Video Games

Five Crossovers That Should Have Been Like Project X Zone

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

(originally posted October 24th 2014)

If it wasn’t clear enough by this point, a lot of my love for Project X Zone comes from its set-up and character interaction. As such, I couldn’t help but think how good some crossovers could have been if they adopted a similar route. A lot of videogame crossovers just have the characters fight each other, which is entertaining but it very much lacks that special charm that something like Project X Zone had, which is ultimately why it’s one of my favourite video games. It may be but a fantasy to never come but I can certainly dream of a world where these existing crossovers were a hell of a lot more awesome. Continue reading →

Ten of My Favourite Music Tracks from Project X Zone

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted October 17th 2014)

I briefly mentioned it in the article I wrote two weeks ago, but Project X Zone has an amazing soundtrack. Granted, most of the tracks are remixes of already existing tracks but there are still plenty of original tracks and, regardless of originality, they are all really good. So, to honour it, here’s a list of ten of my top picks. Continue reading →

Ten Favourite Characters in Project X Zone

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted October 10th 2014)

(WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Project X Zone)

Project X Zone has probably got one of the biggest casts in any videogame, featuring a ton of heroes, villains and mooks from across the libraries of Capcom’s, Sega’s and Bandia Namco’s franchises, as well as some original ones. However, since most of these characters have little to no recognition or recognisability in the West, the writers/translators had to do an especially good job in making them likable and interesting, without incorporating any character development or deviating from the character’s original personality. In my opinion, they must have done a good job, because I fell in love with many of the cast despite my lack of knowledge, so here is a list of my personal favourites. Continue reading →

Project X Zone – Three Game Companies, One Kickass Crossover

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted October 3rd 2014)

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In October 2012, Project X Zone, a tactical RPG, was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS. That following year, we Westerners were fortunate enough to receive the game ourselves, despite less than stellar sales. Opinion on this game is noticeably mixed; those who have played it either love it for what it is or find it rather dull. I am one of the former. I adore this game for a multitude of reasons and I wish more people were aware of it. It did manage to sell ten times more in the West than the publishers, Bandai Namco, were expecting but it’s hardly a household name; even amongst gamers it’s probably overlooked. So, I’m dedicating this whole month to one of my all-time favourite games, and by the end of this, you’ll hopefully be convinced to give a game a shot. Continue reading →

Hyrule Warriors – The Most Metal Zelda Game Yet

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

(originally posted September 26th 2014)

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The Dynasty Warriors series is one that may be very fun to play, but doesn’t really grab me. The setting of ancient China can really only appeal to those interested in the culture. So, what’s the best way of getting someone like me to play it? The answer: dress it all up in Legend of Zelda clothing.

I’m admittedly not the biggest Zelda fan (having only played five games in the series) but the image of Link cutting down swarms of Moblins with the grandest of spin attacks was enough to get my attention, and as more details emerged over the months, it looked more and more enticing. But now the game’s out, is it as awesome as it looks? Continue reading →

Ten Pokémon That Should Be in Pokkén Tournament

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted September 12th 2014)

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With the announcement of a ‘Pokémon’ fighting game being developed by Namco Bandai, there is much excitement to see which mons will make the cut, for good reason. Even as someone who sucks at most fighting games, being able to control some of my favourite Pokémon in a ‘Tekken’ style fighter is something I can totally get behind. So, here are my personal picks of potential playable Pokémon. Continue reading →

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX – Why I’m Excited

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted July 4th 2014)

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I have a very odd relationship with the ‘Kingdom Hearts’ series. Despite my frustration at some of its themes and its overall plot in general, any new information regarding the franchise excites me. The first ‘Kingdom Hearts III’ trailer made me squeal like a girl and the more recent trailer for the upcoming ‘2.5’ left me with a wide grin on my face. Maybe it’s the nostalgia or the fact that the good of the series outweighs the bad – whatever the reason, I still enjoy the series, and I’m especially looking forward to the aforementioned remakes. Continue reading →

Five Great Racing Games That Aren’t Mario Kart

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

(originally posted June 20th 2014)

So, how about that ‘Mario Kart 8,’ eh? One of the most hyped games of 2014; one that increased Wii U sales by 666% (truly work of Satan himself). I can safely say it is one of the best ‘MK’ games I’ve played – maybe even the best. But you know where you are with ‘Mario Kart.’ Every game has been at least of decent quality (except for the GBA one) – with ‘Mario Kart,’ fans of the mascot racing genre can sleep easily.

But imagine, if you will, that ‘Mario Kart’ never existed. Maybe somewhere, in a parallel universe or alternate history, Nintendo never considered sticking their mascot in a go-kart. It’s a grim and terrifying image, I know, but do not worry, because even without it, there are plenty of great cartoony racing games that can fill up an evening with friends, and here are five of them. Continue reading →

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – My New Favourite Downloadable Title

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted May 23rd 2014)

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When ‘Brothers’ was first announced, it quickly grabbed my attention. After all, I’m a sucker for narrative driven games and it seemed to be an interesting experience. Not to mention, download-only titles tend to not interest me all that much. It was released on the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam last year and I was ready to buy it… until I saw its price tag. £11.99 on the PSN. I decided to hold off until I had the money to spare, or it got a price drop. Fortunately, the latter happened quite recently and I snapped it up. Now, a part of me regrets being late to the party. Continue reading →

Eight Characters That Should Be in Mario Kart

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted May 16th 2014)

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We’re less than a month away from ‘Mario Kart 8’ hitting the shelves and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much hype for a new ‘Mario Kart’ before. Since its announcement at E3 last year, we’ve slowly but surely seen more of it and I have certainly become more and more excited. But if there’s one thing I have to take issue with, it’s Nintendo’s choice of characters.

Now, ‘Mario Kart’ isn’t exactly something you play for its playable characters, unlike a fighting game like ‘Super Smash Bros’ but as the cast has grown, certain characters have unexpectedly cropped up… and not in the good way. ‘MK8’ will star many fan favourites but the rest are a bit of a head scratcher. All seven of the Koopalings? Are they really that popular? Baby Rosalina? Do we really need another baby version of an existing character? Even Baby Daisy was pushing it. And Pink Gold Peach? You’re not even trying with that one.

It wouldn’t be so bad if there wasn’t a far richer selection of Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants to choose from. So, here’s my personal pick of new and old racers that should be allowed onto the racecourse.

Continue reading →