Megaman X Series Challenge

Ever since starting my replay of the Megaman X series, I quickly realized why these games kicked so much ass. For one, they are extremely difficult platformers. Secondly, the strategy that goes into them. I entered my challenge with great rust.

I remembered most of the boss orders, but my timing with many of the games has been a bit off. I'm not doing as well with some bosses, taking longer on levels, and arriving to Sigma with a bigger weakness than usual. That just goes to show you how brutal these games can be if you're not prepared.

For someone who has never played these games, they might throw the controller at the screen before even getting to X2. And even veteran gamers like myself are still throwing the remote, but probably with more fury because we did better before.  Going back to these games with rust has added a new level of difficulty that's quite interesting.

But no matter how, I'm realizing how good these games will always be. Not many series will stand the test of time, but this series does. I'm still trying to finish any of the games on my replay, but I won't stop until I've finished them...so it might take me a while.

And I will be chronicling my challenge as it continues to transpire.

Wind Waker Replay

Last week I managed to finish my replay of Wind Waker after not having played since it's original release in 2003. At first, there was a bit of rust, but I quickly found myself remembering what to do. In about 2 weeks or so, I had completed the game. And even though I passed it quickly, I had enjoyed it a bit more for both the nostalgia effect and having a greater appreciation for the story this time around.

This time around, I was using better battle tactics, solving puzzles quicker, and doing things I wouldn't have done in my original run. But then again, I was only 16 so I probably didn't think as critically as I do now. My battles now involved a lot of thievery via the grappling hook, as well as a wiser use of all my weapons. Back then, I used to just hack and slash, but now I was calculating my every move. Same goes for the dungeons. I was clearing out the puzzles a lot quicker, as well as finding an easier time with bosses.

For some reason, 2012 seems to be a year of gaming flashbacks for me. I have already cleared KH1, Chain of Memories, and Wind Waker. And I have done better now than then. Now I'm thinking of taking on the challenge of the Megaman X series (games 1-6) to see how it goes. Perhaps I should chronicle my journey as I tackle these older games. Who knows? Could be fun.

The Doctor's New Companion

In an attempt to avoid spoilers for the upcoming season of Doctor Who, I have strayed from fan sites and such, just to be safe. However, on the BBC America page and the Doctor Who FB page I stumbled upon some information regarding the Doctor's new companion.

This new companion (actress name Jenna-Louise Coleman) is stated to meet the Doctor in Series Seven. I assume they will meet after the departure of Amy and Rory, but who knows. If I learned anything from this show, is the unpredictability of the show's very nature. So we will have to wait and see.

Until then, the anticipation keeps building as I count down to the return of the Doctor.

Gokaiger VS Gavan: Movie Review

I finally got around to seeing the latest Gokaiger movie, and I gotta say...it's an awesome movie. I dig the concept of the crossover movies, especially during anniversary years. This just makes me look forward to Super Hero Taisen even more. And I love all kinds of crossovers, from the Jetsons/Flintstones movie all the way to the Kingdom Hearts series. So this was no different, filled with all kinds of goodness.

The movie starts right in the middle of the action, which is a great way to get one hooked. Right away, we see Gavan attacking the Gokaigers and quickly start with more questions than answers. Why is Gavan attacking the Gokaigers? Isn't he a good guy? Is is the same case as when the Dekarangers tried to arrest Captain Marvelous? Perhaps, but we don't know until a bit later in the movie.

Overall, the story was pretty standard. It wasn't bad, because it actually had a pretty good backstory. However, it wasn't as deep as 199 Hero Battle. But that's okay, since the movie was still pretty awesome. The fight scenes were awesome, as usual. However, I do wish we could have seen Bootleg Gavan battle the Gokaigers at some point. Regardless, the action was fun to watch.

And one last note. What an impressive way to introduce the Gobusters. To have them wear down Basco so easily, it gave a good first impression of how strong they can be. However, they still didn't seem as overpowered as the Gokaigers (owning everyone with Final Wave) but rather a more strategic team. They knew how to disable Sally and had Basco cornered. Good showing by the new team.

Just a very good movie overall. And before I finish, I gotta note that the old school multi-angle shots of Gavan transforming was a pretty nod at older series. Kinda wish they still did that from time to time.

Chain of Memories, Underrated Goodness

Well, I'm back after an eternity away. I figured it's about time I dedicate some more time to this blog (since my card blog is dying down, unfortunately). Anyways, I've been doing a lot of gaming since my last post and have replayed the Kingdom Hearts games for the PS2. And among those games I decided to replay, was Chain of Memories.

Fun then, fun now.

Now, a lot of people give this game a ton of heat due to it's different battle system. Since it involves cards and deck building in order to manipulate your commands in battle, it made a lot of people shy away from it for this core reason. However, it's this very system that attracted me so much into it. It's an increased level of difficulty, especially since you have to be a bit more strategic when building your deck and during battle.

And right away, playing it has been nothing short of a treat. I got to replay a game I haven't touched since it first came out on the GBA during high school. And while I thought playing it the first time around was a bit rough, I was surprised at how much harder it was with Ruku's story. Not being able to modify your deck was an even bigger challenge. However, it was still a great challenge to undertake all over again.

It still keeps a good story to make it worth playing, but if you really want a challenging game then try this one out if you haven't already. I know I'm going to be coming back to this game in the future to play both versions in Proud Mode. By then, it might cause me to throw my remote at something in rage, but at least it's a challenge.