Video Game Songs Deserving of a Grammy February 12, 2016

All content in the following article is protected as free speech under the First Amendment.

On Monday night, a farce will take place where a bunch of old people will give meaningless awards to musicians who just happen to be popular this year.  You may know this event as the Grammys and whether you’re a music enthusiast or not, you know that the event which claims to award outstanding music achievements is hardly a mark of actual quality. This is compounded by the fact that the event just will not get with the times.  Several years ago, a Grammy was awarded to the song “Baba Yetu”, a great song certainly deserving of the award, but how was the song even eligible for the award that year, since it was nominated nearly five years after it was produced for the game Civilization IV?

The Grammys, for some reason which completely escapes logic, does not have a catagory for Best Song Produced for a Video Game, and because of that, “Baba Yetu” did not win its award until the song was eventually released on CD.  How can this be?  Video game music is far more than just a series of beeps and bloops. Folks like Tommy Tallarico have made their careers composing and performing music for video games.  In fact, the budget to score a video game’s music rivals the budget of Hollywood films, and exceeds television production budgets.  They deserve an award category!

So, since the Grammys won’t do it, I thought I would award the outstanding songs over the past two decades which were overlooked by that organization. Hypothetically, “Baba Yetu” would have deservingly won that award in 2005, but what about every other year?  There were a lot of great songs produced for games over the past twenty years, and I think its time for me to do what the Grammys won’t and award the best video game song of each year!

Before we get started, there are a few rules I need to make clear. First off, we’re only going to name one song per year, and the song MUST have been produced exclusively for a video game. That means licensed tracks of existing songs do not count, but tracks that were produced for a game that later got included on a separate album are okay. That also means the song must contain a vocal track with lyrics, otherwise it could be considered part of the game’s background score, and that would be an entirely different award!

On a side note, If you would like to hear thoughts about The Grammys from someone who has an actual background in music, I recommend watching a review of the song “Walking in Memphis” by Todd in the Shadows.  Apparently, even actual musicians think the award show is a joke, and he could explain why better than I certainly can.

So without further ado, let’s get started.  We’re going to start this list in the year 1998, with a song that you’re all probably familiar with.

“The Best is Yet to Come” – Rika Muranaka – Metal Gear Solid (1998)

Metal Gear Solid is one of the greatest games ever produced, and the song “The Best is Yet to Come” is the perfect track to close out this amazing game.  It’s hard to explain just how this song is as great as it is without spoiling the ending, but depending on which ending you earned in the game, it could either work as a bittersweet symphony of your failure to save the life of someone you care about, or as a triumphant song to cap off a job well done.  Regardless, in both cases the song serves as a reminder that the possibilities the future held for these characters, and for the player, were bright.  When Metal Gear Solid was remade for the GameCube in 2004 as Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, almost everything from the original game was replaced, except for this song.  “The Best is Yet to Come” remained completely untouched.  It’s not hard to imagine why.

“Eyes on Me” – Faye Wong and Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy VIII (1999)

This song would probably not be my own decision to include on this list since as of the time this article is being written I haven’t actually played Final Fantasy VIII (since it hasn’t been ported to PS4 yet), but it’s overwhelming popularity alone merits its inclusion on this list.  The hate of the reviewer known as The Spoony One aside, this love song begins after an emotional moment where the game’s hero does something truly stupid to save the woman he loves. It’s a great moment that has a reputation of bringing grown men to tears and that is why it deserves an award.

“Melodies of Life” – Emiko Shiratori and Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy IX (2000)

Square Enix follows up Final Fantasy VIII’s “Eyes on Me” with Final Fantasy IX’s “Melodies of Life”.  Whether you prefer the English version of this song or the Japanese version, there’s no denying this song’s impact in popular culture.  Final Fantasy IX was intended to be a love letter to fans of the original Final Fantasy, directly from the creator of the franchise.  The song perfectly captures the ideals of this game, and this song in particular has become something of a theme to the entire franchise.  Now that this game has just been re-released on iOS and Android SmartPhones and Tablets, a new generation finally has the chance to play this game for the first time and hear this wonderful song.

“Can’t Say Goodbye to Yesterday” – Rika Muranaka – Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)

We’ve got another track from another Metal Gear Solid game, and one that truly deserves a place on this list.  If you were like me and watched the trailer for MGS2 back when it was first announced at E3 2000, you heard the first few seconds of it as the Konami logo faded onto the screen.  Like “The Best is Yet to Come” before it, this song served two purposes.  The first was to bookend the story of an amazing title, which in my opinion surpassed its predecessor, and the second was to remind the player of all of the possibilities the future held for these characters.  What can I say about the song itself?  The lyrics are magical, the piano medley was charming, and Rika’s vocals were incredible!  Its a great song deserving a spot on this list!

“Simple and Clean” – UTADA – Kingdom Hearts (2002)

On its surface, you would assume a song like “Simple and Clean” does not match well with a video game, and you’d be wrong.  This song’s strength is just how flexible it is. Throughout the first Kingdom Hearts game, you’ll hear this song played at several different tempos, with each one setting the mood of each scene its found in.  While the first version you hear of the song during the opening sequence is fast paced and sets a mood perfectly for the player to start exploring this exciting new world, the slower tempo of the version played during the game’s ending invokes a sense of wonder and accomplishment, signifying that the player’s difficult journey has ended for the time being, bringing it perfectly in line with the Disney animated classics I remembered from my childhood.  In fact the song was so flexible it would go on to get used in several other Kingdom Hearts games including RE: Chain of Memories and Birth by Sleep.  Its even woven into portion’s of the game’s orchestral score!

“1000 Words” -SWEETBOX – Final Fantasy X-2 (2003)

I love this song. From its haunting lyrics about two lovers trying to make their relationship work to its powerful vocal performance capable of emoting just as much as singing, this song belongs in every top ten best video game song list.  Its melody perfectly matches the in-game location it is being performed in, and it comes at an integral part of the game’s story, setting the stage perfectly for the game’s epic climax.  In fact, there’s a controversy over which version of this song is better, the original Japanese version, or the dubbed English version. Personally, I prefer the English version, because the English version was performed as duet and seeing the in-game duet featuring the characters Lenne and Yuna in the English version (opposed to the Japanese version where only Lenne sang) worked better for me.

“Snake Eater” – Cynthia Harrell – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)

This song is a great blast from the past, and perfectly sets the stage for the game.  Let’s be honest, every James Bond movie can count on having a rocking opening credits sequence featuring a song produced strictly for the film.  It sets the tone for the movie and lets the audience know what kind of style they’ll be witnessing.  Hideo Kojima chose to open Metal Gear Solid 3‘s main story the exact same way.  As a game which serves as a prequel to the previous Metal Gear games, set in an entirely different era, Kojima needed to make the player clear that this was going to have to be a different kind of game, and I think the choice to use this song and its accompanying James Bond-esque credits sequence was the perfect decision!  Not only is the title sequence which accompanies the song perfect, but Harrell’s performance is great, and the lyrics fit perfectly with the game’s themes.

“Baba Yetu” -Christopher Tin – Civilization 4 (2005)

Skip.

“Take Me Home” – After Midnight Project – Prey (2006)

I have a deep soft spot for this song, as I loved the game Prey, and am probably only one of few people who actually remember it.  Following up on Max Payne 2‘s decision to end with an original song, the next game to be produced by 3D Realms would also end with an original song, and I think “Take Me Home” was the perfect choice.  In Prey, you’re abducted by aliens and must use the powers of your ancestors to free yourself and return to Earth.  What better song to embody this than “Take Me Home”?  On top of that, the melody is catchy, timed perfectly with the game’s end credits on the Xbox 360 and PC versions, and the lyrics are heartbreaking, fitting perfectly with the heavy personal losses Prey‘s protagonist must endure during his journey to free himself.  My only complaint?  Personally, I think I did a better job editing a music video for the song than the people who actually were paid to produce a music video did, but that’s not a mark against this song.

“Still Alive” – Ellen McClain and Jonathan Coulton – Portal (The Orange Box) (2007)

I’m sure this song’s inclusion will not surprise anyone, everyone loves this song!  This song is a perfect combination of everything just going right.  It plays at the best possible moment, serving as the end credits song for the game.  Its lyrics are hilarious, in fact, game journalist Geoff Keighly actually called it the “best song ever written for a video game”.  The vocal performance is incredible, sung masterfully by the actress who plays the game’s antagonist. Her deadpan delivery of the threatening lyrics just works so well.  Now, you can debate which version of the song you like best, but personally, I prefer Coulton’s version (which he will frequently perform live in concert), but the original version cannot be ignored.  In fact, Coulton was asked to perform the song on national television at the end of 2007, it was that popular and was a great way to cap off the year.

“Still Alive (Theme to Mirror’s Edge)” – Lisa Miskovski – Mirror’s Edge (2008)

In Mirror’s Edge, a city of glass is your playground.  Inspired by just a single screenshot from the game, this song was produced and its melody is just perfect.  Like “Simple and Clean” this is another one of those kinds of songs that is very flexible.  In fact, a whole album was published just for this one song…and remixes of the song in every different way imaginable!  On top of that, the song had an epic music video featuring vocalist Lisa Miskovski which literally shattered the wall between our world and the game’s.  When Mirror’s Edge was eventually released on iPhone and iPad a few years ago, “Still Alive” was still in the game, and remixes would play in the game menu and during levels, giving me hope that this song would become the theme song of the entire franchise.  I have no idea if it’ll be included in the next Mirror’s Edge game, but here’s to hoping!  If you haven’t heard it yet, you might still be able to download this song on MP3 or WAV on your PS3 from the PlayStation Store.

“Girlfriend” – Kabbage Boy – Brutal Legend (2009)

Roadies can typically fix anything…except this song.  “Girlfriend” was created to parody the overwhelming deluge of “bands” designed by corporate overlords to appeal to certain younger demographics.  It steals elements from other great genres like heavy metal in order to instantly appeal to today’s consumer market trends.  Then it goes on to pander to the cheering girls listening to it by offering them promises of friendship and love.  This song plays at the beginning of Brutal Legend with the intention to show the player what is wrong with music today, and that the music which actually inspired this game was in fact…inspiring.  That all said I love this song because of how freaking absurd it is, and once I unlocked the track in-game I had it in my soundtrack rotation as I drove around the game’s world in my hot rod.  If you want to hear more, I’m afraid I don’t have much to tell you.  Don’t worry about looking up other songs from Kabbage Boy, they don’t exist, although I think Richard Steven Horvitz (Invader Zim, Psychonauts) may have voiced one of the band members.

“Poet and the Muse” – Old Gods of Asgard – Alan Wake (2010)

I could seriously dedicate an entire essay to this song all on its own, it’s just that important.  The song was “inspired” by the love story which brewed between Tom the Poet and his girlfriend Barbara Jagger, and tells the story of their tragic downfall, but its lyrics and melody could just as easily be applied to the game’s protagonist Alan Wake and his wife Alice.  The song is not only beautiful, its integral to the game’s plot.  Alan and the player spend much of the game seeking answers, and after an exhaustive search they find this song.  I’m hesitant to say more, because a lot of players may get the chance to play Alan Wake for the first time through Backwards Compatibility if they buy a copy of Quantum Break on the Xbox One, so you’ll just have to play the game to hear it for yourselves.  If you want to hear more from Old Gods of Asgard, I’m afraid they don’t really exist…but Poets of the Fall does, and they are the band who actually performed this song.

“Want You Gone” – Jonathan Coulton and Ellen McClain – Portal 2 (2011)

Another Coulton classic. While I admit I don’t enjoy this song as much as I enjoyed “Still Alive”, this song is still a hilarious romp which deserves a spot on this list.  Jonathan Coulton and Ellen McClain returned for another song to end another Portal game, and while it is performed in a different style than “Still Alive” was, it’s still a hilarious song which meshes threatening lyrics with deadpan seriousness.  While it took a while for me to get into this song, once the tempo began to pick up, it had me.  No question about it, I prefer Ellen’s version of this song!

“Balance Slays the Demon” – Old Gods of Asgard – Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (2012)

This hard rock song perfectly meshes with the grindhouse feel of the second game in the Alan Wake franchise.  Once again performed by The Old Gods of Asgard, a fictional in-game band responsible for some of the tracks from the first Alan Wake game, this single perfectly captures a battle between darkness and light, which serves as the theme for the downloadable title.  I’m hoping this game may get a resurgence now that Alan Wake’s American Nightmare has just been brought to the Xbox One through Backwards Compatibility.  If you do plan to play the game on your Xbox One, either because you’re buying it as a digital download or because you’re getting it with a preorder of the Xbox One version of Quantum Break, don’t forget to check out the song’s official music video in the game’s bonus section.  It’s awesome!

Special Nominees

We couldn’t just end the article there, could we?  Here’s some songs that just could not make the cut.

“The Late Goodbye” – Poets of the Fall – Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003)

“The Late Goodbye” is the song that revealed the band Poets of the Fall to the entire world.  Based on a poem written by Sam Lake, “The Late Goodbye” is the ultimate tragic love song perfectly suited for a game touting itself as “A Film Noir Love Story”.  The song is occasionally teased throughout Max Payne 2.  A janitor will be listening to it on his headphones, and someone else could be heard singing it in another room before you enter, but you won’t hear the song in its entirety until the game’s credits start to roll.  That makes this song, in a way, a reward for completing the game.

“You’re Not Here” – Akria Yamaoka and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn – Silent Hill 3 (2003)

Whether you know this track from the opening cutscene in Silent Hill 3 or as an unlockable track in Dance Dance Revolution Extreme, this is a great song.  It has a great vocal performance backed up by the legendary musical stylings of Akira Yamaoka.  Unfortunatly, 2003 was a very competitive year for songs with at least two other songs up for nomination, and because of that, we had to choose a different one.

“Blow Me Away” – Breaking Benjamin – Halo 2 (2004)

This song’s inclusion on the list is a little iffy. While the song was included in its entirety with vocals on Halo 2‘s Official Soundtrack (Vol 1), only the instrumental version played during the game, and it is still considered a little iffy if this song was intended for Halo 2 or if it had already been produced prior to it.

“Sanctuary” – UTADA – Kingdom Hearts II (2005)

Since “Baba Yetu” claimed 2005’s Grammy, I felt the year didn’t need to be included in this list. Sadly that meant the elimination of “Sancturary”, the opening theme to Kingdom Hearts II. On first glance, the song was used in the exact same way “Simple and Clean” was in the first Kingdom Hearts game, it was a song which played through the opening cutscene, but there was a big difference between the opening cutscene of the first Kingdom Hearts and the second one. While the first Kingdom Hearts game only had to set the mood, establish the game’s setting, and foreshadow future events in its opening cutscene, Kingdom Hearts II‘s introduction had to do a lot more than that. It had to establish the earlier game’s history for new players, and as a player going into it who hadn’t played the (then) GBA-exclusive game Chain of Memories yet, there was a lot I needed to know.  The song did a great job helping me understand what I missed, without having me get bogged down in endless backstory.

“My Hands” – Leona Lewis – Final Fantasy XIII (2010) 

This one was hard not to include. While the song was used, vocals and all, at the end of Final Fantasy XIII, this song was a pre existing recording licensed by Square Enix to use for the western versions of Final Fantasy XIII. It was not produced exclusively for this game, and is not included in the original Japanese version. That having been said, this song is so fitting I am shocked that it wasn’t made specifically for the game!  I applaud Square Enix’s Western branches for choosing to license it.

“Children of the Elder God” – Old Gods of Asgard – Alan Wake (2010)

I’m going to be honest, this song didn’t win because “Poet and the Muse” did. While this song came up at an awesome moment, (I mean who doesn’t love the idea of a gun battle on a rock stage -ed), “Poet and the Muse” was integral to Alan Wake‘s biggest story reveal, and that is why that song was chosen instead.

And that is the end of our list. In case you’re wondering why we did not include any songs produced in the past three years, it’s because we decided that it is far too soon to make those decisions.  Time will tell what could end up winning, but I feel the benefit of some perspective is important to the selection process.  Feel free to post your thoughts below!

Final Fantasy Wish List Part 2 December 19, 2015

We’re all fans of the Final Fantasy franchise over here and now that the franchise has turned 28, we thought it was the perfect time to list some of the biggest requests that Final Fantasy fans have been asking from Square Enix.

Yesterday, we started our wish list, and today we are going to finish it. In this part, I decided to forgo my own personal requests and instead decided to share some of the most popular requests from the Final Fantasy fan community.

Before we continue this list I just want to make one more disclaimer. This list is just a humble amalgamation of my personal hopes for the future of the Final Fantasy release schedule, along with the requests of other Final Fantasy fans from all over the world.   I don’t mean for this article to dictate what I believe Square Enix MUST do. All conclusions are not based on any insider information, they are based on my knowledge of the company’s recent history and are entirely my own.

Now with all that out of the way, let’s get started with the second set of requests. After all, it’s almost Christmas.

Bring Final Fantasy X/X-2 to PC

Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2 over a decade ago, and with the exception of Spoony, the game has been considered by critics and fans alike as one of the finest RPGs ever made. Its become so popular as of late, it has gotten ported to the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation 4 in just the past few years. With all these ports being released, players have wondered if the game would ever come to the PC.  A lot of PC gamers don’t own the latest game consoles and since PCs can be regularly updated, the games could hypothetically be at the highest possible quality on PC.

What are the odds we’ll see this?  Honestly, I think the odds are next to zero.  With Square Enix bringing all these other Final Fantasy games to the PC as of late, the fact that they haven’t chosen to bring Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2 to non-Sony platforms says to me that they may not be legally able to do so. If Square Enix has an exclusive contract with Sony, the Final Fantasy X games may never be able to release on PC or Xbox consoles.  Someone should take a deeper look into this, but until they do I’m going to give this a low chance of happening.

Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy on PS4 and Xbox One

When it released, Final Fantasy XIII was a very divisive game but over the past few years it has gained an incredible community of loyalists. Even I have to admit, despite its flaws, I felt comforted by how easy the first game was to just pick up and play. On top of that, the games had amazing graphics with incredible production values. To this day, I believe they are still some of the best looking games of the last generation.  If they were ported to the new consoles, players would be able to take advantage of better game performance, higher resolution textures, and console features like game streaming.  Why doesn’t Square Enix bring the games to the PS4 and Xbox One?

What are the odds we’ll see this?  Even odds, 50/50.  The games have already been ported to the PC, and the textures models and graphics already look phenomenal in 1080p.  However, porting three games to new hardware is no easy task. It took Square Enix a year to port all three of the Final Fantasy XIII games to the PC, it could be very difficult to bring them to the two newest consoles.

Remake the PSP Game Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII in HD

This request is specifically on behalf of a friend of mine. The immense success of Final Fantasy VII convinced Square Enix to branch out the numbered title into multiple spin offs. One of those spin offs was the PSP-exclusive game Crisis Core, which out of all the content released as part of the Final Fantasy VII series, deserves an HD port. The game’s 3D graphics and high end CGI cutscenes would look amazing on modern HDTVs, so why not bring this game to modern home consoles?

What are the odds we’ll see it? I would say 25%. Crisis Core is a pretty old game which unlike Type-0, got a North American release. Because of that, I don’t think it would be very likely we will see this game get an HD remake any time soon.

Final Fantasy XII HD on PS4 or Xbox One

Almost immediately after Square Enix released the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD version, people started asking for Square Enix to rerelease Final Fantasy XII.  I know this game’s gameplay style was a huge departure from earlier single-player Final Fantasy games, but this game has a pretty big cult following. In fact, it also has seen  spin-offs on other platforms including the Nintendo DS.  If Final Fantasy X can come to modern consoles, why not bring Final Fantasy XII?

What are the odds on this one? Hard to say for sure but I would give it at least a 30% chance.  Square Enix did a great job bringing their earlier games to Sony’s newer consoles but it may still be too early for them to consider porting Final Fantasy XII or any of its spin offs to newer hardware.  I think if the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD sells well, it could become an easier decision for Square Enix to make.

And now, here’s one last request just for me…

Remake Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the Wii U

In the early to mid-2000s, Square Enix released the first Final Fantasy game on a Nintendo console since Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the Nintendo GameCube.  The game had a revolutionary multiplayer mode only possible with the GameCube, it required each player connect a Game Boy Advance to their GameCube to play. This did a lot more than just make the GBA into a game controller, the handheld offered a second screen experience years before it would become common in Nintendo systems. Wouldn’t it be awesome as hell to see this game playable in HD on modern hardware?  The Wii U controller makes a perfect fit for the first player, and I’m sure the other three players could connect to the game wirelessly using a modern 3DS-compatible handheld.

What are the odds we’ll see it?  I would say about 5%. It probably wouldn’t be too hard to update a GameCube game to run on the Wii U (Nintendo has already done it for games like The Wind Waker), but Crystal Chronicals has a few more technical issues that would need to be resolved. While it’s true that Nintendo Wii U games can make use of a 3DS/Wii U connectivity, that was used in games built from scratch to take advantage of these features, it may be a lot harder to adapt the complex code from a previously released title.  Because of that, the technical hurdles alone might be too much trouble than it’s worth.

So there you go guys, a complete wish list of all the Final Fantasy content I and the people who love these games would like to see from Square Enix. If I forgot to include anything please post a comment and write what you would like to see below.

Until we meet again, Happy Holidays to all of you!

Final Fantasy Wish List December 18, 2015

Today marks the 28th anniversary of the Japanese release of Final Fantasy, and to celebrate the release of this console classic we at this website wanted to share some of our hopes and dreams about what we would like to see from this beloved franchise in the future.  Don’t worry, since Final Fantasy VII Remake was officially announced as in development, it won’t be brought up here.

Like with most of the editorials we write on this site, we have to preface this with the disclaimer that we won’t presume to dictate Square Enix’s future business plans. These are just some desires that Final Fantasy fans have been talking about for some time.

So, with all that out of the way, let’s get started shall we?

Restore Final Fantasy VI’s original 16-Bit Graphics on Android, PC and iOS

I’m bringing this up first because it seems to be a pretty hot button topic right now. Final Fantasy VI was rereleased on the PC earlier this week and immediately brought on a huge fan backlash. The outrage had nothing to do with the game’s quality, Final Fantasy VI is still considered one of the finest games ever made, the backlash was over the “updated” graphics engine Square Enix has continued to use when republishing this game on newer hardware. The PC users are hardly alone in being forced to look at this horrible graphics palate, it had previously been used in the game’s Android and iOS ports. Given the incredible amount of care that went into the game’s original graphics when it was first released on Nintendo’s 16-bit console, it’s a shame the game’s newest players have to look at such awful graphics.  Why doesn’t Square Enix patch the recent games to allow players the option to choose which graphics they prefer?

What are the odds we’ll see this?  Next to zero. The fact that Square Enix continues to use this graphics package in all of these rereleases, even after all its negative feedback, makes me suspect that the graphics engine might have been retooled for either legal or technical reasons and it might be very difficult to restore the original graphics. My advice would be to download the games on either the PlayStation 3 or Wii.

Release the Final Fantasy XV Demo for Everyone on Xbox One and PS4

There’s no bigger multiplatform game on track for release next year than Final Fantasy XV.  People have been looking forward to playing this game since it was first announced for the PS3 in 2006 under the title Final Fantasy Versus XIII. The graphics look amazing and the gameplay looks like a lot of fun. Square Enix included an official playable demo for Final Fantasy XV inside early copies of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD over a year before the final game was expected to release and from what I’ve heard, the demo is really good. In fact many players commented the demo alone justified the purchase. Well, aren’t demos supposed to be freely distributed?  They’re supposed to make you want to buy the full version of the game.  New copies of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD are getting harder to find, and demo codes are running out.  Why doesn’t Square Enix release this demo to the Xbox and PlayStation digital marketplaces?

What are the odds we will see this?  I would give it a 15% chance. Final Fantasy XV‘s developers have stated on several occasions during Final Fantasy Type-0 HD‘s launch that they would only offer the Final Fantasy XV demo to people who bought one of the initial printings of Type-0 HD.  Without a doubt, that improved the sales of the game it was paired with but it left a bad taste in a lot of fan’s mouths.  I hope this policy doesn’t remain perminant as we get closer to XV‘s release, a lot of work went into that demo, and it would be a shame to see it played by so few people.

Re-Release Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX to the PS4 as a Digital Download.

Three numbered Final Fantasy titles were released on the original PlayStation over a decade and a half ago. All three of them are still frequently referenced as staple games in the RPG genre, and many players still debate which is their favorite game from that era.  However, the PlayStation 4 cannot play PS1 games and newer gamers who lack older hardware can find themselves unable to play these staple RPGs.  Meanwhile, Final Fantasy VII was re-released on the PlayStation 4 a week ago. The port was based on a slightly updated PC version, which kept the game’s original graphics mostly intact.  It may be the exact same game players remember playing on the original PlayStation, but is that really a bad thing?  If Square Enix could bring Final Fantasy VII to the PS4, why couldn’t they bring the later PS1 era numbered titles as well?

What are the odds we will see this?  75% For Final Fantasy VIII, 55% for Final Fantasy IX.  Square Enix has already done a modern PC port of Final Fantasy VIII, and it looks pretty good. In theory, that PC-port could be adapted to the PS4. While there currently is no modern PC port for Final Fantasy IX, I’m sure it will end up on the PS4 if the previous games sold well.  So if you want to see more classic Final Fantasy games on the PS4, buy Final Fantasy VII now.

Bring the NES and SNES Final Fantasy Games to the Wii U’s Virtual Console

Some time ago, Nintendo rereleased the original three numbered NES and SNES Final Fantasy titles released to the US on the Wii’s Virtual Console. They’re still available to download at a reasonable price if you have a Wii, but if you’ve upgraded to the Wii U, you can only play these downloadable games on the Wii U’s Wii emulator. Because of that, the games can’t be played solely with the Wii U controller or take advantage of Wii U’s Virtual Console features, like the ability to save at any point.  Why doesn’t Nintendo bring those games to the Wii U’s eShop?

So, what are the odds?  50/50.  Nintendo has been slow to release games on the Wii U’s Virtual Console, but they are doing it. The fact that the games have already been released on the Wii is a good sign Nintendo will eventually make the games Wii U native, but I don’t even want to think about how long we may have to wait before it happens.  I would have to give its chances even odds.

What do you think of the list?  Not enough wishes?  Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2!

Happy Birthday, Final Fantasy December 18, 2015

Today marks the 28th Anniversary of the release of the very first Final Fantasy game in Japan, making today essentially the 28th birthday of the Final Fantasy franchise.

Final Fantasy was intended to be the final project for Square, a company unable to capitalize on the success of the 8-bit Nintendo home console.  With only enough money for one more project, the game’s director decided to make a game he would have been happy to play. It was expected to be a  commercial flop and the final game ever to be released by Square. Instead it became one of the strongest franchises in the history of gaming, and many of the later games would go on to become incredible commercial successes, fan favorites and added to numerous best of lists.

What can we say about this franchise twenty eight years later?  There have been fourteen numbered games (including two massively multiplayer games which are still in operation), two feature-length movies, numerous spin offs, and tons of rereleases and ports to new platforms.

So, raise a glass everyone. Happy Birthday Final Fantasy!

Why it Helps to Date a Nerd at Christmas December 7, 2015

Last year I spent Christmas Eve over at my girlfriend’s house.  We watched Christmas movies, drank coffee, and opened presents with her family.  That night, all of her family members received brand-new SmartPhones as gifts, split evenly between Android devices and the (then) brand-new iPhone 6.  With the exception of my girlfriend’s father, who was an advanced Android enthusiast, neither my girlfriend nor her sister or mother had any idea how to get their new phones to work, and many of them had very important data on their old phones that they wanted to bring to their new ones.  On Christmas Eve, I was their only hope.

I had used iPhones since 2007 and I had a lot of experience upgrading my phones without losing any data.  For those of you who don’t know how to do this procedure I’ll try to explain it quickly. For all I know, you may have to do this yourselves this Christmas.  Any time an iPod, iPad, or iPhone is connected to a iTunes equipped PC or Mac, it will automatically perform a backup of all the essential files on the iDevice.  If a new iDevice is connected to a computer with a proper backup already on file, iTunes will immediately prompt you and offer to install the backup it has on file to the new device. In my experience, most users stupidly ignore this prompt to their detriment, and set up their new devices as new. Doing this can cost them their photos, game progress, settings, and possibly even their entire contacts list.

The other option is to move all your data onto the iCloud service, and then retrieve an iCloud backup on the new iDevice. This may seem like an easier option, and most people take it, but Apple offers very little storage capacity for free and for obvious security reasons I outright refuse to use it. Plus, since none of the iPhone users in my girlfriend’s family had iCloud set up on their devices, it was a pretty moot point.  I was provided two iTunes equipped laptops to handle the iPhone upgrades, while my girlfriend’s father simply took apart his old Android phone, removed its Micro SD card, and put it into his new one.

First priority was to have as recent a backup as possible of the old phones before activating the new ones. I powered on the laptops and began the process of linking them to each user’s iTunes account. Once that was settled, I plugged the old iPhones into the USB ports and began the sync process.

My girlfriend had never owned an iPhone before, but she did have an old iPod Touch. Figuring she would eventually upgrade to the iPhone, I insisted on copying her old phone’s contacts list to her iPod Touch to help make her eventual upgrade easier.  There wasn’t much data on her iPod Touch, and it took barely any time to sync, but my girlfriend now had essential data ready to transfer to her new iPhone.

My girlfriend’s mother had over 32GB of data on her iPhone 4s and while some of it had been backed up earlier, a lot of new data hadn’t been copied. so as her old iPhone continued to back up, I plugged my girlfriend’s new iPhone 6 into her MacBook and started the process of restoring her old data into it.

I quickly realized my girlfriend’s iPod Touch was still using iOS 4, but her mother’s iPhone 4s was using the most recent version of iOS 8, a slightly newer version than what the new phones had installed. I would need to upgrade the iPhone 6 software manually to its most recent version before I could restore any data onto it.  I decided to use the time it would take to upgrade and install over 32GB of data to activate her sister’s new Android phone.

My girlfriend’s sister was previously using an iPhone 4s but unlike her mother and sister, she opted to get a new Android phone instead of a new iPhone. Since iPhone and Android data is not compatible, I was concerned this would cause her to lose everything she had on her phone and force her to reconfigure it from scratch.  She was fine with that.

As I configured the Android, my girlfriend’s father called up their cellular provider and used their automated service to activate his new phone.  It worked, and his new phone was now able to make phone calls and use the cellular data network.  He told me how the process was done, and I performed the procedure on the two iPhone 6 phones once the last of their backup data was restored.  I had to restart both phones, but once that was done, both phones were able to make calls and access the cellular data network.

So with three phones active, all that remained was to activate the Android phone that belonged to my girlfriend’s sister.  I called up the cellular provider and gave them the same information I had done previously, but instead of simply activating the phone, the automated system informed me that in order to activate the new phone I had to remove the SIM card from the iPhone 4s and install it into the new Android to complete the procedure.  This didn’t bother me, I knew how to access an iPhone 4s SIM and I didn’t think this would be a very big deal.  I took apart both phones and moved the SIM to the new one, but the new Android phone would not make calls or connect to the cellular network once I powered it up.

At this point my girlfriend’s sister became visibly upset. Not only would she not be able to bring all of her old apps to her new phone, her new phone wasn’t working at all.  I tried using the automated activation system a few more times to no avail, the new phone just would not connect. I thought a simple call to their provider would resolve the issue, but given the fact it was 10PM on Christmas Eve, I had no idea if this issue could be resolved until the Holiday concluded.

Well, if I see a problem my brain just has to figure it out, and there was no way I was going to leave this issue unresolved. As my girlfriend’s parents did everything they could to keep their younger daughter from crying, I somehow stumbled into a troubleshooting service line during my fifth activation attempt.  Hoping to keep me engaged, her folks made me some really good coffee as I talked to a very nice technician on the other end of the line.

It turned out that the SIM card in her old iPhone 4s was not compatible with 4G equipped phones, and even though the provider’s automated service insisted my girlfriend’s sister use her old SIM card in her new phone, it was a mistake. Thankfully the new phone came with a new 4G-compliant SIM card and after I provided some private serial numbers to the technician, he was able to activate the new SIM card, and the Android was finally able to make phone calls. After I returned the phone to its new owner, I told my girlfriend’s sister she should be able to transfer her contact information using one of her cellular provider’s custom apps.  I’ve been told she loves her new phone.

With the issue resolved I checked on the other phones. My girlfriend’s mother lost absolutely no data in the process and loved the speed boost her new phone provided. My girlfriend had a few redundant contacts in her phone that she needed to clear up, but that could have been caused by either the fact that her backup was restored to a system running a version of iOS four generations newer than what she previously had, or the fact the version of iTunes I had to use to do the transfer was not the most recent one, because my girlfriend would not update her version of Mac OS X just yet.

Within the course of two hours on Christmas Eve I was able to set up and activate three brand new SmartPhones with little to no lost data.  I was also able to resolve an issue that would have otherwise required a trip to a cell provider’s retail store, something that would have not been possible for at least two days.  Essentially, a nerd saved Christmas.  Move over, Ernest.

Pokemon Virtual Console Wish List November 16, 2015

Last week, during a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo officially confirmed that they would be re-releasing the three Pokémon titles originally developed for the Nintendo Game Boy, Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Yellow, as a digital download for the Nintendo 3DS.  This is the news I have been waiting over four years to announce on this site and I couldn’t be happier to report it to all of you.  As you may know, I have been asking Nintendo to re-release the first generation (GEN1) Pokémon games on the 3DS Virtual Console for the past four years, and before then I had been hoping Nintendo would re-release the games digitally on the Wii for the past seven.  It sure took them long enough, but I’m glad they finally delivered on this request.

Sadly, Nintendo had very little information to provide alongside this announcement.  We know all three GEN1 titles will be re-released and all of them will support two-player trading using the 3DS system’s wireless communication features, but that’s all we know.  Since the games won’t be coming out until February 2016, we still have to wait a few months until their digital re-release, and I have a few questions and requests I’d like to make before the game comes out.

Offer all Three Games as a Bundled Download at a Reduced Price –   I’m not saying that Nintendo should require players should have to purchase all three games together as a single download, but it would be nice to see Nintendo offer players who want to purchase all three titles the option to do so at a reduced price.  When Nintendo re-released two classic Game Boy Color games,  The Legend of Zelda Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages, on the 3DS Virtual Console they offered players interested in purchasing both games the option to buy both titles together at a reduced price for a limited time.  This was a really nice deal to convince early adopters to buy the game digitally, as a sale is always welcome.  It would be nice to see Nintendo offer early adopters a financial incentive to get the games as soon as possible.

Distribute Mew – You thought the original Pokémon games only had 150 Pokémon, well that’s not true, there was actually 151.  The problem was you could not capture Pokémon number 151, Mew, through normal means.  Years before console DLC would be as popular as it has become, Nintendo hosted a special Mew distribution, where they offered players the chance to obtain the exclusive Pokémon at select locations across the world.  Many of Pokémon’s original developers credit the Mew distribution as a huge incentive that pushed sales of the game during the game’s initial release period, and contributed to the game’s massive sales.  Since Nintendo has already confirmed that the game can support wireless trading, theoretically, Nintendo could offer Mew through a limited distribution period.  It would give players a great incentive to buy the game as soon as it is released, and promote whatever method Nintendo chose to distribute the Pokémon.  Currently, Nintendo offers exclusive Pokémon through online distribution methods, and they could offer Mew in a similar way.  At the end of the month, they’ll be distributing the legendary Pokémon Hoopa through McDonald’s restaurants equipped with wireless Nintendo Zone locations, I would love the chance to download Mew the same way.

Allow Color Swap Between Game Boy and Game Boy Color Graphics – While the original Game Boy was only designed to display games in traditional Black and White, Pokémon’s GEN1 titles included a limited color palate for players who wanted to play the games on their Super Nintendo consoles using the Super Game Boy adapter.  A limited color scheme was also included for players who played them on Game Boy Color systems, because Game Boy Color was backwards compatible with original Game Boy titles, and many Pokémon players, myself included, used the Game Boy Color to play the GEN1 games, and fondly remember the game’s color scheme.  While I admit playing GEN1 in B&W would appeal to gaming purists, I would love to at least get the option to choose which color palate I would like to play the game in.  I know Nintendo has offered a color swap option for Virtual Console games in the past, and it would be nice to see that option here.

And finally…

Make the Games Future Compatible With Generation 2 (GEN2) – Let’s face it, if these games sell well, Nintendo will likely offer the GEN2 Games Pokémon Gold, Pokémon Silver, and Pokémon Crystal, which were originally made for the Game Boy Color, on the 3DS Virtual Console.  While neither GEN1 nor GEN2 titles are compatible with the later Pokémon games (Pokémon Bank is only compatible with GEN3 Pokémon at the earliest), the original GEN1 games could trade with GEN2’s games provided that the GEN2 player met some proper prerequisites.  I hope that feature returns when Nintendo eventually re-releases Pokémon’s Game Boy Color titles on the 3DS Virtual Console.

Those are just some of my ideas, but I would like to hear all of yours as well.  What do you think Nintendo should include with their Virtual Console Pokémon titles?  Please post a comment below.  This is a major moment in the history of the 3DS, and I’m sure Nintendo will do us proud, we sure waited long enough to see this day.

The Next Most Requested Pokemon Games October 3, 2015

A few years ago, shortly after the announcement of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for the 3DS system, in the height of a resurgence of Pokémon Fever, I created a list of game requests for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company which I believed was heavily desired by their long-lasting fanbase.  Now with the second generation of Pokémon Fever starting to cool down, I have a new list of requests for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company that I’ve noticed the fan community has been asking for recently. This is by no means a complete list or is it listed in any particular order, but I think that it is important for Pokémon’s developers to keep their fans’ wishes in mind.

Before we start the list I just want to make it clear that I don’t believe that Pokémon’s developers are under any obligation to follow through with any or all of these requests, these are just titles that I’ve heard requested online and in person from fans all over the world. While I admit that several of the requests will require heavy work to deliver, a lot of them are simple requests which probably would not take too much work to make happen.  I’m also not going to include any games that have already been officially announced, like the real-time Pokémon fighting game Pokkén, Pokémon Go, or the new 3DS game Super Mystery Dungeon.  Nintendo already said they are going to make those titles and there’s no reason for me to mention them here.

Pokémon Snap Remake/Sequel for the Wii U – We’re going to kick off this list with a special request from YouTube celebrity xJerry64x.  He wants Nintendo to create an all new Pokémon Snap game for the Wii U.  To anyone who’s played the original Pokémon Snap, either on the Nintendo 64 or Wii Virtual Console, the Wii U controller’s unique design seems perfect for taking pictures.  You could hold the controller like a camera in a virtual environment, frame your shot using the controller’s internal screen, position yourself for the perfect shot by physically moving the controller around like a camera, and snap pictures of Pokémon with the trigger buttons all while monitoring your current position on your HDTV’s screen.  This is such a perfect controller for taking virtual pictures I’m sure many of you can’t believe Nintendo hadn’t done a game with this in mind already…and you’d be surprised.  Nintendo is going to release the next Fatal Frame game this Halloween as a digital download on the Nintendo eShop, and if early previews are any indication, the game’s controls would translate perfectly to a Pokémon Snap game.  While many would probably prefer that Pokémon Snap’s original analog stick control scheme should remain intact,  and since literally hundreds of new Pokémon have been created since Pokémon Snap released over a decade ago now would be the perfect time to make Pokémon Snap 2 for the Wii U.

What are the Chances We’ll See it?  About 25%.  Now that the Wii U can natively emulate Nintendo 64 titles, it is much more likely we will just see the original game ported to the Wii U’s Virtual Console.  Pokémon Snap was a cute little spin off title that just so happened to have a great following over the years.  While I think it would be a great idea to make a sequel designed specifically for the Wii U platform, it would be an incredibly difficult undertaking.  I say lets hold off on any of those requests until we see how Fatal Frame works out.

Pokémon game for SmartPhones – I neglected to mention this in my last list so I thought I would include it here.  Ever since Apple opened up an App Store for the iPhone, users have been clamoring to see Pokémon titles of any kind appear on the platform.  When you think about it, SmartPhones have a lot in common with Nintendo’s portable platforms, and the same concepts behind Nintendo’s handheld philosophies can be applied to SmartPhones.  People take their phones everywhere, the phones are capable of not just online access but can also interact directly with each other locally.  They have great internal graphical hardware, capable of reproducing 3D and 2D games with great performance.  Even though most lack any physical buttons, their interactive touch pad can replicate almost any control scheme you can imagine.   So why not create a Pokémon game for SmartPhones?

What are the Chances We’ll See it? – Too early for me to post odds on this one folks, but for right now I would give it a less than 5% chance.  I’ve been impressed by the level of cooperation that The Pokémon Company has been allowed to have with publishers other than Nintendo, but up until this point The Pokémon Company has only been able to release free media apps or other free-to-play puzzle games to SmartPhones.  While that was a great show of good faith on their behalf, Pokémon is still one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, on par with and in some cases surpassing Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda.  To be blunt, Pokémon game releases sell handheld systems, and will convince last generation players to upgrade to the newest handheld systems.  They have consistently been the highest selling games on each platform, and it would be highly unlikely that Nintendo would allow one of their biggest exclusive game franchises on a competing platform.  I would really wait until we saw the installation base for Pokémon Go when it gets released next year before I weighed in on this one.

Generation IV (GEN 4) Remake for 3DS – As of this writing, Nintendo has published at least one full remake for the first three generation Pokémon games, it seems very likely that GEN 4 remakes are next. In fact, since the release of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire last year, a GEN 4 3DS-native remake has become one of the most requested titles from the Poké Amino community.  While the original games will work on a Nintendo 3DS without issue, it has become very difficult and expensive to find decent quality copies of the GEN 4 games on shelves, and new copies cost an astronomical amount of money online.  It would be nice to see these games remade in glorious 3D with a multiplayer mode you could actually play online again.

What are the odds we’ll see this?  Honestly I would give it an even 50/50.  After seeing the overwhelming support for the GEN 3 remakes on the Nintendo 3DS, it seems very likely that Nintendo will remake GEN4.  However, if the previous release schedule is any indication, we may need to wait a while for this.  By the time Nintendo decided to remake the earlier generations, part of the reason they chose to do so was because the original games were either incompatible with the newer titles or it could no longer be played on Nintendo’s most recent handheld system.  Barring the lack of online support after the DS and Wii multiplayer networks were shut down, Diamond, Pearl and Platinum work fine on modern Nintendo handhelds.  So, while I think it’s likely we will get a remake, I don’t think they will be coming any time soon.  Nintendo might want to release a third game in the GEN 6 series, a Nintendo 3DS successor, or even a new GEN 7 series before they get around to remaking GEN 4.

Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon: Gale of Darkness HD Remakes on Wii U – For years many die-hard Pokémon fans have begged Nintendo to release a full fledged Pokémon game they could play on their home console.  Then, more recently, I found out that Nintendo had already made two full fledged single-player Pokémon adventure games and released them on the GameCube nearly a decade earlier, Pokémon Colosseum and its sequel Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.  While they don’t replicate EVERY aspect of the handheld titles, they did a fantastic job of presenting the Pokémon World in glorious 3D nearly a decade before we would see it on the Nintendo 3DS.  Sadly, the Wii U does not have the ability to emulate GameCube games, so even if you have an original copy of the games on disc, you won’t be able to play them on your Wii U.  That said, the Wii U hardware should be able to emulate the GameCube’s graphics without much of an issue, and heck, they might be able to even replicate the game’s Game Boy Advance connectivity with the Wii U controller’s screen.  The best part is since GameCube discs had such a low total storage capacity (about 1.6 GB or so of space) you could fit both games in their entirety on one single Wii U disc.  With third party developers leaving Nintendo’s Wii U platform behind, why doesn’t Nintendo go digging into their back catalog and rerelease these cult classics in glorious HD?

What are the odds we’ll see this?  Less than 10%  Although modern HD remakes are very popular these days, especially for classic games that are either hard to find or unplayable on modern systems, Nintendo has only been able to port a few of its most beloved GameCube titles in HD to the Wii U, including Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.   The GameCube was a beloved console, but it wasn’t a very profitable one for Nintendo, and Nintendo might just prefer to release new games designed specifically for the unique platform than rerelease ports of games people might already own.  The other issue with updating these games have to do with its Game Boy Advance connectivity.  There is just no way for Nintendo to replicate that functionality on new hardware just yet.  We might just need Nintendo to do something else first…

Generation III (GEN 3) Games on Wii U Virtual Console – Gen 3 includes five of the best selling games for the Game Boy Advance platform, including Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Sapphire, Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen.  When Nintendo first announced that the Wii U would be able to support the digital purchase and download of Game Boy Advance titles, bringing Pokémon’s Gen 3 titles to the Virtual Console seemed like a no-brainer.  Later versions of the DS and 3DS platforms lack the ability to play original Game Boy Advance cartridges natively, and the pirate market for these titles is so high it has become impossible for collectors to determine legitimate sales.  The Wii U would benefit heavily in both sales and fan goodwill if they offered these classic games up for digital purchase, so why don’t they put at least some of these games for sale on the Wii U’s Virtual Console?

Vegas, what are the odds?  Even bet, 50/50.  You would think that Nintendo would try to take the best selling game for a specific platform and make that game available first as soon as they were able to replicate an online marketplace for those platforms, but Nintendo has held off on rereleasing ANY games in the main Pokémon titles to ANY of their online marketplaces.  It might have something to do with the fact that Nintendo can’t replicate the Game Boy’s 2-player feature on modern hardware, and since the Wii U doesn’t have the local wireless connectivity function the 3DS platform has it would be even harder for multiplayer or trade features to work on a title downloaded on the Wii U, but if you ask me that’s still a pretty poor excuse.  However, what might be holding this back even more than technical issues might be the success of the Gen 3 remakes on 3DS, and Nintendo might be hesitant to rerelease the original Pokémon games, with their original graphics, after rereleasing the games in 3D.  Even without multiplayer functionality, Pokémon has a great single-player campaign and controlling the Gen 3 titles would work perfectly on the Wii U’s controller.  Time will tell if we will ever be able to digitally purchase these games on Nintendo’s marketplace, but I’m still hoping Nintendo will do it.

Well there you have it guys, another list of our most requested Pokémon games.  Did we miss anything?  If we did, feel free to leave a comment below with what you would like to see, and if we like it, it may just turn up in our next article!  Don’t worry, if we use your idea you will get a proper credit!

A Remedy Fan’s Speculation on How Quantum Break’s TV Series Should Be Presented (Part 3: Controls) August 26, 2015

Welcome back to our ongoing essay series where we are speculating about the upcoming Xbox One title, Quantum Break.  The game is being developed by Remedy, the developers of Max Payne, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne and Alan Wake.  You may remember those titles because of their in-depth stories, something that Remedy has routinely delivered for over the past decade.  Now, Quantum Break looks to completely evolve storytelling in a way that games have not dared before, by including a live-action television series which will be fully integrated into the game’s story.

We’ve already discussed the technical issues with creating such a groundbreaking title and shared some of our ideas on how to best present this series to players, but if I may be completely honest there is something that I’ve neglected to bring up until this point and that is control.  How do you best control these sequences?  At this point, there’s so little information available to us and very little precedent I can use for possible examples that control may very well be the hardest thing for me to write about.

Once again I have to remind you all that this article will be written entirely upon my own speculations based on my experiences playing other titles. Under no circumstances do I believe Remedy needs to take any of my recommendations as a mandate, because for all I know, they could come up with different ideas that are better than mine by the time the game is released next year.  This article will strictly focus on what we’ve seen work and not work in other games, and we will name those titles when applicable.

In order for me to tell you my perspective on video game cinematics, I need to tell you this personal story about myself.  In early 2000, I asked my parents for an original PlayStation just so I could play the first Metal Gear Solid on my birthday, and it became one of my favorite games of all time.  A brief time later, Konami announced that they were making a sequel, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty exclusively for the PlayStation 2.  When it came out in November 2001, a brand-new PS2 cost $299 US, something that neither my parents nor myself could afford, so I ended up playing through the game over at my cousin’s house during the times my family visited their house between Christmas and New Year’s.

As I’m sure you know, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty has some of the longest story segments in video game history, and the player’s only option to interact with the game during these sequences is to either watch or skip them.  For someone who was an enormous fan of Metal Gear Solid, skipping the cutscenes on my first play through was not an option.  For a person watching these extremely long cutscenes while his family is constantly trying to get his attention to do other tasks like eat or leave, this was difficult.  Nevertheless, I got through the game and was eventually able to get it myself at a later date.

Why bring up Metal Gear Solid when we are talking about a completely different game from a completely different developer made for a completely different platform?  Well, one might argue that if Remedy intends to integrate episodes from the series directly into the game’s presentation, you could think of Quantum Break’s live-action television episodes as a long cutscene, and because of that we could draw some inspiration from games known for their long cutscenes, like Metal Gear Solid.  While I didn’t think I would need a rewind feature while I was gaming, I can’t say how many times I wished I could pause MGS2‘s cutscenes, so I could eat or use the bathroom without having to wait for the scene to end.  Thankfully, times have changed and newer games with lengthy cutscenes will allow you to pause them, like Final Fantasy XIII.  Heck, Kojima added a pause feature for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, something I and my brother-in-law greatly appreciated.

We don’t have to limit our inspiration from just video games, We could also draw inspiration from the ways people can interact with their television shows nowadays.  Since the days of DVD, anyone can binge watch a series of their choice, and have the ability to select any episode, pause, rewind, fast-forward, or skip to their heart’s content.  In the past fifteen years, all that’s changed about this ability is the medium the content has been presented to us whether it be through DVD, Blu-Ray Disc (BD), Digital Video Recorder (DVR), Video On-Demand (VOD), or online streaming services like Netflix.  Now in 2015, consumers expect this bare minimum of functionality when watching television, and this could provide a great benefit if it is brought to Quantum Break.  I think that at bare minimum people are going to want to know if the TV series even be skipped or they may end up calling up the guys over at The Escapist, as someone who would love the chance to rewatch these scenes after I’ve unlocked them I would hope for a lot more.

So, let’s say that we get all of the functionality to control these sequences that we could imagine, including the ability to pause, rewind, and fast forward the game’s television episodes after they’ve been unlocked, how do we control them?  Actually, there’s more options than you’d think, and we’re going to talk about each of them.

Let’s start off with the most obvious option players will have right away, and that is the Xbox One controller.  The Xbox One’s controller is the most obvious option because controllers have been tried and tested to work the best when it comes to video games, and the best part is they have the benefit of you being guaranteed to have one.  A typical Xbox One controller has two analog sticks, several interface buttons, two trigger buttons, and two bumpers.  That is more than enough to navigate through any video, but could other options work better?  There’s a big debate about that.  Some studios have tried to replace the controller, or “improve” it through features like motion control, microphones, or touch screens, but many have argued over the years that the controller is perfect the way it is and nothing could ever replace it.  Next, we’ll talk about some things that could replace it.

If you bought the Xbox One within the first year of its release, you found an optional peripheral included with it which was intended to greatly improve your Xbox One gaming experience, the Kinect.  On it’s face, including the Kinect with all Xbox One units sounded like a great idea, because there was a lot that Microsoft and Xbox developers could do with it.  To improve Xbox One navigation, Microsoft implemented Kinect voice and gesture commands so players could easily launch their games, stream their content online, or save video content to the console’s internal DVR.  Why bother searching for a remote when you can simply say, “Xbox, Pause” to your television, or tell it to go to a specific channel?  If you’re like me and were interested in watching an episode of the Quantum Break series with friends, it would be more convenient to implement voice commands, than to constantly have to look for wherever you left the controller.  It’s also pretty useful for quickly navigating menus, doing gesture commands with the controller, and handling the Xbox One’s dashboard.  I don’t think I need to remind you all that Quantum Break was in development during the time that Microsoft was planning to offer a Kinect with every Xbox One system they sold, and Remedy did post job offers for Kinect experienced developers.  It would be likely to assume that Quantum Break could have SOME Kinect functionality in it, but due to the poor reception of the peripheral, I think many developers are going to try and distance themselves from it.

The next option I wanted to talk about is something you may not even consider a controller, your personal digital device.  That’s right, your SmartPhone or Tablet, regardless of who made it, can be used to interface with the Xbox One through the dedicated Xbox One SmartGlass app.  Games like Dead Rising 3 have used SmartGlass to great effect. If used right, it enhances the game experience, and adds another layer of depth to gameplay.  There’s no limit to what you could do in Quantum Break with a SmartGlass component and it would work very well for players who preferred to control the game or watch the series from a touchscreen.

If you don’t want to use SmartGlass, I mentioned in a previous article that Remedy has several mobile programmers on staff, so it isn’t unreasonable to assume Remedy could create a dedicated app for portable devices that could work as a remote.  Other games like Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes are compatible with a dedicated third party mobile app, so we know that Microsoft will allow non Microsoft programmed apps to connect with the console.  Pause, rewind, stop and fast-forward buttons are trivial to design on a touch screen, and for those who prefer tactile feedback, they could always add a vibration or sound effect every time the user inputs a command.  I would love to see this feature in action.

However they choose to present this groundbreaking series, I’m sure the experts at Remedy will do it right. Until then, you can expect plenty more Quantum Break coverage on this site as new information is revealed.  Hope you enjoyed the series and if you had any ideas you’d like to share feel free to post a comment below.

Quantum Break is coming April 2016 exclusively on the Xbox One.

The Best Downloads for the Nintendo 3DS August 20, 2015

Nintendo released the New Nintendo 3DS XL earlier this year to much fanfare.  It’s a beautiful piece of hardware that can play any retail title from the Nintendo DS or Nintendo 3DS’s grand software library, and grants you access to a great digital marketplace called the Nintendo eShop.

With so much content being offered on the eShop, it can be overwhelming for new 3DS owners to know what they should download, so I’m going to give you some tips on what are the best downloads for the system.  It’s hard to break down a list of some of the best software that is being offered through the eShop since it has been in operation for several years.  With so much content being offered how is a new user going to know what to get?  Well, that’s what we’re here for, this article is going to detail some of the best content to download on the Nintendo 3DS platform.  Some of the content is free, some of it will cost money, but trust me, all of it is worth taking a look at.  Break out your Nintendo 3DS system, turn on your system’s WiFi, update your system software, and fire up the Nintendo eShop app because we are about to get started.

Before we get started I want to give a few points about the rules for this list.  We will be exclusively talking about titles available through the Nintendo 3DS system’s eShop, but DSi-compatible software can get mentioned as long as it will work on the Nintendo 3DS.  Since we’re only going to be talking about 3DS downloadable software, any games that have been released at retail in North America will not be counted here, so titles like Pokémon X, Fantasy Life, or The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds will not be listed, but game demos are perfectly acceptable.  We’re also not going to be mentioning any downloadable titles available through the Virtual Console, because if I did that this entire list would be populated with classic Game Boy, Game Boy Color and NES titles, and most players will already know which titles from those platforms are good or not.  With all that out of the way, let’s get started.

Demos

Here’s a section of demos which in my opinion go above and beyond what is expected of them.  While you can find demos for all sorts of retail titles you might be interested in playing on the Nintendo eShop, you should download these particular demos even if you were planning to get the game at retail anyway because they can either offer exclusive items or feature a section that is not included in the full version of the game.

Bravely Default Demo – All I can say is if you’re even the slightest fan of JRPGs, you need to get this demo right now.  Bravely Default has gone on to become one of the most essential titles for the Nintendo 3DS platform.  It was developed by Square Enix, and draws heavy inspiration from their earlier Final Fantasy titles, including Final Fantasy III.  The game’s demo serves as a prequel to the game and covers events which do not happen in the main title.  This does a great job of setting the stage for the player, and becomes a great use of the player’s time.  You can also unlock exclusive content and items you can transfer to the full game by completing certain goals during the demo, so make sure to keep playing it to its fullest if you want to buff up your party as much as you can once you start the full retail game.

Pokémon Omega Ruby & Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Demo – Because this demo was so unlike any demo Nintendo had released previously on the Nintendo eShop, it was originally only offered exclusively to special players through special promotions.  Thankfully, Nintendo reversed that policy and now anyone can download this awesome demo from the Nintendo eShop, and I would recommend doing that even if you already have a copy of the full version of either game.  This demo, like the one for Bravely Default, takes place before the events of the Generation III remakes, and gives you a first look at one of the later areas in the game.  The demo might seem short at first, but just completing the demo once grants you a Mega Evolution capable Level 40 Glalie you can transfer to the full game.  After that, every time you fire the game back up you’ll be presented with another random challenge you’ll have to complete.  The more you play, the more you can unlock, and that content can be brought into the full version of either Generation III remake using Pokémon Link.  The best part is that unlike other Nintendo demos, there is no limit to how many times you can play this game so play as much as you want.

THEATRYTHEM: Final Fantasy Curtain Call – The 3DS demo for this delightfully fun rhythm game is a must-download for anyone who is a fan of Final Fantasy’s incredible music library.  While the demo does not offer any exclusive songs to play, anyone who plays the demo gets the chance to unlock a playable character early if they pick up the full version of the game.

Applications

That’s right, you can download more than just games for the Nintendo 3DS system, you can also find plenty of useful applications on the Nintendo eShop which can improve your system’s functionality and enable you to do more with your portable gaming system.  Let’s take a look.

Save Data Transfer Tool – This is a very useful tool to download as soon as you get your 3DS online.  It’s designed to take any save data from a retail 3DS game card and permanently transfer it to the 3DS’s internal SD memory.  This will enable retail owners who wish to trade in their games the ability to back up their save and wipe it from the game card before it is traded in.  After that, if the player chooses to purchase the game once again as a digital download off the eShop, they can restore their previous game progress and resume where they left off.  It is a really useful feature for anyone who wants to borrow a friend’s retail copy of a game or trade any retail titles, but just be aware that this is a one-way feature and any save data transferred to the 3DS’s SD Card can only be used by a digital copy of the game, and cannot be installed onto a different retail copy.  It’s still a really useful tool, its free to download, and it doesn’t take up that much storage, so I would still recommend getting it.  Never know when you might need it.

Pokémon Bank – This is the application many Pokémon Trainers have been wishing for since the first Pokémon titles were released in the late 90s.  Pokémon Bank can store any of the Pokémon you’ve captured from the Generation VI Pokémon games, and enable you to use them in other Pokémon titles.  In fact, if you download an extra special application called the Poké Transporter, you can even bring the Pokémon you’ve captured or stored in your Generation V Pokémon games into Generation VI.  While the application is free to download, it does have a $4.99 US a year fee to use the service.  As a safety feature, It will not work unless you have created a save in any Generation VI Pokémon title..

Games

Well, we’ve talked a lot about the 3DS’s downloadable demos and apps, let’s talk about the platform’s download-exclusive titles.  Let me tell you, there is an incredible amount of great games you can download on your 3DS right now, and here are just some of them.

Attack of the Friday Monsters – Are you a fan of Japanese culture, fighting monster movies like Godzilla, and superhero sentai shows like Kamen Rider?  If you are, you need to give this download-exclusive game from LEVEL-5 a look.  You play as a young boy who just moved to Tokyo during the booming popularity of sentai hero shows.  Every Friday, enormous monsters come to do battle, and all the children line up to watch the event and play a special card game.  But is everything exactly as it seems, and are you sure you know your own background?  This game features a great story, relatable characters, and a great art style.  Without a doubt you’ll get a few hours of enjoyment from this game, well worth the price.

Weapon Shop de OMASSE – Another LEVEL-5 exclusive downloadable game, but this one is heavily inspired by RPG games like Dragon Quest and adventure titles like The Legend of Zelda.  The game takes place in a time when warriors, knights, and adventurers of all sorts come together to complete quests all with the hope to defeat an ultimate evil.  However, you don’t play one of those heroes, you play the guy who makes weapons for those heroes to use, and oh boy you’re not going to believe all of the crazy and eccentric people who want to rent weapons from you, just make sure you give them the right one.  The best part is the game has some of the funniest writing I’ve ever heard, with lots of jokes poking fun at RPG clichés, and several attacks on the fourth wall.  If you enjoy parody, or just want to participate in a funny story, this is well worth a download.

Shovel Knight – This 8-bit inspired platformer has won numerous game of the year awards and I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t played it yet…

Pokémon Shuffle – Imagine a puzzle game where you need to group together similar characters to win, only these similar characters happen to be Pokémon.  Each puzzle is devoted to a specific Pokémon, and if you can complete it, you will earn the chance to capture that puzzle’s Pokémon. Any Pokémon you capture can then be used in subsequent puzzles to help you capture more.  This free game is probably one of the hottest downloads on the entire Nintendo eShop and has been so successful on the 3DS the Pokémon Company plans to bring it to smartphones in the near future.  If you ask me it strikes the perfect formula to make for an enjoyable puzzle game.  The best part is new puzzles are added all the time, and special limited puzzles with unique parameters are brought in all the time.

The Starship Damery – Another great downloadable title from LEVEL-5, this one is a science fiction title where you play as a character trapped on a derelict spacecraft.  You’re stuck in a cryopod and your only hope to escape is by taking control of a small autonomous robot.  You’re going to want to play this game to the end, because this game’s got a big twist that I did not see coming.

Dr. Mario Miracle Cure – If you liked Dr. Mario on the original NES or the downloadable title Dr. Luigi on the Wii U, you must download this game.  This is without a doubt the definitive version of Dr. Mario, and not only offers tons of puzzles from either game, but a cool special mode with tons of exclusive puzzles you’ll have to wrap your brain around.  If that’s not enough for you, there’s always online multiplayer.

Honorable Mentions

Here’s a section of game titles and apps which were offered for download on the Nintendo eShop, but are not currently available anymore for one reason or another.  If the apps are ever re-released I would recommend downloading them immediately, but until then here’s some of my favorite apps that unfortunately you may never get to use.

Nintendo Video – Nintendo Video was a small video app which could automatically download as many as four short 3D films to your Nintendo 3DS.  Over the years it showcased popular web videos like the Dinosaur Office series, music videos from bands like Linkin Park, and clips from 3D-exclusive series like Meat or Die and Dream Defenders.  While the app could only hold four videos in memory at any given time and its content lineup at any given time was entirely decided by Nintendo’s programmers, I was charmed by the variety of the 3D videos showcased on the app.  Sadly, Nintendo Video was shut down a few weeks ago, and will no longer function even if you have already downloaded it.  Nintendo has promised that the incredible trove of content they offered on the app will be accessible on the Nintendo eShop from now on, but as of this writing only some of the content the app has showcased over the past three years is watchable in the eShop.  However, if you get the chance I would recommend checking out Shaun the Sheep shorts on the eShop, they’re great.

Pokédex 3D – Pokédex 3D was released as a free Nintendo 3DS download to coincide with the release of Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 on the Nintendo DS back in 2012.  It is essentially a Pokédex for your Nintendo 3DS, and features information on Pokémon from the Generation V games.  While very little content is unlocked from the start, you could unlock new Pokédex entries by scanning AR codes or trading information with your friends. The app was later used as the groundwork for the Pokédex 3D Pro premium app, which added entries for all of the previous generation’s Pokémon and a cool trivia contest.  Sadly, when Pokédex 3D Pro was released, Nintendo discontinued offering the Pokédex 3D app on the eShop for download, and now you will have to pay $15 US to download the Pro version.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary – This DSi-downloadable title is an enhanced port of the original Four Swords bonus game included with all copies of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Game Boy Advance.  In it, you and as many as three other Links have to work together to complete challenges and defeat enemies.  It may sound simple, but it was a lot of fun and inspired many future games in the Four Swords series including The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.  Sadly, this free game was released for only a short period of time to celebrate The Legend of Zelda‘s anniversary, but it was briefly rereleased last year to celebrate the critical success of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.  I would be happy to recommend this game, but Nintendo is very hush-hush about if they plan to offer it for download again.  Regardless, if it ever goes back up for any amount of time I would recommend getting it as soon as possible.

StreetPass Plaza

Last off, I want to remind all of you not to forget to create a Mii and enable StreetPass Plaza.  There are currently six exclusive games available for purchase through that application and they can only be purchased through the application.  Take my advice, all six of the games are a lot of fun, so your best deal is to buy them as a bundle since Nintendo offers the bundle at a discounted price.  Trust me, once you start visiting Nintendo Zone hotspots you’ll be very happy you bought them.