Let's talk about beat'em ups.

It's not that good. When I played the demo, I had both camera trouble and control issues. It kept asking me to do moves with combination-button presses, and it wouldn't execute them no matter how I tried, plus enemies just kept getting back up from being dead instead of just dying and being replaced with a next wave.

Hm. Well, I guess I'll pass on it then.

I probably asked this before, but how's Code of Princess?

Pretty damn good despite being a budget Atlus title. takes after the best in the genre thanks to it's Street Fighter esque command list and attack chaining mechanics, and has a hilarious sense of humor outside of its main gameplay. Play it with a friend.

I got Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge and tried playing online.

Lobbies are Deader Than Disco.

This is what Online Passes do, you twats.

Well, this happened:

edited 27th Dec '13 2:54:32 PM by Demongodofchaos2

I really, REALLY want to love Senran Kagura Burst. But man, those are some ridonkulously bad frame rate issues. Its too bad niche as fuck games don't get patches, because that's honestly all this game needs.

There's a new one being developed right now, though.

It seems The game has been successful enough in terms of digital downloads for nintendo in the west, apparently.

Huh. For the 3DS or for the Vita?

Everyone loves exploding clothes fighting girls. Particularly when their clothes explode while they fight.

Hyrule Warriors what the hell I cannot be expected to bring Z-targeting into my Dynasty what the hell am I going to do this will ruin me.

So that's why the heroine looks like June. I really like the art but the gameplay looks sluggish.

This Hypnotic image is my entire knowledge bank regarding Senran Kagura distilled.◊

I got Remember Me. I beat it a day or so after getting it.

Let's do a breakdown.

The good:

• The environments are @$%&ing beautiful. My breath was legitimately taken away at certain spots when I was overlooking the world of Neo-Paris. The decaying slums, the cybernetic vistas, the technological readouts, hard light constructs and data streams mixing with the real physical world around you. It's soooo pretty.
• There's a neat minigame that works like Ghost Trick.
• Protagonist who is neither white nor male. (Or Japanese, for that matter.)
• Decent story.

The bad:

Everything else.

The combat is a mess. A touted feature was the "Combo Lab" where you can "Make your own combos". This has nothing to do with actually changing the way your hero Nilin really fights, instead she has a series of canned attacks that have no change in their speed or range at any time. The only thing you are adding is effects; either the hit does more damage, the hit heals you or the hit lowers the cooldown on your special abilities. Nothing else changes. The animation might, but it's less like Dynasty Warriors and more like Guitar Hero.

You need to dodge attacks too of course, which gets more frustrating than anything seeing as being hit is more like an annoyance than a penalty. As is actually dying.

Nilin also uses a gun (Sorta. It's a gauntlet that shoots data so hard it hurts physical objects.) and a bunch of special attacks. Since the game absolutely hates anyone doing things their own way though the game forces you to use all of this. Want to use power attacks to smash through encounters quickly? Want to use healing attacks to play it safe? Want to use cooldown attacks to constantly unleash a barrage of flashy magical-digital special moves? Too bad! There are enemies that guard anything that's not a power attack so you NEED to use power attacks against them! There are enemies that deal damage to anyone attacking them so you NEED to use healing attacks against them! There are enemies that are immune to melee and special attacks so you NEED to blow away their shield with your gun!

It's amazing how a game can have an entire selling point be "Make your own combos!" and then feel more restricting because of it. Not despite, because.

Platforming is like Uncharted but even more linear, so F it. You'll be doing it at least as long as fighting.

And the fighting desperately wants to be like the Arkham Batman games.

Actually, can we discuss the merits (Or lack thereof) of Arkham-esque timing-based combat? Assassin's Creed has a similar thing too I think, albeit more severe with the instakill counters. I really don't find this fun or particularly Beat 'em Up-esque. But it seems to be the way the wind is currently blowing.

Make your own combos?

And yeah, I'm not all that fond of Rhythm Game esque combat either.

I like the timed combat in Arkahm series because you can basically flow from one Mook to another, and it's really fun to get up to a hundred hits if you can, especially in gauntlets.

Also, Schitzo, it's for the 3DS

And here's some gameplay footage:

Well then....

On the other hand, it seems liek the team making this doesn't want to Fu it up.

Here's the description of what Shaq Fu- A Legend Reborn will be like:

Shaq Fu is what the original game should have been – an instant classic. We're talking Streets of Rage meets Street Fighter meets Devil May Cry. It’s a modern day take on the classic beat ‘em up. Play as Shaquille O’Neal – learn hundreds of moves and battle techniques, take on thousands of enemies with dozens of cool melee weapons, battle bosses in dynamic arenas, master cool finishing moves and play with your buddies in COOP mode or against each other in player vs player combat.

In Shaq Fu, dozens of unique and varied enemies await which require careful use of tactics. The game also features destructive environments, awesome power ups and a series of well-designed, beautiful levels with interesting progression. This is all tied together by what very well might be the story of the century, a performance worthy of an Oscar, by the Big Diesel, in his battle against a villain for the ages – the mysterious Black Star Ninja.

• Play as Shaq as he kicks ass and takes no prisoners

• Intricately designed combo system that leaves room for a variety of fighting tactics. Learn the moves and let Shaq rip against his enemies

• Pimp your character with new moves and abilities. Select from different fighting styles or combine styles and create your own new discipline (Shaq FU is what you make it)

• Challenges for even the best players.

• Adaptive AI keeps the game exciting

• Battles against hordes of enemies in the tradition of the lost art of the beat ‘em up. I mean, who could take Shaq one on one?

• Take the challenge up to an entirely new level in unforgettable smack downs against awesome bosses.

• Once you beat a boss you unlock him and can play as him in the game.

• Fight through the slums of Asian cities, on the rooftops of skyscrapers. Battle it out inside buildings, seedy night clubs, and cause mayhem in the markets.

• Smash an enemy through the floor and leap down to a lower level. Barge through walls and forge your own path. Smash furniture, toss enemies through windows, even collapse structures – when you are the Shaqbreaker everything is possible

• A wide variety of melee and projectile weapons as well as various everyday objects that can be used as weapons – katanas, shurikens, baseball bats, the occasional basketball filled with the wrong type of gas, bottles, knives and dozens more. Don’t see a weapon you like? What about that manhole cover or that car door? You are Shaq after all, so maybe you want to hurl that motorcycle on a bunch of enemies at once. The world is your projectile.

• Wipe out huge numbers of enemies at once. Bowl down enemies with balls of steel, create earthquakes of unprecedented power, slam dunk baddies with ease.

• Modifiers that change your appearance and enhance your skills. Transform into the monstrous Big Daddy O and crush your enemies. Twirl into the Big Baryshnikov and pirouette your enemies like a tornado tearing through Kansas. Power up into the Big Diesel and steamroll your enemies into Kobe-Patties. A power-up for every nickname Shaq has ever had, and a few new ones for good measure.

• Co-op Gameplay. Grab a friend and battle it out in tandem. Play as Shaq’s identical twin (no he doesn’t sell insurance) or select from a host of other playable characters with different skills and power-ups. Split screen action available, baby!

• Co-op’s not your bag? Build up your character and fighting style and duke it out online or on the same machine against another player.

• Once you have played through the main game revisit it to discover secret environments that you might have missed.

• Think its over once the Black Star Ninja, is unmasked? Think again. Hosts of challenges await that pit you against the best Shaq Fu’s in the world.

Host of other characters? I hope they included everyone from the original game(including the exclusives) then.

Sounds like this should be really fun.

It's a little too early to call it instant classic, or even good, or bad for that matter. We're not even certain it will be completed at this point. It is promising though, Shaq's not young anymore, and it's unlikely that anyone would be too interested in capitalizing on his to the point of releasing obvious beta crap, so he probably has more control over what he gets attached too.

edited 7th Mar '14 5:17:18 PM by Alichains

Huh. Interesting.

It's got the greenlgiht now.

Greenlighting a shaq-fu sequel has made me accept the fact that 90s nostalgia has gotten out of control.

Awesome.

I read it in the other thread, but maybe this time it could be made far better. Let's be honest, the original was terrible, and nobody really remembers it for the "good" gameplay or nostalgia alone. Okay, very few might? The only good factor it had was a pretty unique cast idea. Cyborg, cat girl, a mummy, Shaq, an old kung fu man... and some others I forget. Maybe a samurai or a ninja? I dunno.

I need to say this with a straight face. I hate the Double Dragon games. Every one of them. They were too cheap and difficult. I did play the ones on the NES and only the orignal arcade game on MAME, as well as Super Double Dragon and Double Dragon advance, the latter two I've actually beaten (And technically the original on MAME, but then again...).

I doubt Double Dragon Neon will change my mind. I saw a longplay of it and it looks tedious. The only good thing about it is the soundtrack, but the whole 80's throwback...well...

This too. Did we really need a sequel to Shaq-Fu?

edited 11th Jun '14 6:16:00 PM by Psychopulse

Hmmm any good 2D beat em ups come out recently? Like even fanmade or doujin stuff?

Dunno if beginning of the year count as "recent", but Aces Wild has received propos from people whose opinion I trust about 2D action games

On an unrelated note, I've been looking into trying out Musou games for a while. Is the first Dynasty Warriors Gundam generally agreed to be a good and representative installment of the series?

I asked the same question myself some time ago on the DWG thread, and the answer I got was that I should go for both the original and 3. I have yet to pick up either (I could've bought the first game for $10, but decided to save up my money), and Reborn is right around the corner, so my best suggestion would be to swing around there and ask for a more detailed answer before you come to a decision. (I personally don't think you'd go wrong with the original Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, especially since it's so cheap now, but a second opinion never hurt.)

Also, Schitzo mentioned God Hand. Thank you for reminding me that I need to finish my current playthrough someday.

As for Hyrule Warriors, from what's been shown at E3 these past few days, I'd definitely go for it if I had a Wii U. But I don't, so I can't.

edited 12th Jun '14 2:16:11 PM by X2X

From what I've read, any of the DW spin-off collabs are good starting points. I was referred to DW Gundam and One Piece Pirate Warriors when I asked on Game FA Qs long ago.

Otherwise, I heard 3 and the recent Dynasty Warriors title (I think it's still 8) are good, but really, I think any of them could work.