Halo 10th Anniversary, Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Skyrim, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom… is there anything possibly left? Why, yes there is, the final round of heavy hitters, before we officially enter the holiday shopping season. It’s a great week for gamers, especially those that love to FIGHT!
This is it, the moment all Nintendo faithful have been waiting for, or just those wondering why in the hell that they still have their Wii hooked up to their televisions. It’s been heralded by Nintendo themselves as one of the greatest games ever, and given their track record, it’s not such crazy talk. After all, by many accounts, Ocarina of Time is still the king of the hill in many people’s books. So what else needs to be said about this game at this point? Like how it’s use of Motion Plus will finally give players true, 1:1 interactions with Link, or how it’s a reminder that no matter how much of a mess their hardware strategy might be, at the end of the day, Nintendo still knows how to make amazing games? Don’t forget how it’ll give rabid Zelda fanatics that obsess over the series’ timeline yet another major chunk of the puzzle to decode? Wii
Given all the attention that Street Fighter has gotten over the past year, it’s easy to forget yet another Japanese brawler that still has plenty of fans out there, ready to beat the crap out of each other. Sure there’s Street Fighter X Tekken, but let’s be honest; it’s still Capcom’s show until Tekken X Street Fighter shows up, and the verdict of that is still in question. Until then, we’ve got a love fest for all aficionados of the King of the Iron Fist Tournament! First we’ve got an HD remake of the first Tekken Tag Tournament, which took everything that was awesome from Tekken 3, but adds every character from the franchise, up till that point. Only now it’s glorious high definition! Then you have the sequel, which takes that same formula, but adds all the gameplay flourishes and new faces from Tekkens 4, 5, and 6. Plus there’s Tekken: Blood Vengeance, the CGI movie illustrates it super convoluted tale, and in 3D. All on one disc! Whew. PS3
Though if you’re old school and 3D just ain’t your thing, how about one of the oldest and most respected 2D sprite based fighters to still keep it strong and true to this very day? The latest KOF brings all the goods one expects, including another who’s who of favorite SNK faces, along with those that were glaringly omitted from part 12. Speaking of which, all the bugs and assorted issues that dragged down the previous installment (including some highly questionable game design choices) have all been done away with, supposedly. The fact that Dream Cancels from part 11 have been brought back should be good news to fans of the series. Along with the news that the Ash Crimson saga finally comes to a close with this one (for the six of you who might possibly understand such a statement). Xbox 360, PS3
And for those of you who crave virtual kicking and punching, but something that’s unmistakably American, how about the latest from World Wrestling Entertainment? Though most people don’t realize this, but it’s actually programmed in Japan. Anyhow, this latest installment of the now yearly video game franchise represents a dramatic shift in virtually all respects; the fact that Raw and Smackdown has been removed from the title is proof positive enough. But there’s also the complete elimination of the grapple system from before, and instead an emphasis on the physical state of your opponent and yourself as it pertains to performing maneuvers. Both WWE Universe mode and the Road to WrestleMania have been completely overhauled, along with the visuals. Though all of that pales in comparison with the ability to finally see whose the toughest in the squared circle: the Undertaker or Brock Lesnar! You can thank Dana White for not having a problem with his main UFC guy competing in the virtual arena. Xbox 360
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