Airwolf has a game.  Lost, too.  24, CSI, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, they’ve all got games.   But what about–

Dave:

The Charge:
The Versus series returns in an all-new brawl!

Opening Statement:
Never let it be said that gaming dreams don’t come true.  Despite riding high on a wave of pure hype, I would have never guessed that Tatsunoku vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, the legendary developer’s return to their arcade smash-hit Versus franchise would ever see the light of day on western shores.  Seeing as juggernaut anime producer Tatsunoku’s cartoon commodities are tied up in what can only be described as several decade’s worth of logistical licensing nightmares outside of Japan, a game featuring a compilation of some of their best and brightest creations  would hardly be worth the headache for a game developer to even attempt off of their native soil, .  However, once again in what is rapidly becoming a habit for Capcom, trends will be bucked, and throngs of fans will get what they’ve begged for.  Question is…was it worth bringing over?

Facts of the Case:
An assortment of larger-than-life heroes and motley villains from both anime powerhouse Tatsunoku Pro and legendary third party developer Capcom have gathered for a barnburner of a brawl.  Ansatsuken goes head-to-head with Henshin-A-Go-Go Baby!  Crazy tag-team fighting is back!  Get ready for combos that go into the dozens of hits, and more flashing lights than the entire city of Tokyo.

The Evidence:
A 2D fighter with flair to spare, Tats vs. Cap wears its heart on its sleeve.  The regimented, balanced game play of games like Street Fighter have been eschewed in favour of a more frenetic style of fighting.  For starters, the controls have been streamlined down to a grand total of four attack buttons, the requisite light, medium, and strong strikes alongside a command that calls in a gamers’ tag partner for an equalizing support attack.  There is also a catch all “AT” button that will throw out whichever strength strike that best serves the current situation, allowing for a pretty simple way of extending combo attacks.  The result is fighting that is as fast as it is furious, with 10-20 hit sequences becoming a pretty regular occurrence (purists may argue that such simple combos belie shallow game play, but we are talking about a game where damage is measured in the billions of hit points).  Rest assured though, Tats vs. Cap is no simplistic button-masher.  Fresh concepts such as Advancing Guards, Crossover  Raids, Baroque Combos, and offense-smashing Mega Crashes will keep players heading back to the training mode and instruction book for the time being until they grow accustomed to the risk vs. reward structure of what is a refreshingly nuanced fighter.   There are several available control options, though any true gamer with more than a handful of grey matter to rub together will balk at the idea of using the Wiimote or the nunchuck and opt for a Gamecube or Wii classic controller.
With a full roster of 26 playable characters (most of which play very different from one another), it’s quite easy to lose an afternoon when there is more than one gamer in the room.  I am a self-professed Street Fighter fanatic, and despite any apprehension I had in my first few rounds with Tats vs. Cap, I must say that I can see even my hardcore Street Fighter crew, a group that flat out despised the earlier Versus titles plunking down quite a few hours with this one once we get used to the rapid-fire fighting system.  Anticipating the perfect moment to launch a counter-attack can lead to one shattering the game’s illusion of mindless offense.  It’s nice to see a Versus game toss aside the brain-dead air combo happy nature of Marvel Vs Capcom 2, and offer up the same sort of well balanced game play we’ve all come to expect from Capcom’s fighting franchises.  It’s not quite Capcom Vs. SNK for the Dreamcast, but then again, very few games are.
Visually, Tats vs. Cap packs a powerful presentation punch.  It’s not often I encounter a Wii title capable of blowing my mind with great graphics, which of course only adds to the presentation impact.  The entire game is just animated beautifully, every character just oozing a sense of life.  There is the odd case of pixelization on some of the character models, but the rest of the game just exudes such a high level of activity that it’s rarely noticeable and even less bothersome.  Stages are stuffed to the gills with familiar faces and brilliant cameos, and the animations on some of the special moves can and will cause loud chortles of laughter.  Anyone who is not amused by Tatsunoku-side fighter Doronjo’s Supreme Evil Plan hyper combo is completely lacking in a soul.

Vreeeee-hee-hee-hee-hee!

Rebuttal Witness:
Lamentably, not all is milk and honey with Tats vs. Cap.  With all the strength and surprising depth of the fighting system, the game’s online component comes perilously close to biting the big one.  And we all know how much fun biting the big one is.  Depending on gamers’ physical distance from their online opponent, the chances of lag increase almost exponentially.  It’s a nuisance at best, and King of Fighters XII at worst, making certain online bouts completely unplayable for anyone outside of a casual gamer.  After spending the majority of my free time over the past holiday season elbow deep in the buttery smooth online component of Street Fighter IV, I cannot fathom the online modes of Tats vs. Cap to be anything outside of a dismal failure.  Unless of course you’re playing a local round against a gamer in the same room.  Then it’s a real hootenanny.  As well, there are a handful of roster balance issues, which is something that has been a thorn in the side of the Versus franchise since the original X-Men vs.  Street Fighter.  Capcom have done extremely well in adding a sense of depth to the combo system, and thrown in just enough complexity to keep us brawlers coming back, but again the Speed/Power scenario pops up.  A player wishing to win needs to do little more than stack their team with either a zippy little freak like Yatter-Man 1 or a slow moving, damage-dealing bruiser like G. Lightan.  It’s the Spider-man vs. Juggernaut problem, and it’s a real issue that needs to be addressed.  Outside of these two extreme ends of the spectrum, the characters are balanced just fine, but seriously Capcom?  Gamers have been griping about this for close to a decade now.

Closing Statement:
After the dust has settled from that last 32 hit combo, when all is said and done, Tatsunoku vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is a fantastic example of fan service and a more than solid delivery of apotentially brilliant new fighting franchise.  This fills a long empty niche on the Wii, and more than makes up for 2008’s massively over-hyped (and tragically mediocre) Super Smash Bros. Brawl.  Plus, there’s a ton of bonus content to delve into.  Gamers looking to knuckle down with some serious fighting action can’t go wrong with Tatsunoku vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, a cartoon cavalcade sure to please a whole new generation of fans.

The Verdict:

I have to admit that even for a guy who came of age during the whole anime explosion of the 80s and 90s, I still have no freaking clue who Yatter-Man is supposed to be.  I dig his disco threads and electric yo-yo, but I have no clue who he’s supposed to be.  I loves me some Tekkaman Blade though.

- J

Platform: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Eighting
Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: January 26th, 2010
Rated: T for Teen.

The Charge
Assemble your team.

Opening Statement
The first Mass Effect blasted onto the Xbox scene and revolutionized many elements of the action/RPG experience, from its brilliantly-realized new IP, the revolutionary dialogue wheel and the pants-drenchingly fantastic graphics. Bioware’s anticipated follow-up is here and it is so, so much better.

Facts of the Case
Mass Effect 2 brings back Commander John Shepard: Space Bad-Ass, whose recent misadventures with the diabolical, genocidal Reapers led to big explosions and traumatic bodily harm. Cerberus, the radical pro-human group, led by the enigmatic Illusive Man (voiced splendidly by Martin Sheen), brought Shepard in to face off with the newest foes: the Collectors, a bug-like species that’s been wiping out colonies across the galaxy and kidnapping humans for Lord knows what malevolent purpose.

But before he leaps in the jaws of surefire pain and horror, Shepard must put together his squad, an eclectic group of aliens and humans from all corners of space who will offer him much-needed skills and talents or, at the very least, give the bad guys another target to shoot at.

The Evidence
There are games. And then there is Mass Effect 2.

Bioware’s sequel is stunning on every level, and represents both a significant improvement over its predecessor and a new standard for what kind of interaction and storytelling is capable in a video game. Yes, I know this sounds like your typical message board fanboy hype/drivel, but I have to say, this game absolutely put me in the fetal position with its awesomeness.

I had almost completed the first Mass Effect, but drifted away in part because of the touchy combat mechanics and the godforsaken driving sequences. Both of these annoyances have been cleared up. The combat is much sharper and is actually fun as a full-fledged, cover-based third person shooter. When the firefights came, I welcomed them, especially the culminating battles, which were aided by an increase in difficulty, some great music and added emotional weight to the outcomes.

Shepard as multiple weapons at his disposal, from a handgun to a mini-nuke (and other assorted heavy weapons). These are upgradable and the selection is expandable and ammo is never an issue. So blast away, and if you get bored with shredding Blue Sun mercs with inferno ammo (note: you won’t), you can always slap them around with your biotic, Force-like powers. In typical RPG fashion you can improve powers and skills (both passive and active) with gains in experience and mission completion. The refreshing aspect to this character progression is you won’t feel like you’re grinding to upgrade.

Missions are fun and interesting. It’s rare that a RPG holds my attention enough to see me gallivanting around the game world doing side quests, but I was fully into it here. I knew there was going to be some bodacious shooting action to be had, a slice of cool dialogue to partake in and perhaps a tech or weapon upgrade lurking in a wall safe somewhere.

The main story is the bread and butter of Mass Effect 2 and, thankfully, it delivers. The Collectors are imposing villains, the mysterious Harbinger—who’s connected to the Reapers—turns up during firefights with the Collectors and talks enough trash to get you amped about killing him and his minions, and the shiftiness of Cerberus and the Illusive Man are pervasive question marks.

But what really grabbed me was the building of my team. On the surface, it might seem that planet-hopping to recruit characters could become a tiresome experience, but it was the exact opposite. Each squad member had a cool, action-packed story to fight through, as well as an equally interesting “loyalty” mission. As I was plowing through these missions I actually began to care about these fake polygons. Legion the Geth synthetic, Thane the assassin, Grunt the tank, Jack the insane biotic—I was genuinely concerned about these guys, and Bioware knew that I would, so that when the shiznit hit the fan and my teammates were put in danger as a direct result of my decision-making, bother, that stung!

I don’t recall another game that got me as emotionally invested in its story and characters as this one, and, for me, that is Mass Effect 2’s greatest achievement. Set aside its graphics (stunning, by the way), voice-acting (perfect), sound (is the soundtrack for sale somewhere?) and gameplay, all of which are top-shelf, just the fact that I legitimately cared about what happened to the characters represents a profound evolutionary step in the landscape of video games.

Closing Statement
Here’s all I have to say: I spent hours strip-mining planets so I could gain enough space minerals to upgrade the medical bay in my ship so I can have surgery on my aface that would eliminate the scarring that comes along with making “Renegade” decisions.   Is it too early to decree a Game of the Year?

The Verdict

Platform: Xbox 360/PC (360 version reviewed)
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA
Release Date: January 26, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature.

Dave, Jon, and Erich convene for what may or may not be the actual 50th episode (either way, we’ll celebrate the milestone next week) by eagerly anticipating Dante’s Inferno, giving the Wii some hard-hitting love in the form of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, and heaping more praise on both games in the Mass Effect series. Are you tired of hearing us talk about Batman: Arkham Asylum? Good news: Erich finally finished it. Bad news: he talks about it one last time. To finish, this week’s Symposium Ad Nauseum takes us all around the world, from London to the Bay.

Hammer out your own thoughts in the comments below, over to the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or by emailing us at feedback@pixelverdict.com.

You can listen to the show with the player below, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.

2/2
- Star Trek Online (PC)
- White Knight Chronicles (PS3)
2/9
- Bioshock 2 (multi)
- Dante’s Inferno (multi)
2/16
- Alien Vs. Predator (multi)
- Miles Ellsworth: Ace Attorney Investigations (DS)
2/18
- Deadly Premonition (xbopx360)
2/23
- Sonic & Sega Allstars Racing! (multi)
- Heavy Rain (PS3)
2/25
- Risen (xbox360)

Right now my buy list consists of White Knight Chronicles, Alien Vs. Predator, and Heavy Rain… I snagged in import of Risen back in the fall, and while flawed, it’s definitely a contender for those who dig on open world RPG’s. The North American version is promising some needed control fixes and enhanced graphics to boot.

I’m sure more than a few of you will be returning to Rapture, and EA’s colorful (read: EXTREME) interpretation of classic literature is sure to turn a few heads…

What are you grabbing?

I’m dope on the floor and I’m magic on the mic.

Dave:

Adam:

Now why would I ever stop doing this?

What? Too obscure? Man, nobody played Clock Tower 3.

It’s a two-man show this week, as Steve and Erich pour one out for Conan O’Brien, dig into space sequel extraordinaire Mass Effect 2, go back in time with PS2 launch title Summoner, bemoan the Killer Croc stage of Batman: Arkham Asylum, wonder whether some games are just too darn long, and pay lip service to sports with this week’s Symposium Ad Nauseum “Super Bowl Special!”

Now it’s your turn. Leave your comments below, head over to the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or email us at feedback@pixelverdict.com.

You can listen to the show with the player below, download it here, or subscribe through iTunes or by adding our feed to your podcatcher of choice.

Now that the Colts and the Saints are set to pound each other into submission in a couple of weeks, we pose this question to you:  which two squads of video game characters pitted against each other in a battle royale would generate the most colorful results?

Dave:

The Charge:

The Horseman Cometh.

Opening Statement:
At the risk of sounding terribly cliché, I’ve been patiently awaiting Darksiders since it was announced to little fanfare and the earliest concept art found its way onto my internets.  That patience vanished into the ether once it was announced that major video game publisher THQ had picked up Darksiders, and pumped enough cash into wee little developer Vigil Games to allow them to expand beyond a four man operation into a full fledged development team.  Whenever the topic came op on Pixel Verdict asking us what new franchises or games am was I most looking forward to in 2010, my answer was always the same; Darksiders.  It’s been a long few years, and I’ve converted a small cadre of gamers along the way from indifferent onlookers, to genuine followers of its development.  Now finally, the wait is over, and Darksiders has ridden onto the battlefield.  Is this a well deserved victory for the dreamers at Vigil Games?  Or is this an apocalypse for gamers that has long been foretold?

Hey, Mark! You love Gwar! Why don't you join the band?

Facts of the Case:
The seals have been broken; the time has come for the end war between the three kingdoms of man, heaven and hell.  The armies of the light and the legions of the dark one have begun their assault.  But, something is wrong.  The time is not right.  Mankind has not evolved to the point of readiness yet.  The end of days has come too early.  Players step into the pimp armour of War, the first horseman of the apocalypse.  Charged with the extermination of life on earth and creating a schism in the balance of all things, War is stripped of his powers and sentenced to death.  He is sent on a suicide mission back to the kingdom of earth, now a ravaged and blasted wasteland to find those truly responsible for this irredeemable crime.  Looks like more than a few angels and demons bought themselves a one way ticket to the hurt locker.

Stop! Stop! He's already dead!!

The Evidence:
Originality is a rare commodity when it comes to video games.  And if you’ve approached Darksiders expecting something new and fresh, step away from this review and go back to downloading Popcap games on Xbox Live.  Instead, expect to play a title that is descendant of great games already come.  This is not at all a disavowal of how blisteringly awesome Darksiders is; rather a rallying cry.  In the words of our very own Steve T. Power (Great Canadian); fill a pint glass halfway to the top with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, then fill a shot glass three quarters to the top with God of War.  The remainder of the shot glass is to be filled with the pants soilingly amazing artwork of Joe Madureira; Vigil’s lead artist and coincidently a former comic book penciller with a run on Uncanny X-Men during the 90s that was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.  Set the shot glass afire and drop the blazing mixture into the pint glass.  Consume immediately.  BOOM!  There’s the flavour!  Darksiders is nothing gamers haven’t played before, but it’s certainly something we haven’t seen nearly enough of.  An adventure title with satisfying combat and creative visuals that stand tall above the sea of washed out browns and grays that plague the game industry like a rec room from the late 70s.

Loving would be easy if your colours were like my dreams.

For a game that takes place in a post apocalyptic tundra of bones and collapsed buildings, Darksiders has incredibly colourful presentation.  The characters all look like picture perfect 3D renders of what would occur if Pixar ever attempted a movie based on World of Warcraft.  The game’s visuals are uniquely bright, with the ruins of mankind including vibrant and colourful surroundings that still manage to not look like they’re trying to ape the gameboy’s colour palette (sorry Call of Duty fans).

Gameplay-wise, Darksiders is a refreshing breath of old-school air.  Linear treks through throngs of demon foes give way to expansive dungeons that pay such homage to the post N64 Zelda games that I’m sure Nintendo are drafting up a lawsuit as you read this article.  Dungeons feel like a massive puzzle, and each room that is solved provides a new piece, whether it is a map or a key that will lead further into its depths.  Fallen foes provide War a steady currency of souls to barter with the demon merchant Vulgrim for new weapons, stupefying combo attacks, and special items that serve a purpose for every situation Darksiders can throw at a gamer.  Every dungeon conceals a key item that will be used to solve puzzles, combat hostiles, and 100% of the time, overcome that dungeon’s megalithic end level boss.  It’s just as the comparisons have decreed, Zelda meets God of War, and all the better for it.  Though thankfully Vigil saw fit to put aside quicktime events in favour of one button fatalities on sufficiently weakened enemies, allowing us gamers to savour the brutal animations whenever War completely annihilates somebody.  And they are satisfying (War < Sub-Zero).

Mark, man, you play a mean guitar! It's really a shame that you must die!

Darksiders is the best comic book to come out of the mid 90s Image gold rush, only instead of a comic, we get it as a game filled with colourful characters, and a story of a journey across a decimated empire.  Yes it’s cheesy (for god’s sake the name of his sword is Chaoseater, and feeds on exactly that), and so is the voice acting by veterans like Mark Hamill, Liam O’Brian, and the deliciously menacing Vernon Wells (the only voice actor to have gone toe to toe with both Mel Gibson AND Arnold Schwarzenegger in big time action movies), buts it’s harmlessly trite.  Fans of stuff like Dungeons and Dragons or Krull will devour Darksiders, lick the plate and hungrily reheat the game for another playthrough.

The culmination of two hours of dungeoneering.

Rebuttal Witness:
I only have two complaints with Darksiders, and they’re such minor little gripes that it shouldn’t even affect its score.  No I’m not talking about the occasional screen tearing that larger review sits love to harp about (grow up you sissies).  The difficulty level is in flux.  The Easy and Normal modes are far too forgiving, letting gamers basically get through the game with their eyes closed and their hands held.  The aptly named Apocalyptic difficulty on the other hand is a soul crushing dive that nearly approaches the depths of fare like Ghost N’Goblins or Demon’s Souls.  If it featured a little more memorization, and less exculpating save points, Darksiders’ third difficulty level would be the stuff of legend.  The game’s own developers have asked gamers to play on this challenging mode to appreciate the nuances of the combat.  What they fail to mention is that on Apocalyptic, even the lowliest of foes can sap a good chunk of War’s life bar with a single hit.  It’s no real problem, and I relish playing on these difficulty settings anyway (stems from years of NES games), but some gamers may find the difficulty curve a little on the steep side.  As well, I’ve heard gamers put off by Darksiders’ lack of any multiplayer options.  To these gripes I pose a question.  Which would you prefer more?  A single player game that tacks on an underdeveloped, ill-advised multiplayer mode; or a fabulously developed single player game that needs no multiplayer?

Where Stridex fails, the Chaoseater shall not.

Closing Statement:
Darksiders is unadulterated radical.  It’s perfect for you…you should buy it.  Had it been released a couple of week’s earlier it would have made it onto my top five games of 2009; easily.  If this quality level becomes a regular occurrence for Vigil Games, the once tiny developer has a very bright future ahead of them.  Probably as bright as their debut title’s colour palette.

The Verdict:

Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (PS3 version reviewed)
Developer: Vigil Games
Publisher: THQ
Release Date: January 5th, 2010
Rated: M (17+) for Mature.

I’ve just started to dig into ME2, and i can assure you – this game will be epic! Mark your calendars for January 26th boys and girls, and be prepared to experience what will undoubtedly be one of the very best games in the Xbox360’s library.