Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy HD - Review

Jak and Daxter was the second series created by Naughty Dog and released back in 2001. Sadly, even though it gained quite the fan base, Jak and Daxter became one of them classic games that many people may have overlooked. Since at the time it came down to deciding between the Nintendo GameCube and the Playstation 2, many fans bought one of the systems, and completely ignored the other. Basically, from a fan's point of view, it came down to either getting Super Mario Sunshine, or that game with the funny looking guy on the cover.

Still, that doesn't matter now! Jak and Daxter has been rereleased in HD on Playstation 3 as a part of the Jak and Daxter Collection! If you missed out on it the first time around, here's your chance to finally check it out!

The Story of Two Idiots:

Jak and Daxter's story is actually pretty light, and because if that there really isn't too much to discuss. Basically the game opens up with our heroes, Jak and Daxter, going to this strange island even though the Green Sage Samos told them not to. The two are kind of the adventurous happy go lucky friends who rather just go where they want, joke around, and have fun, so they really aren't the type to just listen when told not to go somewhere. In fact, they'd rather go just because they were told not to.

After arriving at the island, Jak and Daxter come across a strange pool of black stuff (which turns out to be a type substance called "Dark Eco"), and Jak knocks Daxter in by mistake. Soon after, Daxter flies out of the Dark Eco as a mutated creature that looks like a mix between an otter and a weasel (an ottsel). Not knowing what to do, Jak and Daxter then return back to the Green Sage's house, and ask for help.
And so Jak and Daxter's adventure begins, and the two set out to find someone who can turn Daxter back. The only catch is that they'll be required to find quite a few energy cells if they want to power up their bike and advance through the volcano.

Throughout the game Jak and Daxter meet a wide verity of characters, which each have their own mini story or mission, but really that's about it. The game's story is very lighthearted, and it is also filled with quite a bit of comedy. Every character normally is a part of some stereotype. From the hillbilly in the woods, to the mayor who is full of himself, even if you don't laugh at these characters when you see them, you'll at least crack a smile. Heck Daxter alone is enough to make you laugh with his off beat personality. He's sure to have some bad news to tell at your funeral, the news that since you're dead he has no one else to help him get back to normal.

The Old World Gameplay:

Unlike Naughty Dog's previous series, Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter entered the world of fully 3D action platforming adventure games, but at the same time it also retained some of the previous series' gameplay. Really, if I were to sum up the entire gameplay in a few words, it would go something like this. "Jak and Daxter is what you get when Spyro and Crash have a baby, that became best friends with Rayman 2, and grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons." Yep, that truly does sum it up. If you've ever played Spyro or any of the other PS1 classic series, you'll feel right at home with Jak and Daxter.
In Jak and Daxter Jak is actually the only playable character in the game, and he actually does control a lot like Crash did back on the PS1. He's got his basic movements, he can jump and double jump, he can roll, he can do a jump kick out of a roll, he can jump into the air and dive into the ground, he can punch forward, and he can do a very Crash like spin attack. Everything is kept simple, and it really doesn't take too long to get used to the controls.

On the down side, Jak's jumping feels a little bit lacking at first. Jak seems to have a bit more weight to him than most platforming heroes, and his forward jump tends to lack momentum. Sure there is the roll jump, which you have to use if you want to make it across some gaps, but because his jumping feels so heavy you'll most likely find yourself double jumping and air spinning a lot.

The second main feature Jak has, is his ability to use different types of eco as power ups. Throughout the game there are a few different types you'll be able to pick up and power up Jak with for a few seconds, and all of them are key if you want to complete most of the "levels." While blue eco makes Jak move twice and fast and allow him to open doors, others such as yellow eco actually give him the ability to shoot energy balls. These power ups can be found allover the map, but sometimes you have to solve a puzzle or two before you unlock them.

As I said before, unlike in Crash (where levels were set paths you follows), Jak is an open world styled platforming game. The entire world is connected, there are NO loading screens, and the entire gameplay is based around exploring the map. Normally each large area branches off into a few other large areas which will then normally have smaller areas within them. For example the starting area has a path which will lead you to a jungle area, but at the jungle you'll be able to go to ruins. Each area is quite large, and they are ALL packed full of items that you need to collect.

Like in games like Spyro, when you enter a new area in Jak you will find that there are a lot of items laying around, and quite a few goals that you need to complete. These goals/missions will normally be given to you by talking to different characters on the map, but sometimes you'll come across missions such as "kill all of the flying enemies" as well. Either way, if you complete any of these missions, you'll be rewarded with an energy cell, and you'll then be one step closer to moving on with the story.

Although energy cells are the most important items to collect, you can also collect "Precurser Orbs" as well as robotic flies (which there are 7 of in each level). While Precurser Orbs (strange objects left by the ancient Precursers) are mostly used to buy energy cells (normally you'll have to give 90 to one of the people in town), the flies are a mission of their own. By collecting all 7 flies in each area, you'll be able to complete the final "challenge" in that area, and get the last energy cell.

Now the good news is, you actually don't have to collect everything in the game unless you want to, and if that is the case, the game actually keeps track of everything you found in each area. In other words, if you get to the end of the game and you have 1999/2000 orbs, you don't have to worry about searching the entire game for it. Simply hit start, scroll through the area list, and see which one you're missing. It's a fast and easy way to check what you've done so far, and it really helps keep the stress of completing everything down. That doesn't mean the game is easy though.

The Challenge of Jak:

Normally I would include the game's challenge under it's gameplay, but Jak and Daxter is a special case. The thing about this game is, it's difficulty is based off of the players experience with this sort of game. The game can be EXTREMELY challenging, or it can be EXTREMELY easy for you, so it really just depends.
Although Jak is more along the lines of a "kids" game, it is one of them games that may keep kids playing for months, or even years, because of its challenge. Since the game is open world without any real guidance, you have to use a lot of your own puzzle solving skills to really figure out just what to do. If you are a kid, say around the age of 10, playing this game, you may actually have a hard time figuring it all out. Nothing is very clear, and the game does require a lot of trial and error.

For example in one room there's a massive robot in the center, with a lot of different paths and walkways around it. There's also traps, bars you need to swing across, enemies, special powers, and switches you need to hit with them special powers. Normally you would just think to start climbing, but even that doesn't quite work since there's so many paths you can take, and many will lead you back to where you started a lot of the time. On top of that you've got the orbs and flies to worry about, as well as special boxes which can only be broken if you find the correct power up. No matter what your age is, this part is sure to be at least somewhat of a challenge, but even more so if you are a younger kid.

By using common sense you will be able to work your way to the top sooner or later, but it will still require quite a bit of problem solving. If you're someone who really hasn't played this type of game much, this process will most likely take you longer to go through, and you may find yourself being stuck for an hour or two. On the other hand, if you have played this sort of thing a lot in the past, you may be able to figure it out in less than 10 minutes.

Although Jak does require a lot of trial and error, the good news is that there are no game overs! Whenever you die you'll simply respawn at the closest spawn point, normally each sub area will have one spawn point, and you can then go back to doing whatever you were doing. Sure the enemies do respawn as well, but you don't lose any progress or any of the items you collected. This does help make the game a little bit easier, but it's really more of a double edge sword. Yeah you get unlimited tries, but you're going to have to fight your way through some challenging platforming sections because of that.

Another thing which may really get you confused is how well hidden some of the parts of the game are. Not everything is right in front of you, and the game really does force you to explore every single nook and cranny. In one level in particular I found myself searching for this one switch for a little over two hours. I searched every single place I could find, and I back tracked to the beginning just to replay the area over and over again still with no luck. It turned out the area I was looking for was actually hidden behind some trees which were up against a mountain which was covering up a hole to a secret cave. The entire level was covered in grass an trees, so really there was no real way to tell that them trees were special (unless you noticed the very light blue rock above them).

In other words, even if the platforming and combat is easy for you (enemies die in one hit, and you die in three), the exploration will still take some time.

Jak in HD:

Although Jak and Daxter: The Precurser Legacy HD is basically the same as Jak and Daxter on the Playstation 2, there are a few minor changes which may make this version worth getting (besides the fact if you buy it in the HD Collection you also get the other two games).

The first addition to the HD version of Jak is that everything has been revamped for the PS3. The game can now be played in wide screen, some of the character models have been touched up, textures have been updated for HD, and the game also has full 3D support (which should go without saying, but it requires a 3D TV).

The second, and final addition, is that they added trophies to the game, and that actually really adds to the game. Up until now there was really no rewards for collecting everything in the game (besides a few second long secret ending), but because collecting objects are now required for trophies, you may find yourself more motivated to do so. It's just really nice to get rewards for completing missions, in the game, and it's also really nice to be able to show off to your friends that you 100%ed the game.

Even if you don't like trophies, it's a nice little extra added in to reward you for playing the game. Heck that alone might make this game worth buying.

The Good and the Bad:

Jak and Daxter is really one of them games you will either love or hate, and because of that it also has some good and bad points.

The good news is, Jak and Daxter is a very solid platforming game. The world is huge and you never see a loading screen, the characters are VERY likeable, collecting objects actually becomes very addicting and makes you WANT to find everything, and there are also some really nice mini games! In one mini game for example, you actually get to ride a hover bike through some crazy courses to reach the next area. There are also a few other parts of the game which allow you to ride on the back of strange creatures as well, and even that can be pretty addicting. Everything just controls so well, and a lot of fun can come from these short segments of the game as well.

On the flip side however, Jak does have a few drawbacks. As I said before Jak's jumping does take a bit of getting used to, but what might really bother you is how slow Jak moves. I found myself actually roll jumping over and over again simply to pick up the pace and get through the areas faster. Sure his speed really isn't that bad, but in a massive world like this sometimes it's better if you can run a bit faster. Another "draw back" is that the game's story is pretty lacking and Jak is mute as well (which make the game have even less of a story). If you're going into this game expecting some great story, I'm sorry but you're not going to find it here... Mainly because Jak and Daxter is just the start of a series, and it is mostly used to set up future events.

So in the end, Jak and Daxter is one of them unique games that is either a love it or hate it. If you're a fan of adventure games and platforming games, you may like Jak and Daxter, if you're a fan of games like Spyro on the PS1, or Banjo on the N64, then there's a pretty good chance you'll love it. If you hate platforming games, only want the game for the story, and you don't like collecting random objects, then avoid this game at all costs and look into the future titles. The thing about the Jak and Daxter series is that EVERY single game is different, so if you don't like one, just check out another.

I give Jak and Daxter a pretty good rating of 8/10. I personally had a lot of fun with this game, and it really brought me back to my childhood. If you're just now playing this game for the first time after all of these years, chances are you'll feel the same.

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Playstation Store Update Now Live!

Sorry guys I really don't have the time to make a full blog post, but I did want to let you know that the Playstaiton Store Update is now live! If you own a PS3 and you go to visit the PSN Store, you'll be asked to download a 25 MB update. This update completely redesigns the PSN Store, and is said to make it easier to navigate. It also features a new "letter system" like the newer Xbox Live store, which makes it easier to find games and add ons.

Although many of you may find the new look a bit strange, it is nice to see that Sony is working on overall improvements. Then again, why fix what was never broken? The old shop system did work just fine after all... Still you must download the store update (which is simply a shop update and not a full system update like we've seen in the past) to access the shop, but it is NOT required if you want to continue to play your games online.

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Wii U - First Impressions

It's been quite awhile since the Wii U was announced, and since then the locations which you could play it at have been pretty limited. Sure Nintendo has held some events here and there, but the thing is, I don't live anywhere near them places. Well anyway, long story short, yesterday I finally got to check out the Wii U first hand, and I just wanted to tell you guys about my first impressions!

Well first of all, when I went to play the Wii U I was a little bit shocked at how there were so many people around, yet NO ONE was even bothering to look at it. If you remember when the Wii first came out, you would see lines of fifty or even one hundred standing in line waiting to play it (especially at GameStop), but with the Wii U that wasn't the case. I'm not really complaining about that, since I'm happy I didn't have to wait to play, but I still thought it was pretty strange.

Anyway after walking up to the Wii U the first thing I noticed is the funny size of the console. In just about EVERY picture of the system, Nintendo has positioned the system to make it look thin and short; a really nice compact system that will fit anywhere... Yeah that's just a camera trick. By taking a picture of the console at a slightly angled perspective they were able to make the Wii U look much smaller than it really is.
The system's front is in fact nice and thin, but the system is at least twice to three times as long as it is wide. Basically It looks like a log. I get why they would do this since most people will have their Wii U in an entertainment center (in other words the longer part would jet back to the wall and make the console appear like it is taking up less room), but it still looks pretty funny when it's just sitting there in the open.

The second thing I noticed about the system was at how nice yet strange the tablet controller felt. The grips were great, and it was shockingly light, but the way the buttons were placed and how far my hands were apart kind of bugged me. It's no major issue, but it basically felt like I was driving a car with a square wheel. As for the buttons though, I know that'll take some time to get used to.

If you have ever played a SNES, DS, 3DS, PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, PSV, Xbox or a Xbox 360, then you'll be used to the standard four face buttons. A top button, bottom button, and one to the left and right. Well, what would you say if I told you that you had to reach to the left to hit the top button, down and left for the left, down and some to the right for the right, and much farther down to hit the bottom button? Well, thanks to the button layout, that's what you have to do.

It's just really strange reaching down to hit these buttons, and I can also see it being a problem for kids with smaller fingers. Still even if that is the case, there is the Pro Controller which is much easier to use. Still this isn't too big of an issue, and is more of one of them "keep playing till you get used to it" type of deals. It's something you have to go through with just about every console really.

After looking at the system, I finally moved onto the games, and really, I guess you can see this from two different view points. I'll just flat out say it, but if you stuck with only Nintendo systems over the years and you have never played a 360, PS3, or a PC game, you'll be VERY impressed; however if you have played a 360, PS3, or a high specs PC game, you will not be.

The games they had up and running are as followed.

Assassin's Creed 3 - Not much I can really say about this one... It's Assassin's Creed 3... Yeah it looks great and all, I love AC just to let you guys know, but it's the same game on all of the other systems. It's just nothing special to show off unless you've never played an HD AC game before.

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge - This game is impressive because it's a MUCH needed improvement over the original, but it's still NG3. Gameplay aside, it looks just like the same game that you can play on the other systems as well.

Batman AA - It's Batman AA... The very same game that has been out for quite awhile now.
Mass Effect 3 - Once again, it is Mass Effect 3. Nothing to really see here since it has also been out for quite awhile.

Zombi U - This game looks great if you love Zombie games. The graphics are nice, and I can easily see it as being one of the selling points for the system. This is the type of thing they should have been showing off instead of the other games I listed above. Brand new titles no one has seen before.
Rayman Legends - It's a new game that isn't out yet, but once again, it isn't exclusive to the Wii U, and it still plays like Rayman Origins. The touch controls on the tablet were kind of nice, but that's all it really had to show off.

Nintendo Land - A collection of mini games, but sadly, I didn't get to try this one out... Sorry guys... (Then again there are hundreds of videos of this allover the internet, so it's not too hard to find out what it's like.)
and finally there was New Super Mario Bros U - Not really too much I can say about this one either actually. The graphics are nice and sharp, and the 3D models are larger, but for Mario's first HD game, it really doesn't show off the Wii U's power. I mean I don't want Mario to look very realistic or anything, but it's basically the same game as it has always been, but without the jagged edges around the models. So yeah, it does look really nice and bright, but it's nothing to make you go "wow" at when you see. Plus it still has the standard gameplay, with a few extras for the tablet controller.

Sadly though, this is all I was able to actually check out on the Wii U since most of the menu screens were locked off. I will say though that I found it a little bit annoying to keep running into that "Wii U" white screen which would then force you to look down at the tablet to continue through the menus. I'm not sure how often you come across this, or if it's just a demo thing, but it's kind of strange that they would do that.
As for the tablet itself, all I can say is that it's basically Nintendo DS/3DS controls. Yeah it's new for a console, but it's the very same set up we've been using since 2004 if you're a Nintendo fan.

So all in all, the Wii U actually wasn't too impressive. I know I'll still be getting one, no way am I passing up Nintendo's exclusive games, but for the most part it's just more of the same. It's the same quality HD graphics we've been using since 2006, and the tablet is the same old touch screen menus/controls we have been using since 2004. It's just that now they are mixed together.

If you're a Nintendo fan who has never stepped outside of Nintendo's systems, you'll be amazed, but if you're an all around gamer, there's nothing more to see here than a new Nintendo system you'll have to buy if you want to keep following them. I still am really looking forward to getting the Wii U, but I know I won't be rushing back to play the display model anytime soon.

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Check out what I found the other day!

Ok so this is what I was talking about a few days ago! After cleaning out my room, I just happened to come across some old Megaman boxes! Now I know this shouldn't really be a rare thing, but the thing is, these boxes are from the GBA days! Back then (NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC, GBA) game boxes were something games just came in, and they normally just got thrown away. Not many people actually saved the packaging, and well, neither did I. Except for these lucky boxes (some of which actually have all of the original contents in them! It seems I just took the game out, and left the box in tact lol)

But that isn't the only thing I found! Check this one out! I'm sure a lot of you may remember this from 7 or so years ago, but then again, many of you may not! The Advance PET! The one and only PET to make it here to the US (sadly we didn't get any of the ones after or before it......)




Yeah I really didn't have many battle chips for it, but that's mostly because they were only sold in packs at Toys R Us, and the closest one around here was over an hour and a half away. The only chips you could buy in the stores around here were actually the ones that came with the Battle Network action figures (which I own along with the Megaman and Megaman X ones lol).

So anyway, that's all I really wanted to show you guys. I thought it was just a nice find, and I figured some of you might find it interesting to see these things again. A sort of, blast from the past lol
Maybe one day I'll upload a pic of my Megaman collection though. It's just that it spans a lot of consoles, and a lot of the toys (including Dr. Wily's Lab) are actually in the basement right now... Meh, maybe I'll just post the ones I actually have boxes for lol (rather not sit my CDs on the floor of my room).

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Your WORST video game memories?

You know, it seems that now days all we ever do is talk about the new games coming out, and the games we love... But what about the ones you just couldn't stand? What about the games that ticked you off so much you never wanted to go back to playing them? Now before I go any farther, don't worry, I'm not going to start reviewing the games I hate (if you want to see some funny reviews of some bad games, you should just go watch the Angry Video Game Nerd lol). Even so, everyone has their own bad memories with gaming growing up (or even today), and I figured this would be a perfect chance to talk about them, as well as share some of my own.

So anyway, lets get started!

Now when I was one and a half years old I actually got my first video game system (an NES which my cousin gave to me), and about 20 or so games for it. Since the system was handed down to me I really didn't have much of an option on which games I got with it, but it really didn't matter to me. I was just a happy almost two year old, and I was playing a video game!

Although I did play just about every game I had, it wasn't until I got older when I started to really understand how everything worked. That's also when I started to notice how bad some of the games were...

Top Gun:

The first game I ever really had a problem with was none other than Top Gun. Now I'm not saying this is a bad game, I actually thought it was really cool back in the day, and I LOVED the joystick, but there was one problem with it. After you finish the level and you're flying back to the base, the dreaded notice popped up. Back then I couldn't really read yet, but I knew one thing... The game was telling me to land...

Here we are 20 years after the first time I played this game, and I STILL can't land that stupid plane, and that is a problem. Sure it lets you continue onto the next level, but the refueling part is just the same, and if you fail that you lose! Because of that I've never seen past the second level, and I'm pretty sure I never will. Boom.....

Castlevania:

Once again this wasn't really a game I hated, but it was one I couldn't really enjoy playing back then. It was the only NES game I had that my parents didn't want me to play, my uncle even kept telling them how demonic it was, but in the end, I really didn't care what they said. It was a game, they didn't take it away from me, and it was there. In short, I played it.

The thing about Castlevania is that in the original when you got hit, YOU FLEW BACKWARDS! I would normally get to the second or so level, but I would always be falling off of cliffs, and missing jumps. The game was just a pain to play, and it was one I ended up giving up on. Now days I don't have the problems I did back then, but as a kid, that game was a nightmare. It didn't scare me because it was castlevania, it scared me because of how hard it was...

Spider-Man:

Now jump ahead a few years, past all of the other NES games which I rented and ended up blocking out of my mind (where's waldo you ask? Answer: I still have no idea. Pretty sure he's next to the orange thing inbetween the other two orange things, in the orange room, with the green car.... ), and finally we get to the Super Nintendo with Spider-Man.

Now I rented other Spider-Man and X-Men games on the NES which were pretty bad, but the only one I really owned was the SNES game. Really this wasn't a bad game either, but it was just SOO cheap. I would spend hours trying to beat the levels, only to get killed off at level 3. Enemies were cheap, your limited number of stunnades, and web really limited what you could do, and it was sometimes hard to figure out where to go. It was just so easy to get killed, the controls were stiff, it was easy to get LOST in the linear levels simply because the game wouldn't let you pass until you did something else, and I could never even figure out what the heck was going on.

I had some fun playing the game, I mean it WAS the only Spider-Man game out there which was really playable, but it was one of them games I didn't stand a chance at. I STILL don't stand a chance at it actually...

Robocop VS Terminator:

Robocop VS Terminator... It was my uncles game, I always played it over at my grandparent's house, and I couldn't really stand it. Now while the Sega Genesis version was much more like contra (faster moving, a lot of cool guns, and people exploding into piles of blood as bullets rip them apart), the SNES version was nothing like that. It was slow, clunky, enemies just kind of explode/vanish, enemies are cheap, the guns aren't that great, and well, it is basically plays like a stiff robot. Not really sure how else I can explain it...

The game wasn't bad enough that it made me hate robocop, but its one of them games I just gave up playing.

Road Runner:

Now the Road Runner cartoons were always my favorite Looney Tunes cartoons, but the Road Runner SNES game was another big let down. I had fun playing it, and I still kind of like it simply because it reminds me of my childhood, but the fact is... It's just one of them average stiff platforming games. You get to run fast for a little bit, then you launch into the air, then you stiffly control yourself as you fall down, and then you jump on slow moving platforms.

It's cool that the game tries to follow some of the old Road Runner cartoon's stories, but it was just an average platforming game... I mean heck, they even put random hazards in your path! You would be speeding down a hill, hit an object that basically kills you before you can even see it, and then you're forced to jump across the slow moving platforms... It's just, average, and cheap. (I did like taunting and eating bird seed though lol)

Toy Story 2:

Now lets skip ahead to the GB/GBC, and talk about Toy Story 2. Now really, I was SOOO excited to get this game back in the day (pretty sure I either got it as an Easter Present or Christmas Present), but the thing is, it sucked... You play as Buzz, which I really liked, but the game didn't add up at all. Rex tried to kill you, everything you touched hurt you, it was hard to figure out what platforms you could even stand on, and there were a few parts that REQUIRED you to be standing in the right spot as you hit the jump button so you could trigger some kind of special action.

The game was very stiff, you had a very limited number of lives, your friends killed you, the levels were straight forward and boring, it was hard to see where you could jump and where you couldn't, and to top THAT off, it was on the GBC! You know, the GBC, where you had to sit by a window or under a lamp to even see? The game was hard enough to see as is, they didn't need to make it even more confusing...
At least the N64 version was great!

Spongebob: Legend of The Lost Spatula:

Actually this one wasn't a bad game either, just not that great. It wasn't the big Spongebob adventure I was expecting, but it wasn't bad. It was a pretty basic platformer with some nice Spongebobish features added in. My real complaint was that it got kind of boring, and it was just a basic platformer. It was a bit of a let down, but I still enjoyed playing it as much as I could.

Quest 64:

A game long forgotten, but I remember renting it, and I remember not liking it. When I was younger the main reason I didn't like it is because I died as soon as I left the town, but now days I don't like it for other reasons. Gameplay was actually VERY basic, the battles are boring, the story is basically nothing at all, and it was very straight forward. This was one of them games you would spend 50 bucks on, and then regret later...

Rugrats Scavenger Hunt:

You couldn't play as Dill! What the heck!? Really though, I was expecting a lot more out of this game. It was Mario Party, which I really liked, but without the mini games... Which is the main reason I liked it. Yeah I had fun playing it since I was a fan of the show, but it wasn't what I expected. Man I remember going to walmart, getting it off the shelf, then looking at the instruction book on the long ride home. Couldn't wait to play it... Then I did...

The game was a good idea, and I had fun playing it with my dad, but it wasn't a game everyone I knew would come over to play. It would just sit there, and everyone would go right for Mario Party 1.

Megaman Battle Network 4:

Now I can go on and on about NES, SNES, and N64 games, but I figured I'd be better to just hit the main ones that disappointed me and move on... With Battle Network 4 being the next big one on the list.
As you know by now, I'm a HUGE Megaman fan. I own every game released, I own Japanese versions (Such as Rockman Zero 1-4, Rockman DASH 1 + 2, Rockman X, Rockman.EXE 4.5, and even many of the other Rockman.EXE games), but that doesn't change how I feel about BN4.

I waited for Battle Network 4 for a year +, and then when the game finally came out, I actually SEARCHED EVERYWHERE for the darn thing. Finally found it at Walmart, and spent an hour or so looking at the back of the box as my mom and dad went shopping. I couldn't wait to finally play the game, and I loved how the artwork of some of the soul changes reminded me of Megaman Legends. Well, finally my parents finished shopping, I then got in the car, I opened up the game, pulled it out of the box, took the game out of my GBA, and then stuck Battle Network 4 in.

First thing I noticed was the brand new opening theme. Now I LOVED the original BN theme so much that I actually wanted to learn how to play the piano JUST to play it. It was one of my favorite game openings, and BN4 removed it. Well, it was really a minor issue, so I just moved on and started up the game... Only to find then that the art style was changed. Yeah now days I do like the smaller sprites, but it wasn't a change I was expecting, and it wasn't one I really liked too much. Once again I then decided to press on with the game and just enjoy it. THEN I SAW ACDC TOWN!

Yep they completely redid ACDC Town, removed the school, and made all the maps generally smaller. Really ACDC Town was my favorite area in BN1-3, and I loved how I already knew my way around it as I started up each new game, but now, it was half the size, and most of the main characters LOST THEIR HOUSES! Dex now lived in a generic house, Yai's awesome mansion was moved to the school's old location, the chip shop looked different, and the rest of the town was just flat out redesigned. That really ticked me off, but I decided to keep playing anyway. Wasn't going to let it stop me.

Then I actually got into the game. The Dark Chip (or Demon Chip as it was called) showed up, and because I'm a Christian (and because I was still basically a kid), that really bothered me. I didn't like the idea of there being a demon in Battle Network, and I really didn't like the idea of downloading it into Megaman... Still I finally got over it and pressed on.

Three or less hours later the game was over, and I was just looking at the credits in shock. The game takes less than five hours to complete, and you had to play through it a second time to see the other stories and get the final soul changes. Yep, I had to REPLAY the game I didn't care for just to see the rest of it, and get the Proto Soul (which was the main reason I wanted Blue Moon).

After that what did I do? Only play the game through about 15 more times because I had nothing else to play. I did it all, saw all of the stories over and over again, got annoyed by the crisis music which never stopped playing until you started a new game plus, and flat out couldn't wait till BN5 would come out so I could stop playing it. Sure I did net battle my friend from time to time with BN4, but we mostly would go back and play BN3 more, so even the multiplayer aspect of the game was pointless...

I know many may disagree with me on this, but BN4 really shouldn't have been a standard game. It was one of them games that should have been made as a side game (along side Chip Challenge and 4.5, which both had more content than BN4 might I add), and BN5 should have been the real 4. Sure there was some important story points, but even them were very small.

That's it:

Well, I think I'll stop there. I only wanted to cover the games that were most disappointing for me when I was younger, so I'm going to leave other GBA games and the GCN games out of it. Really though, if you want to know a GCN game that really was disappointing for me, check out my Bionicle review. Just click the forum tab at the top of the page, click on the review forum, and click on the review list. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

Really there are many other games which were very disappointing, but the thing is, I hardly remember them. I rented SOOO many bad NES games, and A LOT of bad SNES games that I rather just completely forget them. There were also quite a few N64 games I really didn't care for, and even today a lot of games are disappointing. Really, half of my Wii Library was just that... Maybe I'll talk about them one day, but for now, I'm just going to leave it at this.
So, how about you guys?

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Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul lead actor in upcoming Need for Speed Movie

Don't worry guys, I haven't forgotten what I said in my last post about how I found some things in my house, but that'll still have to wait. Anyway I do have some good news to share!

As some of you may have heard, DreamWorks is actually creating a Need for Speed movie based off of the "Need for Speed" video game series. Over the years, Need for Speed games have mixed high speed action arcade racing, with open world exploration, and online multiplayer, and it is normally all tied together with some kind of story. From being an undercover cop in the underground racing world, to a street racer who decides to join an across country race as he runs for his life, Need for Speed has covered many different stories over the years, and it is only natural that a movie would be made of it one day.

Well anyway, details on the movie are still currently limited, but it turns out the lead actor will be someone a lot of you may know from the popular series Breaking Bad! Yep, Aaron Paul has signed on as the lead actor! Although Aaron has played many other smaller roles (for example he was in the "super hero" episode of Bones, and he was also the "psychic kid" in the juicy fruit gum ad quite a few years ago), he is the most well known for his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, which he has won two emmys for.

So, what do you guys think? Is Aaron Paul a good choice for the main character? Well, although we really don't know too much about the movie at this point, judging by his other works, he'll make a great main character. He's a very good actor, and I think it's nice to see him playing the lead.

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Got a GREAT deal on the Sly Collection and the Jak Collection!

Ok so not too long after I made my last blog post I decided to look around on amazon to see if there was anything interesting on sale. Welp, I found EXACTLY what I had been looking for!

For the past year or so I've actually been looking for the Sly HD Collection, as well as the Jak HD Collection since the day it came out, but they're both actually quite rare. No gamestops within 100 miles of me have had them in stock, the Best Buys around here don't have them in stock, and they aren't one of the games the local Walmart and Target stores sell either. They were just flat out impossible to find.

Well today I just happened to find them on amazon.com, and they just happened to be on sale as well! While these collections are normally $40 (with the games originally being $50 when they were brand new on the PS2), thanks to the sale they were actually being sold together for $40!

Yep, that's right! I got Sly 1, Sly 2, Sly 3, Jak 1, Jak 2, and Jak 3 all for $42 (including shipping and tax)!

That's 6 games, for less than the price of a new game!

So anyway, if you've been looking for these games, I strongly recommend checking out amazon! They also had a deal where I could have got Devil May Cry HD Collection (1-3) for an extra 15 bucks, but I'm actually not a fan lol. Still if you are a fan, that would be 9 games STILL for the price of one! Might be worth checking out.

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Found some things while redoing my room

OK so for the past few days we've been putting new windows in our house, which also meant I had to completely rearange my room since my computer and video games are in front of two of the windows, but that's besides the point. What I really wanted to tell you guys is that I found a few things which you might consider a blast from the past, and couldn't be a more fitting find to post here on Capcom-Unity.

So, what did I find? You'll just have to wait and find out! Right now we still have a lot of work to get done, and there still a few minor set backs which are keeping me from being active again. (The $30 surge protector I just bought apparently doesn't work because it turns out my socket isn't grounded.... Had to unplug everything, get my old surge protector, plug it back in, and reset up my computer twice X_x).

Well anyway, see ya guys around! I may have some time to post this later tonight, but I am pretty tired.... Meh, we'll see lol

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Battlefield: Bad Company - Fox TV Series?

Yep, you head me right! The action adventure first person shooter comedy Bad Company is getting a TV series that will be airing on Fox! Although information is still quite limited, it will apparently be made by Happy Madison (aka Adam Sandler's company) which is known for bringing out comedies such as The Longest Yard, and even the family comedy "Bed Time Stories."

For anyone who has never played Bad Company or Bad Company 2 (such as any of you who may hate war games), let me explain...

Bad Company is a Battlefield spin off which tells the story of four idiots who were banished to Bad Company. Basically Bad Company is a company in the army where they send all of the failures or law breakers. If they aren't cut out for the actual army, or they do something bad enough, they are reassigned to BC, and basically just used for anything (they are failures so basically they are the people the army would send into a suicide mission, or even be used as human shields for the front lines).

After the main character, Preston, is sent to Bad Company for taking a Helicopter for a joy ride (he was bored), he ends up meeting up with three other idiots, and they decide to form a little squad. Although these people are the ones who are most likely to die in a mission, that doesn't stop them from having fun.
Bad Company is a flat out comedy, and it never takes itself too seriously. The entire game is filled with funny comments from the main characters, and even the story is one of them stupid over the top stories which take place within a serious world. For example in the original game one of the characters "raids" an enemy country by mistake as he chases after a truck full of gold. This causes the US to disown the main characters, and they decide to go on a money hunt and finish what they already started.

So anyway, try to picture this. There's a battlefield, people are shooting at each other, and people are dying; however out of no where something unexpected happens. Here comes the Bad Company main characters driving through the middle of the battlefield on a golf cart as they are talking about who's the awesomist movie character out there. Not a care in the world, and they are too stupid to die. THAT is the type of characters these are, and what the entire game is like.

Its rare for there to be a comedy "war game," but it's even rarer for there to be a show based off of it. Either way, as long as it is done right, Bad Company could make an awesome TV series. One that would be able to keep you laughing, as well as one that will get you interested in the story.

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Resident Evil 6 hit the shelves today!

Hey I just wanted to remind everyone that Resident Evil 6 hit the shelves today; however that isn't all!
Sonic Adventure 2 HD and NiGHTS Into Dreams HD hit the online stores today as well! Yep besides getting the long awaited sequel to Resident Evil 5, we also get two classic SEGA games that fans have been asking for for years!

It's a good day if you're a fan of both, but if not, just go out and buy whichever you want! All three are great games (well, at least RE6 seems good), so you can't go wrong!

Also I don't mean to keep bringing up the same old topic, especially since it is allover our front page right now, but the first Dead or Alive 5 costume pack was released as well! It's completely free, it adds 11 new costumes to the game, and it only takes up around 70 MB! Basically though, all it does is add in the 3rd Virtua Fighter costumes (if you've ever played VF5 you'll know what I'm talking about), and some default costumes from past DoA games that just didn't make it in at first.

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