Last Surprise & Tokyo Emergency

The Persona series is filled with great music.  Persona 3's Snow Queen and Persona 4's Your Affection are among the glorious tracks you'll hear in past games.  Persona 5 Royal continues the trend of Persona games cranking out the great tracks.

Pop Persona 5 Royal into your PS4 and you can expect to hear tracks such as A Woman, Take Over, Blooming Villain, Butterfly Kiss, and...you get the point.  There's too much good music to list.  Two tracks that stand out in particular are Last Surprise and Tokyo Emergency.

So, what makes these tracks so good?  I mean they are good, but not the best tracks.  They are, however, the only tracks that make me think of characters, so I like to view them as character themes.  Up first is Last Surprise.

Last Surprise is the song that plays when you fight Shadows.  It features full vocals and has sort of a Disco vibe to it.  For reasons unknown to even me, I consider it to be the theme of Ann, the eye-candy of the Phantom Thieves.

The game goes out of it's way to say, "She the hot one.  Drool, fools!"

Tokyo Emergency is the song that plays in school after you discover a Palace.  It's quite heavy on the guitar.  The organ gives it kind of a sporty sound, which reminds me of Makoto, the badass female of the Phantom Thieves.

Is it me or does she always look angry?

And those are just two of the great tracks from Persona 5 Royal.  Make sure you grab your copy so you can enjoy these tracks and more.

If I Were Making Dead Or Alive 7...

It appears as if Dead Or Alive 6 is dead.  The only players left are the hardcore crowd and true fans, like myself.  While I'm still hoping for a DOA 6 Ultimate or Last Round (which I will buy if it comes out), it's time to move on for the trainwreck that is DOA 6.  That means it's time to dust off my Hypernerd Workbench and put together a Dead Or Alive 7 wishlist.  So, if I were making DOA 7, I would...

1.  Make Better Costumes

Dead Or Alive 5 had lots of outfits for all your needs.  You had outfits that could make your character look cool, sexy, functional, or whatever.  DOA 6's costumes collection was a collective meh, especially the DLC ones.  Also, Zack has had bad outfits throughout the series.  Give that man some outfits that don't look...suspect.

I don't want this costume to return ever again.

Of course I'm not saying take away the sexy stuff, because that's one of the things that makes DOA what it is.  I love me some swimsuits (I don't think they should just be limited to Xtreme) and school uniforms.  I'm just saying to be a little more original and/or cool, especially when it comes to what the guys are wearing.

Swimsuits should not just be for the Xtreme series.

The creepy fetish outfits don't really have to go, but probably should have a limit.

More costumes like this, Team Ninja.

2.  Make Better Customization Options

DOA 6 had shitty customization.  There are several solutions to this, most of which have been mentioned ad nauseum.  One way I think customization could be improved is make it so that players can add take away parts of outfits.  I'm not talking about anything predictable, like trotting a character out in their underwear.  No, more like making small changes that can make the same outfit look drastically different.  For example, take Rig's default outfit, a hooded vest and work pants.  It looks cool and all, but I can't help but feel the ability to raise or lower the hood before the fight would make it that much better.  How about the ability to open or close jackets, as well as the ability to removing them from costumes that have them?  Simple things like that can reinvent the wheel without breaking it.  And I'll never say no to a color-selection palette.  All that is before we get to any actual accessories.

One thing I would NOT do is the one-size-fits-all garbage that games like Tekken and Soul Calibur do.  The pieces often look too big and awkward in those games.  This is also why I wouldn't do away with character-specific outfits and accessories.  They just look better.  DOA is a series that's always looked good.  Let's keep it that way.

As good as this outfit is, I've always wanted to lower the hood.

Kokoro's exercise outfit looks fine...

...but I'd like the option to add a jacket like this and unzip it as well.

I would love to change the length and color of socks like this.

3.  Make Better Character Choices

DOA 6 had a nice starting cast, but the characters they added via DLC left a little something to be desired.  I'm never going to be against Mai Shiranui in a DOA game no matter how many times they bring her back, and Tamaki is nice, but Kula Diamond...they could have done better.  Even from the King of Fighters roster, there were so many better choices than Kula.  I thought they should have mixed it up and added another guy, like Kyo or Terry.  If they were dead set on adding another girl, KOF has better option there as well, with King, Shermie, Leona, and the list goes on and on.  That's just characters from King of Fighters.  The could have added Virtua Fighter characters who didn't appear in DOA 5, such as Eileen and Lion.  Street Fighter characters like Cammy and Sakura would make my day.  And I'm praying they make a play for one or two Tekken characters, perhaps Asuka, Lili, and/or any of the Mishimas.  And I would have a nerdgasm if Ryofu from Ikkitousen made the cut.  Simply put, guest characters should make your players say, "Holy crap! Look who they added!"  Not, "Ehh…they could have chosen a better character."

NiCO and Diego were solid additions that I liked more than I thought I would.

Kula has grown on me over the years, but she has no business being in DOA.

4.  Stop Bullshit DLC Practices

Those season passes are total bullshit.  There is NO reason for a season pass to cost more than a brand new game that isn't heavily discounted.  For a game that's already less popular than the competition, that is suicide (hence the game is dead).  $90 season passes will only piss off the fans (speaking as a fan) and chase away anyone who might have been willing to give the game a try.  These passes should be $50 tops and even that's pushing it.

Does this make sense to you?

On the other hand, DOA 5 had $2000 of DLC.  Season passes can help reduce the costs if you want it all, but I prefer the pick-and-choose method when it comes to DLC, to avoid paying for shitty content.

5.  Have A Better Sense Of Direction

Even before the game came out it seemed DOA 6 was doing its best to kill itself.   First, they said they were going to avoid the skimpy outfits for the sake of being taken more seriously at tournaments.  This, of course, didn't sit well with the fans who weren't super hardcore because that's one of the things that sets the series apart.  Then they decided to throw in some skimpy outfits anyway, which pissed off outsiders (who weren't going to buy the game anyway).  The end result is that everyone got confused, it still wasn't taken seriously, and recorded low play numbers even at its peak.  Now, a mere one and a half years later, the game is dead.  Go all the way or don't go at all.  Trust your player base.  And above all, don't listen to bums who never have or will buy your game no matter what you do.

I would also get rid of that god-awful costume parts unlocking system.  Either bring back the old way of unlocking a costume each time you beat a game mode or have all the parts earned go towards whatever character the player is using.  The randomizing of parts would only be acceptable in the instance that you unlock all of a character's outfits and continue using that character.  The way it is now is BS.  You shouldn't have to grind for 26 years to get the outfits you want.  It wouldn't even take that long if you weren't earning points towards outfits and characters you don't want 95% of the time.

As for that hair debacle...let's not even start on the stupidity of that.  Who thought that was a good idea?  That person should be without a job if he or she still has one.

And that how I would START creating Dead Or Alive 7.  As mentioned before, I am a huge fan of DOA, so it sucks to see the game in this shape.  It is my second favorite fighting game series behind Street Fighter.  I want to see it live again, because the games have a lot going for them once you get past all the BS.  If DOA wants to live again, it needs to embrace everything it is and IMPROVE it, not run it into the ground.

So, what would you do if you were making DOA 7?  Add more males?  Remove sexy outfits entirely?  Make the DLC better or worse?  Add one or more new game modes?  Something else?  Comment and have your voice heard.

Beautiful Lie

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a game with a lot of good music.  I have quite a few of the game's songs on my playlist.  This includes the song you'll probably hear most throughout your playthrough, Beautiful Lie.

I always associate Beautiful Lie with Kaede Akamatsu.

Beautiful Lie is a piano-heavy track that plays when you're just walking around, enjoying the School Life portions of the game.  Just hearing it fills my head with thoughts of semi-protagonist, Kaede Akamatsu.  I can see her wearing a hardhat, working hard on a construction site.  What?  Just me?  Anyway, take a listen.

And that's Beautiful Lie, a song I consider to be Kaede's theme.  It's probably the best roaming theme in the series.  Check out Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony to listen to it and other good music.

The Music Of Ayane

Anyone who's read my post will know it's no secret that I am a fan of the Dead Or Alive series.  The series is filled with good characters and hot chicks.  At the top of the pile, Ayane stands tall and proud over all of them.  Jahn-Lee, Lei Fang, NiCO, they're all mere insects compared to Ayane.

So, what's so good about Ayane?  She has a fresh look, a unique fighting style, and some of the best character themes in the series.  From game to game, I look forward to seeing what song Ayane will fight to next.  It's time to look back at Ayane's great themes.  I'll be sticking with the themes of the Dead Or Alive series themes, so her themes in other games (like Warriors Orochi 3) won't be here.  Anyway, let's get on with it.

1.  Original DOA Theme

This theme sounds like you're fighting a snobby schoolgirl while trying to sound epic at the same time.  It starts off very Japanese-sounding, with the flute and shimasen.  It ends with that trademark "Ayane" sound.

2.  Tehu Tehu

A guitar heavy theme that draws heavily from her DOA 1 theme.  It starts off with off with a guitar and a flute.  Then, the flute gets low and sounds so eerie.  From that point, it's what you'd expect of an Ayane theme.

3.  Prismatic Butterfly

A dark but beautiful theme for a dark and beautiful character.  It start off with a low flute, which sets the tone for the rest of the song.  It's exactly how I think it would sound if a smoking hot ninja were out to get you.

4.  Shade

Kind of a peaceful theme that still has the undeniable sound of Ayane.  It sounds like something she'd listen to while doing yoga or going on a run through the woods.  She's not doing anything urgent.  A little too peaceful for a fighting game but still a theme worthy of Ayane.

In the end, Ayane has a strong lineup of themes.  They all perfectly capture the sound of Ayane.  Hopefully, she (and the other characters) get more good themes in the future.  So, which character's themes do you like?  Comment and have your voice heard.

Tekken's Top 10 Themes

Good fighting games have it all.  Good gameplay, good graphics, good controls and good characters.  The thing that can bring it all together, however, is good music.

The Tekken series is no exception to this.  The series has featured a number of great tracks over the years.  Of course, there are a select few that rise above the rest.  It won't be easy, but it's time to separate the elite cream from the cream.  These are my top 10 Tekken themes.

10.  School theme (Tekken Tag Tournament)

The initial bells let you know that school is out and ass-kicking class is in session.  Seems like a good rave song.  Decent for fighting in front of a bunch of high school kids.

9.  Hacked (Tekken 6)

This song makes me think of summer for some reason.  A nice song for an intense bike ride or a jog in the park on a hot day.

8.  Authentic Sky (Tekken 4)

A droning song featuring a piano.  Better than described here.  It really works on the level it's featured on, which has the fighters brawling on a rooftop on an overcast day.

7.  Zirkus (Tekken Tag Tournament 2)

Not sure why, but this song makes me think of winter.  In other words, it really doesn't fit with the level it's played on.  I certainly don't think of a "Zirkus" when I hear it.  Good for a cold bike ride to the store.

6. Congested Rage (Tekken 6)

One of the most memorable moments of Tekken 6's Campaign Mode was Paul punching through a wall and growling.  This song is timed perfectly with the scene, making for a moment that's both epic and hilarious.  It also works well when fighting spoiled blonde girls, beating on professional wrestlers and MMA fighters, and others.

5.  Lei Wulong arranged theme (Tekken 3)

Sounds like it should be in a Jackie Chan movie.  You can just see him bouncing off walls, jumping off roofs, and kicking ass while this is playing.  Goes well with Tekken's version of the martial arts legend.

4.  Be In The Mirror (Tekken 2)

You can just hear the evil in this track.  The violin, the piano, and those especially those trumpets are fitting for such an imposing opponent.  It also helps you relax and keep from breaking the controller when Devil starts shooting lasers (which can't be blocked).

3.  Ka-En-No-Mai (Tekken 5)

This track is so Japanese.  I'm not sure who's playing that instrument (a shamisen, I think), but they need to get more work in future soundtracks.

2. Lonesome City Jazz Party 1st Round (Tekken 7)

The "jazz" part reminds me of Nina Williams on a stealth mission.  Then, a rave breaks out and she starts dancing.  The jazz hits again and it's back to sneaking around.  Yeah, I know it's stupid.  It doesn't really work for the level it's on, but it's a good song based on its own merits.

1.  Unforgiven (Tekken 5)

Perhaps the most badass song in the series, it's only enhanced by the stage you're fighting in.  You're in a warehouse (or some shady place) with a van swinging from the ceiling and a crowd cheering and jeering (perfectly in rhythm with the song, mind you).  It just sounds like you're in a fighting environment.

And with that, the difficult task of picking Tekken's top 10 songs is complete.  It wasn't easy.  There were plenty of good songs that got left off.  Jack 2's arranged theme, Ling Xiaoyu's Tekken 3 arranged theme, and many others all could have made the cut, but there has to be a cutoff.  Right?  Agree?  Disagree?  What are your favorite Tekken songs?  Comment and have your voice heard.

You Know You're A Hypernerd When...

There's nerds and then there are hypernerds.  On the surface, they seem the same, but of course there are differences.  These are ten things that separate a hypernerd from a plain, average nerd.  So, without further delay, you know you're a hypernerd when...

10. This is your first kiss...

Clean your TV well before making your move.

9.  You pick up loose money and say, "Oh, I can do that."

Loose change turns you into Rannie the Thief.

8.  You can name 100 hot women and none of them are real.

One down.  99 to go.

7.  You think your teddy bear is going to hold you hostage and make you kill people.

Don't worry.  He won't do anything to you directly...except kill you if you're caught by your classmates.

6.  You learn more history from the Civilization series than you do from a history book.

Before Civ 5 I didn't know what the Songhai Empire was.

5.  You learn life lessons from an RPG instead of your parents.

I learned a lot from Squall and Co.

4.  Your music playlist 75-100% videogame music.

You better believe I "selected" a lot of these selections for my playlist.

3.  You think you can date at least nine women at once and expect none of them to get pissed.

Need I say more?

2.  You check your bank account to see how many gil you have.

Well...looks like it's time to get a job.  I'm broke.

1.  You think you're qualified to be a mayor because you've played SimCity for twenty years.

Cities Skylines is good, but SimCity 4 is still the king.

And there you have it.  10 things that let you know that you're not just a nerd, but a hypernerd.  It's also the 100th entry on this blog.  It's been a long journey to get to this point.  The journey isn't over, though.  There's a lot more good reading on the way.  I'd like to thank those of you who have been with me this long and hope you'll stay with me for the next 100 or perhaps even more.

So, are you a hypernerd, a regular nerd, or one of those lame cool people?  Make your voice heard.  Comment.

Hilarious DOA 6 Finishes

Dead Or Alive.  Perhaps the most underrated 3D fighting game series of all time.  The reason for this is simple; T&A.  Hot girls kicking ass in skimpy outfits is the calling card of the series.  For this reason, the series has often been written off as soft-core porn, an unfair assessment to be sure.

Those who do are missing out on several things.  Of course there's all the polygonal hotties, but there are other things that DOA fans get to enjoy that detractors don't.  Blazing fast combat, simple but satisfying combos, and hilarious finishes.  Those sweet, hilarious finishes.  These are just a few of these finishes, in video form.

This first vid in titled "The Mauling Of Mila", which chronicles Mila's journey from back alley brawler to auto mechanic.  Sadly, she failed at both careers...within seconds.  That has to be some kind of record.

The second vid is called "Bashing Bayman", a tale where Bayman loses twice; once to a man and once to a giant octopus.  He does ultimately win, though, as the ass-whuppin' allowed him to stumble across hidden riches.  No more mercenary work for him.

The third vid called "Neutralizing NiCO", in which Jahn Lee sends NiCO bungee jumping...without a cord.  You just have to love NiCO's death scream.  The falling upskirt is dessert.

The fourth vid is called "Eliminating Eliot".  In it, Eliot falls victim to some voodoo and gets kicked through some barrels, breaking them.  The girls from the Atelier series aren't going to be happy with him after this.

The fifth and final vid is called "Helena's Goes Through Hell", which depicts the worst day of Helena's life.  In it, Diego shows good aim, launching Helena across a rooftop and into a barrel, which then explodes, sending her careening off the roof, to her death on the concrete below.  Man...when they called this game Dead Or Alive, they meant it.

And that's just five of the many hilarious ways fights in DOA 6 can end.  You can deny the game is good.  You can deny the girls are cute.  However, you can't deny that the series has some of the most hilarious finishes in fighting games.  You can create moments like these and more in Dead Or Alive 6.

Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story Review (PS4)

A school of randomly-generated students.  A staff of smoking hot women.  A power struggle between numerous factions.  This is Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story.

Valthirian Arc 2 is a game that I have fond memories of.  I spent a lot of time playing it on Kongregate several years.  Basically, you were tasked with building up a school and training up the students into future heroes.  This game pretty much the same thing, but scaled up to be bigger and badder than ever with 3-D graphics and a deeper story.

The death of the queen...

...leads to a power struggle, with the school trapped in the middle.

I'm not sure if this is a remake of Valthirian Arc 2 or a sequel, but the premise is the same.  Once again, you play as an all-seeing, disembodied principal and your goal is to train up the next crop of RPG heroes while making your school bigger and more prestigious.  You won't be alone, as you start of with a staff of three saucy vixens to help you.  There's the hot principal who runs the school, the hot blacksmith who makes weapons, and the hot librarian who does...nothing I've been able to discern yet.

The hot principal...

...hot blacksmith...

...and hot librarian are all ready to aid you in any way they can.

Gameplay is separated into two parts.  First, you build up the school itself.  You will build a number of facilities to guide your students in their quest to becoming legends of lore and make the school more profitable.  Classrooms, cafeterias, libraries, and other things will help both the school and the students succeed.  They aren't just for show, as they have an effect on how effective your students will be in battle and how much money the schools making.  Build dorms to recruit more students and training grounds (with the appropriate mentor) to upgrade them into better units.  At first you'll have to pick choose what to build because you have limited space.  If you want more spaces, you'll have to more your school more reputable.

You start off with a shithole, but eventually your school will be the envy of the land.

What you build will determine how well your students perform.

This is where the second part of the gameplay comes in; sending your students on missions.  There are two types of missions you can send your students on.  You have Hunts, where you take direct control of up to four students and hack your way through numerous short maps fighting cute little monsters.  Beware though, as cute doesn't mean weak.

Don't let the cuteness of the monsters fool you.  This is an ass-whuppin waiting to happen.

Combat is fairly rough.  Melee combat feels quite shitty, as your students' reach is so short and attacks are so weak, they might is well be fighting with toothpicks.  Armored units seem like their wearing toilet paper for armor.  You'll want to play as a ranged attacker as soon as you can and provide support from the backline while your teammates melee.  Until that happens, changing your party's Tactical Mode can help out.  Eventually, you can get healers, which helps out big time. This is because the students DO regenerate their health automatically, but it takes forever to wait for them to go from the brink of death back to full health.

Hunts can be varied in nature.  Sometimes you'll have to gather resources, have specific targets, or protect something.  Most of the times you'll just walk around putting a whuppin' on whatever monsters you see.  I do like how you can explore after the mission is complete, which allows you to kill more monsters for EXP and find resources to craft new weapons and accessories with.  In the first two games you were simply swept back to the school once the job was done.

The other type of missions are Errands, where you don't control the students at all.  You simply dispatch them and pray for good results.  There may be specific units you need to deploy or maybe you'll need your students at a certain level to increase the chances of success, but it's a mystery to me when this is the case.

When successful in either mission type, you'll get large amounts of Fame, which makes your school more reputable.  Get enough and your school will level up and get bigger, enabling you build more stuff.  You will also get lots of gold and participating students will receive lots XP, usually enough to level up.  There's no penalty for failure, so trot those kids out on as many missions as you can, even if they are suicidal.

Mission success nets big rewards, but failing doesn't really hurt you.

Going back to school mode, you can watch things happen.  Sometimes, incidents (indicated by a ! or ?) will happen.  If you intervene, you'll be given some choices and, depending on which what you decide, you'll a small amount of XP, Fame, or gold.  Other times, you'll just be rewarded with Fame or gold.  You'll also graduate students, which grants big XP and gold at the cost of losing the student.

Make sure to click on a "!" or "?" whenever you see them.

Some "!" and "?" situations are humorous.

When graduating students, try to pick the dregs, not the useful ones.

About the students.  You'll have to manage them if you want to succeed in those missions.  You'll give them weapons and accessories, put them in attack parties, promote them, or graduate them.  They get small XP gains simply by entering a classroom, but you'll want to send them on missions if you want them to really grow.  But whatever you do, don't send all of your attack parties on Errands, because time crawls and you'll be stuck doing a lot of nothing.  Going on Hunts passes time more quickly, so make sure to have one party available to go hunting while the others go on errands.

Managing students' skill and equipment is a must if you want to succeed.

When a student hits level 10, you can promote them...

...or graduate them.

On to the little stuff.  The graphics are pretty average.  Character models are truly shitty, though.  The students look generic at best and creepy at worst.  It's almost like the creators forgot they weren't designing a game for the Nintendo 64.  Perhaps they didn't put any effort into them because of the high turnover of the students.  Honestly, the graphics of Valthirian Arc 2 and even the original Valthirian Arc were more appealing all across the board.  The 2D style of those game have a charm this game doesn't have.

You'll want to hurry and graduate this bunch of uglies.  Especially that second one...

The music is also weak compared to Valthirian Arc 2.  In fact, some it is just inferior remakes of the Valthirian Arc 2 songs.  Valthirian Arc 2's soundtrack sticks with you a little more.

Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story is, at the very least, an interesting game.  Melee combat feels off and leveling up the school can feel grindy.  Still, the gameplay does match up for the most part, save for the occasional performance hiccup.  The graphics work well enough, but they don't have the charm of the first two games.  It still fairly addictive, though.  Give It A Try.