Still Awesome

Problems with my gaming rig persist, but I've got an old shitbox Windows 98SE machine hooked up in the mean time that at least allows me to use my broadband access. I forgot how much Windows 98 sucks after getting so used to how much Windows XP sucks. It's not bad being able to focus on console stuff, but I get the feeling that my schedule is going to prevent me from getting this shit fixed in the near future.

Soul Calibur III - The rumors (and the GamePro scan) were true. It seems Soul Calibur III is coming out this fall exclusively for PlayStation 2. While I had imagined it being a PlayStation 3 launch title after making a debut on a new nVidia/CELL powered arcade board, having another good 3D fighter this year is a good thing. I'm seriously hoping that by focusing on the development for just one system they add a lot of great features like Tekken 5 and VF4 Evo have. Soul Calibur II felt like Soul Calibur 1.3 with the lack of improvement over it's predecessor. Better graphics, some walls, return of the weapons master mode, and some horribly implemented "guest characters." VF4 Evo came out two weeks earlier at half the price, with twice the gameplay, and with five times the features. Namco seemed to have corrected themselves with Tekken 5, I hope they do the same with Soul Calibur III. It's also amazing the number of games that are coming out this year on PS2, even well into the fall. Gran Turismo 4, Devil May Cry 3, God of War, Tekken 5, and stuff like Final Fantasy XII and Soul Calibur III on the way. Not a bad way to start off the fifth year of a console's lifespan, when other companies would be jumping ship. Pretty damn impressive. It goes to show what can be done with effort is put into securing content, and not arranging gay ass lawsuits over controller vibration. It makes it nice and easy for me as a consumer to see who cares about the audience, and who just wants to fuck people over.

God of War - speaking of this game, I just picked it up over the weekend. Fucking incredible. I'm about five hours in, at the "Cliffs of Atlas" save point. The story is very good so far. The graphics are excellent. The combat system is awesome. The environment design is some the best I've ever seen in a game. It's also nice to see a developer take a stab at a theme, tone, and setting that isn't touched upon very much in games. Is the game itself entirely innovative? No, it's the non-gay version of "Prince of Persia." The non-suck version of "Rygar Legendary Adventure." The combat and weapons upgrading is definately a cut from Devil May Cry's cloth, but it's an adventure game through and through. I had gotten tired of the 3D BEU (beat 'em up) formula after playing the original Devil May Cry and Shinobi. DMC2 and Rygar were major dissapointments. Ninja Gaiden sure as hell wasn't what everyone had been hyping it ot be. Prince of Persia was also extremely overrated. Thankfully, this is a game that delivers in every way. I haven't played Devil May Cry 3 yet (held off on it for this, and I'm glad I did), but i can't imagine it matching up to this. The "three sirens in the desert" sequence was mildly annoying, but the rest of the game is stellar. It probably has more milkbags than any game I've seen, but it's handled in a (mostly) tasteful manner, much like Max Payne 2. The "minigame" shortly after the Hydra battle was fucking hilarious, but the rest of it has been pretty relevant to maintaining a degree of authenticity relevant to the game's setting. Great game all around, and hopefully I can get further into it without having to wait until the weekend to do so.

I really want a PSP.