Custom Picks - Nintendo's New Traditional 2D Fighter

*DISCLAIMER* The following is purely an opinion piece. I do not claim to know what the real plans are that any video game companies mentioned in this article have planned for their franchises.

Welcome to Custom Picks, a series of speculation articles about different games for companies to release. Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Ubisoft, Square-Enix; if they have games everyone is waiting for, those games are up for discussion.

With Nintendo’s NX a little under a year away, everyone is speculating about what they are going to do next. Everyone has ideas about what their next console should be capable of and everyone says they need to have more third-party games, more first-party games, revivals of old franchises, and new IPs. But when it comes to exactly what games should be on there, fewer people are willing to say exactly what.

So, the first few articles in Custom Picks will be about Nintendo and what possible games they could release to get gamers excited about the NX, and maybe revive some old or obscure franchises along the way.

Although Nintendo has found success with the Super Smash Brothers series, several gamers overlook the sub-genre of platform fighters and are instead asking for a more traditional 2D fighting game, along the lines of Street Fighter or Tekken. While platform fighters allow characters to travel around a stage and use its platform layouts or sometimes stage effects to their advantage, in traditional fighters, both characters are on a flat plane, so there is nothing to factor into a strategy except the player's character and the opponent's character. Ideas for a 2D fighter from Nintendo have included reviving games like Joy Mech Fight or Urban Champion, acquiring the Bloody Roar franchise from Konami, teaming up with Capcom for a new game, and several other different ideas.

So, what first-party or third-party titles could fit this category?

First Party Titles – Pokken Tournament: NX Edition & Urban Champion

One of the most recent big releases for the Wii U has been something a lot of people have actually been asking for, a Pokemon fighting game. Developed by Namco Bandai, the developers of the Tekken and Soul Calibur series and co-developers of Super Smash Bros. 4, Pokken Tournament assembles a roster of about 15 Pokemon for a game that combines 2D and 3D fighting mechanics. The game was a good seller and did reasonably with critics, so hopefully, this becomes a continuing series for Nintendo. While it may be too soon to be talking about a sequel, with a new Nintendo console on the horizon, maybe an updated re-release is in order. After tweaking the balance in the roster, ramping up the difficulty a bit, and adding a few new characters with a bit more variety, they should have a good game to bring to the NX.

As far as games not currently in Nintendo’s rotation however, this genre would be a good place to see a revival of the NES game Urban Champion. In the original version of this game, two people would be boxing each other to push their opponent off the side of the block and into the next one. If you hit your opponent off the end of two city blocks, they fall down a manhole and you win the match. While this may not work with the idea of most fighting games today, a new Urban Champion game could work on a similar system to set it apart from other games. Since it’s been established that Nintendo likes to focus on new styles of gameplay, they may not be satisfied just making a Street Fighter clone with a new cast of characters.

Whether they decide to make it in the style of Street Fighter, the classic Urban Champion, or some new gameplay style we haven’t seen before, this game would probably make the most sense for a new traditional fighting game from Nintendo. With the game focusing on a cast of martial artist characters set in an urban environment, the actual gameplay could focus on running out the opponent’s health bar, like in traditional fighting games, or, like the Virtua Fighter series or the N64 game Fighters Destiny, it could feature different ways to end a match, like knockouts or ring outs, or even special conditions like stunning the opponent followed by a throw or hitting them with a special knockout move. They could go in any direction with this, but this would be one of the best old-school properties they could do it with.

Third Party Titles – Darkstalkers 4 & Nintendo vs. Capcom

With several fighting game IPs to their name and Street Fighter being the biggest among them, Capcom would seem like the best developer to approach to give Nintendo a traditional fighting game. They could come up with any number of ideas like a spin-off of Street Fighter or bringing back one of its older, more obscure series. The most notable of those series is Darkstalkers. This fighting game franchise with horror monster inspired characters is one of Capcom’s most beloved franchises, but aside from characters like Morrigan, Demitri, and Felicia appearing in crossover titles, it hasn’t seen an actual release in a very long time. There were talks about a Darkstalkers 4 possibly being made for systems like the 360 and PS3, but those plans were shelved when the Darkstalkers 3 remake they made didn’t sell the millions of downloads Capcom was hoping for.

If they are a bit more willing to take a chance Capcom could release Darkstalkers 4 as being available on Nintendo’s upcoming system, just to turn a few heads. They already made the latest Street Fighter a PlayStation exclusive; who’s to say they won’t give Nintendo and Microsoft the same treatment with their own exclusive fighting series and making it a revival of one of Capcom’s old fighters will give it a lot of attention. If the idea of Darkstalkers 4 being Nintendo exclusive doesn’t sit well with you, it could even be a multiplatform release, just as long as they make clear that it’s also available on the NX.

But if a partnership between Nintendo and Capcom is up for discussion, maybe a better option would be to take this idea all the way and bring out the game that both Nintendo and Capcom fans have been dreaming about for years. That game is Nintendo vs. Capcom. Both Nintendo and Capcom have a large number of IPs to make all-star character rosters from, ranging from mega-hit series to obscure niche titles, and both know to utilize characters from both mainstream and obscure games to hype up gamers for planned crossover titles. Just look at the pre-release hype for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Super Smash Bros. 4 for proof.

Just what characters each side would pick is a topic for another article, but with this title as an NX exclusive, and it has to be since literally half the content in this would be Nintendo’s, fans of both companies, and fighting games in general, would have a big reason to pay attention to Nintendo’s new console.

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What did you think of these Custom Picks? What traditional 2D fighting game do you want to see added to Nintendo’s lineup? Make your voice heard in the comments below and thanks for coming.

Custom Picks - Nintendo's New Open World Adventure

*DISCLAIMER* The following is purely an opinion piece. I do not claim to know what the real plans are that any video game companies mentioned in this article have planned for their franchises.

Welcome to Custom Picks, a series of speculation articles about different games for companies to release. Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Ubisoft, Square-Enix; if they have games everyone is waiting for, those games are up for discussion.

With Nintendo’s NX a little under a year away, everyone is speculating about what they are going to do next. Everyone has ideas about what their next console should be capable of and everyone says they need to have more third-party games, more first-party games, revivals of old franchises, and new IPs. But when it comes to exactly what games should be on there, fewer people are willing to say exactly what.

So, the first few articles in Custom Picks will be about Nintendo and what possible games they could release to get gamers excited about the NX, and maybe revive some old or obscure franchises along the way.

With the popularity of games like Grand Theft Auto, Just Cause, Skyrim, and many more, open world adventure games are very popular with today’s gamers. Having a wide open area to explore and being able to do just about anything in that world is very alluring to video game fans, especially if that open world has a lot of detailed and vibrant scenery to take in. These are one of the kinds of games that really showcase a console’s power and graphical capabilities. A game like this from Nintendo could not only fill in a void for a genre missing from their consoles but also prove how powerful the NX is compared not only to their previous systems, but also to the current Xbox and PlayStation.

So, what first-party or third-party titles could fit this category?

First Party Titles – Dillon’s Rolling Western: Open Frontier & Mach Rider

Suggestions for a Nintendo made open-world game include using franchises like F-Zero, The Legend of Zelda, Mach Rider, and Dillon’s Rolling Western. The Legend of Zelda can be set aside however, since the new game coming in 2017 for Wii U and the NX is supposed to be an open world game. Of those left, Dillon’s Rolling Western seems like it would make for the most unique experience.

For those not familiar with the series, Dillon’s Rolling Western is a small series of downloadable games for the 3DS. It focuses on Dillon, an anthro armadillo ranger in a Wild West environment charged with protecting the frontier towns from invading rock monsters called Grocks. 

With an open-world game set in this world, players can control Dillon as he goes from town to town defeating Grocks and helping the villagers with tasks both big and small. Dillon moves around and attacks by rolling into a ball and shooting forward, similar to Sonic the Hedgehog, so perhaps the game could give him upgradable abilities, like increased speed, homing attacks, or a spiked spin attack, and since this is a Wild West game, he could even be given different weapons to use, like revolvers, shotguns, hunting rifles, or sticks of dynamite, especially since other characters in the series use them.

For those who want a less eccentric look for their open-world game, perhaps a revival of the NES game Mach Rider would be a better pick. Players control the titular Mach Rider as he defends the Earth in the year 2112 from invading aliens with his weapon-loaded motorcycle. A premise like that is sure to catch a lot of attention with action-loving gamers. 

The game would either have a post-apocalyptic or cyberpunk setting, to either fit in with or stand out from other post-apocalyptic games like Fallout or Mad Max, and players would control Mach Rider as he drove from city to city to fight off the invaders. Players could even customize their bike with different weapons from machine guns to rifles to rocket launchers. The door could even be opened for some crazier kinds of firearms or defense equipment for the player's bike, like the cars in the recent Mad Max video game.

Third Party Title – Grand Theft Auto VI

 

Grand Theft Auto is probably the most standard pick for this genre, but as I explained with Call of Duty in an earlier article, that is exactly why this may be one of the best picks to add to the lineup. When gamers think of an open world game, one of the first things they think of is Grand Theft Auto, so it would do the some good to have the latest Grand Theft Auto game on the NX, to offer more of what gamers are getting on other systems. It doesn't even have to be an exclusive title; just having it present would do a lot of good for Nintendo's image with hardcore gamers.

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What did you think of these Custom Picks? What open world adventure do you want to see in Nintendo’s lineup? Make your voice heard in the comments below and thanks for coming.

Custom Picks - Nintendo's New First-Person Shooter

*DISCLAIMER* The following is purely an opinion piece. I do not claim to know what the real plans are that any video game companies mentioned in this article have planned for their franchises.

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Welcome to Custom Picks, a series of speculation articles about different games for companies to release. Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Ubisoft, Square-Enix; if they have games everyone is waiting for, those games are up for discussion.

With Nintendo’s NX a little under a year away, everyone is speculating about what they are going to do next. Everyone has ideas about what their next console should be capable of and everyone says they need to have more third-party games, more first-party games, revivals of old franchises, and new IPs. But when it comes to exactly what games should be on there, fewer people are willing to say exactly what.

So, the first few articles in Custom Picks will be about Nintendo and what possible games they could release to get gamers excited about the NX, and maybe breathe new life into some old franchises along the way.

One of the biggest genres that have had a gap on Nintendo consoles lately is first person shooters. On the Xbox and PlayStation, games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo have been giving gamers their adrenaline fix for a long time and people want that particular fix offered from Nintendo for them to even look at their consoles. Fans have asked for both a story driven single player focused title like Duke Nukem 3D or Doom (at least, the early versions of Doom) and a competitive multiplayer shooter like Call of Duty. Franchises that fans have suggested be used for it have included Metroid, Wild Gunman, Geist, and Sin & Punishment.

So, what first-party or third-party titles could fit this category?

First Party Titles – Geist: Resurrected & Metroid Prime Hunters 2

For a single player title, a sequel or remake to the GameCube game Geist would be an eye catching title. Geist is one of the few M-rated titles published by Nintendo and it was a first-person shooter with a unique mechanic. After an event in the story, the main character is left as a spirit who can possess other people, animals, or inanimate objects and use their abilities or equipment to progress through the stage. So, you could possess a soldier and shoot your way through a level, possess a dog to tear someone apart, or possess a keypad on a door to open it up if it's blocking your way. In today’s gaming climate, an M-rated supernatural-themed first-person shooter actually published by Nintendo is sure to turn some heads.

For a more multiplayer themed experience, an interesting pick would be a console-based sequel to the DS game Metroid Prime Hunters. Some people would argue that the Metroid Prime games are more of an adventure series than a shooter series, but the potential is there for a competitive shooter, especially with Hunters. Hunters introduced several other playable characters alongside Samus, confirming that she is not the only important character in this universe. All of these characters had their own unique appearances, weapons, and abilities. For a competitive shooter in the Metroid universe, a character select screen could let you choose between different bounty hunters to play as to match different playstyles. Different weapons could be available in a map but your character would still have their own unique equipment. Different modes can be selected from mainstays like Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, or Virus mode, to possibly a Bounty mode where the characters chase after one target and the one who takes them down wins the match.

Third Party Titles – Call of Duty: Ghosts II & TimeSplitters 4

This may seem like more of a standard pick because Call of Duty is one of the most popular shooter franchises out there, but it’s because it’s one of the most popular that it would make such a good choice. If gamers want a game like Call of Duty, perhaps the best thing would be to just give them Call of Duty. Giving them the experiences they can have on other consoles along with the experiences they can’t get anywhere else is key to having a successful console.

But for a less standard pick, a more eye-catching title would be one that a lot of people are asking for, TimeSplitters 4. TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect were cult hit games because of their quirky style, humor, and variety of environments. Because the game centers around time travel, it could take place in 1942 in one level and 2053 in the next. For the game to be canceled over something as simple as what character to put on the box art, the issue could be resolved with some outside help and the game could be released. Perhaps Nintendo could step in and do for TimeSplitters 4 what they did for Bayonetta 2, securing it as an NX exclusive to make sure the game sees the light of day.

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What did you think of these Custom Picks? What first-person shooters would you add to Nintendo’s lineup? Make your voice heard in the comments below and thanks for coming.

Movie Review - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

With DC Comics and Warner Bros. Studios releasing their newest and most hyped superhero movie this year, everyone on the Internet seems to want to rip it apart and it's not completely unjustified either. Here's my take on what they did right and what they could have done better.

Story

As it turns out, a lot of the story was actually revealed in the trailers, so a lot of plot points, like the appearances of Doomsday and Wonder Woman, won't count as spoilers. That said, I'll try to avoid the parts that actually are spoilers for those who haven't seen the movie and still want to.

That's actually a poor part about the movie; it's a bit predictable. If you keep the trailers in mind going into the movie, you already know what is about to happen. Superman and Batman disapprove of each other, Lex Luthor gets the two of them to fight (and is so excited about it, he's practically sitting on the sidelines with a bucket of popcorn), Superman has the upper hand until Batman pulls out a trump card, Doomsday appears and the two have to stop fighting each other and work together, and Wonder Woman appears out of nowhere to make the duo a trio because reasons.

The way the story handled Wonder Woman was awkward as well. The actress, Gal Gadot, actually does a decent portrayal given what she had to work with, but up until the final battle scene with Doomsday, she was kind of just there. We never find out why she's in Gotham and interacting with Batman and Superman other than the producers throwing her in there as a lead-in to the eventual Justice League movie we'll be getting a few years from now. Not even a throw-away joke line like, "I heard there's a good burger joint on 7th Avenue."

The story also seems to jump around a lot. Just as the audience is getting invested with one character's story and point of view, it switches to someone else's. We have Superman, Batman, Lois, and Lex as the main four we see and the constant switching between them and the other viewpoints we see through the movie can be a bit jarring for some viewers.

Characters

As the title implies, Batman and Superman are the main characters of the movie. A good deal of their supporting casts are also present. We already talked about Wonder Woman and on the Superman side, we have Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Perry White, and who I'm guessing is Jimmy Olsen, while on the Batman side, we only have Alfred. The story focuses a bit more on the Superman side of the roster than the Batman side. Understandable since, this is a sequel to Man of Steel and Zack Snyder is the director, but a lot of the story on Batman's end is glossed over. Most people probably know about Batman's origin story by now thanks to the Dark Knight trilogy, but still the story seems to favor one side a bit more heavily.

One of the most glaring issues about this movie is the portrayal of Lex Luthor, played here by Jesse Eisenburg. Some of you may know Jesse Eisenburg from movies like Zombieland, The Social Network, and American Ultra. But Eisneburg was not a good fit for Lex Luthor. In the comics, TV shows, and other movies, Lex is portrayed as an intelligent and serious businessman with a smooth demeanor. Here, Lex is very eccentric in a lot of parts and full-on crazy in others. If Eisneburg were cast in a Batman movie as the Riddler or even the Joker, it would have been a good fit, but as Lex Luthor, it clashes too much with what we already know about the character.

Visuals and Music

With Zack Snyder once again at the helm of the project, his visual style is once again apparent. It has the same grim, gritty, and realistic vibe as seen in movies like Watchmen and Man of Steel and the colorful costumes normally associated with most of the superhero characters are replaced with darker colored costumes to fit this vibe. A good portion of the movie is filmed at night in dark areas (I suppose to accommodate Batman), including the Batman vs. Superman fight and the fight with Doomsday, which add to the dark and gritty tone of the film.

Also, it's clear what most of the movie's budget went towards. The title even hints towards it. It's the big fight scene at the end. When the fight starts between Batman and Superman, it's just full-on spectacle and what a spectacle it is. Batman and Superman are trading blows and the balance of power actually shifts back and forth with the two heroes each having the advantage at different points in the fight. And when their target switches from each other to Doomsday, the action just keeps on going. All three heroes (because Wonder Woman decides to tag in right then) hit Doomsday with everything they've got and it takes a lot to finally bring him down (and the use of something I won't mention due to spoilers).

Overall

This movie could have been a lot better and it seems like the story was just filler to kill time for the big fight, but once the big fight starts, it's a thrill ride from start to finish. While this was hyped to be a huge movie event, it seemed more like a film DC had to get out of the way in order to get a step closer to the Justice League movie. Still, it does do some things right and it could have turned out worse.

Here's hoping Suicide Squad can make up for this.

The Arsenal: Link (The Legend of Zelda)

Welcome to The Arsenal, where we look at the best weapons and items in media. In this entry, we’re looking at the best equipment used by The Legend of Zelda’s main hero, Link. We will be looking at the best weapons and items across the series to determine the best ones that he has. There are a lot of them, so there will be several different slots that apply. What different niches can be filled with Link’s best equipment?

Best Sword – Master Sword

By far the most well-known of Link’s equipment and one of the most famous swords in all of gaming, the Master Sword is the best sword Link can use. It is a powerful blade that can slice through obstacles and take down enemies with a few strong strikes and it is best known within the realm of Hyrule of having the ability to vanquish evil. It was this sword that Link used to defeat Ganon time after time throughout the Zelda timeline.

Best Shield – Hylian Shield

A shield is always a good accompaniment to a sword and while it may not have any special abilities, the Hylian Shield is a good secondary to the Master Sword. The Hylian Shield is a very durable item, able to protect Link from several kinds of attacks. He just needs to hold it up and brace for impact and the attack gets blocked. However, it is only a small shield, so it blocks attacks coming from the front, but not the sides or the back, so Link still needs to be aware of what is going on around him.

Best Arrow Type – Light Arrows

Alongside his sword, the bow and arrows are also commonly used items in Link’s adventures. When Link needs to strike an enemy or activate a special switch in a dungeon from far away, the bow can accomplish this task. Link has used several different arrows across the series, from normal ones to fiery ones to freezing ones to explosive ones, but the strongest ones are the Light Arrows. Like the Master Sword, the Light Arrows are given to Link with the purpose of banishing evil and, unlike the Master Sword, are often given as an end-of-game item to use against the final boss. When these powerful arrows are received, they deal large amounts of damage to the monster, allowing Link to defeat him and save the kingdom.

Best Non-Archery Long Range Weapon – Gale Boomerang

Other than the bow and arrows, Link does have other long range weapons he can use, that actually double as weapons and tools, and the most effective of these is the Gale Boomerang from the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Normal boomerangs can be used to attack and stun enemies from afar and can even grab items and bring them back, but the Gale Boomerang also has an added whirlwind effect that allows it to put out small fires, cut ropes, or carry items from far distances.

Best Explosive – Bombchu

Link has needed to use bombs throughout his adventures, whether he needed some extra force when fighting an enemy or he needed to blast his way through a large obstacle. While there are larger bombs that he can use than the standard ones, this slot goes not to the most powerful explosive but the most versatile, and that item is the Bombchu. This mouse-shaped mechanical bomb zooms forward in a straight line, even moving up or down walls until it reaches an enemy or an obstacle and explodes on impact.

Best Movement Item – Hookshot

Link has several items that can help him move around a dungeon from the Roc’s Feather to the Pegasus Boots. His most prominent of these however is the hookshot, but the most useful of these is the Clawshot from Twilight Princess.When used, Link can shoot the claw forward to grab onto far away grates and vines to bring Link towards them so he can start climbing. He can also use it to bring far away objects towards him and damage weaker enemies. It can be used on wood like the standard hookshot, so it can’t grab treasure chests, but it can be used underwater and it can lower or raise Link along the length of its chain while it’s in use.

Best Wearable Item – Fierce Deity Mask

With different kinds of gloves, boots, and even hats, Link gets a lot of wearable items that can grant him power, but the most effective of these kinds of items have been masks. They only played a major part in one game (Majora’s Mask), but in that one game, they were an immense source of power, giving Link several different abilities. The best of these masks is the Fierce Deity Mask, turning him into Fierce Deity Link and granting him great strength in battle, including the ability to use Sword Beams. He doesn’t need to have this mask to progress through the game or defeat Majora, but it makes that final boss fight much easier.

Best Magical Item – Ocarina of Time

Link has used several different magical items to both attack enemies and solve puzzles, from magic rods to musical instruments. The most powerful of these mystical artifacts is not actually used for either of those purposes. Not directly at least. The Ocarina of Time, as seen in the Zelda game with the same name and Majoras’s Mask, is actually used to affect the world itself. This musical instrument can affect time with effects like warping the user to different time periods or changing the time of day from daylight to night time. With the right song, time can be turned forwards or backwards, and in Majora’s Mask, it becomes instrumental to Link’s success in saving the land of Termina.

Best Healing Item – Bottled Fairy

With the bottles that Link can find across Hyrule, he can use them to store different items, particularly healing items like potions or Moo Moo Milk. As effective as those can be, a bottled fairy is the much more effective. Using a butterfly net and an empty bottle, Link can catch a fairy in a 

bottle and carry it around until he needs it. When used normally, Link can use the fairy to restore his health, but when Link runs out of health and falls to the ground with the fairy still in his inventory, the fairy can release itself and revive Link. It essentially gives him an extra life.

Best Wallet – Giant’s Wallet

Throughout his travels in Hyrule, Link can collect Rupees, those multicolored jewels that are the currency of the kingdom. He obviously needs a place to store them all and that’s where the wallets come in. The Giant’s Wallet, which appears in several Zelda games, is often the largest wallet in the game, able to hold the largest amount of Rupees possible in their games, from 500 in Ocarina of Time to 5,000 in Skyward Sword. With this wallet, Link can always have an abundance of Rupees when he needs to make a purchase.

What did you think of this list? What items do you think are the best in Link’s arsenal? Which characters do you think have an arsenal worth looking at? Let me know in the comment section and thanks for coming.