PlayStation Vita Launch: Once more unto the breach

Ever since I've been earning real money, every console launch feels like an intense battle between my impulses and my near non-existent sense of self-control.

Believe it or not, during the launch of the 3DS, Self-Control had some important victories. With the PlayStation Vita arriving tomorrow, however, Impulse is proving that those victories were due in great part to Nintendo not having their shit together when it came to day one releases for their new portable. Two games worth owning (Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition and Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars for those interested), with very little to look forward to until what would end up being the end of 2011. Sure, the 3DS' outlook is far rosier than it was in March/April last year; but I'll admit that I still look back with my fair share of bitterness at what was the most lacklustre console launch since that of the Nokia N-Gage.

What I'm trying to say is: I've already spent so much money on the Vita and I don't even have one in my hands.

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It's crazy when you think about it. $350 for the console bundled with a copy of Ridge Racer (a game that I wouldn't have thought to purchase on its own), $65 for a proprietary storage device, nearly $200 on five games in transit from the United Kingdom (thanks ozgameshop!), and what I'm sure will end up being about another 2 or 3 hundred dollars more when the PlayStation Store updates with all those wonderful digital downloads sometime in the next twenty-four hours. Will I end up playing these games enough to feel as though I've gotten my money's worth? No chance in hell. Will I fell like a big man for approximately 3.5 days? Abso-freaking-lutely!

I know it's wrong to complain about being blessed with an overabundance, but I realise now - more than ever - that I have a serious problem. The appeal of a shiny new console tears away at my defenses and leaves my wallet open to larceny of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae proportions. I could be saving this money and put it towards the dream of a pet-friendly apartment in Melbourne. But then again, if I did, how would I pay for all those launch titles?

If this was a series of tweets, each would be marked with the hashtag #firstworldproblems. Please dismiss this post as the excited ramblings of a  twenty-something year old child.

Who's picking up a Vita tomorrow? Don't tell mw I'm alone on this one?

In case you haven't played it: Dead or Alive: Dimensions (3DS) Review

For someone who has always loved fighting games, it took a long time for me to appreciate the Dead or Alive series for anything more than its reality-defying breast physics. As far as fighters went, it never seemed to have a cohesive narrative, there was a limited roster, and the fighting seemed simplistic. The only thing that truly kept me coming back was the lovingly-rendered, idealized female character models and - from the second installment - spectacular, multi-stage environments which allowed players to create some cringe-worthy falls and spills. It wasn't until Dead or Alive 4 that I began to see the inner-beauty of this beautiful fighting beast though; a counter-heavy, ferociously-quick style of combat that generated as much heat and intensity as the curvaceous women that the series was renowned for. Unfortunately, we haven't seen any Dead or Alive game that has focused on anything other than the ladies since the launch of the Xbox 360. After a small delay, Tecmo Koei have thankfully bucked this trend with Dead or Alive: Dimensions that acts as an anthology for this deceptively-deep fighting franchise.

The Good
Junk in the Trunk - Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a fully-featured fighter that offers just as much content as any of its console counterparts. Chronicle mode allows players to delve into the series' lore and explore the narrative of each of the franchise's four chapters. There are also genre standard Arcade, Survival and Training modes for solo play. The game features two kinds of online options, the first being a conventional online versus mode, the second is Throwdown mode which allows you to fight the ghost data of players that you unknowingly walk past using the system's StreetPass function. There is also the mission-based Tag Challenge mode, the controversial Showcase mode and a 3D Photo Album to preserve your potentially-perverted memories.

Jugs a poppin' - Pardon the reference to That 70s Show, but Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a system leader for visuals in both 2D and 3D. With the 3D slider turned off, the game runs at 60 frames per second with high quality character models and beautiful, expansive environments. Bump the slider up and the frame rate is cut in half, but what you get in return is 3D that pops out at you from the portable system's screen. The effect is impressive and vastly different to the 3D effects that I've seen in other 3DS games where the visuals appear to sink into the screen in layers. 

Storied Cast - Dead or Alive: Dimensions features a series-spanning cast of twenty-five fighters, each with unlockable and downloadable costumes. What's better than that is that each character's move list is displayed on the lower screen during every fight; making it easier than ever to acquaint yourself with each of these varied combatants.

Whether it's boobs or scuba suits: Dead or Alive has a character for you!

This is how we do it - On top of the aforementioned, readily available move lists, Chronicle mode introduces you to each of the mechanics at play in your standard DoA:D fight. Before the end of the third chapter you'll know the difference between a combo throw and an offensive hold, which is impressive, because I haven't been able to grasp any of these concepts previously after having engaged with the series all the way since its first installment on the PSone.

Watch your step - Multi-stage environments are back with a vengeance in Dead or Alive: Dimensions. I can't think of many other fighting franchises that allow players to finish almost every fight by knocking someone down a flight of stairs (or off a cliff, or through a window). I can't think of any other 3D fighter that offers as many falls, thrills and spills as this one.

The Bad
Harder! - Even on True Fighter difficulty, the challenge presented is far from insurmountable. You could argue that the Chronicle mode taught me how to defend myself against increasingly-tougher opponents, but I would reject that as spam is still an acceptable strategy against AI opponents in any mode, at any difficulty level. I managed to beat ninety-nine opponents out of one hundred opponents in the hardest survival challenge with about three interchangeable combos. Sure I didn't conquer the final opponent, but I didn't deserve to win with the tactics I had chosen to employ.

I thought we were friends - Tag Challenge mode can only be played with an AI companion, and they have no idea what's going on. They may decide to interrupt a promising combo or juggle, either that or jump in just after you've tagged them out due to ill health. With the right choice of partner - in my case Brad Wong - your computer-controlled friend may just be competent enough to weather the over-powered storm. 

Fingers meet chalkboard - The sound design found in DoA:D is woeful across the entire package. The repetitive music begins the assault on your ears, but the recycled victory cries and abysmal voice work throughout Chronicle mode ensured that the volume was turned down and even off during prolonged play. 

The Ugly 
Twisted Tale - For all that I learnt about how to play DoA:D while playing Chronicle mode, I still have no idea what the outcomes of the story's four chapters were. To say the narrative was nonsensical would be a massive understatement, with peripheral characters being thrown in to create the illusion of a tournament and villains that appear with no rhyme or reason. To give you an idea of the abject craziness on offer, in chapter 4 - which is based on the events of DoA4 - I defeated the boss character (from that game at least), Alpha-152 but the story didn't end. In fact, several other characters seemed to be making their way through a tournament of their own in another part of the ominous Tri-Tower. It appeared as Team Ninja were just throwing in fights for the sake of extending the mode's length. Nowhere is this observation more obvious in the mode's epilogue which attempts to weave an intricate sub plot into the main story. This bumbling attempt to redeem one of the series' central villains would be laughable if it weren't so long and unnecessary.

Stop! Or my mom - who was killed in an earlier chapter - will shoot!

The Ninja Report - Throughout the cut-scenes in Chronicle mode you're presented with text biographies of characters and explanations of events from the DoA series. That can be helpful, however you're also shown definitions of words like "conglomerates," which while interesting, is somewhat insulting to an average adult's intelligence.

Online Slideshow - I haven't been able to trial local wireless multiplayer, but any online fights I've managed to find have been nothing more than a stuttering mess. Don't get me wrong, it's far from unplayable, but it falters significantly when compared to the competition. When the only competition on the console (Super Street Fighter: 3D Edition) offers what I described as an online experience that matches its console brethren, anything less - which is what Dead or Alive: Dimensions presents - is unacceptable. This also inevitably impacts on the longevity of the experience players will have with this title, as most will be forced to play against inconsistent AI almost exclusively in light of the spotty connectivity. Also, there's no ability to engage in tag battles online: that, dear readers, is criminal.

Controversy - As detailed in my previous post, Dead or Alive: Dimensions once again straddles the borders of taste in regards to the representation of age and sexuality. With teenage combatants dressed in outfits that would make some exotic dancers blush and the potentially voyeuristic Showcase mode, the game has been pulled off store shelves in Australia after not even a month on sale. For the sake of allowing a greater audience to experience this great fighter free of guilt, I plead that Team Ninja afford their child characters a little more modesty in future iterations (or just make them older, you know what they say: time heals all wounds). This is not child pornography - as an alarmist reporter from the Sydney Morning Herald claimed - but it does take the Dead or Alive brand of voyeurism to an uncomfortably-high, almost indefensible level.

It's OK Kasumi, I'm outraged too.

The Verdict
7.0/10 - For those who like to fight alone, Dead or Alive: Dimensions comes highly recommended with a comprehensive offering of modes, a storied cast of characters and features that teach players how to play the game; and quickly at that. The graphics, both in terms of 2D and 3D planes are the best found on the system at the moment. The 3D is the kind I'm accustomed too, as it pops out from the screen at you and never fails to impress. The game is only held back by a nonsensical, almost frustrating narrative, inconsistent AI and connectivity issues. This is a great fighter, but the best games in the genre are defined in the heat of competition between people either locally or online. As I don't know anyone with a 3DS nearby, DoA:D has to deliver the competitive goods online, and it couldn't. It's a shame too, because with some decent netcode, Dead or Alive: Dimensions could have been the best fighter on the 3DS.

In case you haven't played it: Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition Review (3DS)

Despite what I've read in recent times, I don't believe the 3DS is a failure. I don't even think that the system launch was a failure. Sure the software lineup was fairly underwhelming, but when you sell a few million units in just over a month, you'd find it hard to argue that Nintendo has failed by any stretch of the imagination. Under-performed? Undoubtedly, but there have been many a console with a sub-par list of launch titles. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition however, is one the undeniable successes of the Nintendo 3DS launch, being the most comprehensive iteration in the fighting franchise's recent history.

The Good

On paper - Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is undoubtedly the most complete version of the critically acclaimed title, Super Street Fighter IV. Featuring all of the characters (including most of the costumes made available as DLC for the home console versions), modes, and capabilities found in the home console versions, as well as new features like Lite controls, game-sharing and a Figurine mode. Not only does the 3DS launch with one of the best fighting games ever released, it does so with few compromises and new content. On paper, SSFIV:3D is an essential launch title and an essential purchase for fighting game enthusiasts.

 World's best fighter + fancy costumes = Winner! 

Faithful - Any portable fighter's viability is subject to the design of the console for which it is being developed. In the case of the Nintendo 3DS, players have three different control options: Lite, Pro with the d-pad and Pro with the circle pad (just in case you are wondering, one does not have to make a definitive choice between pads, you can switch between the two on a whim; or a slip of the finger). Each of these options make for responsive control schemes, each with their own limitations. Lite is explored in more detail throughout this review, however both Pro options afforded me the ability to perform all of my favourite moves with a minimum of discomfort. The only criticism I can make is that the shoulder buttons can be difficult to press in a heated encounter. The 3DS should be home to many a great fighter thanks to its ergonomic design. 

 The 3DS affords enough control methods to make these a regular occurence

High Fidelity - To put it bluntly, I was absolutely blown away by the high connection quality I encountered when I engaged in online competition with this game. Without exaggeration, SSFIV:3D offers the best competitive online experience when compared to its console and desktop brethren. At worst, I would notice a stutter before a fight commenced. For the majority of my online bouts however, I was not presented with a single hitch or instance of lag. Any missteps I made couldn't be attributed to anything other than my own lack of skill or finesse.

At your own pace - SSFIV:3D offers two methods of control for player to adopt, Lite and Pro. Lite controls allow you to macro any four moves from your selected fighter's arsenal to the touch pad, literally meaning that every character's most powerful moves are at a beginner's - or even a lazy veteran's - fingertips. Pro mode is for the purists among us who like to be responsible for delivering specials, EX moves, supers and ultras direct to our opponents without much assistance. Pro mode still allows players to macro certain actions like 3X punch/kick, throws, focus attacks and personal actions to the touch pad; which is handy considering that the shoulder buttons can provide impediment to some of the more sophisticated manoeuvres. The developers have done a great job of providing an entry point for new players, as well as catering to the hardcore community.

Meta-games - The addition of Lite controls has the ability to strip away some of the pretence from some of the more imposing characters on SSFIV:3D's comprehensive roster. The end result is battles that were not previously imaginable, with the rules that balance the game being thrown out the window. Guile can now defend himself from a flurry of hadoukens, Honda can escape from any corner with the touch of a button. Lite controls makes for an entirely different experience.

The Bad

Suspended animation - While SSFIV:3D is a superb-looking portable fighter, the charming background animations present in the home console versions have been removed from each fight locale. This may sound like a petty quibble, but those who have spent any great amount of time with the home console version of the game will be yearning for the laughing children witnessing the fight at the underpass, or the animals peppered across the landscape in the usually visually-striking level, Solar Eclipse. I would have savoured the chance to see these locations in all of their visual splendour, even if it meant removing a feature like 3D Versus which is a distraction at best.

No ne3d - Super Street Fighter IV's brand of frantic, though balanced action is not really enhanced by 3D graphics in any meaningful way. When I first played the game, I'll admit that I found the effect to have impressive depth. Upon sustained play however, I often found myself turning the effect off close to the beginning of a play session, as it is very hard to keep the 3DS level when you're under the pump. My preference would have been for the developers to abandon 3D and perhaps apply the system's processing power towards smoothing the animations and employing some of the home console version's more impressive visual effects.

Any takers? - Upon launch, it was hard to find an online competitor to battle using Pro controls. If I wanted to indulge the hardcore in me, I was destined to fight against those using simplified controls. Any of these battles were over before they began, as my opponents' command of their respective arsenals was too much for me to mount any kind of defence. Perhaps if the developers offer some incentive for players to remove the Lite training wheels we would see more people Fight Like a Man. This problem appears to have been rectified however, as I can now find a fight regardless of my orientation toward a specific control scheme.

The Ugly

Clutch plays - The greatest moments found in any fighting game are those forged in the midst of competitive play; when both players are locked in a close match and one is able to pull off the ultra, the super, or even special moves required in tense situations to grab the win. With the proliferation of Lite controls, the most vital and addictive element of SSFIV's gameplay formula can potentially be lost. Dexterity is no longer a requisite for success, it all comes down to timing and if not that, luck. You can choose to stubbornly stick to the ways of the Old Guard and adopt Pro controls and fight all takers, but rest-assured you will lose, and you will lose badly. Besides how can one prevail when a Flash Kick, or even a Spinning Piledriver is at every player's finger tips? Balance has been banished to memory, with convenience now king in the fighting game genre. What Street Fighter IV did to revive the fighter may just as easily be undone by the simplified control schemes formulated to pander to the casual, and the newcomer. Couple that with Marvel Vs Capcom 3's casual slant and I can't help but fear that Capcom is watering-down its storied fighting franchises to appeal to a wider audience: for better or for worse.

Simplified controls - Will this kill-off the figthing genre's revival?

So long, EX - Players who employ Lite controls may not even be aware that each special move has an EX variant. This is because it makes no sense to macro 3X punch or kick to the touch pad in place of a special or ultra, and it is damn near impossible to press all three attack buttons at the same time. Don't believe me? Then I challenge you to try it yourself. Lite mode not only cheapens the battle, but it dilutes it as well.

Reissu3d - As great as the game is, I must admit that my tolerance for paying full retail price for what is essentially the same game, multiple times has been reached; to the point where my enthusiasm for the Street Fighter IV product itself is beginning to wane drastically. There is no denying that this package presents great value to fighting game enthusiasts, but after Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV on home consoles and PC, Street Fighter IV on iOS devices and the incoming Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition for all major platforms, one can't help but feel as though the brand is being milked.

The Verdict

8.0/10.0 - Upon reflection, most of my criticisms of Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition stem from my fears about where the fighting game genre is headed as opposed to any particular flaws I came across in my time with the game. This is the best portable fighter since Tekken: Dark Resurrection. What you get here is the total package: the core product in Super Street Fighter IV; most of the extra trimmings afforded to the home console audience; new, worthwhile features that integrate functions of the portable console; and now that more people are playing it, the best online experience you can have with the brand. You also get 3D graphics if you're so inclined. Highly recommended, but those who have experience with the home console versions may experience an overwhelming sense of deja vu.