Author Archives: jasonvonstein

“BloodRayne: Betrayal” resurrects 2D gameplay

Thunder rolls as lightning strikes from the heavens. A casket creaks open in the distance. The sharp screeching of spinning blades blocks your path. You might think these are the sounds coming from Castlevania. That is not the case, though, as these are some of the obstacles awaiting you while battling through the walls of BloodRayne: Betrayal, the new game from WayForward available via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

Normally a Bloodrayne game would be your average 3D action adventure sold mainly by the assets of a voluptuous vampire vixen named Rayne. While you still play as a beautiful vamp in this game, you do so in 2D, rekindling memories of the past video game adventures.

There are numerous nostalgic nods to other 2D games that it can sometimes be hard to keep up. Whether it be dodging firing cannons ala the flying airships of Super Mario Bros. 3 or fighting through tight corridors, reminiscent of battles with Abobo in Double Dragon, there are fond memories found for any longtime gamer. Betrayal offers even more nostalgia by also borrowing heavily from the MegaMan and Castlevania games.

Nostalgia isn’t the only reason to play this adventure, though. WayForward has crafted a fun-to-play game here. Great action segments and intense platforming are present all the way through the game. Betrayal also features a unique gameplay feature that allows you, as a vampire, to suck the blood out of your enemies to replenish your strength. Even better, if you decide to just bite your enemies, you turn them into walking time bombs whose time of detonation is at your choosing. Add in some interesting boss battles and you’ve got a solid addition to the BloodRayne series

While the game is great, it is not without its flaws. First off the game is short enough for a skilled gamer to finish in one night. Also, the only items to collect are hidden skulls that will give you more ammo slots or increased life. There are also chests to collect in the forms of various blood containers, but they’re often not worth the trouble of obtaining. It would also have been nice to upgrade to a larger arsenal of guns, swords and possibly relics that could help in your gameplay. But all of that would have only complicated things given the length of the game.

But considering its low price ($14.99), as well as its beautifully rendered scenes and a pretty good musical score, Betrayal proves that 2D gaming is alive and well in an ever-growing 3D market. It would be great to see Konami take a similar throwback approach with its next Castlevania game

Bloodrayne Betrayal is available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Rated T. www.bloodraynebetrayal.com.

Review by Jason Von Stein

“Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition” offers signifigant improvements in Capcom series

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With new Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat games appearing every six months or so, and with fighting games as a whole regaining relevance in a gaming field that favors first-person shooters, it’s starting to feel like 1993 all over again. I, like many, was obsessed with fighting games during the ’90s. Whether I was trying, with much frustration, to pull off the newest fatalities in Mortal Kombat or attempting to learn the best combos to defeat Guile in Street Fighter, I always had my next quarter ready for the machine’s slot. I spent hours turning through the pages of the newest video game periodicals, thirsting for knowledge of the next update to my favorite franchise.

Things have obviously changed quite a bit since then, with these arcade favorites now readily accessible for your home consoles. I bought Street Fighter IV, then Super Street Fighter IV, and spending money on more of the same is something to consider with the latest installment, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition. But if you love the Street Fighter series, this Arcade Edition is easily the best version around. And for those who have not yet gotten around to picking up the previous incarnations of Street Fighter IV, the Arcade Edition is the best option considering that Super Street Fighter IV is actually included on the disc. Both versions of the game are great and the new characters are fun to play. Evil Ryu is more of the same, which isn’t a bad thing. Oni is a new version of Akuma with some added Gouken-like traits, and the twins, Yun and Yang, play as great as they did in the Street Fighter III series.

Added content such as character balancing and new outfits round out the package. I do wish some more obscure characters like Eagle, Skullomania and Rolento could be added, or maybe more fan favorites such as Alex, Hugo and Elena. These are some of the best characters in the Street Fighter universe and it is a shame to see them sparsely used.

While it may seem like more money spent on something you’ve already played, this Arcade Edition is definitely the best version of Street Fighter IV thus far. Though it does seem a bit excessive for Capcom to continue releasing new versions of the same game every few months, as long these updated versions keep offering significant improvements at affordable prices, gamers like me will keep buying. Another improvement here is the thorough instruction manual, a rarity in today’s gaming world where most games come with about eight pages of instructions. Capcom continues to offer a full package with each successive release, and I look forward to seeing what is added to the next Street Fighter game, as well as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, scheduled to be released this November.

Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition is available for Games for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Rated T. www.streetfighter.com.

Review by Jason Von Stein

“Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition” smashes the Nintendo 3DS competition

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Since the summer of ’92, I have been spending my quarters in arcades across the country looking for a fight. In that time, I have punched and kicked my way through countless battles, occasionally throwing in a fireball or flaming uppercut for good measure, repeatedly defeating the Shadaloo crime boss and succumbing to the Raging Demon.

What I have never been able to do, however, is properly execute super moves and ultra combos. Thankfully, Capcom has found a fix for this issue with the use of touchscreen technology in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. In addition to the standard six attack buttons all Street Fighter alum are used to, there are also four touch panels that allow you to pull off regular super moves, super combos, and ultra combos. Gone are the days of ridiculous inputs to pull off anything with Zangief or the deadliest moves of Akuma. With these new controls, this Street Fighter game offers a better user experience than previous editions for newbies and veterans alike.

The good features do not end there, as Capcom has not just ported over the console version of Super Street Fighter IV. In this version, there is also a training mode that works similar to that of the Mortal Kombat or SoulCalibur franchises seen on past PlayStation and Xbox platforms. A series of challenges teach you each of the characters’ moves from the game, starting with simple commands such as fireballs and advancing to the more complex moves such as ultra combos. This is a great way to learn each character’s strengths, weaknesses and advanced moves so touch controls can eventually be phased out. Also included is an over-the-shoulder 3D mode that, despite taking a little getting used to, offers a clearer view of your opponents facial expressions.

If these modes were not enough, Capcom has also included a figure collection mode, allowing you to spend coins and points earned in during gameplay to buy figures via a touch screen roulette game. Thankfully, from the get go, many of the downloadable costumes seen in console versions of the game appear as well.

Capcom has made sure the fighting in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition feels as fantastic as ever, and with the capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS, Street Fighter has never looked better. Honestly I was shocked to see how well this game looks. Though I wasn’t expecting Tiger Electronics-style graphics, the 3DS Street Fighter looks as good as any previous console version, with the 3D technology enhancing it even more.

I have played many of the launch titles that the 3DS has to offer and I can honestly say that besides looking the best in graphics with or without the 3D turned on, Super Street Fighter IV also plays better than many other games on the market. This is easily the best handheld fighting game I have played. Whether you’re a Street Fighter vet or new to the fighting scene, this game is the best the Nintendo 3DS has to offer thus far.

Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is available for Nintendo 3DS. Rated T. www.streetfighter.com.

Review by Jason Von Stein

“Pilotwings Resort” doesn’t quite take flight for Nintendo 3DS

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Launching with the Nintendo 3DS is one of Nintendo‘s lesser known franchises in Pilotwings Resort. While not as well known as the company’s Mario, Zelda, and Metroid titles, the Pilotwings franchise has always been a fun time dating back to the days of the Super Nintendo.

This time around, we get a chance to see the Pilotwings world in 3D. Unfortunately, this is where the issues begin. Of the 3DS games I have played so far, this was the one that gave me the hardest time while viewing in 3D, with landing being one of the most difficult things to manage.

To get around this, I decided to play the game in standard 2D mode and while this certainly helped, game play was not nearly as fun. Though the game itself is not very long, its difficulty level ramps up rather quickly as the game progresses. Upon reaching the silver level (which, including training levels, is only the third stage), I repeatedly failed to get enough stars to advance to the next levels. I tried for hours, changing the controls along the way with little success.

If the game gets too aggravating, you do have the option of a Free Flight mode. This mode allows you to try all the the games flight options for a couple of minutes while collecting balloons and other items, checking out WuHu Island’s sights in the process. There are night and day options, which is neat, but leads to issues because it is hard to tell if you have collected an item already due to a transparent version still appearing. It would be more effective if the items you have collected simply disappeared. In some cases the item appears as a different color, but this is just as confusing, leading you to try to collect unneeded items. Extra
time can be added depending on how many collectibles you can get, but this mode still feels a bit tacked on.

Pilotwings Resort also has some positive elements, however. The hang
gliding sections are great fun and, as you progress through stages, you’re eventually able to take flight in everything from turbojets to flying squirrel suits, adding to the starting options of plane, jet pack, and hang glider. The music is also really well done and, in some parts, very calming.

All in all, this game isn’t what I was expecting from a first-party title, especially from Nintendo. I can’t stress enough how much I could not use the 3D option on the title, which kind of makes it pointless. If you really love previous Pilotwings titles or would like something you can pick up for a few minutes and put down, it may be for you. But there are already other games that use the 3D technology much more effectively. Nintendo is likely to redeem itself with upcoming releases, but this game is definitely not worth the $39.99 retail price.

Pilotwings Resort is available for the Nintendo 3Ds. Rated E. pilotwingsresort.nintendo.com.

Review by Jason Von Stein

“Fast Five” revs the engine on action franchise

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Stars from previous “The Fast and the Furious” films return for “Fast Five”.

The summer action blockbuster season is officially underway this weekend as Fast Five races into theaters. The latest installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise stars Vin Diesel and other members of the previous four films’ casts, as well as some new faces for more high speed thrills.

The basic story is nothing new: everyone gets back together for one last heist, only this time around the stakes are higher due to the fact that Brian (Paul Walker) and his wife Mia (Jordana Brewster) are expecting. Many themes of family repeatedly come up in this latest installment, which becomes a bit ironic considering how many shootouts take place during the film.

This time around, the gang finds itself in Rio de Janeiro (though filming was actually done in Atlanta) trying to steal millions from a high-powered drug czar, played by veteran actor Joaquim de Almeida, a role he has played before and pulls off well. Chasing them along the way is WWE superstar, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his team of special forces, including a beautiful cop played by Elsa Pataky.

The cinematography is great and I particularly enjoyed the way the subtitles where incorporated, using italics and removing subtitles when characters in the film walk past them. Each character also gets in his one liners (sometimes too many), but the actors play their parts well.

Vin Diesel squares off against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

The film has more of an Ocean’s Eleven feel to it then past Fast and the Furious installments, with lots of character development, information about how to pull off the heist and foreshadowing about future problems, with less visceral action. This explains it’s longer-than-expected run time of 130 minutes. This slight change in formula is not a bad way to continue the series, but people looking for just nonstop car action may be a little turned off . Still, the stunts are incredibly well done, especially the beginning sequences, which are almost breathtaking.

Fast Five is by no means a great film. But there are enough one-liners, action sequences and beautiful women to keep the viewer entertained. With its mix of ’80s action and ’60s heist drama, it is still a great start to the summer movie season, and breathes new life into this ongoing series.

www.fastfivemovie.com