The Bittersweet End (DWG3 DLC Teirea Erde/GN-008 SERAVEE Gundam)

All good things must come to an end, but this one refuses to go silently into the night. Teirea Erde, the final member of Celestial Being and the last announced DLC character for Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3, comes with his second season mech Seravee (yes, you can access Seraphim as well though combo attacks and the combination Mushu Attack).

Being a heavy armament type, this mech can take some punishment while countering with high-power attacks with a long, wide range. The unit is equipped with all six beam sabers for highly effective melee attacks, and the dual bazookas plus the shoulder-mounted beam cannons provide for excellent dash and ranged damage. it is very similar to the GP-02 in that respect, but with more offensive power and options.



This is the last DLC character pack that we know of, and I highly doubt that more will be announced. This one is definitely worth the money though, and it will round out the 00 trope, giving you even more a reason to pick it up.

WE'RE IN SPACE (KR Fourze 1)

Another fall, another Rider, but this one has an ace up his sleeve. The power of SPACE!!!

Just watch out for space cops.

Yes, and now I'm going to hear that voice every time I start an episode. Anyway back the really topic: Fourze. Ok, as some of you might know, I love 555. He is definitely one of my top five Riders (V3, W, Decade and Den-O would round out the rest, in no order) with one of the best belts systems ever. Watching Takumi fumble around on the battlefield while trying to equip his Faiz Pointer, getting the Rider Kick in at the very last second, was always a pleasure, so when I heard about Fourze, I peed a little.

Sure, I'm not in love with the whole composite hero thing, since it seems like we have had three similar systems almost back-to-back. Yes, he seems kinda similar to OOO (both are kinda oblivious but incredibly loyal) but whatever (and are they in the same universe?). I like the suit design, albeit had to grow on me at first, as it works well with the abilities Fourze is capable of, and Gentaro Kisaragi is hard not to love, between the hair and the attitude.

If you haven't seen episode one, you can find it here at TV Nihon.

Combo breaker?

Gentaro seems to be a good fit for the theme too. He is very likable and his' will to put everything on the line for friendship. A perfect fit to a series with the tag-line "Youth switches on into outer space!"

While the episode is kinda disjointed, we do find out some major plot implications for the future. For one, Kengo's dad is the man who is killed at the beginning of the show . . . in space. We also know that Gentaro and our Rider Girl Yuuki are childhood friends inching ever closer to their lifelong dreams, and that one of the school officials (I presume headmaster) is in control of the Zodiarts, creatures bearing the powers of constellations. Kengo, while willing, is unable to effectively become Fouze and barely has the strength to man the Powerdizer.

Because every hero needs a pose . . . and a Rider girl.

The characters have a huge potential for growth, and I' interested to see which direction they take with the foil Rider. If anyone has info please link, but I imagine it's going to either be a new character or Shun (because he is an ass).

Episode two in just one week away, and I already can't wait!

Kamen Rider and Sentai progress

So, you probably noticed the lack of Bleach/Sentai/KR in while. I'm working on that. As far at 000 is concerned, I'll do a comprehensive wrap once I finish the series(XD), and I'll be back to current on Gokaiger soon as well. Bleach is totally bananas right now So I'm just going to assume you've ready though all that shit, and are current as well. Next week should mark the return of all of these and the debut of Fourze.

BTW, if you know where I can torrent Ep. 1, lemme know. TVNihon is letting me down a bit . . .

The Power Lies in the Name (El Shaddai: Ascent of the Metatron - PS3 and Xbox 360)

If you had told me a year ago that there was going to be a cool game based on the book of Enoch, I would have given you a tin foil hat to help keep the voices out of your head. El Shaddai, however, is incredible. One of the best action games I've played in years, El Shaddai has you playing as Enoch, charged with hunting down and capturing seven fallen angels in order to prevent a cataclysmic flood. Enoch is aided on his quest by the angel Lucifel (he's good in this one, hence the "l" see) and four archangels: Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, Michael.

AAAAAWWWWW!!!!!

Directed by Takeyasu Sawaki (Devil May Cry, Okami) and produced by Ignition Studios, this game is a seven-hour paper-rock-scissors action adventure game that got a hold of some really good acid. Enoch can wield 1 of 3 weapons over the course of the game: sword-like the Arch, the deadly-accurate ranged Gale and the Veil gauntlets which can form into a shield. Essentially, these weapons work on a paper-rock-scissors scheme with Veil deflecting Gale, Gale sniping Arc, and Arc besting Veil. This weapons degrade overtime, but Enoch can purify any weapon (even those held by enemies) to increase it's effectiveness and damage. Purification is also great for disarming opponents to change the tide of battle quickly.

Yes, yes a basic formula that is easy to understand but very hard to master at high difficulty levels. Even on normal difficulty, the player must understand the relationship between these weapons or face never-ending peril once they hit "the tower" (trust me, you'll know it when you see it) and start the actual game. Enoch's battle animations are exciting and dramatic as well. You'll find yourself leaping over targets, sliding under golems or manhandling multiple enemies using the Gale's fangs like Byakuya's petals.

Yeah, he's a good guy in this one right?

The combat, however, is not what keeps you in this game. The psychedelic art and creative game design draw you further into the story better than any other mechanic in this game. Taking place on glowing mountains made of light, the training stages offer incredible visuals while constantly shifting between dramatic 3D action/adventure gameplay to 2D platforming. This type of innovative approach to a basic game format is exactly what I look forward to in new IPs, and El Shaddai goes full tilt in the innovation department. There is even a Tron-esque motorcycle stage!

This game looks so awesome I want to vomit.

I absolutely loved this game, but it has some drawbacks. While the game doesn't really punish you for dying (You have to mash buttons in order to revive your character if you die in combat. Otherwise, God literally snaps his fingers and you go back to the last solid platform unless you have lost all possible revives and armor.), I found myself incorporating death into some of my endgame battle plans. While you revive with only half armor, sometimes this I just enough to get your though a battle. I'm not quite sure if this is really a complaint, but it was definitely something that stuck with me for better or worse. The backgrounds and environments, like I mentioned before, are amazing but sometimes they are a bit too distracting. Tack on cumbersome camera controls and you get a recipe for disaster during some of the 3D platforming segments. I'm sure my downstairs neighbors would agree on how frustrating this can become.

The game is wroth the money though, if you are into this type of stuff. This is the best action/adventure game I have played since Bayonetta, and the most innovative platformer I've picked up in years. El Shaddai is infectious, inspiring and insanely fun. The gameplay (save the camera) is spot on and dynamic, the story is truly inspired and the artwork is incredible to say the least.

(Programming note: Traded in Bleach for D4, because yes. Review in the next few days. Also Starfox 64 3DS and new Rider talk)

Lightning Can Strike Twice (DWG3 DLC Allelujah Haptism/GN-007 ARIOS)

It's Gundam time again, and this week marks the release of the third OO DLC character, Celesital Beings resident schizophrenic Allehujah Haptism. Of course he comes with his season 2 mech, GN-007 Arios. Too bad Soma isn't tagging along in the GNR-101, but Arios is still a power addition to the Gundam force.

Just like in the series, Arios is very quick. It is as quick as Cherudim, but a bit more beam saber heavy in his attacks. Its build is actually very similar to Reborns but with more powerful special equipment (Original Solar Furnace = Raiser System), better combo attacks and a cooler paint job.

Arios can also transform into in Archer Form, or aerial form, which greatly increases the efficency of booster output. Certain combos also utilize this form to deal extra hits and charging attacks using its GN Shield pincers.

Just on note on the pilot Allehujah: is anyone else weirded out by his name? When I was originally watching he series I thought it was a translation error, with the subbers mistaking the "B" for a soft "H." Now, I'm remembered how much that name bothers me nearly every day. Really Sunrise? Y u do dis?

Anyway, the DLC follows the same mech/meister/mission formula that the other DLC packs established and is worth the purchase in my mind, especially if you are a OO fan.