It's not Final Fight, and it's not deep: Tokyo Beat Down

(tags game, Dual Screen, side scroll, beat-em-up)

Just because there was some coverage about the localization for Tokyo Beat Down (originally 野獣刑事) for the DS (and plus I was in the mood for fighting because of Final Fight One and Double Dragon Advance), I purchased the game and gave it a whirl. This was about two weeks ago.

Its a "my first" Final Fight. I am disappointed.

The first 30 minutes did not draw me in, since the fighting combos are so weak. There is a promise of longer combos if you progress in the game. The best thing is hitting the X button (punch) for 8 times, and you can interrupt that with the Y button (kick) and vice versa. There are three characters, but it's hard to discern the difference between them, when talking about combos.

The whole atmosphere is juvenile. The story is not compelling and the actual action is just not fun. I'm on the second day now, and it has taken me 1.5 hours of interrupted playing just to get there. Today is probably the last time I'll play it. Hopefully I'll get a power up to extend my combo and finally get something that feels new.

Castle Crashers, is it any good?

(tags game, Xbox 360, arcade, side scroll, beat-em-up)

I didn't really understand the hype for this "delayed" XBLA game, Castle Crashers. The hype did motivate me to make sure to download the demo, though. So I play through the demo once and yes it felt like Final Fight, with upgrade elements. Actually only the hint of upgrades, because the demo timed out on the boss encounter. Stick and run, stick and run, over and over again. At least this game isn't designed to bleed you of your quarters. Eventually I decided it's not worth the 1200 XBLP, for now.

It reminds me that I still want to get that XBLA Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game only available in the US (well at least not in Japan).

Some "new" games: Touhou and The Warriors

(tags game, PlayStation Portable, Windows, shmup, beat-em-up)

I was bored going home Friday night so I made a quick stop into Tora no Ana. Hey I was in the neighborhood to pick up the Koge Donbo telephone card for 30 Gamers in-store points. I saw that Team Shanghai Alice's return to regular vertical shmups, Touhou Fuujinroku Mountain of Faith (東方風神録　～ Mountain of Faith) finally hit the stores, and though I wasn't planning on buying it, here I am already wanting to end this post to play it again.

(BTW, Melon Books had a meter-tall swiveled, stacked tower of the Touhou game cases. Store displays FTW.)

But unfortunately I was restless so when I retired from the computer last night, I started to play The Warriors for the PSP in bed. Wow I am impressed, even though I have to suppress the comparison to a GTA game. I must say I am uncomfortable when the NPCs tell me to steal this or beat this up or mug that, but when actually seeing it (in game) and doing it myself, I have no qualms. Its crazy. Perhaps breaking polygonal glass and ganking floating items or joint-locking a mark or kicking downed bodies to see the blood squirt out just doesn't seem real to me. I am visually desensitized.