Mortal Kombat kratos gameplay trailer

NetherRealms released a new gameplay trailer of Kratos in action doing what he does best. He looks right at home with blood on his face and the moves that will satisfy any Mortal Kombat fan.

The video shows ton of special moves, Kratos' X-Ray move and  God of War's famous quick-time events which is a good touch.

Kratos will be playable exclusively for the Playstation 3 version of Mortal Kombat when it comes out on April 19, 2011.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEKRAWBCemo]

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Oh how I love this game

Around 2 months ago I revisited an old favorite of mine, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The 2D sidescrolling Castlevania RPG that made the term "Metroidvania" come to fruition. Different from the older 2D sidescrolling Castlevania titles, SotN (Symphony of the Night) has you running about Dracula's castle but instead of just going a straight path till you reach the dark lord, there is a ample amount of back tracking to previous areas. Usually areas you couldn't reach until you gained a certain ability. Similar to the 2D Metroid games.

Since SotN, Konami has spawned multiple Castlevania titles using the same formula and were released on handhelds such as the GBA and the Nintendo DS. Now I played most of those Castlevania games and I did enjoy some of them but they all don't have the same charm that SotN has that keeps me coming back.

"The looooong Library"

I'm not sure what exactly it is SotN has that makes me love it more compared to others sure as Circle of the Moon, Aria / Dawn of Sorrow or Order of Ecclesia but there's just something in it that gives it more appeal. SotN isn't a new game and is widely considered a classic now but its a game that,in my opinion, has aged well and can still be played by today's gaming audience without a problem. The music in this game is superb and has seem many covers on multiple instruments these past years. Another thing that I think SotN does better than the newer 2D Castlevania's is level design. The castle in SotN just feels more fun to explore compared to the newer titles. And *spoiler alert* the first time I gained access to the inverted castle, I obviously got the worst ending in my first playthrough, I was in awe. The words "there's another castle?!" came out of my mouth.

"My sword is bigger than yours"

Another thing I'd like to point out that makes SotN just feel different is Alucard's bizzare backdash ability. In that game, you don't walk. You SLIDE! Hammering the triangle button to let Alucard backdash became second nature in the game that walking normally just felt... wrong. Now walking / running isn't a bad thing, its the most basic way to navigate in the game and I sure as hell did a lot of double tapping of the forward button with Nathan Graves from Circle of the Moon. I haven't encountered a Castlevania game with Alucard's form of navigatiion since. I do remember that Juste Belmont from Harmony of Dissonance had the ability to dash forward when you pressed I think it was the R button, but it didn't feel the same.

Now this may just be a ramble post on how much I love SotN but I felt that it was just something I had to share especially after hearing this beautiful rendition of one of my favorite songs from the game.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3yXAMiFgyI&w=640&h=390]

If you want to prove me wrong and think that the other 2D Catlevania games post SotN is better or just want to experience its greatness. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is available on XBLA, it is also unlockable in the PSP remake of Rondo of Blood titled Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles. It was also released on the original Playstation as well as the Sega Saturn, maybe find it in a used game store or ebay if you still have those systems. Its a great game and I encourage all of you to try it.

Someone already lined up for the 3DS in the US!?

The Nintendo 3DS is coming out on march 27, 2011 in the US and we have an avid Nintendo fan already lined up almost a week in advance. If that's not loyalty and dedication, I don't know what is. But seriously?? 1 week in advance?!

This guy started lining up Monday with a buddy so they will be there all week fighting the cold in front of a Best Buy. It's apparently his tradition. He's done it in all Nintendo system launches and he just wants to keep the tradition alive. At the same time, he's looking forward for a chance to get free stuff for being in the first batch of buyers.

I know we all here love video games but is it worth spending your whole week for being first in line which you have already paid for??

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIbENDz516s&feature=player_embedded#at=53]

Mortal Kombat in 5 Minutes (or something like that)

"Pose for the family picture"

With the new Mortal Kombat game just around the corner I'm sure you've all thought "is this a reboot?" or "is it a sequel"? Well it's kind of both. If you can't make sense of that then thank the elder gods that IGN has come up with a short video summarizing the stories of all previous Mortal Kombat games leading up to this point.

Basically it IS a reboot and it IS canon. FIGHT!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZBHvtdcooM&w=640&h=390]

"Taste the rainbow"

Went With White - Pokemon White [Update]

"What? I think he looks cool"

I finally popped in Pokemon White and the reason I chose Pokemon White is because I thought the black Pokemon on the cover looked cool. I start the game, the new professor briefs me in on the world of Pokemon like every other professor in every other Pokemon game. She releases one Pokemon to show off and I'm already impressed seeing it move and jump around. With gaming the way it is today, animated sprites isn't something new of ground breaking but after seeing hundreds upon hundreds of static Pokemon sprites. Fully rendered backgrounds is also a very refreshing addition to the game, it gives a great amount for depth that I've never felt even in Heart Gold. This is proof that Pokemon Black and White will be a different and very positive experience. It may sound shallow but it is something you have to see for yourself.

"The starter Pokemon, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott"

Before you even get a chance to walk around, I was already hit disappointment. It may not be anything game breaking but it was enough to remove the smile I had from seeing an animated Pokemon. You cannot name your rivals. You can obviously name yourself and choose what gender your character will be but the two rivals they give you have fixed names. If you remember my post about Naming Characters in Pokemon, you would know how many kick you could get with the ability to name your rival. That form of control is not present in this game but I hope it will be in future Pokemon titles.

From the get go you're already given the choice of which of the three starting Pokemon you can choose from. No more having to go to the professor's lab or talk to mom or whatever, your two best friends, which will obviously be your rivals throughout the game, come over to your room to open a package that the professor has sent over holding the three starting Pokemon. I went with the fire pig Tepig because I usually go with fire first and since I'm not exactly the image of "physically fit", the pig matches me perfectly. And yet another wall appears, not being able to nickname your Pokemon when you get them. Apparently there is a name rater in another city but its sad that I can't give my new Pokemon a nickname. I already had one ready for him too. I'm not sure if the same applies to newly caught Pokemon but since I couldn't nickname my initial Pokemon, it's probably the case with the newly caught too.

"The 3D backgrounds and new camera angles work great"

Now these naming limitations is only a slight nitpick. Seeing the Pokemon move about in battle is very refreshing and is more entertaining than the static sprites with animated intros. I'll try to get more time into playing Pokemon White and from the looks of it, it seems I will enjoy the game.

[Update] I went to the professor's house and before she gave me my Pokedex, she asked if I wanted to give my Tepig. Thank god I didn't have to go a great distance before reaching a name changer. You can also rename a Pokemon right after catching it.