1 Down, 5000+ to Go?

Well, this is surely a landmark event for my current state of gaming life - the state that celebrates my obsession with playing fast-paced, fast result games reminiscent of the early gaming era while pushing aside the one playthrough, long build-up style of game design that is so popular these days. It is funny however that quick payout games are making a resurgence with the battle royale and autochess genres dominating the gaming sphere but it's safe to say that the grandiose story heavy, progression heavy single playthrough games are still the mainstay in today's gaming market if the hype surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 is any indication. So what is the landmark event you ask? Well, I have reached the end of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc via Steam last night! This is all thanks to my recent commitment to focus on "completing" games instead of jumping around between them like a bunny, resulting in all of them being eventually abandoned. I don't even remember the last game that I fully completed... wait, maybe I do, I think it was Final Fantasy XIII several years ago.

Yup, that's an end credit!

As for the game itself, DTHH is a very interesting visual novel that halfway-through seems to have lost its strong, impactful initial direction. It's a copycat of the Phoenix Wright games but Capcom's popular detective visual novel series is truly superior in comparison. The tonal shift towards the climax is definitely rushed and nonsensical though thankfully, the ending is satisfactory enough. I am sure that the old me would have just abandoned this game when the shift happened but not this new version of yours truly! The game took 46 hours in total for my first playthrough and it looks like the hours can be extended even further for completionists. I am however going to skip these extra flourishes because I have so many games to get to! So, I don't know, maybe when I'm in my 60s I can come back to this game and complete all the student report cards and unlock all the monomono presents after I have fully visited all the other games in my absolutely huge, uncomfortably bloated Game Library?

6K

I am one game away from reaching 6,000 titles in my Game Library. The last two inductions are games that got left behind - Batman: The Brave and the Bold for the Nintendo Wii (I couldn't believe that I have never heard about this WayForward Technologies game until now) and Lego Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey for the PlayStation Vita. Every so often, I would stumble into older games that for some reason I completely missed when they were first released. With so many games already in my possession, I do prioritize newer titles for me to enjoy but it's nice to be able to still find these older games in mint condition - these 2 were listed as new but you just never know.

Games from 5 years ago and beyond.

Since I am getting older - can you believe that it has been close to 10 years since I started this blog? - I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that I have... a lot of video games. Do I even have the time to play all of these video game titles before I die? I have written about the estimated time it would take me to tackle about 2,000 games back in 2011... Now that I'm reaching 6,000 games, well it's quite a disturbing thought. One thing is for sure, for the longest time, I have access to a collection of games that would last me for the rest of my life here in this universe. I should be very happy about that.


Update Note: 3:40pm - Whoops! We're officially at 6,000 games thanks to an ACA NEOGEO title on the Windows store! Why Hamster Corporation doesn't release these games fast and hard on the Personal Computer is just baffling to me. I have been waiting for Waku Waku 7 to arrive on the PC and it's finally here! 7K here we go? Nah... It's too soon to be thinking about that.

Panoramic Worthlessness

I don't use my PlayStation Vita that much so it shouldn't be a surprise that I just discovered today that it can take panoramic pictures. I was so thrilled about this and immediately took the 360 degrees view of my Game Room. I was very impressed at how easy easy it was to take the panoramic image because it was an automated process that requires one to point the Vita's camera around while the Vita finds the images it needed to complete the overall picture. Then, when it was all done, I was very, very disappointed with the result. The effect is definitely very convincing and there are even areas where I didn't noticed the transition between the combined images at all but the problem here is that everything is so low res, especially when you sized the image to fit the whole screen:

Click to maximize this image... If you dare!

This feature is a good distraction and something that can be fun to use but if the result is this whole blurry mess, I don't feel compelled to take my Vita with me when I know that I will be out taking pictures. A high definition still image/video recording are definitely way better than what can be accomplished here. 

Tales of Xillia: What Every JRPG Needs

Sony's cheesy limited time 14 for '14 digital game sales promotion for the PlayStation platforms that is currently happening is not all that exciting when it comes to the available selections but at least I was able to actually take advantage of it: I picked up Tales of Xillia by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3 and Killzone: Mercenary by Guerilla Cambridge for the PlayStation Vita. I haven't checked out Mercenary yet but I have played Xillia for several hours and I just want to point out that the game introduced a really cool non-playable character conversation system that I strongly believe should be implemented in all future Japanese role playing games:

You can only talk to NPCs with a speech bubble indicator.

After you have gone through that particular conversation...

...the speech bubble is grayed out.

I can be excessively thorough while playing a JRPG and I would not leave a town until I have talked to everyone whom could talk to. Also, for the first hour or so, I would also ensure that I would talk to the same NPCs more than once to deduct whether or not the game offers multiple conversations per NPC. With the NPC converstaion system found in Xillia, I feel more relaxed when roaming about NPC-filled areas because I know that I don't have to worry about missing anyone and that I could freely explore these locations instead of being systematic about the approach to ensure that I will get to every single NPC. I really would love to see this implemented in all future JRPGs. It may not seem like a big deal but it certainly make harassing NPCs a lot more fun for someone like me.

Random Browsing Yields Random Rewards

Though I have certainly abandoned the X-Box LIVE Marketplace completely, I have missed out on some good deals and even several free downloads from the PlayStation Store. That is why I have made it a habit to check it out every so often but perhaps I don't do it often enough. I am sure glad that I did so tonight however because I saw that Sony is offering an old PlayStation Portable game for free without having to subscribe to that nasty Plus program:

Shouldn't that be $5.99 for non-Plus member?

If you don't have the game already, make sure to claim it before the promotion expires. The third game in the series is coming out later this month for the PlayStation Vita so I suppose this is a promotional stunt by XSEED Games. It is a generous offering however. I don't see this game or its sequel gracing my future induction list so let's hope that it is actually worth the download.

Little Vita, BigPlanet

I found myself in that same sterile waiting room again this morning as I accompanied the spouse to another surgical procedure. Since the PlayStation Vita helped alleviate the waiting the last time I was here, I decided to bring it along again. The hospital Wi-Fi was not in a sharing mood this time around unfortunately but I did have a little bit of fun with LittleBigPlanet PS Vita. I will say that this game does look surprisingly incredible on the Vita and despite the washed-out appearance and somewhat neutered visual effects, it is still a visual treat thanks to its whimsical, stylized art direction. I only managed to complete 2 levels before the separation anxiety kicked in but I did get to the photo-taking using the Vita camera part of the gameplay. It would be impolite and probably improper to take pictures of random people in the waiting room so...

Exciting, I know and it turned out to be a religious article too. Yucks.

Toro's Friend Network

You would think that everything that Sony does when it comes to handheld gaming will always come second to Nintendo's offerings but that has changed with the Toro's Friend Network application that was just released for the PlayStation Vita earlier this week. The idea behind this app is not original for it is inspired by Nintendo's Streetpass Mii Plaza but it is far better than that. With TFN, you can actually send and receive friend requests - something that is sorely missing from Mii Plaza - on top of the ability to play mini games - including clearing dungeons (sounds familiar?) - with your acquired friends. Sadly however, Nintendo's "Mii" people just can't be beaten when it comes to their cute and potentially accurate representation of their creators so in TFN, your avatar doesn't look all that good with the head being a square box with whatever picture you used in the profile on the PlayStation Network or a social network website.

The app is not hard to figure out but the tutorial is annoyingly long.

I really like this app because it provides a way a nice little venue for people to make friends a lot more easily. Outside of the application, sending people random friend invites may result in you being called a stalker or worse but not here. There seems to be an end goal of making 100 friends via the app to turn Toro into a human but since all the friendship you made in this game gets registered into your actual PSN account, I am not sure if Sony now allows you to go beyond the 100 friend limit if you already have pre-existing friends. It's definitely a misstep that your pre-existing friends are not already added into the actual game but I suppose this app wants to ensure that they also have a Vita so that the benefits you get from the app are mutually shared.

Pick 10 random strangers a day!

There is one thing that holds back the experience of this fun little app and that is... the ridiculous in-game cash shop! Yes, Sony wants to make a lot of money from this little app... Even more money than they would get from you when you buy a new Vita or PlayStation 3 game! Of course, you don't have to buy the things they are selling and I don't plan on ever doing that but you have to really grind to get anywhere without them. At least Nintendo doesn't do that to us and for an app that should make people love the Vita a bit more, I don't know what Sony was thinking. Well, I know what they were thinking - $$$ first, the players second. Why do you think they are itching to release the PlayStation 4 already when the PS3 would suffice for another 10 years?

Now let's see if we would actually interact outside of this app.

The Vita's First Real Outing

It was easy for me to criticize the PlayStation Vita like I did recently in regards to its cross-buy feature but sometimes, I have to place the Vita inside the right environment to allow it to show its shine. I have mentioned in the past that playing the Vita in the bedroom, away from my gaming hub that is my Game Room, is quite a treat but that is nothing like the experience I had with it today. The venue? How about a place away from home? More specifically, what we are talking about here is the hospital waiting room. The spouse had to undergo surgery this morning - everything went well and the prognosis is good - and as you could probably imagine, sitting in that waiting room was quite a stressful time for me. I had to make a decision before leaving the house between taking the Nintendo 3DS or the Vita with me and I am so glad that I picked the Vita. In that sterile, desolate landscape, the Vita transported me away to a more cheerful place via PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and you know what? I was even able to participate in my first online free-for-all match over the crappy hospital Wi-Fi without any connection loss nor lag! I didn't win the match but I had a blast:

I should only play my Vita when I'm outside of the Game Room.

As I was playing sitting there playing the Vita, I could appreciate the clarify and richness of the system's display, even though it's not even high definition, and I was thankful that the graphics were indeed nice enough. I surely wished that I had fully charged up the system last night though because I couldn't keep playing the Vita for the entirety of my wait but I had no one else to blame but myself. Thanks Vita for being there for me in my time of need.

PS Vita: Game Desperation

The PlayStation Vita is a device that was doomed to fail from its conception, we all know that for a long time. Heck, the only reason why I got it was because I wanted to use it for my digital PlayStation Portable games. I really don't understand why Sony actually even bothered getting back into the handheld business after the utter failure of the PSP. Ever since I got the Vita a couple of months ago, I did find some enjoyment from the handheld but it is apparent at this point that Sony has pretty much abandoned the Vita. I was browsing the PlayStation Network Store this morning and the only fascinating thing I found there for the Vita was... Jetpack Joyride by Halfbrick Studios? It's free so I did download it with much glee since I still enjoy playing the game on my iPad.

 

Free to play is the new "it" for a dead handheld.

 

The download was small and quick but then after taking it for a quick ride, I immediately noticed how inferior this version is compared to the one for the iPad thanks to the occasional odd chugging and slowdown. What I do like about this version however is that you get to control the game using the "Rear Touch" Pad. No, you don't control it from pinching your own butt cheeks or those that belong to others in close vicinity, but we are referring to the touch sensors on the back of the Vita here. Though accidental taps are bound to happen with this setup, at least now you get to enjoy the game's cute 2D graphics without your finger getting in the way. I suppose the most important thing here is that the game is free, unless you decide to participate in the optional micro-transaction, and the trophy whores would be joyous to know that the game actually has trophies to unlock. So this is what the Vita is becoming? A second grade tablet device?

Update Note: 3:43pm - Vita's bad luck continues as apparently, this game is also released for the PlayStation 3 itself today! I downloaded it since it's free so once again, Sony has ensured that the Vita is not getting anything special that only the Vita can provide. When it comes to the controls, the PS3 version is definitely the best because instead of the slippery touch input, you can now press a button to control Barry and it's a lot more accurate. Though it is very cool to be able to play this game on my big screen, I have discovered that the PS3 is less powerful than my iPad 2 because this version has plenty of slowdown and it's a lot worse than the Vita version. Ewww.

You Know I Like It... Hard

In January of this year, I got myself the Hard Pouch by Hori for my Nintendo 3DS. I loved it so much that I have decided to get the Hard Case that the same company made for the PlayStation Vita. This officially licensed case is quite a looker as you can see from the picture below:

I really love the red accents on both top and bottom halves of the case. The indentations on the top potion looks pretty cool and provide what could have been a generic looking case a little bit of identity. There is a soft partition inside the case that has two functions - the top can hold two Vita games and the bottom rest on top of your Vita's screen to protect it from any possible scratches. There's probably enough cushion provided by the sturdy encasing to protect the Vita from a drop but I wouldn't risk trying that out. I was just looking for a nice case that can protect the screen while moving it around and this one can certainly do that job well. If I make sure that I slip my Vita inside of it when the Vita is not in use, I am sure that the screen will be protected from incidental scratching like what happened to my PlayStation Portable two years ago.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Sennheiser Due to Vita

Playing games on the PlayStation Vita can be an exhilarating experience thanks to its potential for visual spectacle (notice that I will never say that it could match the graphical fidelity of the current consoles) but the aural presentation via the built-in speakers is actually rather mediocre. This is not a problem exclusive to the Vita and I have addressed this very situation in the past. To get the total package experience from the Vita requires one to use the audio connector and I do have a dedicated earphones for my handhelds - a shamelessly expensive noise-cancelling one from Shure. I have been unhappy with those earphones however for a long while now because even though they sound great, fitting those tiny things inside my ear has never been all that comfortable, especially during lengthy gaming sessions. So I decided to get a pair of actual headphones instead and I decided on this HD 202 II budget model from Sennheiser.

 

Please don't ask me what that guy on the packaging is doing.

He's not even wearing the headphones and he looks like someone

who just jumped out of the bushes at night ready to drag you into his van.

 

Despite having that freaky looking kidnapper on the packaging, I am very happy with using this headphones with my Vita. It is amazing how much better it actually sounded compared to my uncomfortable earphones. Maybe the comfort contributed to the improvement but one thing is for sure, after using these headphones, I don't think that I can ever go back to the tiny sound that comes out from the Vita or my other handhelds. There used to be a time when the only satisfactory sound I could squeeze out of my handhelds could only come from connecting them straight to my receiver. Now, I can get the same satisfaction by just using these headphones.

Getting to Know the PS Vita

So I finally got the PlayStation Vita after a long period of time completely ignoring the system and now, after almost a week of owning the system, I must say that I really do like this Next Generation Portable. No, I would never, ever call it a "game changer" - a game changer in the portable gaming world would be a handheld system that can run games in native 1080p on its screen and has an internal memory of no less than 1TB with all of its titles delivered exclusively via digital means. The Vita would not be that device I just described of course but it is still, fortunately for me, a capable little handheld.

 

Of course my Vita lock-screen is League of Legends related... Sakura Karma for the win!

 

I am actually quite surprised at how much I am enjoying my Vita. I really like how easy it is to open and close applications. The Vita's dashboard and overlays feel a lot more responsive than on the Playstation 3. Checking your gamer profile on the PS3 can be a traumatizing experience because of the extremely slow synchronization process between the console and the server but that problem surprisingly doesn't exist on the Vita. Hitting the "PS" button also doesn't result in the frequent hang ups you normally encounter on the PS3. All I can say is that if things could be this smooth on the Vita, Sony better get their act together and fix things on the PS3.

 

I have inducted two digital PlayStation Portable games via the Vita already.

 

Sure the interface is slick but how's the gaming experience? It's actually quite satisfying. The tiny analogue sticks can be somewhat flimsy but after a while, I got really used to it. I still don't understand why they didn't just use the standard analogue sticks found on the PS3 controller - or a slightly smaller variation - on the Vita itself. The OLED screen may not be high definition but the clarity and sharpness of the images produced are unlike anything that I have seen on a handheld gaming device before - that is if you don't consider the iPad as one. It is obvious that the Vita is not even close to being as powerful as the PS3 - some of those low resolution textures are quite atrocious - but it does its best to trick you into thinking that you are seeing something extraordinary on the screen until you notice the blemishes that are just too easy to spot.

 

Dynasty Warriors Next looks almost as good as DW7 on the PS3. Almost.

 

My favorite game on the system right now is Dynasty Warriors Next, even though the touch screen implementation in the game is rather contrived. Sony is probably mandating developers to include touch controls for all Vita games, which is a terrible mistake because when they are just tacked on, they can easily ruin a game. I am also enjoying the digital download only shooter  Super Stardust Delta a lot and I can see myself playing it for a long time to come. I haven't downloaded non-gaming apps for the Vita as of yet. I really don't see myself tweeting or using Facebook on the system. If I want to watch Netflix while away from home, I rather just do that on my iPad 2. The system comes pre-installed with an app called "Near" that allows connected user to see each other within a 2 mile radius around them. Sure, the program doesn't pinpoint where exactly the other users are located but I think it's pretty darn easy to figure that out if you are using it in a residential area. This seems a bit unsafe. Perhaps Sony should have just limit the access to the list of users on a City/State level or allow users to use an alternative ID separate from the PSN user ID so that the users can choose who they want to reveal their actual PSN IDs to. There seems to be a lot of fun things you can do with this app like giving and receiving gifts with other players but you can't participate in them without revealing your PSN ID and I'm not willing to do that at the moment.

 

Super Stardust Delta is the best looking of the bunch.

 

I am glad that I got the Vita. I am using it a lot more than I thought I would. The Vita also encourages me to head to the bedroom sooner than usual these days because I don't mind looking at the OLED screen versus staying in my Game Room and gaming on the big screen. The scary thing is that I was even considering getting games that I already own again like Mortal Kombat because it's cheap now even though the Vita version doesn't even come close to looking like the console version just so that I can play it while being away from my Game Room. Looking at the big picture however, there are a lot more digital PSP games I wanted to get than actual Vita games so that is a little troubling when justifying the system's necessity. Hopefully, there will be more exclusive games coming for the Vita to make it a thoroughly worthwhile investment.

PS Vita: Make Your Own Bundle

Recently, I had a change of heart in regards to the PlayStation Vita and after sleeping on it over the past several days - thanks hun for helping me with the decision-making process - I got a unit sitting in my Game Room right at this moment. I decided to skip the Limited Edition, extremely ugly, Crystal White Vita. The main reason for that should be pretty darn clear: the unit looks really nasty. Secondly, the game included with the unit is not something that I desperately wanted to play and it didn't seem to run that smoothly on the Vita. Last but not least, the 4GB memory card that came with it would become obsolete because I also got the 32GB memory card and I wouldn't be able to use it with any other device. The cool thing here is that Fry's Electronics was selling the standalone unit at a much cheaper price and I was even able to score the 32GB memory card for a good discount. Add two really cheap $10 range games that I actually wanted to play and I got myself the L.G. PS Vita Starter Bundle.

The OLED screen is bright and beautiful but it isn't HD.

I haven't spent a lot of time with the unit yet. I still don't know how to change the lock-screen wallpaper even but I have tested the two games I got. I am happy to see that both of them do not have long loading times like I have experienced with the store display unit. I have heard that the digital version of Vita games have longer load times than the physical copies and that seems rather silly to me. I must say that I think Reality Fighters is a really cool game. Sure, it may not be the best fighting game ever but since you can use people's faces and customize your own stages using anything that you can capture on the Vita camera, the game sure is entertaining. As far as Dynasty Warriors Next is concerned, well, it's a Dynasty Warriors game and I just love the series. So yes, I must say that I am enjoying my little Vita. Perhaps I was too quick to cast it aside because from what I can tell playing around with it, the Vita seems to have a lot of potential. There's a sad amount of interesting games for it at this time though so I will probably end up playing the digital PlayStation Portable games on it a lot more than Vita titles for a while.

This game is what Nintendo's Photo Dojo should have been.