New Super Meato Bros: IGN

PS Vita 2000 Model

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure
- Nintendo Gamecube

I’m quite partial to some of Nintendo’s games/franchise; I (and my occasional split screen buddy) have lost hours of life to various titles and franchises such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart. That being said, I’m gonna say that at this point in my life, I am very much a part of the “Sony Ecosystem". I really enjoy my Sony consoles; I love the quality and variety of the games on the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation 4 is starting to pick up and release more titles as the seasons go by.

Since Sony is a Japanese company, a good number of Japanese Role-playing Games (J-RPGs) have been released on their platforms over the years (some of which had been translated and released outside of Japan, however the majority of which have not). As such, thanks to personal interest in the culture and the language (yes, I’m currently boasting 6 years’ worth of intense, sweating and wall-punching periods that have been dedicated to learning Japanese… and no, I can’t speak it fluently—yet!), I honestly do believe that their systems are a perfect match for my personality and game preferences.

For those that aren't too familiar with Sony’s gaming products, Sony has released a variety of consoles over the years including the PlayStation, PSone (a redesigned ver of the previous), PlayStation 2, PlayStation 2 Slim, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 3 Slim, PlayStation 3 Super Slim, and the PlayStation 4 (most current version).

In addition to this, several hand-held ones were released including the PlayStation Portable (PSP), PSP-2000, PSP-3000, PSP Go, PSP-E1000, the PS Vita (1000-Series, and PS Vita (2000-Series).

Table of PlayStation Portable Model Specs (excluding PS Vita)

PS Vita 1000 Model Features Vs.
PS Vita 2000 Model Features

But enough with the technicalities, basically Sony has had a handheld system since 2004 (Japan)/2007 (everywhere else), and currently produces/markets games for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PlayStation Vita (1000- and 2000-series) (PS Vita/Vita). The thing that I love best about my PS Vita is the fact that I feel as though I am getting the same level of play from my Vita as I am with my PS3.

Basically here are the pros and cons to the PlayStation Vita 2000-Series model:

Pros:

· Portable
· Front and rear cameras
· Front and back touch screen
· 960 x 544 pixel resolution
· 4.5-7hrs Battery life
· 1 GB internal storage
· Wi-fi Connectivity
· PS4 Remote Play
· Lighter and Slimmer (than 1000-Series ver)
· Soft-touch metal rim more comfortable to grip
· IPS LCD display = more balanced colours, smoother gradients in shades, purer white balance
· Micro-USB charge cable
· Can play and store various media forms (eg music, video, images etc)

Cons:

· No OLED = no sharpening edges effects, deeper blacks; colours and contrast was sharper on previous model
· No 3G (or 4G) Connectivity
· Still will require a Sony Vita Memory Card (4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB)

The graphics are just as amazing regardless of which Vita model you look at. I personally still use the older model which has the OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, slightly sharper graphics than its newer IPS LCD (In-plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display) counterpart, however still mus deal with a slightly thicker build (arguably more durable), no 1GB internal storage, and shorter battery life. Despite this, I take it everywhere with me… Literally.

PS Vita 2000 Model Colours Available in Japan

So at this point in time, those who are familiar with the Nintendo 3DS models are probably wondering that save for the front and rear touch pads, front and rear cameras, Remote Play and Micro-USB chargeability, what the hype is about? To this I would say… the GAMES.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (PS3 and PS Vita)

There are actually a number of games available for the Vita, both physical and digital, so if you are after a PSP game you could most likely find it on the PlayStation Store to buy and download onto your Vita (though you'd have to make sure there's enough space on your memory card). The Final Fantasy franchise is still extremely popular in this respect, and within the past year they developers of the renown PS2 titles Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 ended up remastering and porting (converting for the newer platform) the two games not only for the PS3, but also for the PS Vita. You literally could play the same game that gamers were playing on plugged-in console at home in your hands at the bus-stop or on the train to that day-job of yours that you hate with a passion.

Borderlands 2 Box-Art (PS Vita)

Another example of this can be seen with the popular console title Borderlands 2 (which came out on the PS3 and also the Xbox 360), which was ported/adapted for the handheld Vita so it could deliver the same kind of performance but mobile! Admittedly I have yet to play it, but I've got my eye on the game should it ever go on sale. #poorunistudent *clears throat*

So! If you are a fan of the J-RPGs, then the Vita is a great console for you. As more and more time passes, with the gaming market expanding and reaching new heights/depths, there has been a noticeable increase (in my most humble opinion) in native J-RPGs being localised into various native languages across the world. And with this localisation may come never-before-seen content (that may have been Japanese ver. exclusive), remastered pieces or even NEW content, all of which is always nice to see. Examples of this include Persona 4 Golden and the new and upcoming Freedom Wars. But I’m sure we’ll see more varying genres aside from the RPGs and the shooters (Borderlands 2 and Killzone) and the more adventurous ones (eg Assassin’s Creed Liberation and Tearaway) etc..

Japanese Box-Art for Freedom Wars (PS Vita)

So all-in-all, the PS Vita is a powerful/impressive tool, whilst also being a great portable entertainment system. The internet is a big black hole of information so if your curiosity has been piqued, then perhaps try looking up more about it. In the meantime though, here is IGN’s list of the PS Vita’s top 25 Games of 2014 (as of September 4^th). Take care all, and have fun gaming!

- Mel

So… the Tokyo Game Show (TGS), what is it and what is the big deal about it, you ask? Simply put, its Japan’s equivalent to Germany’s ‘gamescom’ or America’s ‘E3’ (Electronics Entertainment Expo).

Answering complexly, basically with more words than the previous sentence, the TGS is an exhibition where Japanese video game developers (and an increasing amount of international game developers) are given the opportunity to showcase upcoming video games and related hardware. Since its first opening in 1996, the convention has been held in the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan has continued to do so annually, with more and more people attending each year.

The Tokyo Game Show convention is held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan

Phew! Boring stuff out of the way, basically anyone who has an interest in video games (particularly Japanese Role-Playing Games (J-RPGs)), Japanese culture, or digital art could ultimately find something to get behind at the TGS. As a person who has spent over 6 years learning Japanese, has a deep interest in video games and adores the ‘kawaii’ anime-style characters, art and stuff, the convention is a dream playland… Literally. Not only are there plenty of hands-on demos and teasers of upcoming video game titles, there are tons of booths and merchandise stalls where something is bound to catch the apple of your eye!

SO! I guess your next question is

“Can anyone go to this radically awesome Japanese gaming convention?”

Yes, so long as you are in Japan at the time, and only on the final 2 days of the expo (as the first two days are reserved for press and business people/companies). The expo features Sony (a Japan-based company) games and hardware primarily, and with current generation consoles such as the PlayStation 4 looking and running titles so spectacularly, it was no surprise how big the line-up for this year was for Sony! Though, despite this, almost every major video game developer was there showing off something or other (eg. Nintendo and Microsoft).

Some of the biggest/best titles that were playable/displayed at the TGS include well known franchises and sequels, as well as some remastered ones. These include (in no particular order and from a variety of consoles and companies) but are not limited to:

· Tales of Hearts R

· Tales of Zestiria

· Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)

· EVE Valkyrie

· Bloodborne

· Final Fantasy XV

· Final Fantasy Explorers

· Final Fantasy Type-0

· Kingdom Hearts III

· Kingdom Hearts II.5 HD Remix

· Persona 5

· Zodiac

· Dragon Ball Xenoverse

· D4 (a.k.a. Dark Dreams Don’t Die)

· Resident Evil Revelations 2

· Bravely Second

· Dead or Alive 5: Last Round

· Fatal Frame

Though the concept of the "best games" are always subjective, a few of the IGN (formerly Imagine Games Network) editors have voiced their opinions of some of their "favourite" games of the convention. In the event that there are still comes curious chipmunks out there that would like to know more about some of the other titles that were showcased, the link directly below the video will take you to a list detailing more info about some of the other titles (as complied by IGN).

http://au.ign.com/wikis/tokyogameshow/List_of_Games_at_Tokyo_Game_Show_2014

All in all the TGS is a fantastic event for nerds/otaku, gamers and collectors. The best thing about the convention is that not only are people, usually who are apart of imagined communities and other various internet fandoms, actually given the opportunity to unite, they are also able to share and support the hard work of game developers that they admire. Though people all over the world have deemed video games to be a "dorky" or "nerdy" hobby, there literally is a game for every type of person out there, which is one of the more appealing aspects to the hobby. Whether you are the artistic designer, the level-headed adventurer, or the hardcore Street Fighter, somewhere out there, there is a soul game for you! (...get it? instead of 'soul mate', I wrote 'soul game'. yeah? no? okay.)

- Mel

TGS 2014 Promotional Poster

New Super Meato Bros

Thursday, 16 October 2014

Why is the PlayStation Vita Such an Under-Rated Console?

Pros:

Cons:

Thursday, 2 October 2014

TGS (Tokyo Game Show) 2014

So… the Tokyo Game Show (TGS), what is it and what is the big deal about it, you ask? Simply put, its Japan’s equivalent to Germany’s ‘gamescom’ or America’s ‘E3’ (Electronics Entertainment Expo).