One of my favorite features of Tekken 6 that really keeps me coming back is the customization options.  I love creating different outfits and earning new items, I will even brave the highly annoying campaign mode just to do so…

I was surprised to learn that certain equipable items now unlock new moves or variations on existing moves.  The above video highlights a number of such moves which range from comical to just plain brutal.

A second video which features  a few more moves can be found below.  It also shows the effects of a number of equipable rage effects.  Rage is a status a character enters when their HP becomes critically low, or after charging up.  More damage is dished out as well as a few other changes you may notice.

Acquiring these rare effects requires some luck and persistence as they cannot simply be purchased like most other items.  After winning (or in some cases losing) a match, a roulette event will ensue.  In most cases the prize is a random amount of gold, but very rarely the player will hit the jackpot and acquire a rare item which may be one of the rage effects.

It may not surprise you to learn that a bit of an exploit has been found which will allow you to re-roll the reel event as many times as you can stand re-loading your game:

The creativity and humor behind this system is one of the reasons I really love the Tekken series.  Sure you can be an old  martial arts expert and pulverize someone with a glowing black aura, but you can also be a Panda in a tutu, dancing the hell out of them.

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I don’t consider myself a gamer who is very serious about fighting games.  I find that succeeding in fighters requires a commitment I am just not prepared to base my life around.  RPGs… now that’s a different story!  Anyway, Tekken is really the only exception for me.  I have been quite the Tekken fan since some friends on mine decided to declare it the official fighter for our circle years ago.

Tekken 6, which was released yesterday, is the latest installment in the 15 year franchise.  I attended a midnight release/tournament held at a local Best Buy, run by my vlog co-host NutGarden5 the other night.  I didn’t even place, but truly I was just there to grab a copy and have a good time; mission accomplished.  So what was the consensus and/or my opinion?

The first thing many people in attendance were discussing was the irritatingly long load-times when entering a battle.  This was really not welcomed in the tournament setting where people are already kind of on edge — determined to prove their worth through silent button pushing.  Eventually it was decided that the game should be installed on the PS3’s hard drive, which helped matters somewhat.  I have heard this problem is somewhat less severe on the Xbox, but can’t speak from personal experience.

The next day after the tournament I sat down with a few beers eager to get to know the game more intimately.  That sounds dirty doesn’t it?  Part of the appeal the series holds for me is the story surrounding the games staggering 42 characters.  I love clearing the game with each one and unlocking their ending movie.  The movies range from the super-dramatic to joystick-slapping-comical.  That being said, my first goal was of course to clear the game using my favorite characters.

That’s right: 42 characters

Eventually I figured out that progressing in the manor I desired required me to play through the game’s awkward action based campaign mode.  Just to give you an idea, it plays like a traditional fighter attempting to simulate a 3D environment with multiple foes.  While not incredibly difficult, this mode simply provides an irritating hurdle to progressing in the story.  Each boss you defeat unlocks that character allowing the player to clear their story and repeat.  I found the only positive aspect for the campaign was that you can pick up some weapons and accessories for your characters.  More on this in a bit.

Once I did finally clear the game with my favorite characters I was deeply disappointed to find that each video was maybe a minute or two long and usually brought nothing new to the table in terms of story.  If you’re really that curious I would suggest YouTube-ing them and saving yourself the hassle.

Campaign mode makes Roger sleepy

The customization aspect of Tekken provides one of the redeeming qualities and returns in the 6th volume with a vengeance.  There are quite a few more aspects of each character’s outfit that can be customized, but the high prices will keep you busy in both arcade and story mode.  If you share the game with a friend (or friends) that may help earn some scratch otherwise you’ll be grinding a bit.

Online play is the hottest element of fighters for this generation, but few games succeed in maintaining decent online play, with lag being the primary issue.  I haven’t had a chance to play the online mode since I pretty much just passed out last night, but I have heard Tekken 6 falls into this unfortunate category of lag-cripple-dom.  Supposedly a local online option makes things a bit smoother, but still not quite perfect.  There is nothing worse then spending hours committing a juggle to muscle memory only to learn that it is completely useless due to lag in online play…  After spending some quality time with online play I will probably post a follow up.

The 6 new characters introduced since the last game feature the series’ trademark balance issues.  For those who don’t know what I mean, new characters (for the most part) seem quicker and stronger than the returning characters.  You can expect to see them popping up quite a bit online and it will probably piss you off.

Tekken is a great series, but this version’s translation from the arcade leaves something to be desired, at least for a single player.  If you are looking for a fun fighter to play with your friends (who are in the same room) than you won’t be disappointed.  I would recommend chipping in on a single copy though…

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Back in March of last year I first learned about Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, and feverently followed news on the game since then.  I had all but given up hope on an English localization when it was announced today that Xseed Games has officially picked up the title.  For those unfamiliar with the game, I highly recommend checking out my collection of articles concerning it, or at the very least, downloading the songs by Teshima Aoi featured in the game.

There is no set release date, but Xseed is planning on releasing the game within the year.  I have heard from a few different sources that they are considering keeping the Japanese dialog, which I really hope is true!  There will, of course, be subtitles and optional dubbing.

I really am excited to finally play this game.  It’s just so interesting in terms of story. I am not sure why but I am obsessed with anything having to do with the life after people.  I am kind of hoping for an experience similar to Fallout 3, just more surreal.  The game’s appearance is especially striking despite it being for the Nintendo Wii. I think the art really helps support the appearance where the graphics may be a bit lacking.  The weapon and control system is really creative; I think they will contribute well to immersing the player in Seto’s post apocalyptic world.

Fragile is a 3D ruin-exploring RPG for the Nintendo Wii, initially produced by Bandai-Namco and tri-Crescendo.  It was released in Japan this January.

Related Entries:
All Kotowari articles concerning Fragile can be found here

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The bizarre mind behind Katamari Damacy has been working on another title for the Playstation Network called Nobi-Nobi Boy.  The game will be available for download in Japan on Thursday.  I think Takahashi may have succeeded in surpassing the insanity that was Katamari.  Now, rather than collecting garbage into an enormous ball, your goal is to stretch your character as far as possible.

The main… character’s (?) name is BOY and he is controlled by using both analog sticks to gain momentum and stretch.  Once a certain length is achieved, BOY’s length will permanently increase a bit, allowing a new, greater length to be attained.

Increasing the length of BOY also increases the length of GIRL, who stretches throughout the universe.  Reaching new heavenly bodies unlocks new levels for BOY.  Levels also contain various AI controlled critters that can be comically caught up in BOYs flailing.

You can check out the game’s official, albeit annoying Japanese website here.

Researching this game made me realize I still have not downloaded FlOwer yet… what is wrong with me? More importantly, what is wrong with the minds of the people who make these games? They are either saturated with illegal substances or trying to get us to consume some.

Related Entries:
Japanese Playstation Store Update

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Fragile has been out for just over a week now in Japan.  I haven’t been able to find the complete OST yet, but I was able to find the opening and closing songs on rpgmm’s garden.  I am so glad to finally be able to slap these damn songs on my iPod!  I used to just rewatch the trailers over and over and dream…  Anyway all credit goes to rpgmm, but I hope you guys enjoy these songs as much as I do!

Sometimes the bandwidth for rpgmm isn’t great, so I uploaded the rar to megaupload. The mirror is the original link.

Tracklisting:

Opening Song? Hikari ???, or “Light”
Singer : Teshima Aoi (???,)

Ending Song? Tsuki no Nukumori ????????, or “The Moon’s Warmth”
Singer : Teshima Aoi (???,)

Download Here
Mirror Here

Password: rpgmm

Related Entries:
All Kotowari articles concerning Fragile can be found here

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