Metal Gear?!

Over the past few weeks, I've been stricken with Metal Gear fever. It all started when I finally sat down and played through Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Would you believe that I've already played through it twice? The game is just that good. It may even be my favorite Metal Gear game, but I'll need to replay past games and those I've yet to play to make the final call on that one.

MGS3 was released in 2004, so I'm super, ultra late to the party as usual. I was kinda taken aback when I'd first seen screen shots of the game and the first thing that hit me was the new jungle setting. After MGS and MGS2, I thought the series was dead set on facilities and warehouse areas. Shows what I know. After a short while, I learned to adjust to the jungle setting. In fact, I probably know MGS3 better than any other MG. Par the course for a MG game, MGS3 was ripe with lots of twists and turn, including one tear jerker of an ending. Those of you that have finished the game know what I mean. For those that haven't, well, I won't spoil it for you.

Upon playing through MGS3, I've been listening to various Metal Gear soundtracks, looking at MG art work and reading up on the series history. Since I don't own a PS3 and I couldn't wait to play MGS4, I hit up YouTube to view most of the game's cut scenes. It was then that I discovered that MGS4 has the most cut scenes of any MG. Seriously, it was like watching a movie. A very good movie. I'll have to get a PS3 and play the actual game some day. 

I'd like to find a copy of MGS3: Subsistence so I can play the MSX versions of MG and MG2: Solid Snake. I was thought there was a copy at my mall in GameStop, but it was just the original MGS3. I may have to shop for it online. Then there's the PSP games. So much MG so little time.

You're Playing on Easy? NOOB!

When word got out that Mega Man 10 would have an easy mode, well, you can probably guess what ensued over the internet.

"Easy mode? How lame!"
"Only noobs play on easy!"

And so on. At times, I think it escapes many that not everyone is of the same skill level. I was pretty scrappy at Mega Man games when I first started out some 20 years ago, but I managed to improve. That being said, for all my adeptness at previous Mega Man games, Mega Man 9 was pretty hard, much to the point that I feel that Capcom/Inticrates focused on the difficulty above all else.

I wasn't the only MM fan that found the game's difficulty to be frustrating. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't mind a challenge but there's a difference between challenging and just stupidly hard. They probably realized that MM9 was too difficult for some players, thus the reason for easy mode. Why should other players be denied a good time with a MM game just because they don't have 20 something years of MM experience under their belt? These same people that mock easy mode are probably the same ones that will get their junk handed to them in other games.

It's nice to have choices and I wouldn't be surprised if more than a few players actually play the game on easy mode.

Street Fighter 2010: Final Fight Arranged Album

Well, the year 2010 is finally upon us and you know what that means! Yes, it's time to reflect on Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight! "Wait, what?" you say, flabbergasted. Before Capcom actually put a "II" behind Street Fighter, there was an NES game by the name of Street Fighter 2010. What did said game have to do with Street Fighter? Not much, really. There was some guy named Ken who ran around in some acid trip-like future jumping on platforms. And the Ken in the game had no relation to Ken Masters. I could probably go on all day about this game, but if you want the 411 on this one, just check out the AVGN's review. He's a bit more merciful on it than other games.

You should also check out Washudoll's Street Fighter 2010: Final Fight Arranged Album. No matter what you thought of the game, this arranged album is nothing short of magnificent. Heck, you don't even need to be familiar with the NES music to appreciate it. It's only composed of five tracks, dare I say, those five tracks are easily some of the most astounding audio I've ever heard. The album is also free so you've got no excuse not to have it.

I'm no stranger to Washudoll's works. She did an arrangement of Concrete Man's theme and I honestly thought it was far superior to the arranged theme on the Rockman 9 Arrange Soundtrack.