The Lone Gamer

Jacky’s in the house!

Famitsu just posted online some new art and screens for the upcoming Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate. The update shows off the two new characters revealed earlier this week- Ein and Jacky Bryant. Ein is a karate master who has appeared in previous DOA games who lived with Hitomi and her father for a time, who was eventually revealed to be an amnesiac Hayate. Jacky is another guest from the Virtua Fighter series- race car driver and protective brother of Sarah Bryant.

The two screens reveal some new tidbits- a new hairdo for karate kid Hitomi and a hot cop outfit for Christie. This updated version of DOA5 is being touted to have a lot of new additions that are essential to attracting gamers who already have at least one of the two released versions of DOA5. I may not be averse to getting another installment as long as they fill in my req. list, but others are surely not easily pleased. But hey, what can you do- sequelitis is a fighting game fixture. In the end, it’s all about the gamer and if Team Ninja manages to coax him back with what shiny new doodads the pile into this one. We’ll see if the crowds are pleased this September 2013 when the game releases on Xbox360 and PS3 in Japan.

Check out the new screens over here.

A (Kinda) New Challenger Appears!

When I do this Character Article sort of thing, it’s usually for Tekken if I recall correctly. But hey, The Iron Fist Crew is on break for now, so let’s concentrate on the fighting game getting ready for a new release (even if it’s still several months away). That game is of course Dead or Alive from Tecmo/KOEI, with Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate. One new character has already been shown off and has gamers wanting to get their grubby mitts all over her (man, that sounded wrong). She’s the winsome and enchanting Dragon Shrine Maiden, Momiji!

MOMIJI
The Dragon Shrine Maiden

Background
Momiji is a kunoichi (female ninja) from Hayabusa Village in Japan, and the last Dragon Shrine Maiden. She is beloved by the village children and acts as a big sister figure to them. Hayabusa began training Momiji in Ninjitsu when she was discovered to have a natural talent for fighting. She will be joining the tournament in order to try out hand-to-hand combat and to put what she’s learned to the test.

Fighting style: Hayabusa-style Aikijutsu
Momiji practices the Hayabusa style of hand-to-hand combat passed down since time untold, to which she has added her own techniques that take advantage of her natural speed, such as her signature double jump.

Momiji first appeared in the DS game Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword. She is the sister of Kureha, the late shrine maiden who appeared in Ninja Gaiden. Her fighting style includes Aikijutsu, which some gamers may recognize as the way followed by Aoi Umenokouji in Virtua Fighter- which may or may not mean that Momiji may have a pair of hakama in her wardrobe. How distinct this defensive style will be in the already counter-heavy DOA remains to be seen. Funny though that Momiji has a special talent in the ‘Double Jump’- I never knew defying gravity was a skill you could obtain through practice. Heheh.

Anyways, Momiji certainly has the looks to qualify her for inclusion among the DOA Girls, but I need to see more of her unarmed fighting skills. Perhaps we’ll see more of her abilities in upcoming videos from Team Ninja, unless they decide to move on to introduce or reveal other new additions to the roster. We’ll see. DOA5 Ultimate is due out in the Fall 2013 for PS3 and Xbox360.

About a week or so ago, I was fortunately able to catch Iron Man 3 in a theater despite me utterly detesting the idea of crowding into a cinema these days- well, little chance of that, seeing as how during the movie’s first week of release, pretty much EVERY theater was showing Iron Man 3. Still, after a week of opening I still sat in a full house watching the third installment of the Iron Avenger’s adventures. So, is the third time the charm?

To set up some things though, I have to say that while I am quite the comic geek, I have never been an Iron Man fan. Never bought a single issue of the comic(s), never really liked the character (although I am familiar with his story and background) and liked him even less after the Civl War comics arc. Well, that all said I absolutely LOVED the first film, and consider it among the best superhero films out there. The second film, while entertaining, not as good- it just felt scatterbrained, here-and-there and a bit, well, by the numbers.

And now, Iron Man 3 (directed by Shane Black). The film opens up with a flashback showing Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) with scientist Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), the inventor of Extremis, an experimental treatment meant to enable regeneration of the body from crippling illnesses or injury. They meet Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce), a handicapped scientist who invites them to join his company, Advanced Idea Mechanics (Dun-Dun-DUUUUN). Stark balks at the offer btw kicking sand into the disabled Killian’s face. Yep, that won’t bite him in the arse years later.

The film snaps back to present day, some time after the events in The Avengers (the movie nicely references the previous Marvel blockbuster with various bits- watch it if you haven’t, duders). We then learn that Tony has gotten a bit of trauma after the Chitauri Invasion- apparently getting almost trapped in another galaxy with evil aliens can do that- so Tony’s been moping about and spending all his time building Iron Man suits- enough that love interest and current Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts (the ever-lovely Gwyneth Paltrow) is feeling friction. Meanwhile, America is under siege from a Bin Laden-esque terrorist mastermind known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who is able to trigger devastating bombings without leaving trace evidence or leads for the authorities (and presumably military drone strikes or SHIELD agents) to follow.

This inevitably leads to the Mandarin’s terror attacks hitting Tony where it hurts, and throws the billionaire superhero into the crosshairs of an elusive, deadly and deceptive enemy. Soon Tony Stark is on the run, without his armor or his bucks to help, and everything he loves and values is endangered by a seemingly unstoppable foe… where are the Other Avengers when you need them??!

Fortunately, despite the odds, TONY STARK is well in control of the situation- yeah, with the help of a kid sidekick on occasion and his own super brainy skills. It all makes for a pretty engaging, well-paced and often humorous action thriller and easily the best of the Iron Man trilogy for me.
What makes the movie work for me, yet again, is Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony Stark. Once again, Downey’s fast-talking, often bratty but always likable and funny but flawed protagonist is a joy to watch, follow and root for, more here than in any of the previous movies. I think it’s here that we really get to see the stuff that Stark is made of (not of wolves and snow, mind you). For a good part of the film Tony is out of his super-powerful armor, and has to contend with situations using just his brain and normal brawn. Granted, he’s a freakin’ genius and in pretty good shape but still, it’s a refreshing change that this time it’s more Man than Iron. That said, the many situations where Tony uses his armor- often in parts- make for imaginative and cool action sequences.’

The villains this time are bigger in scale than the previous baddies and threats in the previous films, and I guess it necessitates the big finale battle that reminds me of the old school Bond films where a large good guy cavalry comes to help save the day. The enemies do look and feel quite dangerous and formidable. I do recognize that many viewers, particularly comic fans, will be disappointed or even dismayed at how the Mandarin was portrayed- but I actually found it quite neat.
SPOILER WARNING. Yeah, it may have made for some cool visuals to have Ben Kingsley whip out his Ten Power Rings but can there really be any other conclusion than Iron Man punching the lights out of the poor old dude? I think the whole reveal of the Mandarin AKA Trevor Slattery comes from left field and Kingsley’s performance was darn hilarious and pretty memorable. END OF SPOILERS.

Aside from pretty cool CG and stunt setpieces, I enjoyed how true to the rest of this series this third installment and finale was. If you loved either the first or both earlier films, this will please you immensely as well. I found it tremendously engaging, entertaining and a wonderful watch.

I’ve read and heard all sorts of rumors of Downey not coming back to the franchise after this, though we clearly will see him back as Stark at least in Avengers 2. With Iron Man 3 pretty much (no surprise to me) breaking the box office worldwide, Marvel would be stupid not to demand RDJ back in The Suit indefinitely (hey, it works with a certain Pirate Lord of the Caribbean). Downey isn’t just the actor who plays Tony Stark- he IS Tony Stark.

Anyway, if this be the end or not, Iron Man 3 is a great capper to what I feel is easily perhaps the best superhero trilogy you can watch. If you haven’t already, catch it in theaters and enjoy the ride. And STAY after the credits, of course.

Coulson’s back for some Marvel-ous TV action.

Here’s the first trailer for Joss Whedon’s small-screen baby, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., an upcoming TV series based on characters from Marvel Comics and their series of films. Headlining the show will be Clark Gregg, reprising his role as Agent Coulson- last seen previously seemingly biting the dust after getting impaled by Loki in the Avengers movie.
Well, as in the comics, dead people don’t always stay dead, and Coulson’s apparently alive well after the events in the film (screw the haters- I am glad to see him back). I’m kinda sad that they let this cat out of the bag so early, but heck- if they want the series to have cred, genial but awesome Phil’s the man to lead it.

Backing Coulson up will be a handpicked team of agents, and they’ll be taking on super-powered cases; I’m thinking it will be kinda like a mutated, super-powered mashup of X-Files, Men In Black and Mission Impossible- all of which make me feel warm inside. And you can tell this will have waaaay more action than that fizzledud called Heroes a few years back. The trailer looks good with a healthy bit of humor and snappy banter you’d expect from something of Whedon. Can’t freakin’ wait for the show’s debut this fall. For now though, bask in the trailer. Wheee!

One of the most impressive-looking mods yet for Skyrim.

Skyrim quest mods are an iffy thing for me. On the one side, these are easily the most ambitious and surely work-intensive stuff to do, and I will always appreciate such ventures to extend the playtime of the game; particularly now, in the light that there won’t be any more DLC to grow the world.
But in practice, quest mods have more often than not been revealed to be a bit shoddy. As superficial it may be, a lot of a quest mod’s awesomeness lies not just in how complex or detailed it is, or the scope of its story, but simply in the voice acting. You can have the best story around but if your actors sound like they got roped halfheardtedly and recorded in someone’s bathroom it all falls apart rather quickly.

But that all doesn’t seem the problem for this- Helgen Reborn- the latest quest mod to tackle the subject of rebuilding the town shattered by World-Eater Alduin during the opening of the game. I’ve seen Helgen mods before that just simply recreate the town- but this one actually has you rebuilding it from the ground up, even taking on hours-long quests that will take you all over the world and even deciding on important aspects on recruiting guards and setting up alliances with whatever faction you want. But yeah, as well the voice acting seems exceptional (even if the Ah-nuld voice in the review above was kinda over-the-top, but in a good way).

I really intend to install this mod soon- even if my current character may be a bit overpowered at Level 60+, I think rebuilding Helgen would be a great way to finish his run through Skyrim- and thus come full circle. Perhaps I’ll write a follow-up review once I play this mod. We’ll see.

The latest (and greatest) version of DOA5 makes its debut.

As promised, Team Ninja releaes a first look at its upcoming upgrade to DOA5, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, with a trailer featuring action with Momiji from Ninja Gaiden mixing it up with Kasumi. Leifang makes a short appearance in a new outfit (a precursor for new outfits to come, I guess), while a karate gi-clad Hitomi makes an even shorter appearance (as the one being pounded by the giant Buddha at the very start of the trailer.

Momiji fights with a style similar to the other ninja fighters- I wish she fought a bit more differently, kinda like a miko. I’d love for her to have a hakama outfit or something to that effect. Anyways, the trailer also features a teaser for another returning fighter- and any DOA fan worth their salt would know who that would be.
DOA5 Ultimate will feature new fighters, new modes and more when it’s released on PS3 and Xbox360 this Fall.

As expected, the TN Facebook page is having lots of comments from gamers feeling cheated at this new upgrade. Come on, people- if DOA5U has enough new content then it’s something to look forward to. If you’re so strapped for cash that you can’t afford a new game then freakin’ WORK. Sheesh. It’s a game. Game producers need to produce games. New stuff is GOOD. Oh and Itagaki sucks and he’s gone forever from DOA, fates be willing. More on this as it happens.

Momiji shows Leifang she’s got the skills.

Famitsu just posted an article on the upcoming Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate that’s set for a Fall release on Xbox360 and PS3. Just when this game will actually arrive is still under speculation, but I say late Q3 2013 would be reasonable.
Anyway, the Famitsu article shows several pics of new entrant and Ninja Gaiden alum Momiji showing off some moves as well as her lose pose, and a look at the new Sky City Tokyo stage. Some posts on forums also say that lately-absent fighter Leon has been spotted.

Team Ninja said that they’re putting together some new footage on Twitter, so let’s stay tuned for that. Really want to see a trailer for this game, to get a better idea of what’s new and worth looking forward to. More as we get it then!

That’s according to the latest issue of Famitsu, as posted by various game sites.
Nothing much aside from that- we know that Momiji from Ninja Gaiden will be playable (more characters are expected) and there will be a new ninja-themed Sky City stage. Added stuff from DOA5 Plus will probably be added as well. The upgrade will be released this Fall on PS3 and Xbox360.

The first DOA game(s) to carry the ‘Ultimate’ monicker was the Dead or Alive Ultimate package for Xbox that included Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate and a remake of the original Dead or Alive (Saturn). The DOA2 Ultimate disc included all the characters from DOA2, a slew of additional outfits (which were previously held off in pretty much every version of DOA2 and DOA3 released- Team Ninja and Itagaki were effin’ stingy assholes), new stages and Hitomi as a guest fighter. It was, IMO, the best version of DOA you could get before DOA5.

Hopefully this upcoming new DOA5 version will have enough added content to justify the name. I’ll be keeping my eyes on this one.

I actually stopped playing for about a week due to lots of work at the day job, but last night I fired up the PC and threw myself back into Tamriel. Yep, still love playing The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim.

As I’ve posted before, I’m still playing my 60+ level Warrior Alchemist, and he’s as strong as ever. Pretty much any regular or vanilla enemy dies with a single jab of my Dragonbone dagger (well, a power attack at least). So it’s good that several mods I’ve installed are ratcheting up the challenge quite a bit.
There’s of course Deadly Dragons, which I have set up for now on Lore-friendly mode- this means the I’ve toggled off the various kinds of dragons not in the vanilla game (includes the weird Awakened Dragons and the Aspect of Alduin). Perhaps I’ll change this eventually. For now though I’m okay- I turned on Assault mode which basically sends a bunch of dragons (I set it to up to three) after me every several days. I recommend turning the Safe Zones ON, since when it was off you’d enter a city and dragon breath attacks would fall on you (and NPCs in the vicinity) with you able to do nothing to stop it. Weird.

Anyway, having three dragons trying to kill you is pretty challenging- I can still kill them pretty easily once they’re in range, but I have to be careful to avoid being too close when they land since the impact sends me flying (and can actually KILL me in this manner). I actually hate that feature, but so far I haven’t been able to turn it off. Well, at least it does give them another way to actually hurt or kill me.

I also installed Immersive Creatures, a mod similar to the old Monster Mod that adds a ton of new monster variations to the game. This includes dragon-humanoid hybrids called Dramans, tons of new draugr and undead which actually look pretty cool, and other stuff. Fortunately I haven’t encountered weird ‘skating’ enemies or creatures with no animations like I had with the Monster Mod on my previous computer. The new creatures look interesting, and I am having fun encountering new stuff.
I can’t remember what other mod I used to have higher level enemies, but it’s working well- I find myself encountering high level variant Bandits and Draugr (Draugr Immortals and Bandit Brawlers aplenty), and at least these guys can damage me pretty handily.

I’ve taken to finally progressing the Civil War and Main questline, and I want actually to defeat Alduin and unify Skyrim before heading off to Solstheim or joining the Dawnguard. Still quite a bit to do for my Alchemist. After that? Well that’s still a long ways off- perhaps a new character? We’ll see.

Arguably one of the most anticipated games this year, Grand Theft Auto V will be out in September and looks to be more cinematic and story-heavy than ever before. The newly-released trailers- one for each playable protagonist- look more like movie trailers than a game. It’s so film-like, I wonder if the ability to just freak yourself out and just cause havoc in the sure-to-be vast open world might seem out of place. But make no mistake, this is GTA and it’s going to rock. So, which of the protagonists do you feel most identified with? Michael, the middle-aged family man with a criminal hobby? Franklin the gangbanger looking for a way out? Or the psychotic drug dealer Trevor? Start salivating, this baby going to be big.