Blog, Blog, Bloq

 The time to write has come once again. And I was really unsure of what to tackle. With so many different interests and no real direction, I was kind of stumped. But then as I was looking at some music to listen to, I remembered Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Not in the sense of like an old friend, but because I had recently gotten to see some Third Strike, in-person, being played for money. It makes me happy each time. Even with my limited knowledge, I can enjoy the game for the technical skill and decision making that goes into each match. Like, the way people play each character, and how they approach each situation with them differs based on the player. You never see two Kens play the same way in a mirror match. No amount of sitting back and gaining meter through whiffed normals is gonna speed the game along, because at some point you have to make a decision. And that's where a lot of the excitement comes from. That quick reflexive nature makes each punish matter.  So, ...

 At this point, it's well documented that I love Horror games. And recently I have been playing through some Resident Evil titles. So far on my journey, I have gone through RE1 Remake, RE2 Remake, and RE3 Remake. Those are the completions thus far, with RE: Code Veronica being my current playthrough at the moment. I think that all of these games bring something unique and fun to the table, but what I really want RE to come back around on is the Fixed Camera.  I don't mind if they bring back Tank Controls because I can do with or without them. However, I think that having a classic styled RE game like how Prince of Persia recently came out with a 2D sidescroller or how Mario and Sonic still utilize 2D gameplay alongside their modern 3D stuff can still be fulfilling. So, I think that RE1R makes a powerful case for going back to the Fixed Camera.  There are a number of elements that play into this train of thought for me. The first being that second word, perspective. Perspe...

 The time has finally come for fans of 1995s Clock Tower. As the release for Clock Tower: Rewind is finally upon us. And it gives everything needed in order to show that it still has it. I have been anticipating this release since the announcement was made. Clock Tower was a series that died before its time, and now it's in the hands of everyone worldwide for the first time legitimately. No more emulators for Jennifer needed. So, I implore anyone reading this to go and buy this game. The amount of love packed into it is more than worth the price.  But what makes this game worth it? The simple answer is everything, yet that doesn't sell many people on why they should care. And I don't blame them because the era of Horror in Video Games and Movies is booming. There are so many projects coming and going that it's overwhelming. However, what Clock Tower brings to the genre is ingenuity, beauty, and that love for Horror and the movies that it takes inspiration from.  To star...

 With the incoming worldwide release of the original Clock Tower, I thought to load up the PS3 for some Clock Tower 3. (Shoutouts to the base model PS3, a GOATed device for sure.) And having never played it, I was curious as to how the series had progressed from the original to the latest named entry. To be frank, I think that this game is just OK. There are some real novel concepts and ingenuity put forth that gets bogged down in some of the later sections. That's really what makes me not love this game, despite the charm that it exudes.  Like, the cutscene direction is phenomenal. The way that the characters move and emote is easily one of my favorite things in games. They are flamboyant and wacky in their mannerisms, which helps add to some of the uneasiness that Clock Tower 3 offers. It makes me wish for more games to embrace this kind of silliness. Alas, we need to copy movies right now because that is what sells a gazillion units. So, the main point of this mini-rant is ...

 Postponing my Elden Ring post again because the Final Boss is beating my ass. So that means I can talk about one of my favorite events of the year, EVO. The Evolution Championship Series is back in Vegas once again. And I couldn't be more excited. It is easily the most entertaining major in the FGC because of the emotions that come out of it. Many players gear up for the chance to take the crown year after year. And the payoff is always tremendous when someone wins. In all my years of viewership, I have only seen a few instances of of the crowd not being moved by the victor. My journey with this tournament began over ten years ago when I used to watch Tekken Tag 2 sets. So, I was well aware of JDCR and Knee. Yet, I wouldn't really buy into the community until years later. My only points of knowledge were Tekken and Evo Moment #37. Like, I remember showing my friends the clip, and just being flabbergasted by Daigo's insane reaction and execution in the sequence. This type o...

 Last weekend I was watching some of the best fighting game players in the world compete on the grandest stage. While that was exhilarating, this week I am tuning into Flame Fatales. A speedrunning event that raises money for Malala Fund, a charity that advocates and supports for education for girls. The event features women and non-binary speedrunners. This event may not get the recognition that its parent, Games Done Quick, gets, but it deserves it nonetheless. The runners are exceptional and we get to see communities and runners that may not get awarded the same screen time during the big events like SGDQ and AGDQ.  The event is in full swing while in the midst of Day Three. I tuned in for a bit on Sunday, but I was hooked on the runs from yesterday. That hook was when I noticed that Illblleed was being ran. A Dreamcast exclusive that I have never played, yet the speedruns for the game are so fun to watch everytime. This survival horror game is set in a theme park with some...

 A couple days ago, Clock Tower was announced to be getting a remaster at the Limited Run Games Showcase that would be led by WayForward, Capcom, Sunsoft, and Limited Run Games themselves. An announcement that came out of nowhere like much of the showcase. Go check it out if you haven't, a lot of nostalgia packed into one event. But Clock Tower stood out to me because I love horror films and games. And Clock Tower was a game I only really remember for speedruns.  So, I decided to educate myself by watching a breakdown of the series from Tangomushi on YouTube. That video made me even more excited to dive into the series. The problem with that though was the accessibility of the games. All of the entries aside from the original are well over a hundred dollars for physical copies. But since the original never got an English release, there are plenty of ways to download or simply play the game through emulation. That's what I did. I booted up the game and I played it in full and m...

 My post this time around is to go support Games Done Quick if you are reading this the week it is happening. Sadly, due to the schedule I have made for these posts, I cannot do a recap like I did with Awesome Games Done Quick earlier in the year. Seeing as we are on day three of the event, there is still plenty of time.  There have already been entertaining runs like the Banjo-Kazooie 100% No FFM that was ran by duck or the Bloodstained block that featured runs from The Blacktastic and DanTheVP with the bonus run of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night being ran by Dr4gonBlitz that capped the block off. Different skill points in speed tech being shown off across these games with engaging commentary to boot.  There is no doubt that the rest of the week will feature some absolutely insane games that I have never seen before, much like every GDQ event. So, I will have the runs playing in the background for the whole week like I always do, shifting focus for my most anticipate...