bandai namco

Project X Zone 2 – The Best Videogame Crossover Ever?

/ Michael Beckwith / 6 Comments

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Back in October 2014 (a time when I was still writing this stuff on Tumblr), I dedicated the entire month to writing articles about Project X Zone, a crossover, tactical RPG on the 3DS featuring characters from Capcom, Sega and Namco franchises. It quickly became one of my favourite games ever upon playing it and I just wanted, nay, needed to express that love somewhere (you can check out said articles here). So, you can probably guess how I felt when a sequel was announced (spoilers: there was a lot of screaming).

Said sequel, Project X Zone 2, was released in the West in February 2016 so, one year later, I’m doing this shit again because (unsurprisingly) I love the sequel too. But is it an improvement over its predecessor or is it just the same game with only the most minute of differences? Well, that’s what a review’s for, isn’t it? Continue reading →

My VG Music Picks #29 – Magikarp Festival (Pokkén Tournament)

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WebGaOnwSes

I may not be the very best like no one ever was at it, but Pokkén Tournament is a very fun fighting game, especially if your a fan of the kid-friendly cock-fighting franchise. One problem it has, though, is that due to all the flashy moves, bright colours and hard-hitting sound effects, it’s hard to notice the pretty decent soundtrack it’s got. Take this track for example. Continue reading →

Nine Characters That Should Be in a Project X Zone Sequel

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

(originally posted October 31st 2014)

In case the month’s worth of articles didn’t make it painfully obvious by this point, I love Project X Zone and, though it may never happen, I still dream of a sequel. What would change? What would be kept the same? I dunno, but what I do know is who I’d want to appear in it. The only rule is that they have to be Capcom, Sega and Namco characters. Continue reading →

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)

project-x-zone

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 →