Console War Coverage

Here we'll take a look at the weekly and monthly sales of the PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, XBox 360, and XBox One, comparing their sales to their previous sales as well as their competitors.


August 2nd-9th

PS4 - 119,978 (+51%)
Wii U - 57,501 (-4.1%)
XBox One - 50,338 (+4%)
PS3 - 45,048 (+1%)
XBox 360 - 26,859 (-4%)
Wii - 7,623 (-.6%)

PS4 sales jumped 51% over the previous week, PS3 also increased (1%) while the Wii, Wii U, XBox 360, and XBox One were all down.

PS4 Software sales jumped by 272% (854,921) this week, while PS3 Software sales went down 2%, Wii software sales were down by 3%, Wii U software dropped by 7%, XBox One dropped 7%, and XBox 360 software broke even on weekly sales.


August 10th-16th

PS4 - 145,972 (+6%)
Wii U - 64,260 (+11%)
XBox One - 48,295 (-4.2%)
PS3 - 45,320 (-.6%)
XBox 360 - 27,081 (+3%)
Wii - 7,426 (-2.2%)

The PS4 gains another 6% this week, putting it at a full 56% increase from the last week of July, while the PS3 drops just over one half of one percent from the previous week, leaving it at just under one half of a percent (+.4%) over it's sales for the last week of July.

The Wii U jumps 11% this week over last week, putting it at right around 7% higher than the last week of July, and the Wii drops another 2.2%, putting it at 2.8% lower than the last week of July.

XBox One drops just over 4% from last week, putting it at just under even with sales for the last week of July (-.2% to be exact), and XBox 360 gains 4% from last week, putting it 1% behind it's standing two weeks prior.


August 17th-23rd

PS4 - 159,285 (+9%)
Wii U - 54,254 (-19%
XBox One - 53,207 (+11%)
PS3 - 40,860 (-10%)
XBox 360 - 26,681 (-2%)
Wii - 7,487 (+.3%)

PS4 sales climb yet again, this time raising by a very healthy 9% from last week, putting it at 65% ahead of the last week of the previous month, and PS3 sales drop by 10%, putting it at 10.4% less than it was the last week of July.

Wii U sales drop a painful 19%, putting it at an equally painful 12% less than it was three weeks ago, and the Wii gains .3%, putting it 2.5% fewer sales than it was just three weeks prior.

And finally, the XBox One sales jump a full 11% over last week, putting it at around 10.8% more than it was three weeks ago, and XBox 360 sales drop by 2%, putting it 3% behind it's sales for the last week of July.


Combined with the last week of August (numbers not available at the time of this article), we see most likely over a half million PS4's moved in the month of August, and the sales seem to be on the rise, week over week.

The Vita also moved 96,432 units the first three weeks of August (129,541 from July 26th - August 26th), but we won't have a results on the last week of August until next week. It looks like the monthly sales dropped from the sales in the month of July however, as the Vita sold a total of 173,196 units in July.


Summary
As of August 23rd (When compared to July's last week) :
PS4 sales are up 65%
XBox One sales are up 10.8%
Wii sales are down by 2.5%
XBox 360 sales are down 3%
PS3 is down 10.4%
Wii U is down 12%

Console War standings for August are (in order) :
PS4 - 425,208 (45.8% of console sales)
Wii U -175,015 (18.8% of console sales)
XBox One - 151,840 (16.3% of console sales)
PS3 - 131,228 (14.1% of console sales)
XBox 360 - 80,621 (2.7% of console sales)
Wii - 22,536 (1% of console sales)



Upcoming PS3 Games

Destiny: Yes, after all the unending hype, Destiny is finally coming out this month. And while it's been said that it looks like a rip off of Halo, there may indeed be some merit to that argument, as it's being brought to you by the same people that brought you Halo. Will it truly be unique, or will it just be another Halo? We'll see shortly.

Destiny is set in the future. Take on the role of a Guardian of the last safe city on Earth, and defend it's inhabitants from the hoards of fiends that would make it meet the same fate as the rest of the world. Ruin.

My Thoughts : Destiny is one of the few FPS that actually looks interesting to me, and while it does look a lot like Halo, it also looks like something Halo has never seemed like to me: fun. Now granted I've never played Halo, nor have I played Destiny, but my personal opinion based on speculation alone is that Destiny will be a good game for fans of the genre, and will probably be the FPS that finally stands up to it's claim of being better than Halo (no matter how easy that may seem to me). Are you a fan of futuristic games and FPS? Get it. No? Judge for yourself if it's worth your time. One thing worth noting though: Bungie is allowing you to transfer your Destiny game bought online from your PS3 to your PS4, so long as you do it before January. So feel free to buy it on PS3 now even if you want it on your PS4 later. Also of note: this trailer is hilarious.



Destiny is set to release on September 9th.
Developer: Bungie Software
Publisher: Activision
Rated T (Animated Blood, Violence)


NHL 15: With revamped graphics and new features, NHL 15 will be releasing later this month.

My thoughts : The letters NHL are the only thing that can get my attention on a sports game almost as quickly as the letters PGA. Well okay, PGA will get my attention years before NHL will, but suffice to say I like NHL games, and this one looks to be another good one. But with yearly releases in a series, is there really enough here to make investing in a copy worthwhile for fans who bought NHL 14? I don't think so personally.


NHL 15 is set to release on September 9th.
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts
E10+ (Mild Violence)


Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate: An updated version of Warriors Orochi 3, Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate will appeal to fans of both the Dynasty Warriors series and the Samurai Warriors games.

My thoughts : In a classic KOEI move, we get another slightly updated version of a game we already bought recently. Now despite how it sounds, I actually like KOEI, I just hate their marketing methods. At any rate, this is another DW-esque title, and that's all I really see that can be said about it except that I won't get it myself.


Orochi Warriors 3 Ultimate will release on September 2nd.
Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: KOEI
Rated T (Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence)


Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishments: A mystery game (of course) sporting some incredibly beautiful scenery, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishments in-depth and highly detailed gameplay allow for an extremely personalized experience. Find your way through the levels in First or Third person, whichever you prefer, collecting evidence and comparing the clues to make your deductions.

My thoughts : While I personally find the game highly intriguing, I realize that it will only appeal to a very specific crowd (of which I am a part), and so it is that I struggle to say this game is a must buy. If you're a fan of the gameplay style, then this is definitely something I'd suggest, if not, then passing is probably your best option. It's definitely a game for a thinker.



Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishments is scheduled for release on September 2nd.
Developer: Frogwares
Rated


Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution: Winning this month's award for overly lengthy titles, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution is about what fans of the series would expect and maybe a little more. With smooth anime graphics and new gameplay features, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution (that's it. I refuse to type that name one more time) is definitely something fans won't want to pass up.

My thoughts : It doesn't appeal to me, but I suspect it won't disappoint fans of the series. It looks like the developers have really taken the game to the next level.


Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution is set to release on September 16th.
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Rated T (Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence)



Upcoming PS4 Games


Destiny: See Destiny under Upcoming PS3 releases.


NHL 15: See NHL 15 under Upcoming PS3 releases.


Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate: See Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate under Upcoming PS3 releases.


Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishments: See Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishments under Upcoming PS3 releases.



Upcoming PS Vita Games

Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate: See Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate under Upcoming PS3 Releases.


Velocity 2X: A mix of Platformer and Shoot 'em Up, Velocity 2X is an action packed game that's every bit as fast as it sounds. A true test of reflexes, Velocity 2X is coming your way this month. You have been warned.

My thoughts : I'm not sure if this game looks great or really...not fun. So while I'm tetering between extreme opposites as opinion is concerned, why don't you just check it out and decide for yourself...and maybe let me know what I should think about it.


Velocity 2X is set to release on September 2nd.
Developer: Futurlab
Publisher: Futurlab


Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair: All is well on this school trip to Jabberwock Island, until Monokuma (an evil...teddybear?) begins causing chaos. Can you survive the murderous happenings while solving the mystery?

My thoughts : I was a bit vague on the description of the game, but that may be because I know next to nothing about the game from watching the trailer and reading the articles on it. Oh well, maybe it'll be fun.


Daganropa 2: Goodbye Despair is set to release on September 2nd.
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: NIS
Rated M (Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence)



The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Time for this month's Good Bad and Ugly picks; hopefully I can avoid being as controversial as I was last momth, and indeed the game selection this month is one that allows for such.

The Good :
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishment. This game impressed me as a gamer, a developer, and a mystery game fan. Pleasing my eye for graphics detail is no easy task, as I pay attention to little details from scratches on cave walls to leaves on trees, and this game was precise in it's display of almost all of these (those cell bars just didn't look right, I'm sorry. Such unnatural rust patterns...) and was indeed pleasing to the eye...if only we could do something about the rust on those bars!

The gameplay was highly intiguing as well, and I'm certainly anxious to try it for myself. I only worry about how it will fare in replayability...


Destiny :
Yeah, I just went there. I bought into the hype in a way. While the E3 trailer that seemed to blow everyone else away didn't appeal to me, the actual gameplay footage I've seen did manage to make the game look interesting to me. Also, I wanted to list more than one game in the "Good" section, and the choices this month were slim in my opinion. Not a great month for Sony releases.


The Bad :
Now we begin to tread on thin ice...

Danganropa 2: Goodbye Despair :
Allow me to preface this opinion by saying that I have no real reason to feel that this is a bad game, other than it didn't appeal to me. And honestly, that's about all I have to say. The idea behind it is interesting at least.


The Ugly
Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate :
I hesitate to list this as one of the "Ugly", but I just can't even begin to tolerate the cheap marketing behind KOEI's semi-decent "Warrior" games.
Formula for success:
Step one: Release a game. We'll say Dynasty Warriors 10.
Step two: Add two new characters, three strategy cards, one new mode, and four new weapons, rerelease the game and call it Dynasty Warriors 10: Empires.
Step three: Repeat Step two, and call it Dynasty Warriors 10: Ultimate edition.
And they do this repeatedly until they finally make DW 11 etc. All of these could easily be added via DLC rather than slapping a full new game price tag on a recycled game. And the worst part is when they title it "Complete edition"; why was it not complete in the first edition? And if more must be added, what happened to DLC?

These games aren't half bad, but KOEI's market strategy gives sincere devs a bad name, and in my opinion hurts the people's view of the market. Too many devs start pulling this and we'll see a crash.



PSN Sales

The following list should not be considered exhaustive, but rather a sampling of this months PSN sales. Some sales may have been missed during the writing of the VSM, and some may be omitted for the sake of space. Items are sorted by their non-PS+ price -- lowest to highest.

PS3 Games
Under Defeat HD: Deluxe Edition - $2.99 (Save $7), PS+ 2.69 (Save $7.30)

Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut - $5.99 (Save $14) PS+ $5.39 (Save $14.60)

Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut Ultimate Edition - $5.99 (Save $14), PS+ $5.39 (Save $14.60)

Alice: Madness Returns Ultimate Edition * - $6.99 (You save $13) or $6.29 for PS+ members (save $13.70.

Army of Two The Devil's Cartel * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ $4.89 ($15.10).

Battlefield 3 * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ $4.89 (Save $15.10)

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ $4.89 (Save $15.10)

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam * - $6.99 (Save $8) PS+ $4.89 (Save $10.10)

Crysis * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ $4.89 (Save $15.10)

Crysis 2 * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ $4.89 (Save $15.10)

Dead Space * - $6.99 (Save $8), PS+ $4.89 Save $10.10)

Dead Space 2 * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ $4.89 (Save $15.10)

Fight Night Champion * - $6.99 (Save $23), PS+ $4.89 (Save $25.10)

Fuse * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ $4.89 (Save $15.10)

Mirror's Edge * - $6.99 (Save $8), PS+ (Save $10.10)

SSX * - $6.99 (Save $13), PS+ (Save $14.75)

Mass Effect Triology * - $19.99 (Save $10), PS+ $13.99 (Save $16)

EA Sports UFC * - $44.99 (Save $14), PS+ $31.49 (Save $28.50)


Sales marked with a * end on the ninth of September.


PS4 Add-ons
Velocity 2X is the only add-on I found to list this month for the PS4. And it's offering is a cross-buy feature between it, the PS3, and the PS Vita, called Critical Urgency Additional Content, and it goes for $2.99

PS3 Add-ons
Velocity 2X's cross-buy feature is available on all Sony systems of course. See it under PS4 add-ons.

Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed has at a few free add-ons this month, including a Hyperdimension Neptunia Set, the Super Sonico Set. Hopefully we start seeing more stuff like this, that is developers adding characters etc. from other games they make as add-on content in their various other games.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Core Fighters brings us several new add-ons, including (but certainly not limited to) the following:
Character: Nyotengu
Cheerleader Nyotengu
Costume Catalog 17
Gym Class Nyotengu
The items range in price from free to $13.99

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate also brings us a few new add-ons this month, including the New Blood Character Set, the Nyotengu Debut Costume Set, the New Blood Character + Costumes, and the Nyotengu Character + Debut Costume Set

Deathmatch Village has offers on Oil barrels ranging in size from twenty barrels to one thousand barrels, and in price from $1.49 to $26.99

Grid Autosport offers a new Road & Track Car Pack for only $2.99

One Piece Unlimited World Red has a Zoro Armor Pack available for anyone willing to drop $2.99

Rocksmith 2014 Edition has some new Sublime songs, including Sublime – Santeria, What I Got, and Wrong Way

Tales of Xillia 2 has some new content available, priced anywhere from $0.99 to $2.99. Items include Gaius’ Swimwear Costume, Ludger’s Swimwear Costume, Muz’s Swimwear Costume,
and ‘The Four’ Attachments

Super Street Fighter IV brings us a fresh change of clothes with the 2014 Challengers Costume Pack for $3.99

PS Vita Add-ons
Akiba’s Trip: Undead and Undressed has the same free add-on content available as it does on the PS3. See the PS3 add-ons for more details.

Deathmatch Village offers Vita owners the same deal as they offer the PS3 owners as well. Check PS3 add-ons for more information.

Mahjong Gold offers all of you stackable tile fans deals on stars, they are as follows:
-30 Stars for $4.99
-17 Stars for $2.99
-5 Stars for $0.99

Muramasa Rebirth
Gen.Roku Legends – Hell’s Where The Heart Is ($4.99)

One Piece Unlimited World Red brings more of the same as it does for the PS3. Check PS3 add-ons for more.

Sword Art Online – Hollow Fragment offers an Adventure Pack for my favorite price: Free

PlayStation Vita Pets introduces the (possibly controversial) Native American Costume for the low low price of $0.00. Yup, it's free

Velocity 2X's cross-buy offer applies here as well. Look under PS4 add-ons for more information.

Avatars & Themes
The following is an overview (not complete list) of Avatars and Themes available as of this month, sorted by price -- lowest to highest.

$0.49 - $1.99
Danganronpa 2 Goodbye Despair Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu Av
Danganronpa 2 Goodbye Despair Teruteru Hanamura Av
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Akane Owari Avata
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Chiaki Nanami Ava
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Gundham Tanaka Av
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Hajime Hinata Ava
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Hiyoko Saionji Av
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Ibuki Mioda Avata
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Kazuichi Soda Ava
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Mahiru Koizumi Av
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Mikan Tsumiki Ava
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Nagito Komaeda Av
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Nekomaru Nidai Av
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – Peko Pekoyama Ava
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Byakuya Togami 2 Av
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Sonia Nevermind Av
Amazing Earth: Snowland Dynamic Theme
Kerem Beyit: Series Iii Static Theme
Nick Small Tv Static Theme
Steven Stahlberg: Series Ii Static Theme

$2.99 - $3.49
Anime: Ayumi Springs Dynamic Theme
Ann Marcellino: Desert Mermaid Dynamic Theme
Ann Marcellino: The Rose Bride Dynamic Theme
Assassin Of Vengeance Dynamic Theme
Kerem Beyit: Series Ii Static Theme
Matt Bulahao: Blind Invader Dynamic Theme
Matt Bulahao: Heavy Infantry Dynamic Theme
Nick Small: Chyll Reaper Dynamic Theme
Steven Stahlberg: Price Of Magic Dynamic Theme
Assassin Dynamic Heng Theme
A Dynamic Wolf Theme
Cyberpunk Epic Scifi Dynamic Theme
Dynamic Germany Theme
Dynamic Horror-Zombie Girl 3 Theme



Sony Announces That Their New Line Of Smartphones And Tablets Will Support Remote Play With The PS4

Yes, Sony went there; they connected Mobile devices to console gaming. This may seem much like Nintendo's Wii U gamepad, but it differs in that it's optional and functions as a normal tablet/phone plus supports screen sharing remote play.

This could go one of two ways...
Indeed, this could be a fantastic idea that will make Sony billions of dollars on their nearly forgotten cell phone and tablet business, as the vast majority of PS4 owners will never own a Vita, but nearly all of them will be getting a new phone during the PS4's lifespan (my phone's already considered old, and it's only two years old!). Now if you're going to buy or upgrade phones and you know a Z3 will allow you to play your favorite console games remotely, won't that make your decision on which phone to buy a lot easier? Well, it will for many many people most likely.

On the other hand (still looking at good possibilities), those who own a compatible phone or tablet but no console will be far more likely to buy a PS4 than a Wii U or XBox One when they could use the Remote Play feature with a PS4. So yes, Sony could end up selling literally millions of phones and/or tablets if even 1/20 of PS4 owners by the end of the system's lifespan purchase a Sony phone or tablet for the remote play features.


Now for the other way
Let's face it, folks: the Vita is flopping (compared to the 3ds or even the PSP) in North America, and isn't doing too well in the rest of the world with the exception of Japan. And of the relatively few sales the Vita gets, the vast majority of them are because of the remote play feature between it and the PS4. And now here we have the new Phones and Tablets allowing Remote play? And you even get to use a real DualShock controller with them unlike with Vita remote play. Yeah, this will without doubt cost them some Vita sales, if not the majority of them.

The Vita's only saving graces here are that the Phones and Tablets require the controller to be tethered (at this point) to the device which is a bit wonky, but at least it should feel more natural getting to use the actual dualshock controller. The other saving graces are that the Vita will likely cost less than these phones and tablets early in their lives, and that could save some Vita losses, and that the Vita will support tons of games that you can't get on a phone or tablet.


So what should we expect from this?
While no one can say for sure, I'm going to venture a guess that this will cost the Vita some sales, but in the end I think it'll either balance out for Sony, or earn them pay off big time. I doubt they'll lose money on it in the end. What do you think?



PlayStation Nostalgia

Time once again to talk about those hidden gems --or games we wish we could forget-- from the past.

Todays game: Bushido Blade.

I'll never forget the ad I saw for Bushido Blade in a game magazine I bought as a child. In fact, I could recite the header word for word if it hadn't contained some language that isn't in my vocabulary and against Vizzed rules to repeat. But while the header did catch my eye, it was what the rest said that really made me want to play it.


Three words: No Health Bar
That's right, a fighting game without a health bar. Survive the fight and win; die, and lose.


So how does one die without a health bar to deplete?
This was the question in the minds of all of the gamers at the time, was it not? Our minds had been conditioned by the games we'd played for years that we needed a health bar --or at the very least, a health system-- in order to win or lose a fight in a game. Bushido Blade presented us with something vastly different though: a Vital Organ system.

Vital Organ System?
Well this (to my knowledge) isn't what it was called, but it does sum the idea up pretty well.

Basically, if your arm gets sliced by a sword, you won't die (take that, cheap FPS toe-shot kills!) in real life (barring bleeding to death) nor will it kill you in Bushido Blade. A slice to the head or a stab through the heart however, will. In this way, Bushido Blade was one of the most realistic fighting games ever created, and also one of the most strategic and entertaining. Strategic because no longer are attack-spamming enemies a problem, and no longer can we simply charge in and unleash a nearly unstopable barrage of attacks to deplete an enemy's health. Now we must time our attacks, keep our guard up, and know when, where and how to strike. It won't be easy landing that kill blow most times, as your enemy will likely deflect your attack or dodge it and, if you're unfortunate --and vulnerable-- enough, land a debilitating or fatal blow on you in return. Which brings us to another great feature...


Debilitation
Remember how I said a slice to the arm wouldn't kill you? Well that's true, but it's also true that it would render your arm less effective, or altogether useless. The same is true in Bushido Blade: take a slice to the arm and your fighter will have only one arm to use. Take a slice to the leg and you'll have one leg to use. It can actually get to the point where both fighters have to drag their bodies, more or less crawling around, but battle still will not end until someone lands a kill blow. You lose the use of three limbs, but survive? That's victory enough!


Bushido Blade: It isn't just a name
Any idea what "Bushido" means? It's a code of conduct for Samurais.

You see, while ninjas were lowly assassins that would use any cheap tactics they could to defeat their enemies, from throwing powder in their eyes and throwing shurikens to distract them with the pain, to poison darts and sneaking up from behind and stabbing them in the back, Samurais were honorable people with a strict code of conduct. The Bushido was to be adhered to, no matter the cost.

How does "Bushido" factor into this game?
The entire game revolves around this honor code. Break the Bushido code and you lose, no matter how many enemies you kill.

Be honorable. Your opponent will begin each battle with a line of dialogue; attack while they're speaking and unprepared, and it's game over.
"Your opponent turned their back! Strike them down while they're vulnerable!" Do that, and guess what happens. Yup, game over.
Remember though, you may have to be honorable, but your foe does not. Sound unfair? More like realistic.

So how serious is this Bushido code? Serious enough that if you break it, the only honorable thing to do is kill yourself. Serious enough that if a Samurai lost a battle, they would actually ask their enemy to kill them.

Honor isn't life, honor is more important than life. Welcome to the world of the Bushido; "Better to die a thousand deaths of the honorable, than to live the life of the coward".

What makes the Bushido violation loss even more painful is the fact that if you break the Bushido somehow, you'll be permitted to continue playing until around the halfway point of the game when you'll be given a message that basically says "Cowards cannot finish this journey", and then you'll be sent back to the title screen. Yeah, they just spat in your face, and you deserved it, you coward! Well they think you did anyway.


My experience
So as I said at the start, I saw this ad as a child (seven or eight) and was mystified by the idea of a fighting game with no health bar. I wanted to play this so badly, but I fidn't have a PlayStation, and I'd only had my N64 for a year, so there was no way I would be getting a PlayStation anytime soon.

So the years rolled by, and I forgot all about Bushido Blade...

Then one fateful day I entered my local video rental store and saw Bushido Blade...wait, no...dust off the case. Is that...? It is! It's a 2! Well I'd recently used my birthday money and split the cost of our very own PlayStation with my brother, and now here I stood looking at a copy of Bushido Blade 2. Opportunity had finally come knocking on my little gamer door.

So back at the house I eagerly popped in the disc and waiting oh so impatiently for the game to begin. It looked so amazing, I just knew I would have a blast playing it. I was not disappointed. Well, not until the game suddenly stopped playing.

Bushido Blade! No! I had only begun playing it a day or two ago, and after all these years of waiting...
I never got that disc to work right again, and so it wasn't until recently that I got to play this game again thanks to emulation. Well I played Bushido Blade via emulation, not Bushido Blade 2, but it's a blast as well.


Is it worth the time?
No game is perfect, and Bushido Blade has it's faults just like any other game. Some attacks will be "blocked" despite your enemy not actually blocking them. So the contact boxes are a little off at times, what game from back in the day didn't have this problem at some points? Bushido Blade is easily one of the best games of it's time in my personal experience, and many modern games could learn a few things from it. I rate it a 10/10 based on fun alone. Too bad Square stopped at two instead of making it into a series...


That's All, Folks!
Well that wraps it up for this month's edition of the VSM. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'd love to hear from you on what you thought of it. Are there any portions you would like to see discontinued or added back from previous editions? As always, I'm looking for feedback to make this article better all the time.

Tune in next month when we'll cover:

-The Console War

-Upcoming Games

-Seasonal Gaming Suggestions: October = Horror time

-PSN Sales

Until next time, keep it real, keep on gaming, and keep it Sony.

NHL 15 should make "The Ugly" category: http://kotaku.com/eas-new-hockey-game-missing-crucial-features-fans-upse-1631260576. Not that it was worth getting a pretty much copy+paste of the same game made the previous year as it is. 

As far as Danganronpa 2 goes though, I would have it go into another category, but that's just me. Great story-line, excellent characters, neat art-direction, etc. Then again, you said you had not played it, and thus I suppose it would make sense that the description would end up lacking/one feeling not particularly in favor of something. For those who are interested: the game is a direct-sequel to the previous game. It features visual novel-esque storytelling as well as some various other forms of gameplay. The gist of the story is as follows: some high-school age kids get trapped in a high school, and the only known way out is if you kill someone without anyone else ever finding out. However, if you have not played the first game, you should definitely play that first, otherwise you probably won't understand a lot of what is going on. For more in-depth information: Danganronpa 2 Review. 

Otherwise, I liked the article. Nice work. 

sop281 : I hadn't seen that, but indeed it looks pretty terrible. : Thanks for letting me know that (and posting it here for others as well). And yeah, Danganropa doesn't look like a terrible game, it was just one of the less interesting games this month (largely due to the lack of available detail on actual gameplay). It at least looked as interesting as the Naruto game to me, but I have some experience with past Naruto games so I was a bit more informed on that one.

Thanks for reading and commenting by the way>

Eirinn : Yes, another Naruto Shippuden game. I love Naruto Shippuden anime show, so I guess I will give this new Naruto game a try. I heard for this Naruto game, "Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution" that the player can play many kinds of characters in the game during story mode, so I am looking forward to that feature as what
characters can you play and how many characters you can play in the game. This game would be my second game in the series of "Ultimate Ninja Storm" that I will get, so hopefully I don't need background information from past "Ultimate Ninja Storm" games. I think they also said that the game has a new revamped battle system, so I guess it will be different from its predecessors. I'm just saving for many games, but don't have much money, so I might not get this Naruto game in return to get another game in the future that I can't wait to get.
 
As the "Velocity 2X", I personally do not like side-scrolling games, so I would tell you that you should not even think about it because usually in side-scrolling games, you do not have the ability to explore your surroundings and I am one of those gamers who likes that kind of feature in a game. It helps me immerse myself into the game world, so I feel more a part of the game than just playing a game and going through the story without anything on the side to occupy your time with in a game. The biggest thing in games (I think) is being able to explore your surroundings through a big detailed map, so anything that has a lot of exploring I could say I would like to get as a game.

Then for the PSP Vita, smartphones and tablets, I think that when doing remote play with them with PS4 that I think the remote play will only give the player accessibility to certain features of the game than being able to play the whole game from the PS4 on your smartphone or tablet. I think the PSP Vita will lose some sales due to the remote play with smartphones and tablet because some people may already have a smartphone, tablet, and PS4, but not a PSP Vita, so I think they will just use remote play with their smartphone and tablet rather than buying another piece of technology or the PSP Vita in hopes that the smartphone and tablet will have the same accessibility as the PSP Vita will have with the PS4. Another great job Eirinn! Keep up the good work!

Nice to see someone else who knows of the magnificence of Bushido Blade. I actually had it for my PSX, and although my memory from that time is very blurry, it was enough to remember how it was played, and the title somehow made it to one of those recondite empty spaces in my brain. A little search after, everything popped out in my mind, and I requested it to be added as a playable game for those who have the PSX item here in Vizzed. I didn't try the sequel, but maybe we could ask for its addition too, if it doesn't differ that much from the original it's a must add.

happiness7 : I love a good side-scrolling game, but the key word there is "good". It takes a very specific set of ingredients to make a side-scrolling game good in my opinion. One such game would be an old PC game called Alex Gordon. It was a silly little platformer, but I've been hooked on that game for about four years now, despite having beaten it probably ten times. It's rare that I play a game again after beating it, and even more rare that I play it that many times through and keep coming back for me. I could list another game, but it's still active and a browser based game, so it would be to close to advertising for me to feel comfortable doing so. But Velocity 2X just doesn't appeal to me at all. I like exploring and doing all there is to do too much to enjoy a game that's all about playing fast. It could be fun for a while, but it wouldn't have too much lasting appeal.


That's entirely possible about the PS Vita. I hope it doesn't happen that way though. I think Sony stands a small chance of not losing a ton of Vita sales, but I do think they'll take a pretty big hit. We'll see i9n just a few weeks though. Hopefully it pays off for Sony, and even if the Vita sales drop drastically, it'll be a profit if the phone and tablet sales jump enough to pass the Vita loss, as the phones and tablets will probably cost the same as the Vita, if not more.

And thanks for reading and commenting. I always appreciate hearing back from speople, especially when they have so much to say about the article.



EX Palen : Thanks a ton for suggesting that game. I wanted to request it, but I'd already chosen my game (Future Cop L.A.P.D.), and I was unclear if we were allowed to request more or not. And yeah the sequel was just like the first, but better as it had some added features and modes. The story mode is a lot more detailed and in depth as well, allowing you to control a team of sorts rather than playing as one person only, and if memory serves, the story changes depending on which team members survive. I keep hoping Square will shock the world with a Bushido Blade 3 one day. lol