vs Gamer!

2010-08-07T03:19:00.000+08:00

OK video gamers get ready for this!

It's Sky Cable and Sky Broadband's Gamer vs. Gamer event! The event will be the biggest gaming convention yet and will include, but not limited to Online, Arcade, Console and even Tabletop gaming. Major Sponsors (which are representative of each gaming sector) include E-games, Data Blitz, Timezone and Neutral Grounds so we could be expecting lots of Ran, Star Craft 2, Tekken 6 and Warhammer 40,000 events happening at the event. Local bands Stonefree and Blue Boy Bites Back will also be there for their live performances. Komikon Inc. also have a special participation at the event, so here's your chance to meet and greet your favorite komiks artists before the actual Komikon coming later this year.

Gamer vs. Gamer will be on August 14, 2010 at the A-Venue Hall, Makati Avenue, Makati City. Event starts at 3:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. For Sky Cable Subscribers, just call 631-0000 for invites (good for two). Tickets are limited so it's gonna be on a first call, first serve basis. The event is also open to none Sky Cable and Sky Broadband subscribers, though only the first 300 attendees get to go in for free.

Of course Joystiko will be there to cover the event so get ready boys and girls!

Wait for it...Torchlight 2!!!

2010-08-06T02:12:00.001+08:00

A Torchlight sequel is coming our way and that's while we're waiting for another eternity for Diablo 3.

Runic games have announced that Torchlight 2 is coming around Spring of 2011 around the time that Diablo 3's tentative release. Though we video gamers know better: Diablo 3 might as well be like StarCraft 2 in the sense that the guys at Blizzard may still put the release date further.

Anyway, back to Torchlight 2. The original game has and was touted as 'another Diablo clone' and why not? A number of people responsible for the first 2 Diablo games are now working for Runic games for one reason to another. That aside, though there are some elements that were taken off Diablo, Torchlight earned the respect of video gamers all around because it captured the soul of its predecessor. There were also features that made Torchlight a sleeper hit such as the pet and fishing systems. Torchlight was also known for its moddability: Runic games had their development tools posted and ready for download in their site.

So what's in store for Torchlight 2? Key features such as the pet and fishing system return but the new features will surely hook fans into it once more like randomized dungeons, new interface, more charcter customization options and a retirement system in which a seasoned character can be 'retired' and bestow certain abilities to its successor character.But what could be the major draw for Torchlight 2 is its multi-player capability,something that the fans are clamoring about from the first game. And of course, what would Torchlight 2 be without its moddability? Those things are coming up video gamers!

Pixel Fantasies: Samus Aran

2010-08-05T03:09:00.004+08:00

You’re probably wondering why Samus is here. Why the heck not? Samus is a genuine babe worthy of not just being here at Pixel Fantasies but on every website in the universe.

OK, you can get over that “WTF, Samus is a she?!” thought in your head now.

Yes. Samus Aran is a she.

Much to the disappointment but eventual acceptance and delight of Metroid fans out there. Talk about a revelation. Many thought Samus was an average muscle-bound, cigar chomping, armored bounty hunter from some part of the galaxy. But lo and behold after spending weeks of playing Metroid (particularly Metroid 2), out comes Samus from her armor in all her (nekkid) babelicious glory. Fanboys recovering from the shock however, eventually welcomed Samus as one of the gaming world’s best-kept and much sought after secret. After all, it’s not everyday that we see a gal like Samus prancing around in her power armor saving the whole galaxy from fugly aliens like Mother Brain.

And with Nintendo’s next-gen systems it seems things are better for Ms. Aran. Seeing her in the latest Metroid adventures leaves us clamoring for more. Like the upcoming Metroid: Other M.

See for yourselves:

Wipe off that drool fanboy. Better let a pro like Samus do your alien busting job for you.

It’s a whole lot better that way.

A what??? A Transformers MMORPG?

2010-08-04T02:48:00.002+08:00

This has got to be one of the most exciting Transformers-related news since War for Cybertron.

News of a new Transformers MMORPG has been circulating , and looks like this one's not coming from any major video game company.

China-based games company NetDragon (the guys responsible for Dungeon Keeper Online)has announced that they have secured the rights from Hasbro to develop and eventually produce a Transformers MMORPG. Details for the game has not yet been revealed but the company's announcement alone has every Transformer fan clamoring for more. Net Dragon has declared that the game would be available first in Chinese territories to be followed by Asian and Russian releases though a North American or European release was not mentioned.

We're keeping our metal fingers crossed of course.

Easter Egg: Apparently, Transformers also enjoy cult-status in China and as such, a giant Optimus Prime statue stands in the premises of a certain national park there. And the best part: it's made out of junk. Junk car parts to be exact.

Gamer Spotlight: Tobie Abad

2010-07-31T03:56:00.000+08:00

Tobie Abad is the creator of the critically-acclaimed Diliman komiks (http://dilimancomic.blogspot.com/) and is widely considered as one of the pioneers of local webkomiks. Tobie works as a Chief Operations Officer for a Medical and Business Transcription Company but his passion is leaned toward good old table top Role Playing Games (RPG’s) and video gaming. Here in Joystiko, Tobie tells us his exploits in video gaming.

1. First of all Tobie, tell us how many consoles you own and/or have ever owed?
Does a Commodore 64 count as a console? I also have had (in I hope chronological order) an Atari, NES, Sega Genesis, Gameboy, Playstation, PS2, and currently a PS3. Do those tiny game and watch games like Octopus, Popeye, Donkey Kong and the like count? How about my iphone which also steals time from me since it has games like Katamari Damacy, Spore, Plants versus Zombies and various Tower Defense Games. Hmm.. Maybe that’s an article you guys should consider in the future?

2. Which console do you liked the most? Played the most?
While the PS3 is an amazing gaming console, the Playstation (or now more commonly known as the PSOne) was the one that I probably played the most, simply due to the sheer number of really great games that system had. It is hard though to say which one I played “the most” since I’m not sure if I should base that count on length of time I play on a machine or number of times a week I touch the machine. One game might have me playing seven times a week only, but for a number of hours per day, while another console might have entertained me with four different games in a single day for shorter periods of time but with much more sessions of gameplay.

3. What type of game (genre) do you usually play?
Contrary to expectations, I’m not fond of computer based rpgs (since roleplaying games are only rpgs if they hit much higher standards in my opinion). I tend to play either scary games like Silent Hill or Siren, or quirky games like Katamari Damacy, Little Big Planet or 3D Dot Game Heroes. I love adventure games, but I haven’t seen much great ones since Zelda and a not so well known game called Beyond Good and Evil.

4. Tell us about your most loved/memorable video game?
I would have to state more than one, since each one is special in a specific way for me:
Silent Hill – This game astounded me as an incredible approach to storytelling and mood building. Unlike Resident Evil and other survival horror games which merely shocked you or surprised you to scare you, this game literally built dread and tension before freaking you out with visuals that were both disturbing yet eerily beautiful.
Katamari Damacy – Sheer genius in concept, and pure geekgasm in execution. Rolling around a ball to gather stuff like a rolling snowball to refill the sky with stars… wait, what? Exactly.
Eretzvaju – The only fighting game I really ever loved (unless you count Bust a Groove) utilizing only two buttons and touching on all anime tropes. Ever wanted to play a katana wielding schoolgirl against a sci fi galaxy soldier? This game made it happen.
Pengel – Drawing two dimensional designs of monsters that turn into 3D critters who you can put against other creatures to win more colored inks and parts to make more monsters. Yes, imagine making your own comic characters into three dimensional fighting monsters!
Dynasty Warriors – Mindless fun. Seriously mindless fun. And one you can share with a friend.

Showing some Katamari love!

Little Big Planet – For being a platformer that allows you to create your own platform games. I already am anxiously awaiting the second installment, which allows you to create even racing games and shooters.

5. How about the game you most hated, like the one that gave you a very hard time?
I hate games that mistake challenge for being infuriatingly difficult. For example, Metal Gear Solid is a well written franchise with lots of incredible ideas but can be torturously difficult to play unless you really spend some time in the tutorial (an option lacking in its Metal Gear Solid 4 installment). Siren, while deliciously frightening, can be annoyingly frustrating given its lackluster camera. The camera limits vision, which presumably is to make things scarier since a large aspect of the game’s fear is derived from the idea you “can’t see things” but instead it makes you feel like you’re playing a character who runs around blindly most of the time.

6. Were there any people from the video game industry that inspired you in real-life?
Not really. While many games have inspired me in different ways (Silent Hill has been a huge influence in how I run roleplaying games, for example) and while I admire Keiichiro Toyama for creating Silent Hill, I never really found myself digging deeper to get to know the people behind the game.
Unless of course you count my friend James Lo of Indigo Entertainment (www.indigo-entertainment.com) who has always reached for his dreams and now creates games as a living. I’d love to do that myself, but I don’t know enough of programming or design to do so.

7. You frequently mention your exploits in Little Big Planet on your Facebook Wall. Is that what you are hooked on right now or are there any other games you’re crazy about now?
Still on Little Big Planet for the most part. The fact that the game allows one to create stages and share them online means there’s literally hundreds of thousands of other stages to try playing! The feature that allows you to make your own games too makes it even much more fun. I’ve taken to carrying a small notebook specifically for game level design ideas that may pop into my head.
I am having loads of fun too with Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires, which is the same button mashing game we love, but has added a strategic map element to the game. Unlike Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, the game is still 2-player locally friendly, which makes it a steal for those who love the genre and have a friend or partner they want to play with.

On the iPhone, I’ve been hooked on The Creeps, a very affordable $.99 Tower Defense game where you fight of monsters who are trying to sneak under your bed with glue, boomerangs and other towers. The game also has special weapons that utilize the iphone’s accelerometer to use, giving it a more unique experience.

8. Would you like to share your level to all our Joystiko fans out there to try out?
Sadly, I don’t know if the two I made are still accessible. While the PS3 is not region-limiting as far as games are, it is limiting when it comes to downloadable content. My first PSN account was using my Asia region account and there I made two playable stages: one inspired by Dynasty Warriors and another inspired by Doctor Who. But since I wanted to be able to download the free stuff (such as the free Level Creator Kit), I had to create a US based PSN account (since my game was US region) and that meant having to play through the whole game again. I don’t know if the stages are still online, but those with Little Big Planet can try looking for 2B Dynasty War and 2B Dr Who if they want to try playing them.

9. Which upcoming game(s) are you most excited about right now?

What is this game that's everybody' crazy about???

StarCraft 2 ranks high on this list. I was a big fan of the old game and I can’t wait for the new game to be released. I’ve heard some have been able to already play with the demo/beta test, and I’m envious as hell. My partner already prepaid an order for the game. I want this for the PC.Little Big Planet 2 is definitely on the list as well. The teaser trailer which is already online shows how much more you can do with the game. One of the biggest draws for me is the fact the toolkit game now allows you to go beyond platforming and make racing games and shooters. This game is exclusively on the PS3.

The Last Guardian lands a spot here too. From the makers of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus comes this game about a boy and his griffin. Team ICO has always been successful in creating beautifully challenging games. I only hope that they’ve learned to make the games a bit more… meaty compared to before.
Ni no Kuni: Queen of the White Holy Ashes is an upcoming PS3 game that is made in collaboration with Studio Ghibli. The game captures the feel of Ghibli productions and gives it a computer rpg touch that is sure to endear and entertain. I only hope the game play will be fun!

10. This one’s fun: tell us one thing that you learned from video games.
I learned that while I might enjoy playing videogames, I enjoy them more when it is a shared experience with others. Some people truly enjoying getting completely immersed in a game and ignoring the world around them. I enjoy playing with my partner, Rocky (http://www.geeky-guide.com/) , or with friends. The added element of human interaction was what made many videogames even more fun than they already were, which to me is why games like DOTA, many MMORPGS, shooters and Little Big Planet have such staying power. It does make me wish more computer game designers would try making their games more friendly to having a local 2-player option. Many games now seem geared too much on either being solo experiences or only for online multiplayer play. We need more games that let you play with your friends especially when they come over to your place.

11. Lastly: if you were in the video game industry, what would you be and what sortof game would you come up with?

Well, I actually am part of the local industry to some degree so I can’t say anything about projects that are currently in production or design.

I would love, however, to create a non-level or experience focused mmorpg that actually has human storytellers to generate quests and missions for its players. Most MMOs are too occupied with loot gain, experience time sucking, with missions that don’t really affect the general gameplay environment. I’d want to be able to design one where your choices as a player do matter and affect the bigger picture.

I’d also love to be part of a free-wandering zombie apocalypse survival horror game set in Manila on the day of the Edsa Revolution, but somehow I suspect having zombies tear through Malacanang and rip apart nuns might not be taken too lightly in this country… especially when the brain leading the zombies is a very unhappy risen Rizal that hopes to “devour away the scum of the Philippines.”

For now, I guess I am happy I can at least run that as a table top roleplaying game, right?

Read more of Tobie’sgeeky antic in his blog: http://garapata.blogspot.com. Thanks Tobie!

Blazin' Blue, not Red

2010-07-29T03:21:00.002+08:00

While most of us video gamers are still estatic about StarCraft 2 (yes, I'm talking to all of you Multitasking-playing-StarCraft 2-while-surfing-the-net dudes out there), BlazBlue:Continuum Shift has been released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 at around the same time.

Wait. "Blaz..." what? You might think that you are looking at a typo but it's not. BlazBlue is pronounced as 'Blaze Blue' which is the 2D fighting games many consider as the spiritual successor of the eponymous Guilty Gear series. BlazBlue was made from the same guys at Arc System Works which are known for their fast and definitely furious weapons fighting game series, Guilty Gear.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift continues the story from the first game BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, with 5 additional characters joining the fray: Mu-12, Lambda 13, Hazama, Tsubaki and Makoto. As with Arc System Works games, each installment is tweaked and tuned from the previous game with some of the original characters move being either re-mapped into new command moves or balanced out (we're looking at you Rachel Alucard!). There's also tons of new BGM's, stages and extras as expected and all are presented in eye-popping, full HD glory. Who says 2D sprite-driven fighting games are passe'?

So for those of us who miss Guilty Gear's frantic button-mashing action, here's the answer. That's 2 epic fighting games already Arc System works and we're waiting for a cross-over!

It's like Independence day, with StarCraft 2 in it.

2010-07-28T01:55:00.002+08:00

I wrote this a bit after midnight so pardon me if it's a bit too late to join in the festivities.

What festivities you might ask? Why, it's StarCraft II day that's what! And it's 12 full years after the first game. That was a long wait Blizzard guys.Look at what you've done to Korea...

So today hordes of video gamers lined up and quite possibly camped out in some areas like it was the premier of a vampire movie, to get their hands on StarCraft II. If you're going to get the game, you might as well shell out a little extra for the Collector's edition which includes a ton of StarCraft II stuff: the game DVD of course, an artbook, a comic book, behind-the-scenes and soundtrack CD's and the most coveted item of all a dog tag-shaped 2 GB flash disk with the original StarCraft game and Brood War expansion in it with the numbers "1337" on it (we all know what those mean). Here's an unboxing video for those who want to take a peak into the package:

"Come get a piece of me, boy!

From here on, talk of how the Terrans, Protoss and Zergs would kick each others ass will never be the same again. Get a piece of them now!

Capcom versus (insert another entertainment company here)

2010-07-27T03:16:00.003+08:00

So I've just been away for the weekends and this comes up:

Fresh from the San Diego Comicon: Street Fighter versus Tekken!

This one's hard to miss as almost every video gamer out there posted pics or videos of this much awaited crossover (other than Marvel vs. Capcom 3 of course). Fans have long dreamed of this epic cross-over and it is about to come true. Word has it that Street Fighter vs.Tekken would be just be the first of two games. The other one is tentatively called Tekken x Street Fighter in which the Street Fighter gang would have to play on Tekken terms (which is opposite to Street Fighter vs. Tekken in which the Tekken guys would have to fight in Street Fighter terms.

Will this one be successful? Capcom has made quite a good reputation not only for its Versus series but in their fighting games as well. Namco on the other hand has it's share of video game glory not only in Tekken but for their other games as well. Put the together and we have a made-in-fighting-game-heaven title that could be the end all and be all of fighting game cross-overs.

Hey, they pulled it real good in Marvel vs. SNK right?

Street Fighter vs.Tekken wouldn't be out soon as no release date has been announced yet but it was declared that this one would come out of the arcades, PS3 and Xbox 360. Check out more Street Fighter vs Tekken pics here.

By the way Joystiko now has its own Facebook page! If you like what you're seeing here, go here and click on the 'Like' button. Pretty please?

Video Gamer: The Musical

2010-07-24T03:22:00.001+08:00

OK normal people; if you think we video gamers are just a bunch of obese, over-aged men with nothing better to do than sit on the couch all day and beat the crap of each other in Street Fighter IV or Halo, you're wrong.

You've seen Hikakin and the gorgeous Ms. Laura Shigihara. They've both proven that video gaming is more than thumb-thumping on a joypad. It's also a musical experience. Consider the following geeky musical geniuses:

YouTube guy blinktwice4y with his "Mushroom Kingdom Gurls" sang to the tune of Kate Perry's California Gurls

A Justin Bieber look-alike singing the first Pokemon theme in acapella.

A guy playing the whole ensemble of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker intro, by himself!

And then we have Linus Akesson and his Chipophone Chiptune organ (great for those live video game music performances)

There's definitely more video gaming music-making out there. These are but mere examples of how creative video gamers can get...when we're not stuck in front of our consoles, that is.

And besides, who doesn't love a session of Rock band or Guitar Hero, eh?

Enjoy your weekends video gamers!

Spider-man in 4D

2010-07-23T02:47:00.002+08:00

Comics and video games really do go hand-in-hand in our geeky hearts. With the San Diego Comicon 2010 going on, there are certainly a lot of buzz from both the Comic and video game worlds.

And speaking of worlds, Canada-based video game company Beenox finally revealed all of the worlds in their upcoming Spider-man game, Spider-man:Shattered Dimensions. Take a closer look:

Spider-man:Shattered Dimensions will feature our favorite webhead in all his popular incarnations: Amazing, Noir, 2099 and as first seen on the above trailer: Ultimate. Comics-turned-video games are generally hit-and-miss franchises that are best forgotten most of the time. But judging from the video, Spider-man: Shattered Dimensions might as well be one of those comic-turned-video games we're waiting for in a long while (there was this brilliant Batman game if you can remember, the one that knocked everybody's socks of. word has it that the sequel is in the works.).

Spider-man:Shattered Dimensions will be swinging our way this December on the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and DS.

Gamer Profiles: Edgar Tadeo

2010-07-22T03:28:00.004+08:00

Edgar Tadeo is best known as an inker for Marvel comics, an indie comic creator, and a well-rounded freelance artist but there’s another side to him. Unbeknown to the majority of Earth’s population, Edgar is also an avid video gamer When he’s not chained on his inking chores he can be tinkering with his gaming consoles.

Joystiko: First of all Ed, tell us how many consoles you own and/or have ever owed?
Ed: Let me see...I had the first Game Boy, PlayStation [PSX], PlayStation2, PlayStation3, PSP; so they're five. If you include Atari that would be six.

Joystiko: Which console do you liked the most? Played the most?
Ed: Right now, coz it's the best console so far, it's the PS3. It's just cool playing games in high definition.

Joystiko: What type of game (genre) do you usually play?
Ed: I really like action adventure games, especially third person shooters. Kinda like Tomb Raider or Metal Gear Solid type of games. I also like fighting games like Street Fighter or Tekken. Racing is also on my list, even though I don't drive and never dream to have muscle cars, I still like driving them even if it's just in video games. I also like first person shooters. I never tried playing Counter Strike on PC but I thought those sort of games were fun. So I tried them even though I get motion sickness. So far with Modern Warfare 2 I don't get that kind of sickness. I enjoyed playing it on the PS3.

Joystiko: Tell us about your most loved/memorable video game?
Ed: Metal Gear Solid - even though I didn't know they had the first one in Game Boy, I still like playing the first game on Play Station One. It's so simple, graphics are low like they're Pepakura (paper craft). I became
happier when the first MGS environment and mecha were remade for MGS4. It is more fun to play with now that it is in HD.

Joystiko: How about the your most hated, like the one that gave you a very hard time?
Ed: I know it's just me. I just don't get this game - Final Fantasy. I never played it, never tried, and never will. What's with the selections and sub-selections for moves when fighting your enemies? What's with the
turn-based combat? Does it work that way 'coz I never played it. I just saw my little brother playing that game on PSP. The beat-em-up game (Dissidia), somehow I tried, but I never enjoyed it. I get bored easily.

Joystiko: Were there any people from the video game industry that inspired you in real-life?
Ed: Ah, no one. If there's one, that might me Hideo Kojima who created Metal Gear Solid.

Joystiko: Your Facebook Wall often post your achievements in Red Dead Redemption (PS3). Is that what you are hooked on are there any other games you’re crazy about right now?
Ed: Something I suddenly got addicted to! 'Coz there are horses! They're cowboys! When did you see the character you're playing has a horse? Even though it's like Grand Theft Auto in the West, it's is fun to shoot enemies on a horse. What's more fun is the Red Eye. Kinda like a bullet time in Max Payne. I enjoy most is the duel where you can just disarm your enemy or feed him with bullets.

Joystiko: Which upcoming game(s) are you most excited about right now?
Ed: Everybody's waiting for Gran Turismo 5. I really can't wait. Also, Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

Joystiko: This one’s fun: tell us one thing that you learned from video games.

Ed: It's easier to drive a car in Manual Mode in games than in real life. I hate driving. Hehe! Seriously, it widens my idea of design when creating comics.

Joystiko: Lastly: if you were in the video game industry, what would you be and what sortof game would you come up with?
Ed: Maybe I'll be a conceptual artist or character designer for a fantasy based, first person shooter genre. But I never dreamed of joining the biz.

You can check out Ed's works on his website Nyek! - Edgar Tadeo.com.

Stay tuned to Joystiko for more Gamer Profiles!

To DLC or not to DLC

2010-07-20T03:55:00.002+08:00

Hey Joystiko fans! Raipo here and I'm back from the 24-hour comic book challenge!

And as I return, the whole video game community is abuzz as both Codemasters and Bandai Namco's CEOs announced their solution for video game piracy: Dowloadable Content (DLC).

"Look out! Rabid gamers!" (from Codemasters Overlord 2 for the PC)

Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens have announced this move quite earlier stating that a good strategy to deter video game piracy is to sell "incomplete games" or games that will require further purchase to access more features such as more characters, levels, equipment, music and other content (thus the name Down loadable Content/DLC).

Bandai Namco's CEO Shukuo Ishikawa follows up by saying that games, especially those for portable systems like the PSP or DS should nothing be more than an initiative for DLC's rather than be full games themselves.

OK so let's think of it on both sides: first of all, there are games out there that can be played with optional and free DLC's like Konami's best-selling Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Capcom's Monster Hunter series. These games can be played in full and the fun and replay factors add up with DLC's. These games by the way usually cost much as a video gamer can expect.

On the other side, there are games that cost around half or a tenth of the price of a normal Blu-ray disc or UMD but the downside is that a player should pay for DLC to finish or to fully enjoy the game. It's like going back to the days of Shareware in which a trial version of a game can be played for a limited amount of time with limited features and if one likes it then he or she should pay for the game in full.

So what say you, video gamers?

Raipo at the 24-hour COMIC BOOK CHALLENGE!

2010-07-18T01:31:00.001+08:00

Our very own Raipo, Joystiko blogmaster, is currently hard at work competing at the second Philippine 24-hour Comic Book Challenge!

This year's theme is "Bakit ASTIG ang PINOY".

The idea behind the creative exercise originated by Scott McCloud is simple: create 24 pages of comic books in 24 hours.

It's like a marathon only instead of running, the participants of the challenge draw.

And like a marathon it takes stamina and a strong will to be able to complete the challenge.

Check out the comics that they're churning out here.

Starcraft 2

2010-07-17T23:58:00.002+08:00

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will be released on July 27, 2010!

Missed King of Fighters? Here's a new one comin' at yah!

2010-07-16T03:18:00.003+08:00

Missed that old arcade tactical button mashing frenzy when playing fighting games? Worry no more! Comin' Our way this 2010 is King of Fighters (KOF) XIII from SNK Playmore.

The premier fighting game series that survived the decades returns and we're talking about fighting in crisp HD. Sure there are 3D fighting games out there, but 2D games like KOF just won't say die.

And which hot-blooded arcade gamer would resists it's charm? King of Fighters is sweet science at its purest; with 31 fighters available from the start (with us guessing there will be more knowing that SNK Playmore does hidden characters best).

Aside from the series' signature team play, KOF XIII promises to bring more over the top moves: EX Special Attacks, EX Super Combos and new Neo Max Super Combos graces the game's arsenal. That and some more in true high-res glory.

Almost forgot, Mai Shiranui's back! And she's not like that seen on the KOF movie. She's the real deal here.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Toys

2010-07-13T03:46:00.003+08:00

Square Enix's toyline Play Arts have collaborated with Konami to bring us their Metal Gear Solid:Peace Walker toy line.

Play Arts have expanded their toyline not long ago to include figures from non-Square Enix video games and anime, so far as to include Capcom's Devil May Cry, Resident Evil and Bleach to name a few. The toyline has received a lot of rave review from fans and each series is very much anticipated.

And now Konami has joined the fray. First up is their Sneak Suit Snake figure below:

It stands around 24 centimeters which is average for most action figures. It features a lot of articulation and comes with inter-changable hands, Snake's favorite Hush Puppy pistol and bullet proof shield.

Next up is the game's first boss, the Pupa AI weapons platform. No specs on how big this baby will be, but it will be BIG! Comes fully detailed right down to the nuts and bolts.

Then we have the Chrysalis AI weapon, one of the more annoying bosses in the game as it flies and will give a constant headache by firing its railgun on you.

You might expect the Cocoon AI weapon to be next on the list but there aren't any. But don't get your hopes down because the last of the AI weapon series will be one of the game's bad-ass bosses: Peace Walker.

The Sneak Suit Snake is available now at all your favorite hobby stores but we'll have to wait for septemebr for the huge AI weapons toys. Ready your wallets because as we all know, these pieces would be pricey but nevertheless worth adding to any Metal Gear Solid fan's collection.

Look who's got a Birthday?

2010-07-10T04:05:00.002+08:00

It's everybody's favorite videogame bomshell, Aya Brea of Parasite Eve fame.

Square Enix has announced the latest Parasite Eve chapter '3rd Birthday' for the PSP. It's been years since a Parasite Eve game has seen the light and from the looks of this one. Tetsuya Nomura (whose works include Final Fantasy, Brave Fencer Musashi, Ehrgeiz among others), the game's character and art designer claims that the game's visuals will push the PSP to it's limits.

The first two games were known to have introduced several innovations in terms of gameplay and visuals when it was released during the late 1990's when the Playstation reigned supreme. Early development notes from the designers hint that '3rd Birthday' would be a departure from the first 2 game's mechanics and premise.

Square Enix has thus far revealed that the game will be an action shooter, similar to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. It is also revealed that the story will take place in 2012 at New York City, with Aya facing a new threat called the 'Twisted'.

3rd Birthday is slated for a Winter simultaneous release on all regions.

Easter Egg: there was a Parasite Eve movie released in Japan in 1997 which many say is totally unrelated to the series. This one is worth checking out.

Is the PlayStation Move a Wii wanna-be?

2010-07-09T03:38:00.004+08:00

So, it seems that Japan is just going to catch up on the Playstation Move system this October.

Just a brief on the Playstationj moves mechanics: you basically need a PS3 and the PS Move pack which consists of the PS Move controller, navigation controller and the Playstation Eye to work.

From there, all you have to do is to pop-in a PS Move game and have fun while burning some gaming calories. Sounds like Sony ripped off the whole sytem from the Wii but the motion capture system is quite different as it utilizes the previously released Playstation Eye camera.

But what most gamers cry about are the controllers, which many say is far too similar to the Wii's in many aspect like the shape, size even right down to the wrist strap.

So the question is: Playstation Move; yea' or 'nay?

Megaman vs. Spikes: who wins?

2010-07-09T03:16:00.004+08:00

Yes you've beaten Cutman. Yes you've pawned Pharaohman, Bubbleman, Toadman, and every Megaman foe there is but have you beaten the spikes?

This video is a brainchild of a couple of guys named David and Chase with a lot of help from their friend Alex Sedge which shows their collective angst against Megaman's/Rockman's true arch-nemesis: the spikes!And you thought it was Doctor Wiley all along didn't yah?

And hey, while we're at it, check out this ultra-cool 1/10 scale (aroung 130 mm) Megaman/Rockman figure from Kotobukiya:

The figure features Megaman/Rockman in his default blue color and comes with a lot of inter-changeable parts and gimmicks like the clear blue Megabuster effect part. The kit is set to be released around September initially in Japan for 3,150 yen.

Assassin's Creed 2 Action Figure: Ezio

2010-07-08T01:57:00.002+08:00

And now, for something a little different. After all Joystiko is about the gaming lifestyle ain't it?

Part of being a video gamer is showing that you are one and it's undeniable that aside from the games, we also buy merchandise derived from the games we play. Action Figures, poster heck even the little things like keychains and cellphone dangles count, as long as it shows part of the game.

What you see above is an Assassin's Creed 2 Ezio 1/6 action figure from Activision's cloak-and-dagger Assassin's Creed series. for those of you who Don't quite understand scaling. 1/6 means that the figure's measurements stand at about one-sixth of a man's height. So now you that, you can imagine how this figure is proportioned.

Size is a good thing, but it gets better; the Ezio figure comes with all the bells and whistles like 'metal-like' weapons and accessories. Not only that, if you examine it closely, all of Ezio's physical features are modeled accurately right down to his jacket buttons. The figure also features 30 points of articulation matching a real human's.

The Ezio figure is done by Hot Toys, makers of the best licensed toys in the planet. The toy will come out around the end of the 3rd Quarter this year but there's no word yet on the retail price of this one, though expect that this baby will cost a small fortune. But this is a Hot Toy figure and so far they don't disappoint.

MOG TV

2010-07-07T10:25:00.002+08:00

Bring on the Hunting Games!

2010-07-07T02:48:00.004+08:00

Capcom wowed us with their Monster Hunter series, Bandai Namco came up with their God Eater, and now it's Square Enix' turn with their Lord of Arcana.

Making its way into the slew of 'hunting' games is Square Enix' Lord of Arcana.

While it can't be helped to compare Lord of Arcana to Monster Hunter let's just think of it like this: Monster Hunter gave birth to a whole new genre of games when games these days seem to be rip-off of each other.

And what's a genre if it can't stand by itself?

With Lords of Arcana, Square Enix seems like they want to prove that the new 'hunting' genre is here to stay.

Thus far, hunting games present original scenarios and creatures for each game.

Lord of Arcana seem to go back to fantasy gaming roots by letting players battle traditional monsters like skeletons, minotaurs and demons.

The game play preview video shows fast and furious action and mind you it's going to be on the PSP which seems to be the portable gamer's weapon of choice these days.

Lord of Arcana's release date is till to be announced. The game is set initially for a Japanese release but hopes are high for an English translation.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood TRAILER

2010-07-06T09:49:00.000+08:00

Oh, the sheer awesomeness!

8-Bit Twilight Eclipse YouTube

2010-07-04T15:22:00.003+08:00

I'm not a big fan of Twilight, but you have to try this out: The Twilight Eclipse Interactive YouTube game.

This reminds me of those old 'choose-your-own-adventure' books that was all the rave from the 80's (well maybe still now)and pen-and paper role playing games. Except that this one is played on a string of YouTube videos instead. Putting this game on 8-bit format is just ridiculously nostalgic,I can't help to think how Twilight could have been if it were shown in the 80's.

Anyway back to the game. I won't spoil the whole lot for you, but I recommend to choose playing base ball with Edward first. Trust me.

Tron Legacy

2010-07-03T04:07:00.000+08:00

One word: awesome!

Is it a Ghibli anime? Is it a PS3 game? What is....

2010-07-02T03:50:00.002+08:00

...Ni no Kuni???

I'd like to call it a cross between Pokemon and a Studio Ghibli anime; and it's all that Ni no Kuni looks and feels like it's an interactive anime.

The transition between the animated part and the game play is almost flawless. Environments are lush, the characters look alive and vivid; all in that distinct Hayao Miyazaki style (for those who are not quite familiar with Mr. Miyazaki, click on his name and enlighten yourselves). Mind you, Hayao Miyazaki is the one responsible for a lot of epic anime movies such as Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Mononoke Princes and Howl's Moving Castle to name a few.

There were a lot of attempts to make a game similar to this in the past and from the looks of it, Studio Ghibli may score big with this one. You may or may not like anime but looking at Ni no Kuni as it is, as a very promising RPG, it probably change your mind.

The game is in its later stages of development, so far slating for a PS3 and Nintendo DS release on 2011. No word of a US release is revealed but from the looks of it, Studio Ghibli works it may have a fair chance of getting translated.

Silent Hill 8 (or what happened to the sequels?)

2010-06-30T03:59:00.003+08:00

Long running horror video game series Silent Hill was presented at E3 with its latest incarnation Silent Hill 8.

But wait a minute; isn't it supposed to be Silent Hill 6?

Apparently, yes but fan speculation about the current Silent Hill canon has it that the two mobile exclusive Silent Hill titles Silent Hill: Orphan and Silent Hill: The Escape (iPhone exclusive) while some speculate that even the novel, comic and the movie are intertwined into the whole plot. Konami has yet to comment on the game's place in the entirety of the series.

In any case, here's the trailer for Silent Hill 8:

The arc presented in this installment follows a still unnamed prisoner that succeeded into breaking out into a prison transport. but of all the places that he has to run into, it was...well...Silent Hill.

I dunno about you but the trailer alone makes me want to...oh never mind.

If ONLY...

2010-06-28T11:58:00.001+08:00

This ever happened to you?

Zombies (and Miss Shigihara) on your Lawn

2010-06-26T03:07:00.005+08:00

Know anybody who's not crazy for Plants vs. Zombies?

If you're one of the eensy-weensy people who either: a) haven't played Plants vs. Zombies, b) haven't heard of Plants vs. Zombies or c) both a and b then I have a few words for you: promptly watch the video below and after that, get your copy of Plants vs. Zombies.

Ultra-moe' Laura Sugihara performing 'Zombies on your Lawn'

People love Plants vs. Zombies so much some would go to great lengths to show their devotion. Such is the case of singer/composer Laura Shigihara's performance of the main theme of the game,with no less than George Fan, the game designer of Plants vs. Zombies providing the backing vocals.

Now, if that doesn't convince you to try out the game, I don't know what will...

Maybe a wave of brain-hungry zombies will. He he he...

Kubori Kikiam Editor for the Day Flash Game!

2010-06-25T21:51:00.002+08:00

Michael David and his talking Kikiams are back in action.

Aside from reviving their official website they've brough back their good ole' Kubori Kikiam Editor for the Day Flash Game.

The object of the game is simple: edit out all the cuss words uttered in the comic panel as fast as you could. Ain't that fun?

Try this at the highest difficulty and you'd know who's worthy to be Kubori Kikiam's editor for the day!

And it just keeps better.

Head over to the site to read past Kubori Kikiam issues and see why this long-running komiks is all about.

We ***heart*** short shorts too!

Scott Pilgrim Mania!

2010-06-25T03:11:00.003+08:00

As if the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels are not enough, her comes the Scott Pilgrim video game by Ubisoft which wil be available thru the Playstation network and Xbox Live Arcade. Epic!

Huh? Wait a sec? YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE HECK SCOTT PILGRIM IS???

Where have you been living Jack? Scott Pilgrim is only the most epic graphic novel series about a Canadian boy's misadventures and his teleporting anti-girlfriend (a new term I picked up hehe, describing a girl that's not quite your girlfriend yet but you're dating her otherwise while being stalked by her vicious exes). The books have been turned into a movie aaand is being currently turned video game, which in most part, is about movies, video games, music and all aspect of geekery available.

Still a mouthful for you?

Go ahead and check the official site and your local comic book store for a taste of epicness. I don't want to spoil you some more, just check it out. Trust me will yah?

And while you're at it, how about making your own Scott Pilgrim avatar? I made my own already:

If this guy ain't cool then who is?

2010-06-24T04:26:00.003+08:00

People are weird, the Japanese are weirder. Though their weirdness is right about a million times cooler than any weird act on the planet.

Take this guy for example:

Who in his right mind would beatbox the Mario theme? Why Hikakin of course! This Japanese internet sensation shows us that being a geek with the right skillz earns respect not only from fellow geeks but from normal people as well. Aside from video game themes, Hikakin also does beats for pop (Justin Timberlake? get out of here!) and other acts such as Daft Punk

Check out his site and blog for more of his crazy, geeky musical exploits.

By the way, nice pair of headphones dude!

Again...one shall stand and one shall fall

2010-06-24T02:08:00.004+08:00

The War for Cybertron is on!

June 22 marks the release of the highly anticipated Transformers:War for Cybertron in all formats.

As the title implies, the game is set in one of the bleakest part of Transformers history; the War for Cybertron. Fans old and new have long speculated what really happened back then and how the war between the Autobots and Decepticons was taken here on Earth.

The game also takes in a different direction in terms of visuals and overall tone for the series.

The game has a dark and menacing feel about it and the action is gritty and brutal unlike the original 80's series.Character designs were also revamped and closely resemble that of the movie versions of the 'bots. The background music and voice acting contribute so well to the overall feel of the game especially with our old friend Peter Cullen reprising his role as Optimus Prime. The game also features online multiplayer modes where players can make their own transformers and duke it out against others. Not to mention unlockable extras that add to the game's replay value.

Awesome indeed.

Oh, and did I mentioned that Stan Bush is doing a song for this one?

Tired of ole Space Marines? Try VANQUISH...

2010-06-23T03:56:00.003+08:00

There's a ton of 'space marine' games around these days and it's getting pretty monotonous seeing all that charge-with-all-that-we've-got-coz-we-have-awesome-body-armor thing going around.

Well everything changes with Vanquish. Take a look:

Vanquish is SEGA/Platinum game's latest offering slated for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 later this year.

Vanquish is spearheaded by none other than Shinji Mikami of Devil May Cry fame. An as with Mikami's game expect a lot of over the top action, guns blazing and all. With Vanquish, Platinum shatters the space marine stereotype by incorporating lightning fast movement and smart weaponry. The story (in the trailer at least) seems typical action movie fare but seeing the game in action is reason enough to try it at the very least.

It's oozing with Mikami goodness, what's to lose?

What will you CUT???

2010-06-22T03:47:00.004+08:00

Straight out of E3, a new Kojima Masterpiece! Applause please!

Konami's Metal Gear Solid: Rising is coming our way and boy, you can already see what this is all about. As the subtitle implies, it's gonna have tons of 'Lightning Bolt Action'. But wait, isn't someone or something missing?

Yes video gamers, this will be a Snake-less MGS. The star of this show would be Raiden and his trusty vibro-blade slicing the heck out of genome soldiers, vans, pillars and well ANYTHING! This is unlike any MGS game so far, with the gameplay focusing more on action and less on stealth like its predecessors.The action is hard, fast and brutal, a reference to Hideo Kojima's earlier claim of him doing an 'industry taboo' in his next game. The move, as Kojima himself has said, could either make or break his career. But then again, it's better than having to suffer from a MGS dating simulator...

Oh, and watch out for the segment after the credits for more lightning-bolt cutting action.

Looking for 2D Game Developers

2010-06-21T16:37:00.002+08:00

If you happen to be one you may want to check this out.

So, Isn't Mickey Mouse Epic Enough?

2010-06-18T03:42:00.001+08:00

Yes believe me, the name of this upcoming game REALLY is 'EPIC MICKEY'. No kidding.

Disney has come up with a game that will push the Wii's capability in the form of Epic Mickey. Revealed at this year's E3, Epic Mickey presents everybody's favorite titular mouse in a never before seen and played adventure.

So how is this game gonna be truly epic? Simple. Give Mickey Mouse the almost-omnipotent ability to draw and erase the world at his will and you'll see what the developers are aiming at. Coupled with a gritty story (somehow it looks inspired by the Disney/Square Enix team-up game Kingdom Hearts) which involves Mickey being trapped in a world of forgotten Disney characters and we may have an instant classic here.

I'm not a bug fan of Mickey Mouse or anything Disney but looking at the game and how it was done, I might give it a get go. Hey I tried Kingdom Hearts and I wasn't disappointed, how can this one be far behind?

CEBU COMICS Convention is a GO!

2010-06-17T08:35:00.002+08:00

Big Ape Design Studio and JONASDIEGO.COM
in cooperation with
Super Debil Robot Comics and Kawalo Concepts & Designs presents
The 1st CEBU COMIC BOOK Convention
happening on the 25th of September 2010
10:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Activity Center in Ayala, Cebu.

Check out the details here.

Console News: Xbox 360 Slim and the Nintendo 3DS

2010-06-16T21:05:00.001+08:00

One of the most surprising launches to ever grace the video gaming world happened today: behold the Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim:

Quite noticeable is the unit's color change from white to black. Aside from the significant size and weight drop from the original, the 360 Slim features a bigger 250 GB harddrive, has built in wi-fi and is said to be less susceptible to RROD (or 'Red Ring of Death' or system hanging, synonymous to a computer's 'Blue Screen of Death'). It retails for the same $299 like it's older brothe, the original Xbox 360.

Nintendo on the other hand has announced the specs of their eagerly awaited 3DS, the third successor of their portable console line. The 3DS boasts of not one, not two but three built in cameras (!), 2 GB built in memory, an analog controller, stereo sound and many other features that will give the Sony PSP a run for its money. Best of all, Nintendo is going to introduce the first ever 3D capable screen for a portable system.

We have yet to see what Sony has to offer, but from the looks of it they are cooking something. After all, silence can mean a lot of things.

Right Sony?

E3 2010: Mortal Kombat - Announcement Trailer HD

2010-06-16T04:24:00.005+08:00

Ok so by now, we all know that the 'Mortal Kombat' movie trailer everybody saw on YouTube is in fact a superbly made fan trailer that coaxes producers to pick it up. (Hey it's better than the official movies don't you think?).

And now days later after that trailer, a new Mortal Kombat game has been announced and is scheduled to be unleashed at this year's E3. Simply titled 'Mortal Kombat', it mixes old and new characters, mechanics and plots in one whole bloody mass.

Here's the video for you to see what I'm talking about:

Pretty impressive? Yes sir! We'll have to wait for E3 for more bone crunching Kombat!

Freedom Forever!

2010-06-12T08:49:00.001+08:00

Walking the path of Peace

2010-06-10T04:40:00.002+08:00

Yet another Hideo Kojima Masterpiece is out now, in the form of Metal Gear Solid:Peacewalker for the PSP.

The story takes place sometime between MGS: Snake Eater and MGS:Portable Ops which means that we get to see Naked Snake in action again.

Players that have tried the game say that it plays like a cross between the previous portable Metal Gear titles with Monster Hunter Portable only with tanks and massive war machines replacing the aforementioned monsters.

And since this is a Kojima game, expect a deep plot and high replayability which only they can deliver. MGS:Peace Walker is out now in a game retailer near you!

And now for a little video-game uber-geekery...

2010-06-10T04:27:00.003+08:00

This, ladies and gentlemen is a Steel Battalion controller for the game Steel Battalion by Capcom for the Xbox ,also known as ‘Tekki’ (roughly translated as ‘Vertical Tank) for Asian territories.

The game made it’s way into the world about 7 years ago but it’s still making waves throughout the mecha gaming community everywhere.

Sure there were controllers made for mecha games like Mechwarrior but this is simply overkill.

As if the game is not hardcore enough (your pilot will be ‘killed’ if you don’t ‘eject’ from your vertical tank) here it comes packaged with one of the phattest but nonetheless true-to-spec controllers ever made. Compared to those racing wheel replicas, this thing is as legit as it can be.

The Steel Battalion controller comes with 2 joysticks, 3 pedals and about 40 buttons (including one for the VT’s windshield wiper!)which pretty much takes it’s inspiration from anime mecha concepts. Dishing out mechanized mayhem in your very own mecha control dashboard makes this a genuine mecha gamer wet dream.

The game on the other hand, felt like it could have what Mechwarrior should have been and word has it that the game (with the controller included) sold out fast making this a solid collector’s item. And who wouldn’t be enticed to try out this game?

For those of you who own the game, much more with the controller you don’t know how lucky you are.

Age of the Versus

2010-06-10T04:22:00.003+08:00

The 1980’2 firmly established video game arcades into an entertainment mainstay like movie houses and bistro bars.

But come the 1990’s, the video arcade scene was forever changed as it brought in a new level of play for arcade gamers: competitiveness. Thus to arcade-goers the 90’s was fondly known as “The age of Versus”.

There were two types of arcade games that were predominant in this decade: versus games (later known as fighting games) and beat-em-ups.

These games existed due to the game that started the phenomenon: Street Fighter 2 (SFII).

Putting the original aside, Street Fighter 2 (SFII) bursted on the scene and enabled gamers to beta the crap of each other for hours. Street Fighter 2 (SFII) was usch a hit at that time that arcades had to put up several machines in order to meet the demand. And so much is Street Fighter 2’s popularity that it was followed up with a lot of substandard clones until another game muscled into gamer’s hearts.

And that game is Mortal Kombat.

Two words that broke every videogame norm and taboo. Mortal Kombat offered blood, realistic ‘motion captured’ graphics and a way to put salt into a defeated opponent’s already deep wounds: the Fatality.

Mortal Kombat was so brutal that a US senator stepped in and enacted laws to rate video game content from that time on.

But that action did not deter gamers who wanted a little more of the fisticuffs.

And the 1990’s did offer more.

Here was a decade that sparked arcade renaissance.

Just when everybody though that the flame of fighting games had already died, out came a new breed of slugfests.

The late 90’s ushered in 3D fighting games with the likes of Virtua Fighter and Tekken.

Very much like their predecessors, Virtua Fighter and Tekken followed on each others tracks.

Virtua Fighter was known as the SEGA masterpiece that introduced the world to pugilistic polygons while Tekken took the concept and improved on it, showing gamers that fighting can be as real as it gets.

The other games were overshadowed but not forgotten. As 3D technology was explored at that time, it was not long that games touted either the ‘Virtua’ or ‘3D’ tag in their names.

As the millennium draws near with fears of the Y2K bug, gamers were unfazed and a whole new playground was laid up for video arcade gaming in the 2000’s.

MORTAL KOMBAT: Rebirth

2010-06-09T11:43:00.000+08:00

Oh...em...gee...

"My name is Scorpion."

24 Hour Comics Challenge!

2010-06-02T21:56:00.004+08:00

Sign-up I Participants I The Judges I Prizes

FF VII writer declares iPad as Nintendo Killer

2010-06-02T03:25:00.002+08:00

The buzz is all over the net.

Masato Kato, the man behind such phenomenal RPGs as Final Fantasy VII, Xenogears and Chrono Trigger boldly declares that Apple's iPad will dominate the portable gaming market in the near future.

Nintendo currently enjoy a stable share of the portable games market with its DS portable game console series. The DS owes its popularity mainly on its touchscreen function and innovative games. The iPad as we have all witnessed, have the same versatile touch-screen interactivity and several game developers are already expressing interests in producing games for it.

So, what does Nintendo have to watch out for?

Isn't the DS more portable than a tablet PC? Yes but fact is, the iPad provides more functions in one neat package. The DS on the other hand is purely a gaming console. The iPad is also shown to have better appeal to the young adult group which; as we know makes up the majority of the game market today than children or seniors which the DS caters for.

But all hope may not be lost for Nintendo as it plans to unveil its secret weapon codenamed the Nintendo 3DS which according to them will have full 3D functions and equipped with a new type of screen that doesn't use glass.

So, let's all brave ourselves for a new chapter of the console wars!

PONG

2010-06-02T02:53:00.001+08:00

There was a time when video games were non-existent.

For the average Juan gamer today, it would seem difficult to imagine a world without video games. I mean, how can one escape the daily afternoon barrage of telenovelas and repetitive variety shows on TV if there are no Playstations, Xboxes, Wii’s or even rented PC’s to play games on? It’s an inevitable fact that along with TV, gambling and the internet, Video gaming is undeniably one of our national past times at present.

But video games didn’t just popped out of nowhere. Much like no one is born gorgeous like a leggy Brazilian model out of her mother's womb. Video games, like most of us when we were born, were ugly. Yep. The first video games didn't have 3D graphics or stereo sound back then. All there was in the beginning were 2 sticks moving up and down, a pixel that passes for a ball and beeping as an excuse for music.

I’m talking about PONG of course, a game that been dubbed as THE GAME that started it all. PONG is the brainchild of toy inventor and electronics enthusiast Ralph Baer back in the 1960's. Mr. Baer apparently just wanted something to occupy channels 3 and 4 on his TV (these channels were unassigned back then) that he took it unto himself to construct a little brown box with circuitry inside for him to display (and eventually play) moving pixels and simulate a game of ping-pong. Mr. Baer then expanded this idea and thus the first video game console was born "The Odyssey" along with its first game: PONG.

PONG as we all know, is electronic ping-pong (or table tennis for all you purist out there).

It's a relatively simple game, where all you have to do is to hit the "ball" all over the screen and avoid missing it lest you want your opponent to score. By today's standard this would be boring but in those days, PONG was the bomb. PONG's spark eventually gave way to the birth of what we now know as the video gaming industry, an industry that changed the way we entertain ourselves ever since.

Simplistic as it was, PONG is still one of video-gaming's roots. It’s as unavoidable as having a grandpa that tells you his fishing stories every afternoon or an aunt that pinches you every time she sees you. But PONG went beyond from being just a video game. It became an icon for the whole video gaming industry eventually finding its way into pop culture itself. It has been referenced time and again thru TV and movies as well as other video games.

If you want to know more about PONG and even Mr. Baer, click on ralphbaer.com.

Coin-op:The Arcade Scene Part I: The Dawn of Arcades

2010-06-02T02:42:00.001+08:00

Arcades. No one can resist the noise and the lights coming from one.

These days, arcades are all over the metro with the larger ones being mainstay attractions in any local mall or leisure area. Part of an arcade's charm is that they provide entertainment for all age groups. There's the rides and activity games for the kids, racing and fighting games for the avid hardcore arcade-goer and the even videoke for the reflexively-challenged. Today’s arcades have gone far from their seedy image and with local arcade franchises like Timezone, Quantum and Worlds of Fun on the forefront it can be said that the arcades are here to stay.

But things were not always like this for the arcades. Like any establishment arcades have their own story to tell worthy of note for any savvy gamer. Joystiko.com looks at the history of arcades with this special multi-part series.

At the dawn of video-gaming in the 1970's, arcades were practically unheard of.

Videogames were all but confined in homes and even then early video game consoles can only be afforded by upper class families. But videogames eventually found its way into the masses and in a short span of time several ice cream parlors and fast food joints already had an ensemble of about 2-3 video game machines placed at the corner were kids and teenagers often spend the rest of their time after a meal. Most of the time, video game machines went side-by-side staples like the pinball machine and foosball (you know, the one that has those little men kicking that tiny soccer ball?). Arcade games were meant to be short and pretty much repetitive back then as they were just meant to bide some time.

Video games in those days were often viewed more of a fad back then.

Many predicted that the production of arcade machines would cease and never be followed up due to high cost of production. But things change, technology ramped up in pace as prices of electronics slowly drop due to mass production. But then, many would be video game companies saw that this was just the start for the industry, and as the technological boom came, a sort of renaissance period came also for video games.

Things happened fast. No one anticipated that video games would soon become one the most successful forms of entertainment known to man and the arcades became the vehicle in which the whole phenomenon was carried. By the 1980’s saw a lot of advancements in video game technology, giving rise to what was known as “the Golden Age”.

If the consoles have Armored Core, then the arcades have Virtual-On.

2010-05-29T04:30:00.002+08:00

That's one piece of gamer knowledge passed on from one generation to another.

Nah, I just made that all up. But then that adage holds true. Virtual-On (VO) is probably an arcade game that a gamer could have passed by on any arcade. Until someone notices something different on it.

And that something might be the fact that Virtual-On is played with 2 joysticks. And it is very much appropriate as Virtual-On is SEGA’s premier mecha action game which debuted in arcades. It puts you in the helm of a Virtuaroid, a robot designed for ‘sports combat’ in the future. If you’ve seen Robotjox then you’ll know what I mean. If not then have mercy upon yourself and go see it. Pronto.

Enough of that, let’s go back to the game. In contrast to most mecha games where your robot lumbers around,the Virtuaroids in Virtual –On go about in blinding speed as with any anime inspired mecha game. The control scheme proves that fact, as it only takes a few rounds for a player to get the hang of the game and start smashing mechanized ass. Graphics and sounds for the game are good enough, providing a mecha battle arena atmosphere.

VO can be best described as an instinctive game, almost to the point of being a twitch game as one plays through time. Mastery can be achieved almost by muscle memory and ultimately a player can feel that he/she is already a part of the Virturoid he/she pilots rather being 2 separate entities. Few games can achieve this kind of interaction and Virtual-On deserves much acclaim in my humble opinion.

Virtual-On (VO) machines are still quite an uncommon sight on local video arcades. In Japan however, Virtual-On (VO) was followed up by a 4-player head-to-head arcade machine called Virtual-On:Force. And just recently, Virtual-On Force is getting a revamp for the Xbox 360. One piece of advise: give the game a spin and you’ll know what I’m talking about here.

Till then who knows? Maybe real-life virtuaroids are on the works. We’ll never know what the developers are up to these days don’t’ you agree?

Easter Egg: The Virtuaroids’ backpacks are actually SEGA Saturns in disguise. In later sequels, the backpacks were replaced by Sega Dreamcasts. Go figure.

Here comes Miku again! Get ready for Project Diva 2nd!

2010-05-28T04:00:00.001+08:00

Virtual Diva Miku Hatsune is gonna do it again! SEGA has announced that the much- awaited sequel of their rhythm game Hatsune Miku:Project Diva game aptly titled Hatsune Miku:Project Diva 2nd. And its all happening on the PSP.

Miku Hatsune (romanized from Hatsune Miku) for those not yet in the know is Japan's, and probably the world's, first 'virtual diva'. Conceived by Yamaha, Miku started out as a 'vocaloid' which is a voice synthesizer program. What Miku does was pretty simple from the start: a player types in lyrics from his or her favorite song, load in the music file for it and Miku will sing it in a disarmingly, cute voice. Eventually, the whole application attracted music composers from all over and original pieces for Miku began sprouting everywhere. The character was so popular that a live concert was put up in Japan on August last year.

SEGA picked up this phenom and worked with the composers, producing a plethora of Miku related games and merchandise including Project Diva for the PSP as well as spawning additional characters for the vocaloid universe.

Here's the Opening sequence forHatsune Miku:Project Diva 2nd:

And as you can see, Miku is not alone here. She's now joined by her friends Kagamine Rin and Len as well as the luscious Megurine Luka.

Here's how the game will look like, which is in our opinion is a vast improvement from the first one in every aspect:

Hatsune Miku:Project Diva 2nd will hit Japan on July 29,2010. As of date, no English release for the game is being planned.

Music for the Video gaming soul: Megadriver

2010-05-28T03:30:00.001+08:00

There were 2 things in the 1990’s that shook my innocent gamer core: The Sega Megadrive and heavy metal.

Sega broke me into a Sonic the Hedgehog visual barf fest (don’t get me wrong , I love Sonic. Its just the graphics made me queasy). while heavy metal got my head banging to the annoyance of my parents.

So how about putting these two seemingly unrelated subjects into one seamless, fan boy nightmare inducing mass?

Meet Megadriver, the guys that just did exactly what I mentioned above.

These heavy metal dudes from Brazil took the already gnarly Sega Megadrive tunes and gave them another life. Lives as face-melting heavy metal rifts that assaults one’s auditory organs from all angles until there’s nothing left.

Start off their rendition of Sonic the Hedgehog and you’ll know what I mean. Follow that up with their version of the Golden Axe theme titled ‘Path of Friend’ and you’ll probably wonder why you haven’t heard of these guys before. Try other tracks like ‘Rise from your Grave’ (tribute to Altered Beast, complete with voice intro) and ‘Wicked Child’ and feel the chill in your soul .

Megadriver has these to offer and much more.

Yes, videogamers. Megadriver will cling to you and give you Sega LSS (Last song syndrome) for weeks to come.

Go ahead and download their stuff guilt-free from their website. After that, lock your door, turn the volume up and start busting out with that air guitar of yours.

10 Classic “must play” Superhero games of all time

2010-05-28T03:21:00.002+08:00

1. X-men: Children of the atom (Arcade) –This game started it all. Before, superheroes were limited to beat-em up games but X-men: Children of the atom proved that superheroes can also duke it out themselves ala Street Fighter.

2. Marvel Superheroes (Arcade) – the end all and be all of superhero arcade games. The plot may be over-hashed but with Marvel staples like Capt. America, Wolverine and Spidey along with some surprise characters like Shuma Gorath and Blackheart and we have ourselves a winner. That, and with Thanos as the end boss this game got us owned.

3. Spider-man and the X-men: Arcade’s revenge (Sega Genesis/Megadrive) – Spider-man plus the X-men equals videogaming bliss. This game showed that cross overs aren’t just for comics.

4. Wild C.A.T.S. (Sega Genesis/Megadrive) – as if the comics weren’t cool enough, along came this videogame that showed the world that there is more to this superhero team than just hype.

5. X-men (Arcade) – one of the first forays of our mutie friends on the vid screen. This beat-em up was the bomb in its day, specially if played on a big-screen machine.

6. Phantom 2040 (Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo and Sega Game gear) – this should have been a Batman game, but heck it kicked ass nevertheless. The game innovates in a lot of ways and coupled with an intelligent plot makes this game a winner.

7. Marvel Ultimate Alliance – as the names says, this is the videogame that lets you create your own Marvel dream team in all of their next-gen glory. Weep fanboy, weep.

8. Justice League:Heroes (Xbox, Playstation 2 etc.)a standout Justice League game, if there were more Justice League games that is. Justice League:Heroes delivered a good mix of beat-em up and RPG elements making it a solid choice out of the other super hero games out there.

9. Batman (Nintendo Famicom) Batman, in the days of the Famicom, ruled and kicked and owned supervillain ss. This game aint no Ninja Gaiden but the game play and difficulty made it at par.

10. Captain America and the Avengers (Nintendo Famicom) – this game should have just been called ‘Capt. America and Hawkeye’ but heck with a game this good who cares? Innovation was this games strong point as it adds a RPG-ish twist to the usual beat-em up routine.

Honorable mention:

Comix Zone (Sega Genesis) - the game’s hero, Sketch Turner ain’t a superhero per se. He is in fact a superhero comics artist turned superhero sucked into his own superhero world to fight the baddies. Slick, Comic style graphics with a lot of trademark comic book humor making this game worth mentioning even though there’s a lack of ‘established’ superheroes in it.

Your Gundam Against My Gundam

2010-05-26T04:36:00.001+08:00

Gundam is an institution not just in Japan but all over the world nowadays.

The name and the robots embodies the future: giant robots walking the Earth as the main mode of industry and warfare. But for now Gundam presents to us an action-packed universe rivaling that of the superheroes of the West. A multi-verse that provide a perfect setting for fast paced robot action games such as Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam vs. Gundam Next Dash.

The Gundam vs. Gundam Next Dash was originally conceived for the arcades and no one expected Bandai Namco (with a little help from Capcom nonetheless) would port it over for the PSP. Gundam vs. Gundam Next Dash (a.k.a GVSGND) is a mecha action game much into the tradition of Virtual-On abeit with the namesake Gundams on it instead of the Virtuaroids. Turns out that the GVSGND has been around in Japan arcades all this time but this is the first time that the franchise has ever made it into a handheld console.

Any hardcore Gundam fan would drool on the extensive selection of playable Mobile Suits ranging from the original Universal Century MS like Amuro Rei’s RX-78 Gundam to the formidable Gundam Exia of Gundam 00 fame.

Gameplay is pretty much like any other robot action game out there: shoot the other guy’s robot down for mecha supremacy. But what makes GVSGND for the PSP interesting is the ability to connect with 3 other players via WLAN for up to 4 player head-to-head action. Add in blinding 60 fps visuals stays true-to-form to it’s arcade predescessor making this game a winner. Fans would also be delighted to know that most of the original theme music for each series is intact and are selectable in-game.

Playing GVSGND is also a rewarding experience. The pilot card feature stores and records in-game awards and achievements in both single and multi-player modes. As with most portable games these days, a virtual data card is a badge to show off your bragging rights to other players, showing game progress anywhere from what difficulty level has been cleared to the number of enemies gunned down etc. and for extra flair, ‘titles’ can also be selected so that you can be your own ‘Red Comet’ or ‘Terror of Solomon’.

As of date, GVSGND sees no English port yet but hopes are high since almost all of the Gundam series are pretty much in US shores already.

Easter Egg: as part of Gundam’s 30th anniversary celebration, a 1/1 scale (read: actual size about close to 18 meters) has been erected on Odaiba, Japan and was completed just last June 9,2009.

24

2010-05-24T17:40:00.001+08:00

Retrogade: Transformers Convoy no Nazo

2010-05-24T12:05:00.002+08:00

Optimus Prime ain’t the only main ‘bot around.

In this 1986 Nintendo title from Takara called Transformers:Convoy no Nazo (translated as Transformers: Mystery of Convoy), Ultra Magnus takes the helm as lead Decepticon ass-kicker. Transformers:Convoy no Nazo is known to be the 1st Transformers game ever. Players that have heard o this game tried the game even though its in Japanese and it stayed that way apparently because interest for an English release of the title was dismissed due to continuity issues. Transformers: Convoy no Nazo is infamous for its difficulty for a Famicom game. Many players (such as yours truly) has spent quite a number of hours and lives on the game figuring out how to finish the game. But in the end as with other Transformers merchandise, Transformers: Convoy no Nazo was loved for what it was.

This game is quite a rarity these days, even in auction sites. Those with the original cartridges can consider themselves lucky because as with all Transformers merchandise this one is a true blue gem. Too bad it wasn’t licensed for an English release. So for all those Transformer fans who happen to be videogamers you might want to hunt this title down. It’s a worthy addition to any Transformers merchandise collection you’ve been accumulating all these years.

Happy Birthday Pac-man!

2010-05-22T02:07:00.003+08:00

And I don't mean the boxer.

Who I'm talking about is the original one...the Great Yellow One!

May 22, 1980 marks the day when Pac-man, that pellet-munching icon we all knew and loved was created. It's been 30 years since and all that time we've seen the Great Yellow One in all forms of media including his own cartoon series, tons of merchandise, his own music single (I kid you not!), and not to mention countless sequels and spin-offs.

So here's to more years of pellet-munching fun!

Easter Egg: Check out your Google browser right now, they've got a special Pac-man maze for you to play with! Use your keyboard's direction keys to guide the yellow muncher to victory over the nefarious ghost monsters.

The Giant Robot Movie of all Time

2010-05-20T04:24:00.004+08:00

Movie and mecha fans would probably fondly remember this little robot movie called Robot Jox. This odd title from 1990 is mostly known as ‘that Giant Robot movie’ as most people can’t fully recall the title.

Robot Jox is all about conflict resolution: the movie is set in a future where war is outlawed and the way in which people resolve their territorial disputes is to duke it out on an arena. With Giant robots that is. And with the old ‘modern Cold War America vs Russia’ setting put in for good measure. Note: the ‘90’s was full of ‘giant-robots-walking-the-Earth’ plots and this movie was probably the epitome of it.

The robots and the effects can well be compared to any Japanese Giant monster production (from Japanese studio Toho nonetheless).

The plot if there’s any is too thin but the action is where it counts. A bit anti-climactic but as 90’s Sci-fi movies go, it’s normal to be anti-climactic.

Robot Jox might not have a star-studded cast (Jeffrey Combs of Star Trek fame comes to mind) and might not have the best effects ever for a robot movie (comparing it to Tranformers or other robot flicks today) but then at the time of it’s release, Robot Jox was the GREATEST LIVE-ACTION ROBOT MOVIE ever. In those pre-CGI days, nothing can beat 2 kit-bashed animatronic robots duking it all out well all I can say is : For the Win!

So up until they come up with that Mechwarrior movie they are talking about then Robot Jox is, was and ever will be GREATEST LIVE-ACTION ROBOT MOVIE. Ever.

Easter Egg: Achiles’ final attack at around the end of the movie involves him setting his robot’s fist to fly off to his enemy’s giant robot for the kill. Mazinger Z’s Rocket Punch rip-off? You be the judge!