Escape Vektor for Vita

Escape Vektor for the Vita is releasing next week for $9.99 with a 20% discount for PS+ subscribers.  It certainly has a futuristic vector vibe and the reviews for the 3DS e-shop have been stellar.  This is certainly on my radar!

Screenshots courtesy of Dev:

Looks into Vita for 2013 ..

In addition to the titles that I've listed out in a previous post (see below)

Vita 2013 - Unofficial List

The following titles have been strongly rumored/confirmed for the Vita in 2013:

Velocity Ultra - this is the rumored remake of the PSP mini release with enhancements.  New art and now running at Vita's native resolution.  Add in trophies and leader-boards.

Just Add Water - conversations back and forth with a NeoGAF user (works at JAW) about the success of Stranger's Wrath Vita has led to the revelation of 3 additional Vita titles being developed.  Some are known.  One being Munch's Odyssey.  The second title is New 'n' Tasty!  The third title is a mystery but two hints were given.  It's not Gravity Crash and it's about 60 MB in file size.

Wake Up Club - finally announced for release in the US!

Laughing Jackal - maker of Hungry Giraffe announced 3 additional titles for the Vita.  This includes a "Mystery Game X".  The current PSM titles made by them are Hungry Giraffe, OMG-Z, and Cubixx.

MotoGP 2013 - game from the makers of Motocross (MUD) and WRC releasing this year.

Final Fantasy X - Square Enix has promised news "soon" on the PS3/Vita release of this remake.  This would lead me to believe that 2013 might be the target year of release.

Bringing the essence of 2D back

I think there comes a point in every gamers life where he/she gets hit with the feeling of nostalgia.  You reminisce about your first time playing Super Mario Brothers or shooting a duck in Duck Hunt or getting drawn into the story while playing an RPG.  For gamers born in the late 70s and 80s, there is nothing more nostalgic today than playing a 2D game.  Playing a 2D game today feels like going back to mom and dad's house for Thanksgiving and devouring pounds of comfort food.  With every trial and error jump you make in a 2D platform game, you remember the days of playing Out of this World on the Sega Genesis.  Those pixels were not just dots to you.  They were art.

"You've lost that loving feeling" - The Righteous Brothers .. 

So how do we get that back?  I propose the indie route.  The reality is that major publishers that fund today's top development studios are not making these 2D games short of a few.  I'll point these out as well.  A good junk of these games have gone the iOS/Android route due to smaller budgets.  Some are on PSM (PlayStation Mobile).  Some are cheap PC titles through GOG or Steam.  The selections are fragmented but the essence is there.  So what are they?

Rayman Origins
New Super Mario Bros 2
Sound Shapes
Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack
Mark of the Ninja
Braid
Limbo
Bastion
Hotline Miami
Fez
They Bleed Pixels
Spelunky
Dustforce
Pid
Dust: An Elysian Tail
Cave Story
Mighty Switchforce
Snapshot
Alien Hominid
Castle Crashers
Aqua kitty

Vita Top 5 Titles of 2012

Not since the Gameboy Advance has a portable system asked for something I have so very little of, time.  As indicated in previous posts, console gaming time has been reduced to less than an hour a week.  Since the only thing that has stayed consistent for almost ten years with me is commuting time, it's logically the best way to continue playing games.

The PlayStation Vita had a very good first year.  Sure, there were some missteps and decisions made by Sony that made some of their most ardent followers cringe.  The portable device lived up to it's billing as "console-like" gaming on the go.  There have been so many good games but here is my top 5 that I've played.

1. Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Everything that you would expect from a portable Uncharted title is there.  Nathan Drake.  Cover system.  Platforming.  Puzzle elements.  Story-drive action.  Treasure hunting. 

2. MGS: HD Collection

Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 on the go.  Well implemented touch screen controls.  The frame rates are reduced in comparison to the console versions but it's adequate for the Vita.  Features Cross-save functions via "Transfarring".

3. Tales from Space: Mutant Blob

 Innovate 2D title.  Makes great use of the touch screen and gyro controls and it's not too obtrusive.  There aren't enough 2D platformers these days.

4. Wipeout 2048

One of the best futuristic arcade racing titles on any platform.  It's even a better deal if you are a PS+ member as you can download the HD and HD Fury DLC content found in the PS3 version.  Also features Cross-play with PS3 version.

5. Street Fighter x Tekken

Almost arcade perfect port of the console/arcade versions.  Yes, there were a few background animations cut but gameplay is a solid 60 fps.  Packed with tons of content and impending Version 2013 patch with welcomed game-play mechanic tweaks.  Cross-play with PS3 as well.

Vita 2013 Titles - The Unofficial List

2012 is coming to an end.  A new year for the PlayStation Vita means additional opportunities for Sony and third party publishers to give the hardware the software it rightfully deserves.  These are just projected releases for 2013.

Retail:
Soul Sacrifice
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus
Dead of Alive 5 Plus
MLB 13 The Show
Killzone Mercenary
Tearaway
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
Dragon's Crown
Warriors Lair
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R
Demon Gaze (JP)
Ciel Nosurge RE: Incarnation (JP)
Tales of Hearts R (JP)
One Piece: Kaizoku Musou 2 (JP)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (JP)
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (JP)
Sen No Kiseki (JP)
Project Versus J (JP)
Gundam Breaker (JP)
Sei Madou Monogatari (JP)
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (JP)
God Eater 2 (JP)
Toukiden  (JP)
Valhalla Knights 3
Over My Dead Body Sequel (JP) 

Digital Only:
Rachet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD
Guacamelee!
Earth Defense Force 2017 
Kick Beat
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Snapshot
Urban Trials
Dragon Fantasy Book II
Lone Survivor
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken
Putty Squad
Flying Hamsters HD
Velocity Vita
Jetpack Joyride HD
Rainbow Moon (JP)
Phantasy Star Online 2 (JP)

Titles Expected in 2013:
Madden 2014 
FIFA 2014

Titles I'd like to see in 2013:
Final Fantasy X HD
 

COD Black Ops: Declassified Impressions - Week 1+

Week 2 and 3 are now complete.  I have completed the campaign on regular, completed in a good bit of multiplayer matches, and attempted to collect a few trophies.  So what is my opinion?  My opinion is still to be determined as I would like to see Nihilistic/Activision/Sony release patch 1.0x to address a few issues and potentially the announcement of DLC in the form of new multiplayer maps.  Considering the price of the game ($50 in the US), I would expect the first maps to be free but again, that is my expectation.

Multi Player:

The biggest selling point for this game is "Call of Duty on the go".  The most important aspect of any Call of Duty title is the multiplayer.  Yes, the features are borderline bare-bones in comparison to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 but the proposition to play it on the go was too hard to pass up.  My experiences with multiplayer are two fold.  (1) Play via home wifi with 50 Mbps down/15 up (2) Play via mini wifi card used on commutes.  Regarding (2), I used a Verizon 4G LTE mifi adapter to connect.

Experiences earlier on confirmed my suspicions that the server might have been under duress during the first week.  The second week was better in trying to find a match and continuously play map after map.  I did experience a few issues that for the most part have been addressed in patch 1.02.  There are also positives I would like to point out.

Negatives: 

• I would find a match and then after waiting for the map to load, it would send me back to the main menu
• Experienced an issue (once) where I got into the game but was unable to sprint
• Experienced an issue (once) where the map went devoid of geometry and textures.  It quickly refreshed once I progressed more into this "grey" area.
• Spawn points on smaller maps.  Sometimes I would get spawned next to my comrade who's been gunned down.  On smaller maps, I should get spawned in areas not close in proximity to friend or foe.  Nukehouse needs to be more open!
• Almost impossible to get a kill streak going for something like a Sentry Gun or Helicopter.  The maps are small.  You will die a good bit before reaching the magic number to call the streak.

Positives:

• It's fun and fast.  It's not 60 fps but holds steadily at 30.  There are times where it can dip but runs fine a majority of the time
• It can be challenging achieving some of the trophies.  Specifically, "Pure as Driven Snow" and "Double Down".
• Shotgun battles can be fun when you're not missing each other.  It seems the weapon is overpowered and you can hit someone about 15 feet away (it seems).

COD Black Ops: Declassified Impressions - Week 1

There is something exciting about the proposition of Call of Duty on the go.  Sure, the game has been criticized for being formulaic as a first person shooter and lacking a storyline which gets you emotionally invested but it is fun.  Isn't that what matters?

I figured the best way for me to relay my impressions is to report weekly.  I received my order from newegg the day after official retail release in North America so consider me an early adopter.  The following posts on this blog will go through my weekly experience with the game.  The likes, dislikes, recommendations, updates from Nihilistic/Sony/Activision, etc.  Recommendations will be in later posts as I get to 100% completion of all the modes.

Multi Player:  I had issues with connectivity on my first few matches.  Disconnects would abrubtly end matches and set me back to the lobby.  I was able to get back into matches pretty quickly but obviously an annoyance if you are a first time player.  There were a few occasions where the game would crash and go back to the live area screen with a prompt asking me to send a report.  I did download patch 1.01 and I know patch 1.02 is in progress by Nihilistic/Sony/Activision.  I called it a night since its possible a majority of these issues are due to server stress.  In the morning, I played for about 45 minutes with no connectivity issues and crashes.  I was able to level up from a rank of 2 to 8 pretty quickly and maintain my kill/death ratio that I would typically have playing the console version of the game.  All the mainstay components of COD are there from a multiplayer prospective.  Classes, Tags, Perks, 2 weapon layout, ranking system based on points collected, killstreaks, etc.

Single Player:  I did not play much of the single player as I've haven't completed any of the single player campaigns on recent COD console games.  The only ones I've finished are MW1 and MW2.  I did the intro mission and the first mission on regular difficulty, earning a single star.  Yes, I did die a few times trying to get accustomed to the controls and it did take some time getting used to it but persistence pays off.  The video plays explaining the story of the first mission but to be honest, I had a hard time paying attention.  If you do, I recommend an earplug because it is difficult to hear the audio through the Vita speakers.  I went through the first mission in approximately 7 minutes.  Onto the next mission.