Futuristic Racing gets Fury-ous... The WipEout HD Fury Review

Please note: Keep in mind... this is a review of a downloadable expansion as it will focus on that and not on the original game. Also, photos are courtesy of the NeoGAF Photo Mode Thread.

WipEout HD Fury is the long awaited downloadable expansion to one of the best racing games on the Playstation 3. It nearly took a year, but it is worth the long wait with loads of new content for players to mess with and make the return to the amazing that is WipEout HD. This ten dollar add-on expands the original game to new directions to a point that it is a completely new game than when it came out last year. As if the original game looked jaw-dropping enough, Fury steps it up a notch with more crazy colors and effects. The new tracks, modes, and presentation make Fury arguably one of the best downloadable content to come out ever.

Fury introduces some new tracks from the PSP WipEout games along with new modes Eliminator, Zone Battle, and Detonator. Eliminator makes the game less about the racing and more about the combat of taking out the opposition meaning the action gets way more intense almost like a deathmatch in a first-person shooter. Zone finally gets diversified with Zone Battle and Detonator adding more flavor to the vibrant color changes. Zone Battle is not your typical Zone action adding more racers and you to have to use the boost pads to gain Zone Boost to proceed towards faster speeds while laying out barriers in hopes of the opposition hitting them. What I like especially about this mode is the strategy involved in it where as would you like to throw out as many barriers as you can, save up for maximum zone boosting to win the game quicker, or heal up and shield yourself if low on health. With more players and especially online, Zone Battle becomes very intense like Eliminator and momentum can shift at an instant for players to achieve victory or defeat. Detonator turns WipEout into a shooter as your ship is in a zone firing a gun at mines to score points. Chain bonuses are also added for more points along with bombs, which are self-explanatory. Honestly, while Detonator is a nice diversion from all the racing, it is the weakest of the three new modes in this new expansion, but still fun regardless even though I had more fun in Eliminator and Zone Battle. All these new tracks and modes are played in a new campaign that is as long as the original campaign, but only the new tracks and their reverse versions are played along with the races, speed laps, zone, and tournaments. The new modes are also playable in the old tracks as well as online, which makes the game more crazy with human competition besides the computer A.I. even though they still provide a challenge on harder difficulties and later on in the campaign. Fury's new content is filled with more intense racing and action than the original game had as the new modes do indeed spice up the gameplay in new ways.

WipEout HD remains one of the best looking games on PS3 even as a downloadable title and Fury is proof that it still is and perhaps better-looking than when the game first came out. The new tracks look amazing along with the new zone effects in Zone Battle and Detonator. It totally feels like you're in the future or something like that. Even the presentation in terms of the menus received a facelift to fit along with the Fury theme being a dark tone with black and red colored menus. The menus themselves are also changed for simplicity reasons, which works especially when choosing your craft of choice. As for the sounds, the core sound effects remain the same and new music is added, but expect to hear the same tracks over and over again along with tracks from the original game. So if you have custom soundtracks, take advantage of it in Fury even though I still like the electronica-like soundtrack the game has.

If you still love WipEout HD, you should not hesitate and buy the Fury expansion. For ten dollars, you are getting loads of new content like a new campaign as long as the original game containing the new tracks and modes. Online play gets a resurgence with the new add-on, which is good for the community because Eliminator and Zone Battle are indeed fun with human competition even the computer A.I. is still there to provide a challenge. In addition, Fury makes WipEout HD a way better looking game as if the game looked amazing enough already when it came out last year. All in all, this is arguably the best downloadable content to come out since DLC started in this current generation of consoles, so if you have a PS3, you should not miss out on WipEout HD Fury as the game and DLC costs 30 bucks together as it still feels like a retail game as a download.

Score = 9.5/10

Pros:

• Fury is filled with hours of new content...
• New campaign as long as the original campaign
• New modes spice up the gameplay to new directions with Eliminator, Zone Battle, and Detonator
• Racing and action still as intense as it was all this time both off and online.
• Still one of the best looking games on PS3

Cons:

• Detonator is the weakest of the three new modes, but still a nice diversion
• Expect to hear the same tracks over and over again unless you have custom soundtracks

A Slightly Disappointing Rebirth... The King of Fighters XII (PS3) Review

Please note: Videos consist of tournament-like level gameplay from the arcade version. The PS3 version does look similar to the arcades, but I just wanted to show high level fights of what the game's system is capable of in which I won't get with console videos right away that are in good quality.

There are high hopes for the King of Fighters XII to be a worthy fighting game in the genre's renaissance this year with such games as Street Fighter IV, BlazBlue, and Tekken 6. It is a reboot for the franchise to start over in attempt to bring new players in while keeping the hardcore fans satisfied with a new graphics engine meaning new sprites for the beloved SNK fighters. Along with spicing up the classic KOF gameplay with some new gameplay systems and the new style, it seems like this franchise is continuing on the right direction. Unfortunately, this console release comes up short of being a legitimate fighting game to be around for a long time. Basically, King of Fighters XII on PS3 does not feel like a complete package as a retail priced fighting game despite still having a good fighting system to play with.

What I mean by KOF XII not being a complete package? It is the lack of modes the game provides, which is only arcade, versus, practice, and online. That's pretty much it in terms of modes and as a full retail priced game, it doesn't feel like you are not getting enough for your money especially if you are not into the whole online fighting thing. The arcade mode is simply a time trial mode consisting of five stages of how fast you can beat your opponent to get a time on the rankings. Except this mode is pretty straightforward with no sense of direction because there is little to no story at all in this new entry in the franchise. There is no final boss that is ridiculously cheap, just five stages against the character roster and that's it as the credits roll. Practice and versus modes are also straightforward as they are what they meant to be as practice mode is your standard training mode to try out some moves and combos while local versus is what it is.

Then there is the online play, which is arguably the most disappointing feature of all in this game as the majority of the games you will play against the online competition will be very laggy to the point it is unplayable trying to execute anything at all. Even with the 1.01 patch on the PS3, online play did slightly improve as matches got better of handling the lag, but it is still pretty bad finding the occasional unplayable match. In addition, matches are handled quarter match style in which you're in a lobby with other players as two fight while others wait and watch. However, joining a room mid-game does not let you see the match in progress in which you stare at the lobby screen for a little longer. Other than the standard ranked and player match options, the online modes also have a clan option which is only in the PS3 version, except it is not a really a clan-like feature you see in first person shooters as it is just an easier way to play certain players. If the online performance does not improve any time soon, then it is likely the game will be dead especially with other fighting games around that have better online play.

The core fighting system in the King of Fighters XII saves the game from becoming a big disappointment as it is still appeals to both casual and hardcore crowds in terms of executing special moves by your favorite characters. This also still feels like a SNK fighting game in which crazy execution is still required to pull off the tougher moves, specifically the supers for the majority of the roster. While some characters have an easier learning curve like Joe, Ash Crimson, and Kyo, other characters have a tougher time to get things going especially if their movelist has been drastically changed. Iori is the major example of a character's movelist that is significantly to a point he is a totally different character due to his storyline of having his Orochi flames removed or something like that. This new KOF introduces some new gameplay additions like the guard attack, which is more like a focus attack in Street Fighter IV where a fully charged attack stuns the opponent for an opportunity to deal some quick damage. This guard attack is also a parry counter attack if timed correctly to disrupt your opponent's momentum. The critical counter system is the biggest gameplay addition in King of Fighters XII as a timed back and strong punch or kick (pending on the character) unleashes a big stun counter allowing an opportunity to dish out more damage or a devastating combo. This critical counter can change the match to some one's favor really quickly, but not as game changing in the end. All in all, the fighting system still feels like classic KOF with a heavy focus on close-range combat as the new additions do spice up the gameplay a little bit, but not much.

Graphically, the new art style in this current generation of consoles looks great for King of Fighters XII. Everything is redrawn for this modern era of gaming as the new sprites still feel 2D, but definitely bulked up for the high definition scene. Sure, some characters' new looks may feel hit or miss like some characters looking like they took too much steroids, but I don't see any problem with the character's appearances as they look fine. The backgrounds and animations are standouts of this new visual style for the franchise as they are vibrant and colorful especially with random spectators doing crazy things that make you laugh at times. There are a noticeable lack of stages as there are only a handful to choose with, but they still look beautiful regardless with lots of things happening at the same time. The animations also flow great when the game runs at a consistent framerate with no slowdown unless you're playing online. As for the sound, the game sounds okay with options for both English and Japanese voice overs. I generally prefer the Japanese ones as the English voices can be obviously too cheesy at times not fitting the characters' personalities, so it is recommended to keep it pure with Japanese voices. The music consists of generic tunes when fighting with nothing that much memorable worth listening to, but it definitely sounds like a SNK fighting game.

Even though it is a rebirth for the franchise, I still feel slightly disappointed with the King of Fighters XII. The game had so much potential to be a proper fighting game with a good enough fighting system for both newcomers and veterans as well as a new visual style for the current generation, but the game just does not live up to standards these days in the console fighting genre of not being a complete package. It just feels like it was a straight up port from the arcade version with not many more features added to be worthy of the 60 dollars. Even with the lack of offline modes, the online is perhaps the most disappointing feature of them all with the majority of matches being filled with lag to a point of the match being unplayable not being able to execute something you wanted to. Sure, there are other complaints about this new KOF like where is this certain character or why is the roster of 22 (including two console exclusive characters Elizabeth and Mature) smaller to previous games (it used to be doubled in previous iterations). I'm assuming a sacrifice had to be made for the new art to come out and the fact that it is a reboot for the franchise. You may be able to get some decent hours out of King of Fighters XII, but don't expect this one to be a keeper for very long especially with better fighting games out there.

Score = 7/10

Pros:

• Fighting system still feels like KOF for both casual and hardcore audiences along with the new gameplay additions
• Beautiful new visual style (characters, backgrounds, and animations look great) for the current generation

Cons:

• Lack of modes hurt the replay value significantly
• Online play is very disappointing with latency issues post 1.01 patch
• Roster may be disappointing to some (Like where's Mai for example?)
• Overall, it does not feel like a complete package being a full retail priced game.

Vegas shenanigans again... Swag Flu Edition

Last weekend was another trip to my second home, aka Las Vegas. Except this ain't my typical trip as this time was just me and my best friends. Let's just say good times were happening all the time as everyone pretty much was affected by the "swag flu." It looked like that term spreaded like wildfire as if I started it, but I gotta give Soulja Boy his props for coming up with this appropriate term for this special weekend. Friday night was only the beginning with Jet and while it was my third time there, our group actually got in there early around opening time. I even enjoyed the guest lineup for the night with Slash's birthday and America's Best Dance Crew Season 3 winners Quest Crew. Even we didn't stay for Quest to perform their 10-ish minute set (oh well), I still enjoyed the night just being with awesome friends doing their thing. After Jet was a steak & eggs late night meal in which you can't go wrong with the food being six bucks in the early morning hours. Saturday was a long, but crazier day with Caesar's Palace, more shenanigans, and capping it off with club XS at Encore. On the other hand, maybe the yakking prevented me from drinking further and the Fat Tuesday I had was basically my stopping point where I feel like I need to take it easy with that for the rest of the trip. Anyway, club XS at Encore is a beautiful yet big place. I never seen such a beautiful nightclub like XS as it is a big indoor and outdoor club being crowded with too many people. Luckily, our group got hooked up to avoid the long entry line and got in quickly. I must say though, the music selection was better than Jet and we were just ready to let it all out that night as if Jet was a warmup. Sunday was basically the end of a wonderful weekend and we all went home wishing it would never end. All in all, this is one of the best weekends I had in a while just because I was at Vegas with amazing friends and I love them too much. Of course, this post may seem like the short version of something longer, but I'll let Vegas be Vegas and let the personal pics stay on FaceBook.

The latest on my YouTube channel (Evo 2K9 Edition)

Since Evo has been the fighting game community's mind still after the long weekend, more videos are surfacing providing more memories.

First off is a Ryu combo video that premiered at the event done by SRK's Maj, who also did the Guile combo video a couple years back. This is a brilliantly put together video showcasing the impossible being the possible from pretty much all the games Ryu has appeared in. From the old school to the obscure, this video has it all making Ryu more of a beast than people think.

Now for the funny as footraces are somewhat a common theme in the fighting game community and this year's Evo is no exception. Here's Floe and SRK's MrWizard racing each other to the finish. Maybe someone wasn't ready for something like this if you watch the video.

Get Your Tournament's PotatoHead did a tribute video of the Street Fighter IV grand finals match between Justin Wong and Daigo. This whole video felt like it had a theatrical production with all the suspenseful music and the crowd reactions showcasing the HYPE. It surely must be a crazy scene there watching the epicness unfold as this clip is a perfect demonstration of the fighting game community's love for the scene.

That's it for now. I'm so lazy to write a review for inFAMOUS as it is a while since I beaten it even though I want to write about it somewhat. We'll see about that. At least expect reviews of the WipeOut HD Fury expansion, Wii Sports Resort, and console King of Fighters XII in the coming weeks.

Evo 2K9 SF4 Finals Recap

A marathon of a weekend concluded last night at Las Vegas for Evolution 2009, aka the big daddy of fighting game tournaments. Yesterday was finals for all of the games and even though I wasn't at the Rio to watch the madness and the HYPE, watching the online stream throughout the weekend was pretty good being the first time Evo streamed the event LIVE for the folks at home. As if more than 2,000 people were sitting in one hot sweaty ballroom, more than 20,000 viewers watched the stream live at times especially the Street Fighter IV finals. Even though SoCal represented big at SF4 as most of them made past pools, only Edma and Shady K made top 8 as well as a somewhat disappointing performance at the 5v5 exhibition not making the grand finals as one of the favorites to it. The SF4 Grand Finals got the dream match we wanted to as Justin Wong, arguably the best SF4 player in the U.S., faces off against Daigo, aka the best Street Fighter player now. Here's the epic grand finals match between the two below via the stream (keep in mind its a stream, so it will be slow, but the audio enough describes how HYPE it was as it felt loud and rowdy, but amazing at the same time). This is what u expect out of the two of the best players in the world, but maybe Justin celebrated too soon at times especially coming from Losers and winning the 1st set. I'll post something later about the other highlights of this year's Evo.









UPDATE - Since these videos are taken down, go to the post above for the Evo 2k9 stuff.

Welcome Back Little Mac... The Punch Out!! (Wii) Review

Nintendo lately has been known for distancing itself away from their hardcore audiences due to their astounding success of their casual titles on the Wii. The return of Punch-Out!! has been the faithful's hope of Nintendo actually still giving a care about their old franchises that date back to the NES days. It turns out that this new Punch-Out!! is both amazing and old-school for those who played the original NES game like crazy in the late 1980s. It recaptures the same old feeling that was both simple to control, but still challenging to the point of throwing your controller at will. It also brings new audiences in nicely with the new motion controls, but even with motion controls, the challenge might not be what they're looking forward for. All of that being said, Punch-Out!! is indeed the hardcore Nintendo fans have been waiting for that is both challenging and rewarding at the same time.

Punch-Out!! for the Wii consists of two control schemes, which are motion controls with the Wiimote and Nunchuk, and old-school NES style with the Wiimote sideways just like playing Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! There is also balance board support for the motion controls, but that makes the game feel like you're working out in Wii Fit rather than trying to beat the game. Out of the control schemes the game offers, I prefer the old-school controls than the new motion controls as playing it NES style provides more precision and the old-school experience, but if you want a more fresher experience than you used to, the motion controls do work fine with punching on both arms. The motion controls do indeed draw casual audiences to a game like this, but the pattern recognition gameplay that it provides is something consider that hardcore audiences have had for years.

There is the obligatory career mode in which you play as Little Mac through three circuits of increasing difficulty towards getting the world title belt. This Punch-Out game has it all in terms of the opposition you face from the lazy Glass Joe, the annoying Great Tiger, to the heavy drinking Soda Popinski. As you progress through the career mode, the game does indeed get harder, but not NES Punch-Out hard as these fighters especially in the last circuit are very beatable. The fun does not end when you beat career mode and get the world title as a new mode gets unlocked for an even harder game called Title Defense mode. Title Defense makes the normal game feel like a warmup as this mode is where the game truly begins. This is also when controllers are being thrown to a point of them not working as the opponents you beaten before are tougher with new looks, moves, and other tricks that make you mess up and lose. Despite Title Defense being the "true game," the satisfaction of beating it again increases tenfold where you just want to scream really loud like a nerd almost like beating Mike Tyson for the first time in the original Punch-Out. Good thing there is a practice mode in the game to practice up the opponents' patterns and get better of unlocking star punch opportunities. Along with the practice mode, you can fight the various characters at any time in Exhibition where achievement-like challenges are there to attempt as well. These challenges are pretty crazy requiring certain tasks that seem impossible at first to be done during the fight. Punch-Out!! for the Wii provides enough replay value for players to be challenged even further after beating Title Defense along with doing the challenges in Exhibition mode.

For the first time in the franchise, this Wii iteration has a versus mode where two Little Macs can fight each other till someone gets knocked down three times in traditional Punch-Out fashion. The twist in this versus mode is that it is split screen vertically where you try to gain meter to become Giga Mac, or basically Little Mac hulking up, and suddenly it becomes a traditional Punch-Out game. Once becoming Giga Mac, it becomes a David/Goliath matchup where Giga Mac can just destroy at will, but Little Mac can still avoid his punches traditionally and dish out the punishment in which players being Giga Mac have to mix up their game to surprise their opponents. This versus mode as a whole feels like a tacked on mode that is not meant to be anything special or worthwhile in the overall package, but still a nice feature to have around regardless in which the developers can improve on if a sequel is happening.

With this new iteration, Punch-Out!! for the Wii is filled with personality and lots of it. From awkward characters like Disco Kid, Bear Hugger, and Super Macho Man, there are certainly those personalities that make you laugh. Perhaps the star of having so much personality is your trainer, Doc Louis. While he can be a little annoying at times trying to help you between rounds, his random quotes regarding his love for chocolate bars makes your mind spin a little trying to realize what did he actually say. Just playing as Little Mac makes you feel like you are the true underdog against these opponents that are bigger than you and the size truly shows in this Wii game compared to older games. All of this personality is also shown in the graphics, which are pretty good for a Wii game. The characters themselves look very colorful for who they are and even the pre-fight cutscenes showing off your opponent's off-the-ring activities look great as well showing who they are. Performance-wise, this lives up to being a Nintendo game with no slowdown at all when running at 60 frames per second. However, the framerate does drop to 30 frames per second in the versus mode when two Little Macs fight each other. This is somewhat of a recurring trend for Nintendo games with local multiplayer as Mario Kart Wii has a similar framerate issue regarding multiplayer.

As for the sound, the modernized take on the old-school Punch-Out!! soundtrack sounds beautiful. That opening tune of that modern remix in the first circuit just puts a smile on your face especially if you recognized it from the late 80s. Later on, the Punch-Out theme does get remixed for the various opponents you face like a Russian version for Soda Popinski and a Hawaiian-like version for Super Macho Man as examples. With all the personality the game has, the characters' voice-overs sound great as well being true to their character. From Disco Kid's awkward voice that sort of questions his gender, Great Tiger's accent, to Super Macho Man's cockiness, Punch-Out!! offers arguably the best voices in any Nintendo game out so far even though they are mostly one-liners and smack talk.

Nintendo and Next Level did a superb job bringing back Punch-Out!! to the modern era of video games. It feels new enough and yet it still fells old-school like the original games as if you're playing a NES game. It definitely feels like a NES game in terms of the difficulty especially in Title Defense mode, but the challenge makes the reward of beating it even more sweeter in the end. Versus mode does feel like an afterthought of why not put something in for two players to play with no online support, but still a neat idea that can be improved on in the future. What definitely impressed me with this Punch-Out!! other than the familiar gameplay is the style it presents and the personality this game offers as whole. All those characters look great and live up their true personas that makes you want to beat them up even further. Also, what remains intact is the satisfaction once beating the game, in which gives it its old-school appeal. Punch-Out!! is back in a big way as I gotta hand it to Nintendo for actually caring about a franchise as legendary as this and giving it the modern treatment.

Score = 9/10

Pros:

• Definitely feels like old-school Punch-Out!!
• The satisfaction of beating these opponents feels as sweet as it was in the late 80s.
• A challenging game (on Title Defense) for the hardcore
• Motion controls do give the game its casual appeal
• Filled with personality and style
• Enough replay value to keep players busy

Cons:

• Versus mode feels like an afterthought and tacked on
• The challenge might scare new players especially later on.

My Ultimate Rock Band Setlist (Take 2)...

UPDATE - This post is now updated with changes to the setlist and links to all of them in action on Rock Band.

I was watching a stream last weekend of someone playing Rock Band 2 and a setlist of what he considers the 84 best Rock Band songs to play. This me want to play the game again and buy it again (wait for Rock Band 3). So yesterday, I put together my own setlist of 84 songs I would rock to in Rock Band. Considering my tastes of rock music, it does has the hits for sure along with some underground stuff. Here it is (84 different artists - I didn't want repeats, so it was a little hard picking a definitive song to represent in this list):

• Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger"
• Stone Temple Pilots - "Interstate Love Song"
• Taking Back Sunday - "Makedamnsure"
• Muse - "Hysteria"
• Radiohead - "Creep"
• Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
• Motorhead - "Ace of Spades"
• Marliyn Manson - "Disposable Teens"
• Nine Inch Nails - "The Hand That Feeds"
• Green Day - "21 Guns"
• Lacuna Coil - "Our Truth"
• Metallica - "Battery"
• Garbage - "I Think I'm Paranoid"
• Hot Hot Heat - "Bandages"
• The Myriad - "A Clean Shot"
• Gorillaz - "Clint Eastwood"
• The Killers - "Spaceman"
• Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"
• Alice In Chains - "Man in the Box"
• Disturbed - "Indestructible"
• Static-X - "Push It"
• Alien Ant Farm - "Smooth Criminal"
• Maroon 5 - "Wake Up Call"
• Silversun Pickups - "Lazy Eye"
• Rush - "Tom Sawyer"
• The Police - "Message in a Bottle"
• Billy Idol - "White Wedding (Part I)"
• Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Date with the Night"
• Paramore - "Crushcrushcrush"
• Weezer - "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived"
• Boston - "More Than A Feeling"
• Oasis - "Wonderwall"
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Under A Bridge"
• Bon Jovi - "Living on a Prayer"
• The Who - "Baba O' Riley"
• Freezepop - "Less Talk More Rokk"
• Coheed and Cambria - "Welcome Home"
• System of a Down - "Chop Suey"
• Iron Maiden - "Number of the Beast"
• Avenged Sevenfold - "Bat Country"
• Dead Kennedys - "Holiday in Cambodia"
• Blondie - "One Way or Another"
• MuteMath - "Typical"
• The Guess Who - "American Woman"
• Franz Ferdinand- "Take Me Out"
• The Strokes - "Repitilia"
• The Pixies - "Debaser"
• Earth, Wind, & Fire - "Shining Star"
• Jet - "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"
• 30 Seconds to Mars - "The Kill"
• Tenacious D - "Master Exploder"
• Evanesecence - "Bring Me to Life"
• The Material - "Moving to Seattle"
• Faith No More - "Epic"
• Kansas - "Carry On My Wayward Son"
• Kings of Leon - "Sex on Fire"
• Lit - "My Own Worst Enemy"
• Queens of the Stone Age - "Go with the Flow"
• Pat Benetar - "Heartbreaker"
• Megadeth - "Peace Sells"
• Linkin Park - "One Step Closer"
• The Raconteurs - "Steady as She Goes"
• Presidents of the USA - "Lump"
• All-American Rejects - "Move Along"
• Smashing Pumpkins - "Today"
• Beastie Boys - "Sabotage"
• Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know"
• Motley Crue - "Dr. Feelgood"
• White Zombie - "More Human Than Human"
• Ratt - "Round & Round"
• The Offspring - "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)"
• Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle"
• Deep Purple - "Highway Star"
• Interpol - "PDA"
• Dream Theater - "Panic Attack"
• Dashboard Confessional - "Hands Down"
• The Muffs - "Kids in America"
• AC/DC - "Back in Black"
• Pearl Jam - "Jeremy"
• No Doubt - "Don't Speak"
• Foo Fighters - "Everlong"
• Journey - "Don't Stop Believing"
• Judas Priest - "Painkiller"

Keep in mind this list would likely change over time as more songs come out. When I feel like it, I'll post links to all these songs. Now I'm tempted to play Rock Band again...

UPDATE 2 - I posted this a bit ago on my Twitter which is a taste of what's to come for Rock Band Network with "Uprising" by Muse as an example.

So the reasoning between "Soundtracks to SF4..."

If u have been paying attention to my Twitter in the past week, I have been busting out a new feature unoriginally called Soundtracks to SF4. Basically, as much as I love Street Fighter IV's music, it does get tiring after a while especially if the same stages keep getting selected. Even though it is pretty much my version of custom soundtracks, its better to hear some actual music once in a while. So I have been busting out all spectrums of music, from N'Sync, Jeremih, Maxwell, LMFAO, and more. Might as well multitask especially with the grind that is Street Fighter IV's Championship Mode on G2. I'm currently at G2-B with 7800 something GP now and G2 is slowly becoming G1 in terms of skill level, which is starting to get frustrating if you're expecting better competition. Turns out it is the same old deal as I hope G1 feels somewhat elite compared to the rest, but then again, I could be wrong. Maybe playing Street Fighter IV online is a mistake after all as Shoo told me against random players, but at least I should play more player matches against SoCal's best especially last night against Keno, which was fun times. Speaking of Keno, here's him in action above in the AI Ranbat 2.4 Grand Finals against Viscant's Zangief as his girlfriend Teresa provides commentary (lol!!!).

Two Events I Wish I Can Go, But Won't...

While I was rocking my Street Fighter IV Comic-Con 08 T-Shirt at the Ladies of SF4 tournament, I was asked by various folks that recognized the shirt wandering if I'm going to this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Unfortunately, I'm not and I have been going there for the past four years already. The tickets have been sold out for a while, but it is best not to go to the crazy opus or I should say "Nerd Prom" (whatever). The convention itself has been getting bigger and bigger of all the times I went there, but I don't think I could handle it anymore. As much as I love Comic-Con, it has gone way mainstream as it is more than just your convention and more of a spectacle. Plus, that weekend if things come through, I'll have other plans in mind anyway.

I also don't see myself going to Evo next weekend at Vegas either. As much I as want to go to Evo at the Rio this year because it will be the biggest one yet and I never been there to see the HYPE in person, it is not going to happen. Even the SoCal SF4 community is asking me if I'm going to Evo, I respond with I wish I can go. In case you don't know what Evo aka the Evolution Championships are, it is the biggest fighting game tournament here in the United States where all the big boys from all over the country to come and try to make a name for themselves in the community winning the grand daddy of them all. Besides being the big tournament, it is at Vegas again and more good times will ensue throughout, but hopefully no drama will go off. I can't even the imagine the numbers for Street Fighter IV alone of those entering and there's other games going on as well like Marvel, 3rd Strike, Tekken 6, and SSF2T HD Remix. Yeah I hope the people I know especially here at SoCal have an awesome time and represent at Evo.

The latest on my YouTube channel for 7/2/09

The highly anticipated video for Drake's "Best I Ever Had" came out last night as the hate for it on Twitter is staggering. I'm sort of on agreement with the majority that the video could have been better considering the song, but one person on Twitter pretty much said this right: "Drake made the song for the ladies and the video for the guys." I still think Kanye didn't want to make just another typical R&B-like video trying to be original as he always tries to be, but then again maybe this video as a whole is sarcastic. Who knows...

Last weekend's episode of Top Gear was pretty awesome with the new Lambo Murcielago at the desert and the epic drag race between the Bugatti Veyron and the McLaren F1 (shown above). Why is this show so good as I just started this recently. I'm not much of a car nut, but this show seems so brillantly put together with the cinematography and all those camera angles besides the cars and the personalities.

Here's a Street Fighter IV match at Arcade Infinity Ranbat 2.4 last month with Kai's El Fuerte and Keno's Balrog. Pretty epic match in terms of comebacks and the whole clock being used. Gootecks and Sanchez provided commentary as they mention randomness like Fuerte's crappy English voice on the console version to a 12-minute wedding Gootecks attended. Hopefully more LoSF footage gets uploaded soon, so I can add it to my epic blog post about that epic day.

Speaking of Kai, here's him along with Paul (somuchdamage) on Part 2 of their episode on the Dogface Show. He discusses his hate for Street Fighter IV in which I understand why he hates it in terms of how random the game can be and the fact you can get away with many things compared to 3rd Strike. He also talks about his story of a coyote exploding at the Arizona desert, which is funny.