What I'm Into

What I'm Into is moving!

2009-06-16T21:05:00.001-05:00

From now on, all Teknogazm, Double Clutch News and What I'm Into posts will appear on my new site Super Stoked.

Street Fighter wannabe beats the crap out of a car

2009-06-15T10:00:00.002-05:00

Kobe and LeBron car jumping

2009-06-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sports are just better when played in the Matrix

2009-06-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Minesweeper: The Movie

2009-06-05T12:38:00.000-05:00

The Matrix Runs on Windows

2009-06-05T09:00:00.003-05:00

Cross Edge Review

2009-06-04T21:21:00.004-05:00

Cross Edge (PS3 Only)

Cross Edge is a JRPG mashup that involves the Disgaea, Darkstalkers, Spectral Souls, Atelier Marie, Mana Khemia and Air Tonelico franchises. This game originally came out in Japan nearly a year ago and I’ve been patiently waiting ever since for someone to port it. But, should I be thankful that NIS America brought this game stateside?

Graphics

This is where most reviewers will hammer the game, just like they did with Disgaea 3. Yes, the graphics are simple – mostly 2D sprites that remind me of the SNES or PSX days. So what? This game isn’t about graphics, it’s about gameplay! To me, the graphics bring back a very sweet nostalgia. Furthermore, the spells, elemental attacks and EX skills that you can pull off (similar to limit break or overdrive in Final Fantasy titles) are very flashy and smooth. The EX skills will encompass the entire screen in a spectacular fluid, flashy, colorful display.

One issue with the game is that there are moments of slow down; especially when you enter into battle (the first few times I thought the game had frozen). Honestly, there is absolutely no reason why this should happen, and yes, I even installed the game. This could have easily been a PSP or PS2 title, so to come to the PS3, there shouldn’t been in graphical/gameplay issues/glitches.

- 14/20Sound

The voiceovers can be put to English or Japanese. Unlike some ported titles, I found the English voiceovers to be great. The music in the game is excellent, as well.

- 17/20Story

The main three characters are original creations for Cross Edge. The beginning of the game starts off with two of the main characters awaking in an area that they’ve never been before. After a battle, you run into one of the characters from one of the series mentioned above (I’ll let you find out who, but it’s my favorite character in the game) and you decide to look for the missing third main character. Later on, you run into a few other characters, all of which really have no idea where they are, and then you eventually find out that the Fantasy World, Demon World and Earth have all been thrown into an apocalyptic event.

Basically, it’s up to you and your crew to stop the approaching catastrophe from happening and to return everyone and misplaced souls to their rightful world. The story is written very well and the voiceovers make it all the better.

- 18/20Gameplay

This game plays out like your standard RPG, but with a twist. You can place up to 4 characters into battle on a 4 x 3 grid in order to attack. You have a counter that ticks down. Each of the character’s attacks cost AP, as long as they have AP they can use skills and attack until the counter reaches zero and your turn is over. The game doesn’t really do a good job at running you through its unconventional and unintuitive battle system and menu structure. I found myself going to the internet and message boards for help on how to play the game. The instructions help a little bit, but basically you just have to play the game for a long, long time to get use to everything. To get the “True Ending” you will have to play through the game on the Hard difficulty setting.

- 12/20Replayability

This game offers a New Game+ option that will allow you to bring a certain amount of stuff over from your previous game, depending on what difficulty you played on. There are a lot of different characters to use and level up and unlock skills and costumes, too. As far as replayability goes, this title is pretty solid.

- 18/20
Conclusion

Cross Edge is a huge fan service product that involves many notable franchises. It has a very unique battle structure, which in some ways hurts it. The sound is good, but the graphics and gameplay issues hinder this title greatly. I think this title may become rare in the future (my GameaStop only got my reserved copy and one other copy for sale), so its value could increase. Honestly, it’s up to you whether or not to buy this game. It has its moments of cool and awesomeness, but it definitely has its frustrating moments, too.

Final Score

- 79/100

You can grab a copy of Cross Edge for the PS3 below.

All Star Slip

2009-06-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is from “Haneru no Tobira," with comedians trying to press buttons and inflate floating platforms before they slide down a slippery incline and land in water.

Tissue stealing squirrel builds bed

2009-06-01T10:38:00.002-05:00

hExistentialism ver. 1.1 - Review

2009-05-31T16:03:00.006-05:00

hExistentialism ver. 1.1 (iPhone/iPod Touch App/Game)

Since this is an iPhone app, it is hard to individually justify the scores for individual categories, so I’m going to discuss everything beforehand and given my scores at the end of the review.

This will be my first iPhone app review, too! It is hExistentialism (hEx), a very unique puzzle game. Developed by Ayumusoft, hEx offers a very unique and addictive take on the puzzle genre. It’s similar to bejeweled, yet, it is completely different. First, I would like to say that you should definitely check out the included tutorial before playing the actual game. You are given a layout with 21 tiles. Each tile has a background color, design, shading (all, half or no color) and position (up or down).

The object is to score points and clear out the tiles by matching either a tile with a single design to a tile with a similar, double design, to a tile with a similar triple design; or you could match up three tiles with the same design or same color or position… etc.; there’s actually quite a few ways to match up the various tiles. The tutorial went over 8+ different ways to match up the tiles. As you clear out the tiles, you’ll gain points and you can add random tiles into the newly created blank spaces to help further drive up your score. The tiles don’t have to be touching one another either. You just touch the tile with your finger and continue on.

In the beginning this game can be really frustrating, but after awhile you’ll find that you can’t put it down. You’ll absolutely have to use logic and think ahead to do well at hEx. The graphics are very smooth and the game loads very quickly. Really, my only complaint is that there is no music or sound FX in the game. I think either a smooth techno track or maybe an orchestral score could help liven the game up a bit.

Graphics: 18/20

Sound: N/A (since nothing was present)

Story: N/A (since nothing was present)

Gameplay: 18/20

Replayability: 20/20

Final Conclusion: If you’re looking for a challenging puzzle game for your iPhone/iPod Touch, then you should definitely check out hExistentialism. At only, $2.99 you should get more than your monies worth!

Final Score: 54/60 = 93/100

First 5.26 minutes of Blood: The Last Vampire

2009-05-30T13:27:00.001-05:00

Based off the anime, Blood: The Last Vampire will release on June 12th in Japan.

This guy is freaking awesome!

2009-05-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

inFamous Review

2009-05-28T18:33:00.012-05:00

inFamous (PS3 only)

The summer is known for many things, heat, rain (lots of it) and, of course, the dreaded “video game drought.” However, it seems that this summer might not see a video game drought, with titles coming out, such as, Cross Edge, Bleach: Heat the Soul 6, Plants vs. Zombies, Devil Summoner 2, inFamous, Prototype, King of Fighters XII, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger… I think I’ve made my point. Among these titles is a highly anticipated, hugely hyped “summer blockbuster.” Does inFamous live up to the hype? Or does it become another infamous bust?

Graphics

inFamous isn’t the best looking game ever, but it doesn’t disappoint. For a sandbox game, the environment is quite realistic and the explosions give a satisfying visual display. The one big gripe I have, personally, is that when you jump off of a building from 10 stories above and land on the ground, you will notice that the ground gets cracks in it and depress into the earth some with dust and dirt swirling around. However, after about 3 seconds, this effect rebounds and everything looks normal again. If you land on a car from 10 stories above, nothing happens. I expected to see events like this to stay permanent and destructive; especially considering the kind of horsepower that the PS3 houses.

- 17/20
Sound

The voiceovers are adequate; reminding me of an indie movie. The music that plays during the game is good when it grabs your attention. There were many occasions where I didn’t notice music was playing because it was somewhat muted; not very immersive.

- 16/20
Story

After a massive explosion takes place in Empire City, Cole (the main character), finds himself with super human powers involving electricity. As Cole, you can either fight enemies to protect the city and help restore it back to normal or help further drag the city down into chaos. While you do this, you will be looking into what caused the massive explosion, as well as, regain the memories that you have lost. inFamous reminds me of a comic book; the cutscenes even play out like one. The story is actually very intriguing from what I’ve experienced so far.

- 19/20
Gameplay

This game has a good and evil side to the story. As you choose your path, Cole’s appearance will change, the city’s look will change and the availability of powers will change. As a sandbox game, you can go anywhere and do anything, think Assassin’s Creed or Mass Effect. From scaling tall buildings to jumping from building to building, Empire City is a fairly large city to explore. The overall missions and side missions that you complete seem to get a little bit repetitive after awhile, though. As you play through the game, you may run into a few glitches; they won’t ruin the game, but they are noticeable.

- 18/20
Replayability

Because of the story, with its good and evil parts, you’ll really want to play through the game twice; once as a really good hero and once as an infamous villain. However, with the somewhat limited missions, it could become tedious to play through the game twice, back-to-back. I have found inFamous to be an excellent pickup and play game, however.

- 18/20Conclusion

inFamous isn’t perfect, but no game is. If you’re looking for a fun, enjoyable PS3 only title, buy this game. As far as this title being the “game of the summer,” well… let’s see what the next few months bring us before we start giving out titles like that.

Final Score

- 88/100

Grab you copy of inFamous for the PS3 below!

"Oh! My Zombie Mermaid!" coming stateside this July 28th

2009-05-27T20:02:00.003-05:00

Another great Japanese film is coming to the states!

Kouta (Shinya Hashimoto), the leader of a pro-wrestling organization called “Zero”, is planning an over-the-top housewarming at his new mansion. The not-so-lucky attendees include his sister Nami (Sonim), TV producer Yamaji (Shiro Sano), and jealous party-crashing rival Ichijoh (Nicolas Pettas). Of course Ichijoh’s appearance ignites an epic battle which all but destroys the entire place. Kouta’s wife, Asami (Urara Awata), manages to escape the melee, but not before sustaining injuries which require medical attention. Unfortunately, Asami contracts a mysterious disease. (Probably turning her into a zombie mermaid?) Meanwhile, the ratings-obsessed Yamaji concocts a plan to broadcast the most epic wrestling battle ever conceived.

[NipponCinema]

The Beastie Boys on Jimmy Fallon - So What'cha Want ft. The Roots

2009-05-27T13:06:00.003-05:00

Can your dog do squats?

2009-05-27T11:11:00.003-05:00

Quick look inside a Japanese Live House

2009-05-26T09:00:00.004-05:00

Those of you who have seen or read one of the greatest anime ever, Beck, know what a Live House is. Those of you haven't, here's a quick rundown: a Live House is a small club that brings in patrons based on live music performances, instead of alcohol. Live Houses are everywhere in Japan and they play various types of music. Below is a clip from the upcoming movie, Live House, where an American journalist documents this awesome underground culture and its roots. Those of you curious, I have no idea when this movie will drop, but I'll let you all know.

Live House Movie

Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 - Review

2009-05-24T18:59:00.006-05:00

Bleach: Heat the Soul 6

Another year, another installment in the Bleach: Heat the Soul series. Does the 6^th installment live up to its predecessors? Read to find out!

Graphics

The character details, designs and backgrounds in this game are superb, especially considering that this is on the PSP. The effects from executed attacks are flashy and smooth. The background adds depth to the overall experience. And, the character models have a great blend of anime and 3D styling to give them a very attractive appeal.

- 18/20

Sound

The music, voiceovers and sound FX in this game are great! Everything is just like the anime, so it greatly immerses you into it. However, being a PSP title, you need headphones plugged in to full y appreciate the sound.

- 18/20

Story

Those of you interested in this game already know the story of Ichigo Kurosaki and company. The story mode starts out near the end of the first season (just before the Soul Society is introduced) and ends before the “Assualt on Karakura Town” Arc; however, Halibel is in this game. The story follows the manga. Also, the two movies are thrown into the game, as well. Obviously, the subtitles and voiceovers are all in Japanese, but, if you have followed the entire series, you can easily figure out what is going on.

- 18/20

Gameplay

Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 is a very fluid 2D fighter, with 3D models, on a 3D plane. The characters have been tweaked and balanced again. There are still a few moves and characters that are just plain more powerful than others, though. Even with characters jumping in and out with a special move or Bankai going on all at once, I never noticed any slow down. The moves and move sets are great; however, a bit limited.

The modes include: Story, which has a total of 61 missions; Soul Championship, were parts of the story are played out in a tournament structure spanning over 50 tournaments; Arcade; VS; Soul VS, were your can customize a character with certain traits (like regenerative reiatsu or increased defense) and fight other players/characters with custom traits. In most of the modes you can fight singularly or team up with another character for “tag mode.”

- 17/20

Replayability

As I stated earlier, there are many different modes to keep you entertained. Plus, you have 56 total characters to master and 29 environments to fight in. This game should last you until the next installment comes out.

- 19/20

Conclusion

Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 is a very fun, well-paced game that is only available for the PSP in Japan. We will definitely see a 7^th and probably 8^th or even higher game in the coming years. The series still has a ways to go, so expect to see a yearly release of Bleach: Heat the Soul for awhile. The 5^th game was my first to play in this series. It was awesome and I’m completely happy with the 6^th installment. Yes, this is a Japan only title, but PSP systems are region free. So, don’t hesitate, pick this game up now! You can get below the final score.

Final Score

- 90/100

Pick up your copy of Bleach: Heat the Soul 6, here!

Awesome Breakdancing Robot!

2009-05-22T10:59:00.001-05:00

"Highly Illogical" by Half Vulcan, Half Gangsta Rapper TuSpock

2009-05-17T19:23:00.001-05:00

Weezer live at the T-Mobile party at Paramount Studios

2009-05-16T23:39:00.003-05:00

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon - Review

2009-05-15T20:06:00.012-05:00

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon

From one of the greatest RPG developers in the world, Atlus, comes the second installment of the Shim Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner series, Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon. The game picks up not too long after The Soulless Army ends. If you didn’t play the first game, don’t worry, this game won’t go over your head.

Graphics

Remember, this is a PS2 game, so don’t expect anything epic in the graphics department. But, for a late PS2 game, it holds up very well. The Tokyo that you explore is very expanse and fun to experience. Kazuma Kaneko has created a very flashy, amine-like game that oozes with style.

- 18/20

Sound

The first thing you’ll notice in Devil Summoner 2, is the catchy music. Composer, Shoji Meguro, has created some amazing music again. He even took some of the music from the previous game and remixed it. The next thing you’ll notice is that there are no voiceovers in Devil Summoner 2. This is good and bad: good, because the voiceovers could have been horrible, like Chaos Wars; bad, because you end up reading a lot, like a couple of novels.

- 17/20

Story

You play as Raidou Kuzunoha the 14^th, who is assigned a position in the Capital to look into some mysterious occurrences that seem to be happening, a lot. You take on a random missing person’s case that evolves into what could potentially be the end of the world – Gods and people wrecking havoc in Tokyo. Atlus has done a superb job in creating the well-paced story. It’s not necessarily a “good vs. evil” scenario. You will question your own actions and sometimes sympathize with the “enemy.”

- 19/20

Gameplay

The gamplay outside of battle is like any other RPG; however, inside the battles is where the gameplay excels. The battle gamplay is like the Tales of series – you have an area that you can move around in and attack, defend or come up with other battle tactics. As the main character, you can use your sword for some quick physical attacks, use your gun to attack from afar and stun the enemy, dodge and command your summoned demons to attack. Also, you can set your demons to use an attack repeatedly. There are almost 200 different demons in Devil Summoner 2 and you can take a maximum of 2 into battle with you. Another part of the gameplay is acquiring and fusing demons into more powerful ones. In battle, you can negotiate or bribe a demon to join you. The demons are the ones that will supply you with special abilities and magical attacks. The gamplay is very fluid, compared to The Soulless Army, and there is zero slow down in the frame rate.

- 19/20

Replayability

This game is shorter than most RPGs, clocking in at around 30 – 40 hours. But, don’t’ fret, there is a New Game+ that carries most of your stuff over to a new game. As I mentioned earlier, there are nearly 200 demons to collect and fuse to create more spells, attacks and other demons. Basic replay value for an RPG, but this is an RPG. The first play through is going to last you awhile and a second play through could last just as long.

- 18/20

Conclusion

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon is an excellent game for the PS2. If you’re a fan of RPGs, or Atlus, buy this game now! Honestly, it’s a unique experience that everyone should enjoy. Plus, it’s only $40 and, if you act quickly, you can receive 1 of 40,000 Raiho plushs.

Final Score

- 91/100

Grab your copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon below!

Killzone 2 Review

2009-05-14T18:54:00.007-05:00

Killzone 2

After years of teaser trailers and images, Killzone 2 finally becomes real! This game was, by far, one of the most hyped PS3 games and perhaps current gen games to date. But, does the hype live up to our generated expectations?

Graphics

The cinematics in Killzone 2 are simply amazing. But, the game really shines when you’re actually playing it. The atmosphere is surreal: from bullets flying left and right, dropships landing in the distance, shrouded in a smog-filled haze and buildings and walls crumbling due to heavy gun fire, to truly realistic environments, explosions and character models. There are very few games, if any, that packs this much “life” into the player’s experience and don’t show signs of graphical distortion or tearing.

- 20/20

Sound

The sounds and music in the game greatly immerse you into the epic battle that you are experiencing. The orchestral scores are stellar. The sounds on the battlefield include chatter amongst your teammates, realistic gun fire, audible sounds from a distance and the enemy shouting orders to one another. Sometimes the chatter on the battlefield can be a little too much, though.

- 19/20

Story

The ISA has launched a counter attack against the Helghast on their turf. If you are a fan of the first game, then the story will entice you a little bit. Like most FPS games, the story is not really important. Sure it can help fuel your emotion to slaughter countless hordes of enemies, but you’re playing a shooter. You’re going to be doing this anyway, or why else buy the game?

- 14/20

Gameplay

The gameplay has its strong points and weak points. First, the AI in the game is very intelligent. You have to move and shoot, hide and shoot. The Helghast will flank you, duck and cover and form other strategic maneuvers to take you and your team out. The firefights you encounter are all amazing and take intelligence on your part to survive – you can’t run and gun. The cover system is great and you really can tell that a machine gun is much heavier than a pistol. The main problem with the gameplay is the controls. (Note: this review is before any DLC or patches were released. So, these complaints could be fixed.) The aiming is very tough. There is no option for auto-aim, which this game needs badly. Your character turns very slowly, almost like he’s in a giant mech.

- 16/20

Replayability

(Note: there have been a couple of DLC packs that greatly add to your multiplayer experience since the writing of this review). The single player mode is very good with 4 difficulty levels. However, the multiplayer is what makes the game infinitely replayable. There are 5 different multiplayer games that can sometimes change into another one on the fly, keeping you on your toes and the match fresh. You can also unlock different characters and weapons for use in multiplayer by ranking up in your matches.

- 20/20

Conclusion

Killzone 2 isn’t the greatest game ever made. But, it is freaking awesome! As long as you play online, then this game will last you a very long time. The graphics and sound are superb and the controls are manageable. I don’t have much else to say, except, buy this game!

Final Score

- 89/100

Grab your copy of Killzone 2 for the PS3 NOW!

The Lonely Island & The Roots - I'm On A Boat (Jimmy Fallon Live)

2009-05-13T19:16:00.001-05:00

Resident Evil 5 - Review

2009-05-12T18:59:00.009-05:00

I know it’s been a really long time since I’ve reviewed a game. The last one I did, August 28, 2008, was for my video podcast, Teknogazm LIVE, and that was Battle Fantasia for the PS3 (Japanese). My last written review was May 9^th, 2008 for Grand Theft Auto 4.

But, today, I will be writing reviews again, starting with Resident Evil 5. I know it’s been out for awhile, but I’ve been busy with school and stuff. Plus, I know some of you have yet to play this game.

I am now introducing a new, more intrinsic review system based on 100 points; like a school exam. Enough with the formalities, time for the review.

Resident Evil 5

What has been dubbed as the “highest selling video game series of all time,” comes a new addition to the lineup, Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 5 picks up loosely were the 4^th game left off. The Las Plagas parasites are back!

Graphics

There is no doubt that the graphics in Resident Evil 5 are awesome. Think Resident Evil 4, but with Hi Def graphics. The explosions and fire that you see and experience during the game are extremely realistic. From what I have experienced, there were zero issues with textures tearing or the frame rate dropping. There are some areas in the game that look very similar to the 4^th installment, however.

- 18/20

Sound

The sound was excellent in the game, as well. Some people disliked the voiceovers (Wesker’s is different); though, I thought that they were done very well. The musical scores that play during normal encounters and boss fights really help immerse you into the horrific experience. The guns, explosions and screams are all done exceptionally well. I really have nothing bad to say about the sound.

- 20/20

Story

In Resident Evil 5 you play as the possibly steroid abusing, Chris Redfield and his partner Sheva Alomar. As Chris, you are sent by an anti-bio terrorism group (BSAA) to investigate what Umbrella is doing in Africa and why all Hell is breaking loose. Once there, you meet up with Sheva and together, the two of you set out to figure out what is going on and to find answers to other questions such as “Is Jill actually alive?” The story could have more going for it, but it doesn’t. The story is basically there to help fuel a story to your rampant killing of the Majini (people infected with the Las Plagas parasite). Nonetheless, there are some twists in the story that are actually done well.

- 16/20

Gameplay

The gameplay in Resident Evil 5 is almost exactly the same as Resident Evil 4. But, some critics would argue that this is a lazy move, is it really? How can you improve upon something that is nearly perfect? The over-the-shoulder gun fights still exist, you now have a partner to back you up (and the AI is excellent in this aspect – no back attacks and you can be saved from getting a Game Over) and you can still upgrade and sell your weapons. The movements and camera angels are very fluid and help give you more of a legitimate experience. Playing with a friend is excellent, but playing with the AI is also excellent!

- 19/20

Replayability

This game is short, around 12-20 hours. I was actually able to beat the game on normal difficulty in just under 10 hours. But this game is fun! I went back many times to replay a level in order to get more items to sell and then upgrade my weapons. Also, the Mercenaries mode is back! There is a rumor that there will be DLC for extra characters and costumes later. Currently, there are 10 characters with 2 alternate costumes and 10 levels. Yes, you can play Mercenaries without a partner, too. Finally, there is an online mode, but it is a $5 download, so I am not reviewing it. If you spend the $5, you will get much more replay out of the game. But my reviews are solely based on disk content only. And the online Co-op was released the same day that the game dropped… WTF Capcom… WTF…

- 19/20

Conclusion

It’s a new, HD, Resident Evil! Yes, there were a few short cuts that Capcom took when developing this game, but it is still a very enjoyable experience. The story mode is very short, but you have Mercenaries to play and if you spend another $5 on this game, you’ve got online Co-op as well. I personally have received my $60+ worth of fun and enjoyment from this game. So, I say buy it! This game is available for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC (soon).

Final Score

- 92/100

Buy your copy below from Amazon. Also, check out the Collector's Editions and bundles that are offered!