Well, damn. I already knew it by a leaked list but it's so damn good to see an actual footage. We can see two of his specials and his moves are pretty nice. He even got a shoryuken. Seeing Megaman X and Legends together in the same game is a bit odd but full awesomesauce

Also Joe the Condor made the cut as well. Don't know about this series but I'm loving it.



God damn it, why havent I bought a Wii yet? I have skipped two Christmas days already.

Today I was at the supermarket to do the weekly shopping, when I stumbled across the magazines and found Nintendo Power. Decided to grab it just to check some pages, and then I notice at the bottom of the cover "Your wish is GRANTED! Shantae finally returns in an all-new plaformer. Six pages of EXCLUSIVE pics!"

I already knew the news, and I was extremely delighted, but a cover of 6 pages? I was not going to miss that. So courteously I decided to scan them for you to enjoy. They are not full quality, but at least you manage to check some of the artwork.

EDIT: Wow, they are much better and bigger than I expected... umm well still check them out.

Check out the pics in the gallery


Is it just me or Shantae is in the perfect balance of cute and hot? Though I think she is cuter than hot. But she got a nice body. But still cute. Umm... yep.

Risky Boots got a light overhaul in design and I like her skull thematic. Gotta admit that top is clever.

By the screenshots I see a very familiar style... KONJAK?! It would be no much of a surprise, he has collaborated with WayForward before, but daaaamn isn't it beautiful?!

I think this is the perfect excuse to get a DSi, Shantae was overdue so long for a sequel and more attention and after 7 years she is ready to enchant everyone with dances and good old action-platforming.

If you want to check better quality pictures, well, buy the magazine or steal it from your friend who got it, there is some awesome concept art to check out too.

We know that games have tropes as movies and TV, and some of the most popular by now are zombies and music.
As much I love the previous mentioned, there are some that I just feel hypnotized by the idea behind and make me want to know more of it. So I thought it would be a cool idea to share what are some things that make me feel very attracted by a title.

Pirates



Seriously, pirates. Strangely I have not seen much of them and be it the sky, the sea or being in a band of thieves in the city, the dark arts of robbery, greed and scurvy are pretty unexplored now. Sure, we got GTA and Saint's Row, but they do not cover the excitement behind a true dog's life. Pirates are wild, informal and pretty badass, it is almost impossible to not think being a pirate is awesome because the authority looks for you, there is always a hunt for adventure and tales that cross around the seas finding others from other places in the world without using modern technology. Pirates as simple they are to design in characterization, they are pure on what a player wants to be. I have said before that if there is something cooler than being the legendary hero, is to be a bad guy confronting a greater evil. Also, the sea is freaking ace.

Great Examples: Zack & Wiki: Barbado's Treasure, Drill Dozer, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Wario Land 4.


Psychic Powers



We use guns, we jump on enemies, wield swords, use spells and even a freaking tank when the chance appears. But what is the ultimate weapon? Your freaking mind of course! When I see psychic powers, I only presence something: YOU ARE GOD. With psychic powers you can do virtually anything because your mind controls it and there is almost no way someone can find the way to counter it because your mind is unpredictable (unless you make it so). There is a fine difference between magic and PSI, when we use magic we are so used to that idea that it does not feel credible or authentic; as soon we hear "magic" we know that it's a fairy tale gadget. However, when being psychic it just feels so damn cool, because it is a still unexplored territory in science fiction and there is still no way to disprove the possibility of its existence yet. Using anything from around you also gives you more excitement, more strategy. The mind is the ultimate frontier of exploration because there are no limits bordered in it like the universe so far.

Great Examples: Psychonauts, EarthBound, Bioshock


Wild West



Even if you find the family vacation to that park in Arizona corny, you have to admit something: cowboys are fucking badass. Don't believe me yet? Watch "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", or any other wild west movie with Clint Eastwood. Cowboys are rude and awesome like the pirates, however while being a cowboy it feels much more rewarding to be the good guy because you feel feared and clever. Villains are dumb and taunting, but it doesn't matter for you, you are going to fill that bastard with 5 pounds of sun-stroke white lead. For some reason there are not enough games with cowboys in them, there were a bunch back then before 3D arrived to stay in our systems and they were pretty awesome for catching the same sensation from the old movies or just by themselves. Feel the noon sun under your face and look at your enemy grinning 20 yards away, the whole town watches silently the duel to see who is the real boss around here. Being trigger-happy never felt so good.

Great Examples: Wild Guns, Gun Smoke, Sunset Riders.


Science



I know it sounds too redundant, but when a game is being based on facts and theories rather than just made up shit, it feels much more exciting like I stated about psychic powers. Be them social sciences, chemistry or biology it makes it much more interesting to be dragged in the story as they tell about possibilities and alternate worlds or an alternate today to face in a new fear. We should stop messing around with what we don't know, but otherwise there would not be science, there would not be answers. That is also what debated the ignition of the Large Hadron Collider. Science is progress, but it could also risk what we love of our lives. Many have tried to make games based on current problems and make them looks like an excuse of the story and why you are fighting, but only a few have managed to do so without smothering it on your face so much. Are we taking the right way? Is our answer always logical? Or are we all doomed by the same cruel fears we are seeing coming in our present?

Great Examples: Half-Life, Fallout 3, Bioshock, Mother 3



Deep Jungle



This is surprisingly a very narrow trope, there are just very few games I can imagine that simply use the theme as a recurring stage and not a feeling. If there is something that really yells adventure, is a jungle. It is classic and profound enclosing of peril in which British explorers, conquerors and even the army has been crossing around. You can barely know what will come ahead, you feel surrounded but still feel nature on your patting on your shoulders. The jungle is not only palm trees, it is atmosphere and full of life. Grab your machete because the journey will be intense.

Great Examples: Donkey Kong Country, Pitfall!, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater


Space Shooting



It's easy: you shoot stuff, in space. How did a simple formula that got inspired by 1950s science fiction become so addictive? There is something that feels too appealing with going all PEW PEW PEW across the galaxy. I will also admit that even Halo is fun at doing it, but do you know what is one of the best things in it? The Phantom, that ship that is absolute shit on multiplayer is a damn lot of fun to use on campaign mode. Since Halo became so popular, many tried to take the same formula and give it a lot of excuses to make it work out as another one, and there have not been adequate shooters for a long time, so moving first-person shooters aside, the classic titles are also really great, especially by using a spaceship, every alien is feared if you have a ship with DUAL LASER BEAMS AND SMART BOMBS, PA-ZOW!!

Great Examples: Raiden, Ikaruga, Starfox 64


Good Old Silliness



And as serious games can become, we have to remember that video games could have not gone anywhere if it wasn't because of the children. As a fan of animation and cartoons, I think that there is always space left for being stupid or funny every now and then. Admit it, if you got into gaming it was because you have a sense of humor, you did not find it as a complex and top notch manner to express feelings with technology; you just like to blow up shit and mild absurdity as a dessert with sprinkles and lots of chocolate syrup on top. When a game does not take itself too seriously, the whole atmosphere feels less dense and easier to let it breath. Laugh, because you are supposed to be enjoying it!

Great Examples: Ratchet & Clank, Banjo-Kazooie, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga


That is all I can think so far. I love pretty much any game you put me in front to try, but there are always cases I feel completely transported inside of it and driven inside a place where many things are possible.

Do you have a favorite trope too? Tell me about it.

And party as in BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Starmen.net does not cease to amaze me showing me what fans like to do about his game. These guys made for a friend an EarthBound birthday party with games that honestly look like a lot of fun putting the previous knowledge of the game apart.



I am surprised by how well executed and well detailed this is, seems like they put dedication for something that would last just for a moment. This seems fun like being in a contest show.

For a decent time, I have been into the role of burning things when I was first recruited into the job of working for nastily rich companies, but just recently I decided to try something more demanded and way interesting. Due to it is that I am not here to do damage, but to remove it instead.

After taking a short and overrated course of human anatomy and überology, I was ready to arrive the crossfire once again. But now I am facing a new dilemma, how important is my work here after all?

Once the gates open it is about less than 10 seconds until I begin to hear my demands. Suddenly depending on the amount of people surrounding me, my task becomes saturated of "patients". Sure it is easy to call my name, but do you have an idea of how hard is to keep with my schedule?! Let's take an example, if you are a scout remember something simple. THOU ART TOO FAST FOR ME! I cannot jump as high, I cannot run as fast and everybody is after you!

But I have to face other problems while doing my job. I am here to heal you, but who is here to heal me? I would value if I am chargin, you have some respect for me and MY DRAT FIRZT AID KITZ! I NEED THOSE! Why do you need more health you gluttonous swine!



But probably the worst thing I have to deal with my team is credit. Sure, I do receive some of it after assisting my mate to blow guts, but they think they can do everything by themselves. Sure you can be good at swinging that baseball bat, but is not like you were invincible to that sniper, pyro and heavy pointing at you!

I could keep all day telling my peeves, but I will tell you what I enjoy.

It is curious how discriminated I get for my role. Many think that I am vulnerable, mousy and pathetic, but my adrenaline rushes every time they taunt me with their presumed strength and dexterity. Remember that I know your body, and i know where it hurts most. I count with some of the best technology to amputate and paralyze. So bring it on, fellers. Your tiny dagger is worthless against my syringes.

On the other side while I am healing, people at least thank me sometimes for my job, and I feel like the mission is far from possible without me on the zone. The defense and offense goes down if I am not there. You want to raid a whole team? Remember my charge. Want to keep your sentries on? Remember my charge! The base needs to be taken soon and safe? Vergessen sie nicht mein gebühr!



I am here to help after all, I am the medic and I will assist you. If you let me. Fool.

Because I just HAD to post about my favorite handheld and one of my favorite publishers ever.

Capcom is showing up more from their incoming titles, and here is some footage of the new Okami game, and it's official name seems to be something like "Okami Chronicles: Tiny Sun"

The gameplay looks soooo great! It looks much more as how I would have expected a Zelda for the dual screens. Looking much better than Phantom Hourglass in my opinion.



Moving on here is a small trailer of the new and still mysterious "Ghost Trick" by the creators of Phoenix Wright.

There is no much gameplay shown, but it turns out you can posses different objects for your conveniece, be it a switch, furniture or... pretty much anything.



Needless to say, the presentation is looking amazing for both titles, and they are looking like must-haves for your shelf of your favorite touch-screen Nintendo handheld.

In a slightly relted note, I bought the first Phoenix Wright game some days ago, but I gotta say, it's much easier than I expected. i am already in the 5th case. Oh well, it didn't stop it from being so damn good.