5 Fighters to Add

5 Fighters to Add

I argued earlier that the playable roster of Dragonball Z Extreme Butoden is rather small and could do with a bit more expansion. With that in mind, I put together a short list of 5 characters in no particular order that I would add to the roster as fighters. Maybe for the sequel?

Tienshinhan

Or Tien for short. A later addition to the Z Fighters, Tien was a former pupil of the Crane Hermit Shen training to become an assassin until he was befriended by Goku, Krillin and Master Roshi, and since then he helped out in the battles against King Piccolo, the Saiyans and Cell. Having trained under a different tutor to the other characters, Tien’s fighting style would set him apart as he favours more precise and practical attacks such as the blinding Solar Flare or the Kikoho, which drains his life to focus an attack to an area around his opponent, as opposed to the flashier but more wasteful techniques used by others.

Golden Freeza

Goku’s shiny new Super Saiyan God form is in the game, so why not Freeza’s new form to promote the newest film? The Five Nights at Freddy’s jokes write themselves here! Before anyone says anything, yes, I do recognize the irony of complaining about multiple Gokus, Gohans and Vegetas, then turning around and asking for another Freeza.

Omega Shenron

I mentioned the gameplay story segregation issue during Adventure mode and this is one significant example. The main antagonist of the story not being a playable fighter is odd. Him not even being a non-playable boss fighter is even weirder. As poorly received as Dragonball GT may have been, the idea of a villain created as a consequence of overusing the Dragon Balls is a great one, and he has a very cool design.

Super Gogeta

Another pick for cancelling out gameplay story segregation, this form is created when Goku and Vegeta perform the Fusion Dance, and though it is stated in dialogue that they do this at a point near the end of Adventure mode, it cannot be reflected in gameplay due to Super Gogeta not being a playable fighter. The best you can do is choose Goku and Vegeta separately.

Dr Gero

The resident mad scientist of the Red Ribbon Army has borne a grudge against Goku ever since he single handedly dismantled the organisation as a child. Finding himself unemployed in a highly competitive work environment, Gero expresses his displeasure by creating Cell and the Androids and programming them with the express purpose to kill Goku. A better adjusted person would have gotten to work on their CV or maybe gotten a hobby, but he’s a mad scientist for a reason. The majority of Adventure mode’s third chapter sees the good doctor pitting Goku against a series of mechanical meanies, and although this is in character for him, it is a bit of a shame that he doesn’t enter the fray himself at the end of the gauntlet, since he did give himself some cyborg modifications to fight Goku alongside his creations.

Dragonball Z Extreme Butoden

Dragonball Z Extreme Butoden

 

Dragonball Z is no stranger to the world of tie-in video games, with countless games stretching back to the 1980s, so a new entry for the Nintendo 3DS does not come as a surprise. What is more surprising is that it over 4 years from the release of the 3DS to happen. Nevertheless, Extreme Butoden may not have been a game anyone was particularly anticipating, but it comes as a pleasant enough surprise.

The game is built around three separate modes. These are Z Story, Adventure, and Extreme World Tournament. The first of these modes, Z Story, takes the player through a series of ten battles from across Dragonball Z, using set characters and assists who took part in those battles in canon. This is ideal for series newcomers who want to see what the fuss is about, or those who have somehow managed to avoid the series, possibly due to living under a rock for the last 20 years. Completing this unlocks a series of stories dedicated to each character, retelling the events from their perspective. These are presented as What-If? scenarios, but departures from canon are disappointingly minor, and disregarded in time for the next battle, meaning that the player is effectively repeating a lot of the same battles and dialogue scenes in sequence several times for each of the characters. The most notable differences are that Vegeta fights the heroes at the start of his story since he started as a villain, Krillin’s story ends after the Cell saga due to him settling down to start a family with Android 18, and Piccolo’s story skips the battles with the Ginyu Force as he wasn’t around for them. Beating these unlocks the final story, which fortunately proves to be less repetitive. This is an original story in which Dragonball era jobber Emperor Pilaf uses the Dragon Balls to revive a number of other villains and make them stronger than Goku in a plot to get his revenge. It’s quite entertaining to play as the villains and defeat the heroes for a change, particularly when the villains inevitably turn on each other and when a number of other fighters show up to interrupt the proceedings near the end, to the point that I was almost expecting Bill Murray to arrive in time to play for the Tune Squad.

The second mode, Adventure, is the most substantial. In this one, Dragonball GT baddie Omega Shenron is causing time to collapse upon itself with his negative energy, and your character (who is represented by Goku on the map and during dialogue, but any character can be chosen in gameplay) must travel the universe to gather the Ultimate Dragon Balls and seal the negative energy away before the universe is overwhelmed by time paradoxes. For this mode, the player can assemble a team of their choice and travel to battles. Initially, only the playable characters are available to choose from, but through playing this mode you will unlock assists, which will join the battle when summoned and perform an action such as attacking the opponent or temporarily increasing the summoner’s abilities. The player can choose to have multiple fighters but no assists, one fighter with many assists, or a mix of both, depending on the situation at hand. While a few assists will be given for free as you progress, you will have to work for most of them, as they are given as rewards for obtaining an S rank in battles. Battles have an optional objective tied to them, such as winning with an Ultimate attack, landing a certain number of hits in one combo or winning via time-out, and the player also receives points for their performance in battle. To achieve an S rank, the player must achieve the optional objective for that battle and obtain 400 points or more. If unlocking assists isn’t enough of an incentive, getting an S rank on certain battles will unlock new battles that you wouldn’t get access to otherwise, so coming back later with a better understanding of the game system and better equipment will provide some replay value.

The third mode, Extreme World Tournament, is the most straightforward. This one is unlocked after completing Adventure mode, and is essentially a survival mode that will test the player’s endurance in a series of battles against multiple powerful foes. The mode is set against the backdrop of the World Martial Arts Tournament, which does a lot to make the atmosphere more tense and exciting than in other survival modes, due to the feeling that there is more on the line than just a high score. The final battle of this mode pits the player against three fighting opponents at once, which makes it one of the toughest battles as the player will have gotten used to dealing with one or two opponents per battle by now, and adding a third opponent makes for a serious test of the player’s skill.

With the three main modes out of the way, let’s discuss the gameplay holding them together. Battles are fought one on one, and assists can be brought in by tapping them on the bottom screen. When playing with more than one fighter on your team, switching between them is done the same way. Attacks are divided into light and heavy attacks, which are self-explanatory, and ki attacks. For most characters, this involves shooting a laser at the opponent, but some have their own unique moves, such as Gohan attacking with a volley of quick kicks, or Piccolo stretching his arms out just for you. Mixing these basic attacks will perform combos that vary depending on the buttons pressed. For example, pressing light attack 5 times will knock the opponent sideways, while pressing light attack 4 times, then ending the combo with a heavy attack will knock them into the air or slam them into the ground. There is also the option to charge up energy to use more powerful attacks, but this leaves the user vulnerable to attack, which means balancing risk and reward. It is possible to play safe via charging when the opponent is knocked down, at a distance or when distracted by an assist, or being riskier and charging up whenever you want, but potentially being interrupted. Once charged up, the more powerful attacks can be used by pressing the shoulder buttons along with ki attack, and for most characters this will shoot a larger, stronger beam, but again some characters have a different move to set them apart, such as Super Saiyan God Goku channelling Kenshiro and attacking the opponent’s pressure points (“Omae Wa Mo Shindeiru.”) or Broly’s attack changing relative to the opponent’s position when he uses it. The most powerful attacks can be used when knocking an enemy up or down and firing before your character joins them, but if the opponent has energy of their own, they can counter your attack, leading to a button mashing minigame to decide who’s attack connects. There is a desperation mechanic that will make these attacks even stronger if your team’s health is below half, which means they’re easier to use if you have only one fighter, but of course that puts you at greater risk of losing, so once again there’s the need to balance risk and reward.

The game uses 2D sprites for the characters with a basic looking 3D background. The sprites look gorgeous, with lots of detail to them. The playable fighters also move differently to each other, with things like clothes or hair swaying about occasionally bringing them to life. Compare the movements of big lumbering fighters like Broly or Nappa to smaller, more agile characters like Krillin and Gohan, and the difference is quite clear. The super attacks are particularly stylish, and Goku’s attack, which sees him transforming into his Super Saiyan 3 form before firing a massive Kamehameha, was jawdropping when I first saw it, at least in part because I used it without trying, and was awestruck at what I had just done before frantically trying to figure out how to do it again. The long attack animations may drag out battles if you use them frequently, but this might not be a problem if you vary the character you play as. The assists don’t have quite as much detail put into them, but they still look very good and there’s a good selection of assist characters from across the entire franchise to choose from, including a decent amount accessible only via cheat codes. (Remember those?)

Unfortunately, while there aren’t many flaws, the ones that are present are all fairly significant. The playable roster has around 20 characters, which is fairly small by Dragonball Z standards. In addition, there are 4 Gokus, 4 Gohans and 2 Vegetas to pad it out, along with no real surprise choices accompanying the usual suspects. This is disappointing, but considering the amount of detail that’s gone into each character, and that there is an effort made to differentiate the Gokus, Gohans and Vegetas, I can forgive it. The bigger problem with the small roster is the effect that it has on the Adventure Mode, where a character challenges the player, but because the challenger is not a playable character, the player battles another character as a stand-in. Sometimes it’s justified by the dialogue, but this happens rarely. Particularly baffling is the omission of Omega Shenron from the playable roster, which means the big bad of the Adventure mode doesn’t take part in the final battle, and is kind enough to dispose of himself for no reason after you’ve battled another fighter who just happened to be present.

The difficulty is also too easy for most of the game. Mastering each battle is harder, but for the most part, you’ll have no problems actually winning. Battles against Kid Buu are particularly easy, as his AI makes him back away from you whenever you charge up instead of taking advantage of your vulnerability, meaning you can charge up lasers and play keep away to beat him without taking a hit. On the other hand, the AI for Nappa and Cell is relentless, as these two will rush you and catch you in devastating combos that can wipe out half your health bar before you’ve had a chance to do anything, so you’ll need to bring your A game to stand a chance of beating them. The touch screen isn’t terribly responsive when you want to bring in an assist or switch your fighter, and in some cases calling for help may just make you even more vulnerable. There is also no retry option on the pause menu, meaning that if you want to try again, you’ll have to finish the battle and go through the dialogues, loading screens and choosing your team again. Online multiplayer and a training mode, two staples of the fighting genre, are also currently absent. There is local multiplayer if you can find another person with a copy of the game (Considering that I had quite a tough time getting this game, I don’t know how easy that is), and the ability to play matches against the computer where you can choose fighters and assists for each team, and the bonus objectives for early Adventure mode battles encourage you to learn the different types of combos, along with the required button presses visible on the pause menu. Online multiplayer and training mode are set to be added in a forthcoming free update, along with a few new assists, including Bingo-dancing Vegeta and Farmer Goku, who will run the opponent over while riding his tractor.

The only way it could be even better is if Goku came down from above, crushing the opponent under the tractor and started pummelling it Dio style.

While these flaws are noticeable, some have been migitated to an extent, so hopefully a sequel could iron them out completely. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons, meaning that this is a game that can be recommended as a fun fighting game with a decent amount of replay value, with more to come in future once the online multiplayer is added. Though Dragonball Z fans will get more out of it than the uninitiated, it’s still accessible enough that even those who can’t tell their Super Saiyans from their Spirit Bombs should take a look. Fortunately, a free playable demo is available on the 3DS E-shop for you to try before you buy.

Graphics:   8    Gorgeous 2D sprites contrast well with the more basic 3D backgrounds.
Sound:       5    Bland, unremarkable music and unsubtitled Japanese only soundbites.
Gameplay: 7    The combat system is simple enough to pick up and has decent depth, but the   difficulty is poorly balanced.
Lifespan:    6    Decent replay value in singleplayer, no online harms multiplayer viability.

Overall:      7 / 10

7 / 10

When There's No More Room in Hell...

When There’s No More Room in Hell…

Remember when I said we’ll meet again? Told you so. By popular demand, I’m back. Since I finished the Marvel project earlier in the year, there won’t be a theme this time. Unless I come up with a theme, I’ll write about things as and when I want to, and I won’t just do films this time either. Come to think of it, I already broke the Marvel theme last time round when I took a week off to do Digimon instead, so think of this as being more along those lines.

On a more serious note, I would like to once again say thank you to anyone who reads and enjoys this. I’m still finding it hard to wrap my head around the idea that anyone actually cares what I have to say or thinks I know what I’m talking about, so that this indeed the case, even though I doubt my abilities, is much appreciated.

The Final Standings

Film Rankings: The Final Standings

Here we are. Our journey is finally at an end, and the time has come to evaluate all the films for the definitive rankings. Let’s have some music to get in the mood.

 

1 Star Tier

Oh god no. I watched these so you don’t have to.

35. Elektra

“Elektra is to blame for the existence of social justice warriors on Tumblr. Thanks a lot, Elektra.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

34. Blade Trinity

“Blade Trinity is a metaphorical wooden stake through the heart of what used to be an entertaining little series.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

33. X-Men Origins Wolverine

“It’s so bad that erasing it from existence was too much acknowledgement that it ever existed in the first place.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

32. Punisher: War Zone

“Punisher: War Zone’s grit and darkness is its undoing.”

Yay or Nay? Nay, unless you’re Patton Oswalt, in which case Yay!

2 Star Tier

These films aren’t recommended, but if you do find yourself watching them, they do have some redeeming qualities.

31. Hulk

“At times, it almost feels like Hulk is ashamed to be based on a comic about a big green rage monster.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

30. Fantastic Four

“The title is only half accurate. Unfortunately, the second half of the title is the accurate one.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

29. Ghost Rider

“The cool concept just isn’t enough to make up for the film’s flaws.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

28. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is guilty of trying to have its cake and eat it too. One does not simply try to be so bad it’s good and taken seriously at the same time, and the film would have been better off choosing one approach and sticking with it.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

27. Spider-Man 3

“It’s a real shame that this continuity couldn’t have gone out on a higher note.”

Yay or Nay? Nay!

26. Daredevil

“Ultimately, Daredevil is a disappointing film that is made more watchable whenever the focus of a particular scene is Kingpin or Bullseye.”

Yay or Nay? Nay, unless you can get hold of the Director’s Cut. In that case, Yay!

(For the record, the Director’s Cut would score 3 stars.)

3 Star Tier

Now we’re getting to the good stuff. This tier is the largest, and also has the biggest difference in quality within the tier. It may help to think of this tier in two halves, with the films in the lower half recommended with caveats.

25. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer proved to be a pleasant surprise.”

Yay or Nay? Maybe?

24. Iron Man 2

“Iron Man 2 falls victim to the unspoken rule that the second film of a superhero series is the best (for evidence, see Superman II, Spider-Man 2, X-Men 2, The Dark Knight etc), and is unable to live up to the expectations this trend imposes.”

Yay or Nay? Watch it if you’re going for an MCU marathon. As a stand-alone film, I’d argue Nay.

23. The Amazing Spider-Man

“It’s not bad, but after The Avengers, not bad just doesn’t cut it any more.”

Yay or Nay? Depends on whether or not you like the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films.

22. Thor: The Dark World

“When the most memorable part of the film is the two sequel hooks, something somewhere didn’t really go to plan.”

Yay or Nay? Watch it if you’re going for an MCU marathon. As a stand-alone film, I’d argue Nay.

21. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

“For everything the film improves on from the original, there are an equal amount of mistakes that aren’t rectified and are instead made worse.”

Yay or Nay? Yay if you liked the first one. If not, probably Nay.

20. X-Men: The Last Stand

“While I do agree that it isn’t as good as the first two, I suspect that I liked X-Men: The Last Stand more than most.”

Yay or Nay? Maybe?

19. The Punisher

“This film does a better job of sticking to the darker tone than Daredevil did, due to the toning down of the sillier elements, and reining in suspension of disbelief.”

Yay or Nay? Maybe?

18. Spider-Man

“The film doesn’t hold up quite as well as it used to, because the story beats have become so familiar from so many other films taking notes.”

Yay or Nay? Yay, but watch it early. If you watch a lot of the other films before this one, it’ll be clichéd and predictable and you won’t enjoy it much.

17. The Wolverine

“The Wolverine proves that Wolverine can carry his own film without the result being a disaster.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

16. Blade

“Blade is a highly stylish, though occasionally dated, action film that doesn’t let a lack of substance get in the way of being a fun time to watch.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

15. X-Men First Class

“It’s not quite at the level of the first two films, but it’s good enough to wash away the bad taste left by X-Men Origins Wolverine.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

14. Captain America: The First Avenger

“Captain America may not threaten to be one of the best entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, feeling like it’s on a smaller scale, but it still provides a good time for those fancying a good old-fashioned Good vs Evil story”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

13. The Incredible Hulk

“Fortunately, The Incredible Hulk has learned from its predecessor’s mistakes.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

12. Iron Man 3

“Though it doesn’t beat the original, it does at least improve on Iron Man 2, since it tells its own story, as opposed to setting up the rest of the Avengers.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

4 Star Tier

This batch comes highly recommended. Only a few niggles hold them back from 5 star glory.

11. X-Men

“While there are no shortage of cool effects and fight scenes, the secret to X Men’s success is the cast of characters. They’re easy to like, even the villains, and they show us that there is more to them than just their powers.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

10. Blade II

“Blade II is better than the original. It’s faster paced in both action and storyline, the fight scenes are more exciting to watch and the villains pose more of a threat. This one is recommended for those with a strong stomach.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

9. Thor

“It was a risky gamble, but fortunately, the gamble paid off.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

8. Iron Man

“Marvel threw down the gauntlet and proved that they could play with the big boys now.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

7. X-Men: Days of Future Past

“Considering how the film ends, this could well be the last time we see the original cast, and the balanced focus between the two eras works as a way of passing the torch to the current First Class cast and saying goodbye to the old cast.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

“Guardians of the Galaxy is a better modern Star Wars than the actual modern Star Wars.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

5. Big Hero 6

“Another pleasant surprise of Disney succeeding outside their fairy tale comfort zone, managing to continue Disney animation’s current run of good form.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

5 Star Glory

All of my yes. These films I would recommend to anyone, even those who aren’t fans of the genre.

4. X-Men 2

“X-Men 2 manages to improve on the first film by exploring issues of tolerance and peace in greater depth, as well as improving on the already good action scenes from the first film.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

3. Spider-Man 2

“Spider-Man 2 is like Spider-Man 1, but bigger and better. The stakes are higher, the conflict is more personal for both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, and the villain is stronger. This improves on the original in every way.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

2. The Avengers

“The Avengers is an absolute blast, a big ol’ sugar rush of a film. It’s almost a shame that it has to end. Thank goodness there’s Phase 2 to look forward to.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

Number 1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

“Winter Soldier is a first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe; a sequel that’s better than the original. Not only that, but I’d argue that the added substance to the film means that it tops The Avengers as  the best film to come from the franchise yet.”

Yay or Nay? Yay!

There we have it. After holding on to the top spot for the first two countdowns, Spider-Man 2 is finally dethroned for the final and most important one. Congratulations to Captain America: The Winter Soldier!

With that done, this blog is now finished. Big thank you to anyone who read this and who put up with my nonsense talking about things I know nothing about. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Nuff said.