Old School Gaming Bliss with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game

I can't tell you how great this game is, especially for all those NES gamers out there who miss classics like Double Dragon and River City Ransom. Actually, I CAN tell you: Head on over to Gaming Life and read my review!

Or, if you're too lazy to click the link, here's the full text:

If you’re old enough or cool enough to remember the hard punching, tire throwing, gut busting NES cult classic River City Ransom, there’s seriously no reason to keep reading this review. Log into PSN and start downloading Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game right now, or barricade yourself in your house until Aug. 25 and get it from Xbox Live. Either way, you’re in for the best 2D arcade experience since Megaman 9 and Super Street Fighter II HD Remix.

Based on a comic I never read and a movie I haven’t seen yet, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is equal parts side-scrolling fighter and gushy love letter to the 8-bit era. After selecting one of four heroes (and getting flashbacks to Super Mario Bros. 2), it’s the player’s job to pound wave after wave of bad guys into the pavement, a la Final Fight or Streets of Rage, with the ultimate goal of defeating all seven of Scott’s lover’s ex-boyfriends. Up to four people can join the fight at once, watching each other’s backs simultaneously.

There are two attack buttons: The square button initiates a quick flurry of attacks and the triangle button produces a slower and stronger “heavy attack” combo. Special attacks are learned along the way and range from highly useful to barely sufficient. In addition, everything the player finds lying around can be used as a weapon, from baseball bats to plastic buckets, and they can either be thrown at or used to bludgeon nearby baddies. Even enemies themselves can be picked up and used in the same fashion, just the River City Ransom.

And speaking of River City Ransom, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World clearly owes much of its existence to this and many other old school NES games. It may look like a well-drawn PlayStation 1 title, but this download sounds and plays like something straight out of the ‘80s. There’s a secret shop in the first stage in EXACTLY the same area as in River City Ransom, a hit point system reminiscent of Final Fantasy 1 and even a reference to Clash at Demonhead, a bizarre NES platformer lost to the annals of time. The music is half chip tune, half punk rock, with guitar solos and awesome drum riffs that sneak up on you as you progress through the well-designed stages. As a seasoned gamer (read: old man), the title screen music nearly made me cry. I knew the game I was about to play encompasses everything great we’ve had to sacrifice in the name of progress over the last two decades of gaming evolution.

You don’t even have to appreciate old school gaming to enjoy Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game and it’s a steal at the $10 price of admission. With the exception of somewhat slow moving player characters and the occasional control problem, it’s no wonder this game snagged a nod for the “Best Downloadable Game of E3.” There’s no clearer way to say this: I want to have this game’s babies.

Take THAT, the world!

Castlevania HD is a Pain in the Neck

View my thoughts on Konami's newest Castlevania title over at Gaming Life. I'm one of the staff writers there, so for more of my wonderous gaming wisdom, stop by Gaming Life once in a while.

Or, if clicking a link is too hard for you, here's the full text:

I’m doing my best to enjoy Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Konami’s new Xbox arcade title starring Alucard and a host of other CV Legends, but it looks like Dracula and his minions might win this battle.

Harmony of Despair eschews the “Metroidvania” style of recent Castlevania titles in favor of gameplay that more closely resembles the original level-based NES offerings. Experience points have also bit the dust, so it’s up to the player’s action skills alone to keep them afloat. However, the conventions of games like Symphony of the Night aren’t entirely left behind: The player can upgrade his or her equipment by finding new weapons and armor strewn about the playing field, and consumables, like the series’ trademark cuts of meat, can be carried and used when needed. From one to six players can join in the action via Xbox Live, which proves to be the title’s main draw.

Sadly, there’s really nothing “HD” about this game despite its title. I’m using a 1080p TV and though the game looks good, it’s not exactly eye-popping. The same tired graphics we’ve been seeing since 1997’s PS1 classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night litter the screen, augmented with enemies nabbed from other Castlevania titles. I’m an old school gamer and a sucker for sprite-based visuals, but there’s nothing retro about graphics we’ve all encountered on our DS consoles as late as 2008’s Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.

The visual settings are libel to leave you scratching your head as well. The “native” setting allows the player to see the entire level on their TV screen all at once, but it offers a heinously tiny view of your character that’s only playable on the most gargantuan of monitors, like the one in Time Square. Plan on setting the game to at least x2 if you hope to have any fun.

When it comes down to it, were it not for the frantic six-player action, there would be nearly no reason to play C: HD. It’s easier to forgive the game’s flaws when you’re busting demon skulls with five other players, but keep this in mind: Six guys having fun with a flawed game still leaves you with a flawed game once the controllers have been put aside.

Even as a moderate Castlevania freak, it’s difficult for me to recommend purchasing Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. All but the most hardcore Castlevania fans and 2D action junkies will get much mileage out of this one. But don’t do this game a disservice and skip it entirely: Download the demo on Xbox Live and see for yourself if this game is worth sinking your teeth into.