Costume GET!

I love wetsuits...and Resident Evil

2011-12-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

Long, long overdue, but I finally picked up Resident Evil 5 Gold for the PS3. I originally bought RE5 for the 360, but my save file was corrupted when my system red ringed. Since I have to start from scratch, figured I'd change systems as well as getting the extra content on disc instead of DLC if I went the 360 route.

This got me into a RE mood and it just so happens some new screens of Revelations for the 3DS appeared. The game is looking amazing. If there's one game that still has me tempted for a 3DS it's Revelations. The addition of wetsuits is an interesting twist to the RE costume repertoire. Especially the half legless variety which makes absolutely no practical sense. Maybe the lady prefers a completely legless swimsuit, but has horrible scars on one leg so wants to cover up? Who cares, it looks damn cool.

As good as this looks, I'm hoping beyond hope they do a Vita port. Imagine how great that would look! Even if it happens, it's most likely a year out to preserve some sort of exclusivity window for the 3DS. Maybe Revelations GOLD for the Vita?

Speaking of ports, I'd like to see the Gamecube RE remake get the HD treatment ala Metal Gear and Ico collection for the PS3. Even though I've played it a hundred times, the original is still a ton of fun. I was a bit surprised that it didn't happen when they released Code Veronica and RE4 HD. There's still time to make it right Capcom!

Dead or Alive facelift

2011-12-08T10:26:00.001-08:00

It's not a complete re-imagining, but it does appear the faces of the Dead or Alive characters have been tweaked. I'd say slightly more adult looking and less cartoony.

I'm an admitted DOA fanboy so these latest screens have got me pumped! 2012 has some blockbuster fighting releases. Street Fighter vs Tekken, Soul Calibur V, and Dead or Alive 5 are all top tier titles. I'll pick up Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 when it comes out for the Vita next year as well. Very exciting!

In a strange twist, I've started playing with the PSP lately. More on that in the next post.

GamePro and the birth of CostumeGet!

2011-12-01T11:04:00.001-08:00

I wrote the strategy guide for Luigi's Mansion. Probably some other previews and reviews in the issue too. Man what a fun game even though I had to play through like 3 times. Cover image courtesy of The Mushroom Kingdom.

GamePro was my third (!) games media company I worked for, but it still holds a special place in my heart. I met so many great and wonderful friends there and made lots of memories that I’ll cherish forever. There were plenty of tough, frustrating, and sad times, but no regrets. Any mistakes I made were things I learned invaluable lessons from.

One story most relevant to this blog is when I reviewed the first Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. I remember taking home the debug Xbox system, eating dinner, and starting to play at around 8PM. The next thing I know, it’s 10AM! 14 straight hours. I’ve never pulled a gaming session like that before, even when I was a teen.

The way Team Ninja designed the costume collection system really hit a nerve (or weakness?) in me and it was then I recognized that this was a major feature in games that spoke to me in an unexpected way.
Sometime after, I wrote a blog for GamePro called Bikinigamer that began chronicling this obsession. It quickly became the most popular blog on the network

When the GamePro off-shoot magazine/website I worked on Gamestar folded, Bikinigamer lived on with the company under a different author and thus CostumeGet! was born. I was able to maintain pretty high traffic until I was employed again a few months later. After that I fell into the usual trap of sporadic updates.

Even now with a hugely demanding job and a growing family that severely limit my game time, I still love gaming and this blog. I’m most excited about the Vita as I’ll be able to play a lot more with a portable system that is as powerful as a console.

But I digress.

I still remember picking up the premiere issue of GamePro and periodically picking one up here and there. I used to buy at least three or four game mags a month during high school and college and I’d decide which ones at the newsstand based on how thick the issue was and which ones covered the games I was most interested in.

Little did I know I’d eventually work for these magazines I grew up reading. That first happened with EGM and then later at GamePro. It really was a magical time.

I don’t know the people were still at GamePro personally, but my heart goes out to them as I’ve been in their shoes before. You’ll move on to bigger and better things. I’m sure grateful for the places I’ve landed since the GamePro years.

Full disclosure, my enthusiasm for the Vita is not tied to being employed by Sony. Honest!

New alternate costumes for Street Fighter X Tekken

2011-11-18T13:51:00.001-08:00

This is one of the most bizarre yet wonderful ideas I've ever seen for alternate costumes. The key piece of information not revealed in the blog post is "how much is this gonna cost me?". If it's free, I'll be a happy clam. If not, then the price of the outfits will determine my buy-in. I'm guessing it won't be free.

I can totally understand the premium DLC logic though. Fighting games sell to an increasingly smaller audience, but that smaller audience is ultra enthusiastic. If it means supporting a fighting franchise I want to keep alive, I'm willing to shell out a few extra bucks. I would be embarrassed to tell you how much I've spent of Rumble Roses DLC hoping that would spur a third game.

It remains to be seen if SF X Tekken makes me a fanboy enough to pay for DLC.

Soul Calibur V is back on my hot list!

2011-11-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

The character creator in SCIV was pretty good, but this one adds the kind of features that really get me excited to see what I can make.

With these tools you should be able to re-create most any famous characters although the facial feature portion still isn't as robust as some other games.

Hope they soon reveal how and if the PS3 and Vita versions will work with each other.

Side Gig for Soul Calibur's Taki

2011-10-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Queen's Gate PSP game was released this past July/Aug. A domestic release is highly unlikelyso if you want to check out some Namco characters in um...interesting situations, you can check out this trailer for a small taste, or you can check out the role playing books.

A book for Ivy was released a while back and now Taki gets her turn.

The Queen's Gate/Blade books are pretty filthy without showing outright nudity. These shots shown here courtesy of Moeyo are about as clean as I feel comfortable posting.

You can check out the rest here. Definitely NSFW.

Onechanbara Z: Kagura shots

2011-10-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, there's still no news of a US release date for Onechanbara Z: Kagura on Xbox 360, but there are some new screen shots to look at.

As if the original bikini wasn't already pretty skimpy, a pre-order DLC bonus grants one even more outrageous.

The thing that cracks me up about it they went and added some flare to it. It's hard to be sure from these screens, but it looks like some sort of gem stones.

Leaving no stone unturned, they added some to the back too.

I like that the series has a new look and based off the trailer, it does appear to have new play mechanics as well appearing zippier and less like a budget title.

Source Kotaku via 4Gamer.net.

Dead or Alive 5 Announced!

2011-09-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Dead or Alive 5 was just announced at the Tokyo Game Show. It will be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012. The teaser image above looks like it's either a slightly more mature Kasumi or perhaps it's Hitomi. Of course it could be someone new altogether.

My biggest hope is that it will also come out for Vita. Cross play and save file importing between the Vita and PS3 versions would be awesome.

The first gameplay trailer is looking pretty good. Very much DOA style fighting, but very nice upgrades in lighting and arena effects. It's hard to judge character model detail in this movie though. It does look beefier than DOA 4.

For Setsuka Fans

2011-09-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Since we're on the topic of Soul Calibur, I attended the J-Pop Summit Festival in San Francisco Japantown this past weekend and watched uber cool group Layla Lane perform. For the first half of their performance, Valerie Stern wore a sweet kimono that reminded me of another blonde in Japanese formal wear Setsuka from Soul Calibur.

J-Pop Summit Festival 2011 Part 5 from Wataru Maruyama on Vimeo.

Here are two of several clips I shot. These were taken with the compact video powerhouse Sony HX9V in 1080p 60p mode. The quality is pretty nice. You might have to be a Vimeo plus member to download the clips, but if you are able to, I highly recommend you copy the file and play it on your PlayStation 3 for the full experience. The wind started whipping up so sorry for the noises. I created a DIY windscreen for next time.

J-Pop Summit Festival 2011 Part 6 from Wataru Maruyama on Vimeo.

This is one is shorter, but has a section where Valerie is singing in Japanese which she seems to do for about half of their songs.

You can watch more of the videos from the J-Pop summit here. You can read the report on the J-Pop summit here and here.

Soul Calibur V Heating Up

2011-08-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been keeping up with the many Soul Calibur V reveals, but ran into these two latest images and wanted to share.

Both characters are receiving tweaked outfits and so far I approve. I'm probably sounding like a broken record, but I really hope they make this for Vita with some save transfer ability to the PS3 version.

I'll start digging around for more interesting Soul Calibur V asap.

I choose you Pikachu!

2011-08-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Went to an auto show over the weekend to try to capture some interesting images. There was a smattering of cosplayers. More here if you're interested.

Dragon's Crown Art

2011-08-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Dragon's Crown for the PlayStation 3 and Vita isn't due til March 2012 (!), but I can get my fix for DC content through some amazing artwork around the web. There's a decent amount on DeviantART, but the major action is on pixiv.

A wonderful Amazon piece by タコヤキネコさん.

The best part for me is that there is an pixiv iPhone app so I can explore art on the go. It's about all I can do to get my fix over the next seven long months.

An incredible Sorceress painting by HOMEX

More Dead or Alive Dimensions DLC Costumes Coming

2011-08-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Famitsu just posted some new costumes that will be included in the next round of DLC costume for Dead or Alive Dimensions. Starting in August 15th in Japan, they will re-distribute the initial batch of DLC costumes, but a few new ones will be added to the mix. My Japanese is a bit rusty so some details may differ.

Thanks to GET! reader Josef Axner for the heads up!

I would normally be more tempted by this news and the recent price cut, but I'm in greater need of a new computer. Hopefully we'll see a version DOA on the Vita as that looks to be my main gaming machine of 2012.

Interview GET!

2011-08-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure why I’ve never done an interview on CostumeGetthese past 6 years since I’ve conducted countless Q&A’s in my previous dayjob. That oversight gets rectified now with a chat with one of thephotographers I’ve become a fan of on flickr, Mr. Muggles.

CosGet: How did you get started in photography?

Mr. Muggles: I'm a huge Harry Potter nerd and was introducedto the world of fandom and cosplay in 2006 when I attended my first HPconvention in Las Vegas. After returning home, I quickly regretted not having asingle photo of the great costumes I saw, or the new friends I met so Ipurchased a basic point-and-shoot. Long story short, I had so much fun playingthe event photographer at the following conventions that I began to pursuephotography as a hobby.

CG: Do you have any formal photography training?

MM: No, but I've spent countless hours scouring the web fortutorials and reading everything I can find about photography and lighting.

CG: Who influenced your style or is/was an inspiration toyour work?

MM: I can't think of a single dominant influence, but Icertainly owe much to folks like David Hobby and Zack Arias for their tutorialsand generous knowledge sharing. Aside from that, perhaps the biggest influencecomes from wedding photographers as they shoot with many of the same challengesas hallway cosplay photogs--that is, low-light, high iso and a hybrid of photojournalism and narrative.

CG: Is cosplay your favorite subject? If so why, if not whatis your favorite?

MM: Dramatic visual narrative is what I'm artistically andcreatively drawn to capture and create and Cosplay set me on that path. I'vebeen experimenting with more deliberate editorial styles lately, but I suspectthat I'll always be rooted in photographing people in lavish costumes whetherthe inspiration is Anime, literary characters, or drawn just from myimagination.

CG: Describe your routine when preparing to go to an eventlike Anime Expo?

MM: Shooting a convention like AX can be thoroughlyexhausting--it's not uncommon for me to go non-stop for 8-10 hours with only abrief lunch break. Given that, I try to travel as light as possible. The nightbefore the event, I'll review my gear and whittle my bag down to just theessentials. Also, I try to get lots of sleep beforehand, although that neverseems to happen somehow =P.

CG: What is your workflow after getting back from an event?

MM: I shoot raw and import the files into Lightroom. Fromthere, I typically crop if necessary and adjust the tone curve to give theimage more punch, sharpen and then export. I don't often round-trip intoPhotoshop, but will do so if there's heavy spot removal required.

CG: Is your day job photography related? If not, isphotography something you want to pursue professionally full time?

MM: My job isn't (typically) photography related, but I workfor Yahoo! and have had the good fortune of being asked to cover events such asBlizzcon and E3 as a direct result of coworkers hearing about my cosplayphotography. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be additionalopportunities in the future.

CG: What are you shooting with now? Are you satisfied withit?

MM: I'm currently shooting a Nikon D700--it's light yearsahead of my abilities, so if I ever complain, take those comments with a grainof salt ;-). That said, I wouldn't mind dual memory cards as I've had twoseparate memory card scares where, for one heart-stopping moment, I thought Ihad lost a good chunk of my day's work. Other than that, I wouldn't mind evenbetter low-noise performance, but that's always a given.

Poison, a CosGet favorite character and outfit.

CG: Any tips for others who want to attend events and shoot?

MM: Know your gear. Get to the point where you're intimatelyfamiliar with your camera's quirks and begin to think like your light meter!Also, spend the time to size up your environment before you start shooting. Inparticular, look for interesting backgrounds and especially "pools oflight" if you're shooting natural light. As you begin taking photos, don'tbe afraid to provide gentle direction to your subject--"quarter turn toyour left", "chin up slightly". Also, think before, during, andafter every shot. Ask yourself what you did right, or what could be improved.Perhaps most important, though, is to be polite and considerate--don'tinterrupt a cosplayer if they're obviously busy (eating), or rushing off to apanel. Besides just good manners, a little professionalism will generally putyour subject more at ease which improves your chances of getting a good"performance".

Thanks so much to Mr. Muggles for your time and keep up the great work!

There has never been a Kiki's Delivery Service game, but this pic too damn cute not to post. ADORABLE!

Expansion GET!

2011-08-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Followers of my Twitter may have noticed an inordinateamount of iOS and cosplay links. While I won’t really have more mobile gamesfeatured here, it’s time to break down the wall on the latter.

From henceforth you’ll start to see articles on cosplay aswell as the usual in-game costumes.

When I started up this blog over six years ago, the state ofcosplay was a bit uneven. In the last two years (at least this is when Inoticed) the sophistication of costumes has ramped up to amazing levels. Surethe level has always been high in Japan, but now it seems across the globe thestandards are amazingly high.

Images courtesy of Mr. Muggles

The expansion of coverage also coincides with my other greatpassion, photography. Great costumes can be ruined by average photography sothe items I showcase here will ideally be a marriage of great costumeconstruction, modeling, and photography.

Images courtesy of Mr. Muggles

When schedule allows, I’d love to eventuallygo to a cosplay event, but that’s probably a bit further off from now.

Dragon's Crown. Dragon's Crown. Dragon's Crown!

2011-06-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

Uncharted 3 is my most anticipated game of 2011, but 2012 is all about Dragon's Crown. I enjoyed Princess Crown, but it wasn't until the release of Odin Sphere and Muramasa that I became a Vanillaware fanatic. The games certainly had flaws, but the look of the characters and worlds combined with interesting gameplay really captured my imagination.

To be clear, it's not the fact that Dragon's Crown is a new Vanillaware title that has me amped.I would be more excited about the upcoming Grand Knights History or finally get around to playing Grim Grimoire if it was as simple as that.

It's the combination of the Vanillaware magic with my great love of the Capcom Dungeons & Dragons side scrolling brawlers that's truly ignited my passion. Dragon's Crown is the videogame equivalent of jam coming together with peanut butter or chocolate hooking up with...well just about anything.

I also love that this is for both PS3 and Vita. I can see the vast majority of play time on the Vita as any spare free time I have these days is on the road, but the option to play on a big HDTV when time permits is just awesome. I hope there is a package that comes with both versions in one.

Soul Calibur V

2011-05-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Soul Calibur/Soul Edge series has always held a special place in my heart so I really, really hope SCV can maintain my interest over the long haul once its released. Word is that there is a 17 year gap between the story of Soul Calibur IV which is a great opportunity to reboot some elements. Tekken tried a similar time gap, but the only noticeable difference was Paul Phoenix grew a beard and we played as some of the kids of some of the older characters.

An Xbox 360 and PS3 version were announced, but my fingers are crossed hard for a NGP version that interfaces with the PS3. There is supposedly a character creation function similar to SCIV that would be perfect for tinkering and building up on the road.

3rd Birthday Update
I'm starting to warm up to 3rd Birthday the more I play. The first missions were kind of boring, but the upgrading bits are kicking in and the levels are starting to have slightly more variety. The jury is still out on this one.

3rd Birthday Countdown

2011-03-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'm still undecided on whether to pick up the physical UMD of 3rd Birthday or buy the digital version on PSN. While I ponder over this, let's take a look at the costume unlocking goodness that awaits.

Siliconera posted a collection of outfits a while back which I bookmarked for this pre-launch post. My favorite of the bunch is probably the Knight Armor. It's rugged and protective, but also fetishy at the same time. A good combo.

Second favorite is the OD Suit. It seems like your run of the mill leather suit, but there's something about it that feels right on Aya.

Aksys Japan Benefit Sale

2011-03-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Clothing item from Record of Agarest War

Aksys is having a sale where 100% or the proceeds go to charity efforts in Japan. Any game in the Aksys store counts, the sale ones are just highlighted for reference. I picked up BlazBlue Continuum Shift for PS3 (really wanted this one for awhile actually) and Record of Agarest War 360. Lots of interesting titles to choose from. Well done Aksys!

Dead or Alive Dimensions Costume Downloads (Japan UPDATE)

2011-03-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

It's funny how things can change so quickly. Just a week ago, there was no chance I was picking up a 3DS till later in the year, but sneaky old Tecmo goes and announces free costume DLC for Dead or Alive Dimensions every day starting from the game's launch. According to theFamistu via Andriasang there will be a total of 28 costumes starting March 24th (in Japan) with a new outfit everyday except for Mondays.

The outfits previewed so far are all true alternate costumes and not palette swaps. It remains to be seen if that will hold true for all 28.

So the two big questions for US fans is 1) What is the actual release date for Dimensions here? 2) Will the costumes follow a similar release pattern?

As far as incentives to boost day one sales go, I think it's brilliant in both the timing and the scope of what's on offer. It's certainly more motivating for someone like me to get the game right away versus the current pre-order DLCs which usually turn out to be fluff no matter how cool it sounds (cough, New Vegas costume/gear packs, cough).

What should I do?!

To get breaking updates to this blog or just to show support, please take a moment to Follow at the box under the Amazon ads. There is also the CostumeGet Twitter for other shorter thoughts. It's rad!

UPDATE
It's really hard to concentrate on anything but the disaster in Japan right now. I've decided that any money that would have gone to the 3DS and DOA will go to charity to help. If you'd like to help as well, this is the recommended site for charities that are definitely going to support the Japan. (via Gizmodo)

Dissidia? Dissidia!

2011-03-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

Dissidia 12 drops in less than two weeks and it has officially snuck on to my short list. I've only played the demo of the first Dissidia, but it impressed me enough to deem it worthy of a purchase. The only question was whether to be satisfied with the original which can be had for $10-15 (if you shop hard enough) or just jump right to the sequel for $30.

Two factors come into play and both involve costumes of course. The first is the pre-order bonus from Amazon. A Tifa Lockhart alternate costume based on a design by Yoshitaka Amano. It looks nice, not great though. The Cloud alt costume for GameStop pre-orders is far cooler.

The other bonus is the Aya Brea costume for Lightning which you get it if you also purchase 3rd Birthday (which I plan to). Now this is a cool look for Lightning!

From my basic research, it seems like there are tons of items and goodies to unlock in Dissidia 12. I'll probably wait till the last moment before deciding.

The March Outlook

2011-03-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

I’m about at the 70% mark in Dragon Age Origins with plans to soldier on through Awakenings so I haven’t paid much attention to what’s on the horizon. HOLY CRAP. There are TONS of interesting titles that pique my interest. Of course the no brainer is Dragon Age 2. I’ve also built up quite the back log of iOS games, but we’ll discuss that at another time. For now, let’s take a look at just the top tier for March:

Vagrant Story (March 1st)
This is an instant purchase at $5.99. Not really sure when I would sit down with this one though.

Dragon Age 2 (March 8th)
At my current pace, there is no way I’ll be done with Origins/Awakenings/DLC by March 8th. The release of Marvel vs Capcom 3 didn’t help. I did wait nearly a year to get to DA so I’m not in a crazy rush to dive into DA2.

Ar Tonelico Qoga (March 15th)
Very unlikely I will pick this up, but stranger things have happened. The story seems goofily entertaining and the character designs are eye-catching. I’ve had a strange JRPG craving that could get worse.

Yakuza 4 (March 15th)
I got bored of the first Yakuza halfway through and spent only a few hours on part 2. If the Yakuza 4 demo blows me away, I might be inclined to track down Yakuza 3 to catch up. Loved Shenmue yet the Yakuza series has left me wanting.

Tomb Raider Trilogy (March 22nd)
I beat Legend on the PS2 and remember enjoying it quite a bit. Never got around to Anniversary or Underworld so this is an exciting package of value. Wonder how it will hold up post-Uncharted 2?

The Third Birthday (March 29th)
Thanks to the PSP price drop, Third Birthday will be mine! I’m a bit torn on whether to pick up the UMD or digital version. I can sell the UMD when I finish the game, but what if I want to keep it long term and give it a play on the NGP? Then I need the digital version. Plus the digital version will load faster and consume less battery power. Unfortunately the digital version is $30, same as the UMD. Guess we’ll see how things go.

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection (March 29th)
Like most folks I dearly love both games. Of the two, I played the hell out of Colossus beating it twice. I have yet to complete Ico once. This baffles me. I will correct this once I own the collection. Yes I will.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Weekend Impressions

2011-02-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

I won’t bury the lead, I love Marvel vs Capcom 3. Right from the opening cinema it dizzyingly transported me back to my arcade rat days many moons ago. What was the secret sauce that other recent brawlers lacked? Was it the extremely high production values? The retro feel? Or maybe it was the extremely long gap from MvC 2 to 3 that colored my reaction? It’s the combination of all of the above and more.

Even though the roster is not as large as MvC 2, there is a richness to each character that motivates me to discover every little nuance. The potential team combos are fun because you not only get to mix and match different specials, but also hear specific chatter between the characters. I love that sort of fan service. SNK was particularly great in that area and it’s a fitting comparison since MvC 3 gives me the good King of Fighters 94/95 vibe. In particular, the impression that this game is truly a monumental event, a gathering of heroes and villains that only happens once in a millennia. Of course SNK ruined it by having KoF come out every damn year with only minor changes, but I digress.

In my previous post I lamented the lack of unlockable costumes and certainly that harshes my buzz a bit. On the plus side the available alternate colors are cooler than I previously thought although only a few have showstopping alternates. The awesome black uniform Phoenix comes to mind. It’s also nice that four characters are there for unlocking along with various movie, still, and art items. The best of the unlock bonuses is the character model viewer thanks to the great detail they contain.

Perhaps in another week I’ll start to venture online. The thing about playing online is that it alters your view of which characters are enjoyable to play versus which characters stand a chance in a competition. I’ve ignored power rankings or anything related to that for now in order to let the characters stand on their creative merits.

Last, but not least, I greatly appreciate the full color manual. This creates a lot of goodwill mileage for fighting games or any other genre that caters to a hardcore following. It certainly makes me more prone to reward this gesture with some DLC purchase.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 alternate costume pack 1

2011-02-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Based on how much I spent on DLC costumes for SSFIV, it should be no surprise that Capcom would follow a similar business model for MvC3. The first costume pack will cost $5 on PSN, 400 MS Points on XBLA and feature alternate outfits for Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Chris Redfield, Dante, and Ryu.

The Thor and Ryu outfits are especially rad, but I’m definitely going to wait till there’s a combo pack of all DLC costumes before jumping in. I just can’t shell out that kind of cash again as the reward just wasn’t worth it. The costumes were nice, but I felt a bit empty. I definitely would have enjoyed the costumes more if I earned them. Heck, it’s one of the main reasons I started writing about costumes.

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe one of the big reasons we even got a Marvel vs Capcom 3 was because of the potential profit from DLC and that can’t be a completely bad thing. If the price is not obscene, I’ll purchase the Jill Valentine/Shuma Gorath pack as soon as it’s released. The alternate costumes I’ll wait on and maybe even pass over altogether if I’m no longer playing the game by the time the all-in-one pack gets released.

If I ever grab a Nintendo 3DS, the fighting game of choice will definitely be Dead or Alive Dimensions instead of Super Street Fighter. Part of that is because it’s been a while since the last proper DOA game and I’ve had my fill of SSFIV over the last two years, but the bigger reason is that there are some sweet items to unlock. One of the reasons I still own Tekken 6 is that I still haven’t unlocked everything. To me that is a bigger reason not to resell a game over the promise of new DLC.

Wow, didn’t mean to go on a rant. Good news is I should have more proper posts on the blog soon. Follow me on twitter for daily comments on costume happenings and other unrelated musings. Yay!

Final Fantasy XIII-2

2011-01-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

I came "this" close to picking up Final Fantasy XIII several times, but never managed to do so. It's not anything against JRPGs, it's mostly because the story seemed lackluster and the costumes designs looked like they were trying too hard to be "edgy".

Reader Flipyap hipped me to the trailer for FFXIII-2 and I very much like what I see. The armor is not extremely practical leaning more towards metal lingerie, but I'm okay with it. This is a style that makes sense in the FF world, a world that is mostly about eye candy.

Dragon Age GET
Speaking of armor, I'm finally going to start Dragon Age. Picked up the sweet Ultimate Edition last month after finishing with New Vegas and Undead Nightmare. With the massive amount of content in the UE, it should lead me right into the release of Dragon Age 2.

Palette Swap Fever!

2011-01-06T15:56:00.001-08:00

Destructoid has an awesome gallery of all the alternate outfits for Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Unfortunately they are all palette swaps and not new costumes. If there are some new ones, they will most likely cost some money.

She-Hulk does at least have some alternate designs on her suit which is nice. She doesn't have a blue Fantastic Four one-piece? Odd.

Vegas Blades

2010-12-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

It's official, I love Fallout New Vegas. Can't say for sure if it beats out Fallout 3 till I complete Vegas, but it's certainly heading in that direction. That's mostly thanks to the darker story and more interesting environments despite the wonky game engine.

I'm currently rolling with Boone and we look like a discount version of the Guardian Angels thanks to those matching red berets. Another ironic or sad aspect of the beret is that my character is named Cammy. Sorry I couldn't come up with something more clever at the time.

When I can't fire up a console, it's been Infinity Blade on both the iPad and iPhone 4 (universal apps ftw).

As soon as I'm done with New Vegas, it's straight to Undead Nightmare, then all the Mass Effect 2 DLC I never played. The last planned stop is Dragon Age Ultimate Edition (Origins + Awakenings + DLC) which should last for a damn long time. Probably will finish before Dragon Age 2 though.

New Super Street Fighter IV Costume DLC Oct 26th UPDATE

2010-09-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Arriving a few days before Halloween is a plethora of some wild Super Street Fighter IV costumes. You can see the most of the stash here and I'll highlight some faves below.

As if Akuma needed to look even more bad-ass. Love the hood.

Ha this Cammy outfit is good fun. Ridiculous with a touch of sexy. Well done.

I need this Sagat outfit now. Looks like the final baddie from a movie.

You cant have Halloween without a sexy witch. Well, it's not quite a witch hat, but close enough.

Not sure what the homage here is (Vampire Hunter D?), but I like it anyway. Very dramatic.

UPDATE 9/25/2010: Thanks to helpful GET reader josefaxner, below is the trailer for the new costumes.

Fallout: New Vegas Pre-Order Packs

2010-09-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

I'm halfway through Metroid Other M and hoping to be done in time for Dead Rising 2 next week. After DR2 it's gonna be all Fallout: New Vegas, all the time. I haven't put in my pre-order yet so let's take a look at the bonus packs on offer.You can view the full details on the official site.

The Classic Pack (GameStop)

I never played the original Fallout so the sentimetal value of the Armored Vault 13 Suit is lost on me. That said, it's a good look. I don't know how the need for water in New Vegas is going to play out so the Vault 13 Canteen may be very useful. Stimpacks are nice, but the Weathered 10mm Pistol is not very sexy.

Rating: So-so GET

The Tribal Pack (Amazon, Direct2Drive)

Not a big fan of the Tribal Raiding Armor from Fallout 3, but everything else in this pack sounds great. Of the four packs, the Tribal is the only one that offers a melee weapon, the Broad Machete. A machete can be used often and repaired when needed while a gun will always run low of ammo (and will also need repair). Edge machete. You also get Venom Doses that augment the damage of the machete and ten Throwing Spears.

Rating: Highly likely GET

The Caravan Pack (Steam, Walmart)

Aww yeah now this is how you roam the wastelands in style! A total homage to Mad Max complete with Caravan Shotgun and Binoculars. The latter will probably be of little real use since you almost never want to stand vulnerable in one place unless you know there is nothing nearby rushing to kill you and that didn't happen for long in Fallout 3. The Repair Kits are very cool if they repair to 100% on their own. If the repair is still based on your skill level, then these are not that hot.

Rating: Sexy GET

The Mercenary Pack (Best Buy)

The Lightweight Metal Armor is by far the weakest looking outfit, but most likely will offer the best protection overall. The Mercenary's Grenade Rifle sounds sweet, but ammo will be very tough to find. Super Stimpacks and Doctor's Bags round out the offerings.

Rating: Meh GET

New Super Street Fighter IV Alternate Costumes

2010-09-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Super Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono has been tweeting a ton of alternate outfits lately. Let's take a look at some of the more interesting ones:

Chun Li's outfit from the Alpha games is one of my favorites so I'm giving this a thumbs up. Sure an original outfit would have been more exciting, but bringing back a classic is not too bad once in a while.

So you wanted original? How about Cammy in a crazy catwoman-like ensemble. It's not quite comical enough to be amusing and certainly can't be ranked as very sexy either. Not liking this one.

Every girl is crazy about a sharp dressed man and Fei-Long is looking quite dashing. Beating a foe down in some dapper duds is a big win. Like.

You don't need to sport a suit to look good as Ken proves in some athletic wear. This outfit is really working for me, especially the basketball top combined with the fight gloves. Like

Juri is bringing the sexy in a fairly balanced outfit. The back is fantastic with the spider-web-like supports that go well with the revealing side slits. The front is not quite as interesting, but it's not bringing down the whole affair either. I'd be more excited about this costume if I used Juri more in the game. Her fighting style does not mesh well with mine.

Saving the best for last, this Sakura outfit is ADORABLE. It's one thing to get beaten down by a character that looks scary or even cool. It's another matter entirely when the character that pummels you is dressed for a lovely summer picnic. Love it.

Kasumi's New Dimensions

2010-09-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

My Nintendo 3DS excitement had been safely stuffed in the back of the closet under some winter blankets, but the beast has been freed again thanks to these new Dead or Alive Dimensions screens courtesy of Famistu.com.

Hopefully a solid release date will surface around Tokyo Game Show time.

The screens continue to impress and I'm sure they look snazzier in motion and 3D.

Dead Rising 2 Case Zero GET!

2010-09-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Poor Samus will have to wait till I explore every foot of the town in Dead Rising 2 Case Zero. For just 400 MS points, you get a pretty huge amount of content.

I loved the original Dead Rising and was worried that a change in developer would not bode well for the sequel. Very, very glad that is not the case...so far.

I found two different cowboy hats, a waitress outfit, overalls, a bowling shirt, a plaid suit, and a mohawk hair cut. I also found a construction helmet, but couldn't wear it. It was just another weapon at this point.

By tonight I should be ready to explore Other M.

Samus!

2010-08-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Just put in my pre-order for Metroid Other M. The combination of release date delivery, $20 gift card, and good reviews sealed the deal.

I would have liked to get to a couple of titles before starting M. Mainly Limbo, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Rocket Knight, and Chaos Ring for iPad. I could probably squeeze in at least one of those. Also check out the official Other M site for the wallpaper above along with a few other.

Anyone else jumping on Other M?

Ryu!

2010-08-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

My controversial prediction that the Namco version of this crossover could be the one to watch gets some validation. Ryu is looking incredible so far! (image from the 1up news story found here)

Tactics Ogre PSP

2010-08-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

I love strategy games, but for whatever reasons never got on the Tactics Ogre wagon. The new remake for the PSP would have likewise passed my notice without fanfare if not for the wonderful character art.

I immediately recognized it as the work of Akihiko Yoshida who I started following after his work on Vagrant Story. Will his involvement be enough to dip my toes into the TO waters? I'd have to get a PSP again first. If they port this to the iPad or iPhone, I'd be in day one.

Limbo!

2010-08-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to trying Limbo last night and it started freaking me out so much I had to play some happy games before hitting the sack.

There are no costumes (that I know of) in Limbo, but as you know, I like to highlight games with extraordinary visual sensibilities.

What were the "happy" games I played? The demos of Hydro Thunder and Rocket Knight. I loved both of them and will purchase the full versions as soon as I'm done with StarCraft II.

Shunya Yamashita Alert

2010-07-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

One Voice is now available!

The popularity of Shunya Yamashita's art has exploded since his first book Sweet Dreams was released in 2005. It was followed up by Wild Flower in 2008 and countless cold cast statues and PVC figures.

He has a distinct costume design style that is highly imaginative and always super cute. He's dabbled in game character design with several projects, the highest profile ones being Valkeryie Profile 2 and Final Fantasy XII.

Can't wait to check out the new book!

New site

2010-07-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

For GET! fans who also love photography, I just launched my new blog Art vs. Gear. Check it out! Don't worry, there's still plenty of regular updates coming to CostumeGET!

Black Widow and Jill Valentine Figures

2010-07-19T16:03:00.001-07:00

To get ready for Comic-Con International: San Diego 2010 (I still prefer to call it San Diego Comic-Con), let's take a look at the Hot Toys Black Widow figure from Iron Man 2.

Just like the character from the movie, this figure makes an immediate impression. This has got to be one of the most accurate likenesses I've ever seen. For the obsessive Scarlett Johansson collectors, there is only one other figure of the actress and that's the Hasbro 3.75" version of Black Widow. It looks pretty terrible. The Hot Toys version stands a majestic 11" tall and features 28 points of articulation. Perhaps the most interesting spec is that she sports a "newly developed True Type body highlighting her body shape". You can read the full details and pre-order from here. If you can find a lower pre-order price, let me know.

Also upcoming from Hot Toys in September is Jil Valentine in her B.S.A.A. outfit from Resident Evil 5. It looks pretty cool too, but doesn't have me reaching for the wallet just yet.

Comic Book Special: Wonder Woman

2010-06-30T10:20:00.001-07:00

I've seen nothing but venom about Wonder Woman's new outfit and while some of it is justified, there's a lot to like about it as well.

Before we get into it, let's take a look at this tidbit from the official DC blog:

"It’s a look designed to be taken seriously as a warrior, in partial answer to the many female fans over the years who’ve asked, “how does she fight in that thing without all her parts falling out?”) She can close it up to pass unnoticed…open it for the freedom to fight…lose the jacket or keep it on…it has pockets (the other fan question, “where does she carry anything in that outfit?”, it can be accessorized…it’s a Wonder Woman look designed for the 21st century."

Sounds like she is now more Batman than Super Man which puts the design choices in context.

That said, there are three elements that trouble me:

The pants - From the drawing above, it's clear that these are not just black tights. They have some light armor lines, the most pronounced is visible at the knees. However, in the comic panels, they are drawn like regular tights. So which is it? Either way it's utterly bland and feels lazy.

The jacket - I'm actually a fan of the shoulder pads. Even so, the jacket is just too ... practical. A jacket is what normal folks to wear when they are cold. Super heroes don't need it unless their name is The Shadow.

The choker - Again, big fan of chokers. They are sexy when done right. It definitely doesn't work with the jacket. The jacket is just not a team player when it comes to a choker. There are some women who find chokers demeaning so this is also an odd choice since the costume is a move to maker her more palatable to other ladies. Maybe they should have given her Madonna-like nipple spikes instead?

Okay, okay, so how is this different from all the hate? Let's go over the good stuff:

The gauntlets/bracelets - The one element of Wonder Woman's old outfit that bothered me to no end was her bracelets. They were plainlooking gold bracelets that could deflect bullets? Boo! These new ones have style and come up further into the hand. Daddy likes. Finally looks bad ass. Add in the fact that she can engrave WWs into her victims noggin or wherever and you have a complete win in my book.

The breastplate - Now this is how to do well-protected and sexy in one stunning package. If they could have carried this theme to the rest of the outfit while switching up the colors, oh man, homerun.

The headband - I have a hunch there were big debates at DC on whether to lose the headband altogether. I'm really glad it's still there because even on a "modern" outfit it still works.

The shoes - It's kind of hard to figure out exactly what's going on. Is appears to be part of the pants. Or not. What the heck, it works for me, especially the little star on it.

Costumes in real 3D

2010-06-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

The rumored Dead or Alive 5 was a no show at E3, but the consolation prize is not too shabby. Dead or Alive for the Nintendo 3DS will be based on the fighting game series and not the beach volleyball side stories. It had to be tempting for Tecmo/Koei to offer the voyeuristic thrills of DOA Xtreme in 3D(!) so hats off to this tasteful show of restraint, at least for the launch of the system anyway.

Aside from some screens, no solid information is available. Is this a port of one of the existing installments or something brand new? I'm putting my money on a modified version of Dead or Alive 2 from the Xbox Ultimate collection with perhaps some new characters.

BAD ASS

2010-05-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

I was never much of a Gen fan and his makeover for Super Street Fighter IV didn't do much for me. That was until the alternate outfit from the Super Classic pack made him into one bad ass mofo.

Now that he is freed from his kung fu suit, you can see that he is ripped beyond belief. And not that wiry old man ripped, but real full muscles. His crazy white eyes really stand out now as does his new hair style. Gen now looks like one old coot you do not want to mess with or even thin a bad thought about. He immediately has become the next character I take through the story mode.

Super Classic Costume Pack

2010-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

Took some quick snaps of the costumes last nigh. The two highlights are Blanka and Fei Long. Does anyone know what Dhalsim's outfit is supposed to pay tribute to? Right now I'm not feeling it too much.

The Fei Long outfit is just ridiculously awesome. It's the Bruce Lee "Kato" outfit from Green Hornet. You always see people use the yellow jumpsuit to pay homage so this is a nice alternate.

Costume GET now on Twitter!

2010-04-28T11:07:00.001-07:00

This is long overdue so sorry for the wait. Now you can get frequent updates as I'm discovering items in games or finding links as they happen. Just follow my twitter feed. Tell your friends! Huzzah! Don't worry, I'll still post longer form items in this blog.

One week till Super Street Fighter IV

2010-04-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Things have been a bit quiet on the costume front, but that all changes next week when Super Street Fighter IV drops. I've mentioned before that my older costume packs were for the PlayStation 3 version so that's the one I pre-ordered. Amazon currently has it for 36.99 with a $10 off coupon for a future game purchase. You also get the Super Classic Costume pack which is pretty decent.

Mass Effect 2 DLC tomorrow!

2010-03-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Firewalker pack with extra missions and the hover tank drops tomorrow for free, but there is also a three costume alternate appearance pack for $2. That's a lot of money for not much bang. I'll put that $2 I save for the Kasumi -Stolen Memory pack ($7) on April 6th.

Apollo skin and other updates

2010-03-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

I pre-ordered my copy of God of War III from Amazon which netted me the Apollo skin. Um...yay? Haven't found any news if there are free unlockable skins in the game.

I finished Heavy Rain last week and can't wait for some more DLC.

Street Fighter IV DLC owners will be relieved to know all your outfits will work in the new game. Sweet. That also means I have to stick with the PS3 version since all of mine are there.

Bayonetta completed

2010-02-25T06:09:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic action game! I really want to play through again on hard mode (did normal first time through) with the Jeanne skin since you have to play through the game as her to unlock her specific outfits. That's going to have to wait as I'm dying to start Heavy Rain asap.

Bayonetta Get!

2010-02-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

I've probably logged more hours of gaming this past three weeks than all of the last half of 2009. It was mostly Mass Effect 2, but I did complete Muramasa and the Broken Steel DLC for Fallout 3 as well.

I'd actually still like to do more exploring in Fallout since I haven't hit the level cap yet, but Bayonetta is calling and I've answered. The game is going for $49.99 right now on Amazon (I believe because Best Buy is selling it at the price) so it's not a huge sale, just enough to nudge me over the edge to fit it in before I get Heavy Rain next week.

Looking at some quick non-spoiler tips on Bayonetta, it appears I need to finish the game at least once to access the various alternate costumes. It also sounds like I need to grind for some in-game currency to afford prized items.

Anyone have some unlock tips?

Free armor and more RE5 Gold

2010-02-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

First off, if you have Mass Effect 2, there is a free armor and weapon DLC now available. It's nice, but not being able to customize it kind of sucks.

The other exciting bit are the first images of the two new characters in RE5's Mercenary mode. Rebecca and Barry! I didn't care for that mode in RE4, but it was super addicting in RE5.

Also playable in that mode is Excella Gionne. RE5 Gold is making a great case to get bought earlier than later when released. Pics grabbed from here.

Mass Effect 2 outfits

2010-02-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

The first Mass Effect had some great looking armor, but I often had to sacrifice battle usefulness over fashion. The sequel alleviates part of that by allowing players to fully customize the color of their armor along with some patterns. Where it stumbles is that you have one “core” piece of armor that you can mix and match different parts that have specific benefits. The exceptions to that rule are the DLC armor like the one from GameStop or Amazon (the one I have) that don’t allow any mixing or matching. That’s great when starting the game and crappy when you can afford to buy upgrades.

Aside from your armor, there are a number of neat outfit options. When you’re on the Normandy, you can choose from four “casual” outfits. I completed the game and haven’t found more than the initial four although there could be some hidden somewhere?

Each of your team members has one extra outfit that can be unlocked. It’s mostly palette swaps though.

Double Dose of Jill

2009-12-18T05:38:00.000-08:00

I knew the first DLC mission Lost in Nightmares featured Jill Valentine, and now it's been revealed that the second DLC will too! Nightmares is a prequel story to RE5 while Desperate Escape shows you other things that were happening towards the end of the game (I'm trying not to spoil in case folks have held out this long to play).

The first three months of 2010 is packed with hot games, but I'm pretty ready to get back to some RE5.

Looks like I'm getting a PSP in April

2009-12-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

Dead or Alive Paradise will be released for the PSP in Japan April 2nd. My first reaction was "PSP?", but these screens from Famitsu.com have me singing a different tune. The DOA series on the PS2 certainly looked good so I guess I shouldn't be shocked at these screens.

I'm actually surprised they didn't try to squeeze this into a DSi, but glad that the choice was PSP. The storage options for potential DLC is definitely better on the Sony portable. Hopefully, the DLC plan is not to charge insane amounts of cash for automatically unlocking content already in the game. I think it was well over $300 to do so in DOAX2.

No More Heroes Paradise Uncensored

2009-11-24T07:17:00.000-08:00

I played all the way through Killer 7. I played maybe 3 hours of No More Heroes. What happened? Although NMH was far more playable and featured a similarly crazy plot and characters, I just didn't like using the Wii remote. This is a game that was made to be played on a regular controller so I'm ecstatic that a 360 and PS3 port has been announced. It's Japan only for now, but I'd be shocked if someone didn't pick this sucker up for the US. As if that wasn't enough, there are neat extras like saucy costumes in the Very Sweet Mode. Above image is from here.

More Tekken 6 Looking through the art book that came with the limited edition reminded me that there are a ton of outfits I haven't looked at yet. Holy crap, Tekken 6 is even more LOADED with costumes than I initially thought. The balance of outfits is off with some characters getting the shaft while others have a wardrobe that can last years. Looks like I'll be spending a little more time in Scenario mode.

Death by Degrees II aka Tekken 6 Scenario Mode

2009-11-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

Let me explain a few things right off the bat:

1) Death by Degrees was one of the worst games ever
2) I really wanted to like DbD and gave it more chances than it deserved
3) Tekken 6 is very good, great even

With that out of the way, we can get to the rest of this post.

Like most folks, I was very confused playing through the arcade mode because it did not unlock the character ending movies like very previous version. It doesn’t even generate much gold for purchasing items. It’s the Scenario Mode that holds all the goodies and that’s a very divisive decision.

At first I hated the mode. It’s clear Namco put a good deal of production value into it, but the play mechanics of Tekken don’t translate well into the world of the side scrolling brawler. I might have stopped playing if not for the fact that you can change what character you play as after the first mission. Of course I chose Nina Williams. All of a sudden, the mode was…tolerable. I was unlocking outfits that cost tons of cash and they had attributes that altered offense and defense. It’s very similar to the Tower mode thingy (can’t recall the exact name right now) in Soul Calibur IV. Because of this loot element this mode became addictive.

I realized that I was playing the game as if this was the Death by Degrees sequel that never would have been made. I took a short break to play some Modern Warfare 2, but I kept getting pulled back to Tekken 6. There are tons of items to unlock and I’ve only used maybe three different characters so far.

Will you enjoy Scenario Mode? I’ll walk through some observations and tips that may help you decide.

The make-up of attributes you want for a fighter often create an eye sore of an overall outfit. This was true in Soul Calibur IV too. Sometimes it’s amusing, others not so much. This is what my current Nina looks like.

The attributes of clothing items you acquire are ranked by letters with S and A rank items being the best. You can sell unwanted items for money and you’ll often get doubles of the same looking item although they have a different power. This works vice versa with different looking items having identical attributes.

Once you clear all the stages, there really is no need to hang on to any outfits you don’t like. I’m not at that point yet. There is one last stage, appropriately called Nightmare Train, that is very tough to clear without some truly premium attributes. That stage also holds the last character I need to unlock, Devil Jin. After that, I plan to sell the ton of extra gear that my 3-4 characters have accumulated and go shopping for other character looks.

What’s nice is that the purchase screen darkens any items you already own for easy comparisons.

Because clothing items are super expensive, this initially selling off will not cover all the outfits I will want to purchase so it’ll be back to farming for gold and item drops in Scenario mode. In between those times I’ll fight to unlock character ending movies in the Arena found in Scenario mode.

At higher difficulties, using an arcade stick is far superior to using the pad. Enemies block and evade throws more so you really need to bust out the fanciest combos and moves possible. For me that means using a stick. You hold down the farthest right button to run/walk around, otherwise your movements are similar to when fighting close quarters. The button immediately left of that changes the enemy you are locked on to. You really need to switch this as often as possible because the automated way its handled in the game sucks. Sticking close to your AI partner is crucial in getting through many missions on hard mode.

Haven’t played much online, but we play at the office which is way more fun. Currently alternating between Jack 6, Heihachi, and Zafina.

Have Tekken 6 already? Whaddya think?

Sigma 2 DLC

2009-11-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

I saw an update on the PlayStation blog regarding a DLC costume pack for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and got curious. A quick search revealed what they look like. The Rachel outfit is fun, but also a little bland. Might depend on the mood you're in I guess.

Momiji's outfit looks better, but it also lacks personality. She needs clothes that say "This is the real Momiji and she is ready to rock". Right now it says "I'm going to the lantern festival with friends. I hope there are no bad ninjas there".

Ayane's is probably the best of the lot and I'm not just saying that because it's the sexiest. It's a sassy dress that tells the enemy ninja they are about the get their ass kicked and they will like it and ask more more until dead. The only bizarre touch is her gloves which appear to be the same material as her leg stockings. Come on Ayane, spring for some real gloves next time. Treat youself.

Oh right, there is one more outfit, the white ninja suit for Ryu which was available as a pre-order bonus. The entire pack goes for $3.99. Whenever I pick up Sigma 2, I'm 80% sure I'll pick up this DLC. The chance goes to 100% if I can get Sigma 2 for a good price.

You had me at Jill Valentine (UPDATE)

2009-10-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

This is old news, but Resident Evil 5 Alternate was shown at the most recent Tokyo Game Show. The big hooks are that it will support the new motion wand and contains a new sub-chapter with Jill and Chris. The jury is out on the motion wand thingy, but I’m psyched for this extra story as well as playing as Jill in the main game instead of the special mission modes.

Since Capcom added costumes for the PC version, I’m betting there will be at least one more set for this update. I had an “incident” with my 360 save file so starting fresh on the PS3 is fine by me.

BAYONETTA!
I checked out the PS3 Bayonetta demo via a Japanese account and the game just rocks. It’s going to be very hard to wait till January to play this. Kotaku posted some costumes in the game and they are…um…interesting? I’m not crazy about them, but I’ll take them since they are free (at least they better be)!

The closest thing to it is Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 which I also finally got around to checking out in demo form. Feels pretty much like the first game with minor tweaks. It’s on my watch list for sure. Just depends on when some free time opens up and perhaps any price drops happen.

TEKKEN
According to FedEx tracking, my Tekken 6 box should be arriving sometime today. Very excited to check out the first wireless arcade stick. I have complete faith in Hori that it will be a quality stick. I chose the 360 version since the majority of fighting games in my library are on it (Virtua Fighter 5, Soul Calibur IV, etc). Sort of want a wireless stick for the PS3 too since my copy of SFIV is on that system.

That will have to wait a while till my wallet cools down. Maybe closer to the release of Super Street Fighter IV perhaps. I’m sure the flood of other wireless sticks and fighter pads will be in full force by then.

UPDATE!
More Bayonetta costumes are surfacing. Original source here, which I put on my RSS after being alerted via Kotaku.
Yikes

Little more classy. Sort of.

Sigma 2 now or later...

2009-09-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for PS3 comes out this week and the internal debating has started whether to pick it up now or later. Pre-ordering from GameStop will net a costume for Ryu and an art book and CD for an extra $10. I was not wowed by the previous CE for Sigma PS3 although this package looks much better.

Guess it all comes down to time and I'm still a long way from finishing Muramasa and messing around with Beatles RockBand. I downloaded the demo for Sigma 2 over the weekend and will try to play it tonight to see if it helps make up my mind.

There are some very cool comparison shots of the 360 and PS3 versions here. Some of it is lighting, but it's obvious the texture work is much improved.

Xbox 360

PS3

Muramasa GET!

2009-09-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

My experience with Odin Sphere informed me that a guide with maps of the levels will be very handy to have and it has proved true so far.

The flow of the game is much better than OS. As far as I know, there are no alternate costumes in the game, but the art direction and overall visual punch clearly put this in the CosGet wheelhouse.

I plan on picking up Ninja Gaiden Sigma II next so it'll be a back-to-back dose of ninja action.

Soul Calibur Broken Destiny...Next Week?!

2009-08-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Wow this totally snuck up on me since I haven't been paying much attention to PSP news. I still haven't decided to pick up the PSP GO so it would be premature to pick BD up in anticipation.

The wait for Tekken 6 has definitely got me in the mood for a fighter and I'm still not convinced that game should be BlazBlue.

Aside from Beatles Rockband, the September release game I'm super psyched about is Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Being a big Odin Sphere fan and 2D in general, this is about as good as it gets. That cover image from the latest issue of play magazine is bananas. I don't think I can bring that into the house or even keep it at my desk at work.

BlazBlue?

2009-08-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

I had been planning to pick up KOF XII, but all the fan uproar gave me cold feet. BlazBlue has been out for a while now and I’m thinking of giving it a go. Played a ton of Guilty Gear back in the day although it was on a very casual level meaning I never could wrap my head around the high level techniques (or even mid level for that matter).

The art is certainly nice and the characters are entertainingly bizarre. I dunno. Kinda torn. I figure Beatles Rock Band will dominate my time in a few weeks so the window of opportunity is not so large. Above image from Gpara (link is somewhat NSFW)

More Tekken
Catching up on some shots released a while back. October is inching closer.

RE5 PC and Tekken 6 updates

2009-07-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

The PC version of Resident Evil 5 has two new outfits. A mad max style costume for Chris and a business suit for Sheva. I really, really like them both. Wonder if they'll come to consoles as DLC? Probably not right away or for free.

New outfits have appeared for Tekken 6. First up is the EX costume for Zafina. Probably her best look so far.

Next is this pimp suit for Heihachi. This looks familiar, but I can't recall at the moment if this appeared in another form before or if this is all new. Feel like I've seen something similar though.

These last two are for Lily. The schoolgirl outfit is okay, but a bit too similar to her default costume.

Aha, bat wings and an eye patch! Now we're cooking! Sort of. Source of all Tekken 6 pics here.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 art and video

2009-07-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

There is a very cool update on the PlayStation blog from Team Ninja producer Yosuke Hayashi. He reveals a few more details on each of the female players as well as offering large downloadable art. The biggest bonus is the first footage (at least that I've seen) of Momiji in action.

Score another dollar for Tecmo aka Rio Blackjack

2009-06-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

After purchasing DOA Blackjack Kasumi, I noticed Tecmo had another game on the app store. It's basically the same blackjack game, but stars Rio who is big in Japan, not so much here. It was listed for 99 cents so I decided to take the plunge so I could compare the two blackjack offerings (it's back up to $3.99 now). The above shot is Rio's default dealer outfit.

Rio's cowboy outfit is unlocked at the 300 chip mark.

Rio's third outfit is available after reaching 500 chips.

Rio's evening dress is unlocked at 800 chips.

The kung fu gear appears at 1000 chips.

Last, but not least the fetishy maid outfit was unlocked at 1500 chips. At least I think it was. From around the 500 chip mark, I'm not 100% sure what milestones tied into the outfits.

So which game is better? Even though Rio gives you more outfits and images US audiences probably haven't seen, it still comes down to which character you like better. If Rio was $3.99, there is no doubt I would have only bought Kasumi.

One more thing, both games require a lot of your iPhone's resources. You'll often have to power off and power on your phone to free enough memory to prevent crashes. This may not be an issue on the 3GS phones, but it definitely is for regular 3G.

Costumes of DOA Blakcjack Kasumi

2009-06-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Against my better judgment I purchased DOA Blackjack Kasumi version ($3.99). I shouldn't say it like that because it's not a terrible game at all. A very solid game of blackjack and a decent amount of items to unlock. It just doesn't take very long to unlock everything, even if you play just a few hands here and there. The costume you see above is her default outfit while dealing cards and in the intro screen. (sorry for the crappy pic quality. Hard to get good shots off the iPhone screen)

The player two white ninja outfit is unlocked by reaching 300 chips.

Kasumi's bikini is unlocked at 500 chips.

The last outfit I found was her cheerleader outfit at 1000 chips. I currently have about 2800 chips (that last push to 3000 is taking some time), but so far no more outfits.

I unlocked almost all of her gallery images. It's possible buying up everything could unlock one more thing. Anyone know?

Oh, one more slight embarrassing item (yes more embarrassing than the game itself). The name of the game is shortened on your app screen as "DOA BJ". I'm positive this was intentional.

Tekken 6 fan packs

2009-06-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe Tekken 6 isn’t slated for release till October. To help with the long wait, the official site has downloadable fan kits that feature hi-res art of the characters as well as screens. Some of these show off the alternate outfits for the characters.

I think I’ve seen Anna rock that coat before, but Nina’s outfit looks brand new.

Zafina’s alternate outfit is just as strange as her pose.

Original link via mognetcentral.

Hmmm Black Jack eh?

2009-06-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

$3.99 for a Black Jack app featuring Kasumi with unlockable outfits and costume gallery is a tad expensive considering I just scored Peggle for just 99 cents yesterday. Okay, four bucks isn’t outrageous, but it’s obvious there is going to be an app for at least a few of the other Dead or Alive ladies if not all. That means it comes down to which DOA gal is your favorite and if you like playing black jack.

A cheaper alternative is the Rio Black Jack game also from Tecmo which looks exactly the same except for the character for only 99 cents.

E3 Costume Watch

2009-06-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

I skipped Ninja Gaiden 2 mainly because the gore was a bit too much for me. That aspect appears considerably toned down in the E3 videos of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 I’ve seen. The likelihood of a purchase increased with the news that fan favorite Rachel (and by fan I mean me) would be joining the previously announced Ayane and Momiji (from the DS NG game). I’m guessing Sonia is still in the game since that would alter the storyline.

Rachel’s outfit looks pretty much the same. Only her axe weapon thing received a makeover.

Momiji’s outfit has very strong Kasumi 2P costume influences. It fails if you look at every little costume detail, but I’m okay with it taken as a whole. She really needs an alternate outfit that is more ninja-ish.

Ayane exposes a lot more flesh and gets the requisite random pieces of metal that Ninja Gaiden costumes must have. It lacks elegance and subtlety. Wins minor points for sexiness.

The prospects of picking up Soul Calibur PSP, and also an actual PSP, also increased with the reveal that Kratos is in the game. I actually fired up Soul Calibur IV on the 360 the other night and totally forgot about all those “guest” characters that were included. Will they also be in the PSP version? Yoda and Darth Vader are almost certainly out.

Convince me PSP

2009-05-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

The rumored PSP revision to be unveiled at E3 has me curious, but it would take a lot to get me to bite. The screens for Soul Calibur and Tekken 6 for PSP are a step in the right direction. The character models look great although it’s easy to see the difference from the console versions.

I could opt for Tekken 6 portable instead of getting it on a console since I might have more time to play fighters on the road than at home. Or I could be talked into getting both versions if you could use the same save file between the PS3 and PSP. Especially if there was some unlocking bonus for using both versions.

360 is back - UPDATED

2009-05-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

So the drama is all over and the repaired Xbox 360 is back home. All told it took a little under 2 ½ weeks from the day I mailed the system to the day I got it back. Finding my own packaging instead of waiting for a coffin definitely sped the process up.

Now that it’s back, most of the anger has subsided although I’ll still have to think hard about multi-format versions of games. Gonna tackle the last two Fallout DLC, the Pitt and Broken Steel. I’ve actually got the itch to pop in Rockband 2 which I haven’t played a whole lot of. I have to remember to take some pics of my custom character and the various outfits I earned/purchased. I wonder if the Beatles game will have any of that or if I can import my character into that game? Doubt it.

UPDATE
Some of the anger returned when I remembered that any games installed to the hard drive would have to get re-installed since the model # of system they send you back is different (meaning they send you back the first available repaired 360 and not your own 360). There were only like 3 or so fully installed games, but man it does take a while for each. I also need to re-download any Live arcade titles so I can play them offline. Boo!

Losing costumes from damaged save files and red rings

2009-04-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

During a speed run on RE5 to unlock the rocket launcher, my 360 froze during a save point rendering the file corrupt and wiping out all data. I had wanted to move on to another game so there wasn’t as much anger as there should have been. A few days later, the 360 red ringed. I checked what type and it’s the dreaded internal hardware variety that has to get fixed by MS. My console was still covered since this is my second red ring.

Then I remembered I wanted to snap some shots of the costumes for this blog and the anger returned. Getting all the emblems to unlock Tribal Sheva was a huge pain in the ass and so was unlocking everything in Mercenaries mode. It’s good that the Street Fighter IV DLC was purchased on the PS3 and not 360. I’m trying to see if it’s possible to shift all my gaming to the PS3. The only drawback is that I’m hugely addicted to Fallout 3 and all the DLC is 360 exclusive. I was also in the process of downloading Outrun arcade. Seems MS was wise to shell out the money for exclusive 360 DLC after all.

DLC video and Sheva update

2009-04-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

This link goes to a very good video that shows off all the items you get from the Onechanbara DLC for the Xbox 360. I would embed it here, but that feature was disabled by the uploader. The total package is 1600 MS points ($20) which is way too much for what you get. Half that price and I’m interested again.

I’ve had to do a lot of work related things for Resident Evil 5 which gave me the chance to unlock all the outfits for Chris and Sheva in the main game. I’ll get to the Mercenaries mode eventually because I’d like to unlock the Jill outfits as well. Too bad you can’t play as Jill in the main game. Now that would be a DLC worth purchasing (as long as it featured new cut scenes as well) instead of the versus mode that was just released.

Onechanbara DLC (UPDATED)

2009-03-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

I was checking around to see if anyone had posted a video of the various unlockable Onechanbara costumes since I only want to focus on the ones that look good and came up empty. I did happen upon this DLC listing on the XBL site.

According to some other posts, there are other DLC out there as well. The only catch is they all cost money. Only this Aya "Legacy" costume is free. I'll look into the next time I log in from my console.

Update:
Quick pick from the official site. Also pictured are three characters you can purchase and play as.

Sheva!

2009-03-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

Shots of Sheva's secret costume were posted by Kotaku to add even more anticipation to the release of Resident Evil 5 tomorrow.

It looks like Sheva has two alternate outfits, the one above and another called "Clubbin". Chris also has two outfits as does the other Mercenaries in the game. This short video clip gives a nice glimpse of what's available in the game. There are other videos floating around showing the costumes, but they are filled with spoilers so watch out!

Tomb Raider costumes multiplying

2009-03-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

Lara’s Shadow, the second DLC for Tomb Raider Underworld just came out along with the free Designer Costume Pack. That’s a pretty good amount of alternate gear when you count the outfits from the Beneath the Ashes DLC and the two previous free costume packs.

That prompted me to look up how much Underworld is selling for these days. The official price seems to still be around $49, but you can find brand new copies for around $25 on eBay. I would want to get both DLC (800 microsoft points each) so there’s another $20 right there for a total of $45. Not too shabby.

I’m in no hurry though. Street Fighter IV has been keeping me busy. I ended up purchasing the ladies costume pack for that one. Fallout 3 has also been getting some play time as I’m going through the Operation Alaska DLC again, this time with a secondary character. My original level 20 is a guy, but there is an awesome ninja outfit that would look a whole lot better on my level 9 female character.

Then after that, there’s more Onechanbara yet to play. If I’m lucky, there’s maybe a ½ hour of gaming I can squeeze in per night, so Lara might have to wait a while.

Street Fighter IV ladies costume video

2009-02-24T06:21:00.000-08:00

Got forwarded this insane video that documents all the alternate outfits for the SFIV ladies AND how they look with all the colors! Fantastic work.

How to enjoy Onechanbara

2009-02-19T06:06:00.000-08:00

I played about 2 hours of Onechanbara on the 360 and really like it. It’s not a very good game with super low budget flaws. So what is it that I like so much about the game? Here are the top three:

1) Dress up mode – Well duh! It’s a bit tough to unlock everything, but I’m happy with this mode so far. You unlock new outfits and color options by completing quests and gaining experience. I think hitting level 20 with Aya unlocked new hair color and something else I’m forgetting at the moment.

2) Experience building – Grinding for better stats is handled fairly. The points don’t come easily at first, but it does appear I’m earning more as the levels progress.

3) Smooth sword action – The action and combos are pretty cool and handle well. The camera is crap though.

If you’re playing now or thinking about purchasing it, here are a few tips that will help you get the most enjoyment from the game:

A) Consult this FAQ. This is not a matter of cheating or taking the easy way out. It is IMPOSSIBLE to figure out how to unlock items or defeat certain enemies on your own. The instruction manual is one of the most useless I’ve seen in a long time.

B) You can create an all bikini version of the characters even before unlocking any items. Just create a new character in dress up mode and you can select that version in the game.

C) Don’t grind for experience before chapter 3 or 4. Without spoiling too much, I can tell you that something happens that resets your levels. After that though there is no similar set back.

Marvel Black Widow Bishoujo Statue

2009-02-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since a figure/statue has been featured here, mostly because I lost interest in collecting them. I still occassionally stumble upon new items such this stunning Kotobukiya bishoujo-style statue of Black Widow. I never thought much of Black Widow's original leotard with a collar and this bishoujo version thankfully does away with said collar (as does the newer BW comics), but maintains the armlets. The belt really puts this outfit over the top. The whole look is just so balanced.

After doing some minor research, the visual ques of this statue appear inspired by the 2001 Marvel Knights books (feel free to correct me).

The statue comes out this July for $59.99 although you can get a discount for pre-ordering at NCSX or TFAW among other places. In case you were wondering, Rogue is the only other character in the Marvel bishoujo statue series so far. It's not in the same league as the BW figure though. As cool as Black Widow is, it's unlikely I'll buy the statue. It just feels like that part of my collecting fever has passed.

More SFIV, now with images!

2009-02-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

The folks at Siliconera posted screens and more info on the extra costumes. It's kind of interesting all the females are in one pack since it's sure to be popular. The Dungeons & Dragons thief outfit for Rose is a stunner.

As I mentioned before, Guile's "Charlie" outfit is pretty cool. The shades look a bit too dark. Thought Charlie's were more like prescription glasses. Maybe I'm remembering wrong.

Lei Fong's is pretty snazzy since it has the Mr. Han claw marks.

I'm still undecided on Cammy's outfit. The image above is courtesy of a poster on the Japanese irojainaikedo image board. If it's you, thanks!

Extra SFIV costumes = extra money

2009-02-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

Turns out those cool costumes shown in the video linked in the post below carry a cost. Quotes from this story:

"Over in Japan, Capcom will offer a series of five costume packs released one pack per week, with the first pack arriving on the game's February 12 launch date. Each pack will include an alternate costume for five characters.

Pricing for the packs is set at 400 yen (about $4.48) on the PS3 and 320 MS Points on the 360. Following the release of all five packs, Capcom will release a combo pack which includes all 25 costumes at a discount price. This will cost 1,200 yen ($13.44) on the PS3 and 1,000 MS Points on the 360."

The only things you unlock for free are extra characters and additional colors for existing costumes. That tempers my excitement a bit, but I'll probably buy them once they are bundled.

Street Fighter IV alternate costumes video

2009-01-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

Some nice footage of alternate outfits for every character. My favorite alternates so far are Ryu, Chun Li, Zangief, and Guile. Let's hope there's more to come.

I tried embedding it, but it broke the borders so you'll have to follow the link.

Template change
As you've surely noticed, I updated the template in order to begin adding various gadgets and features. I'll also spruce things up in other ways eventually.

Podcast debut! (Updated)

2009-01-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

My good buddies Miguel, Gabe, and Sterling invited me to be a special guest on today's GameSpy Debriefings podcast and it's already available for download! You can find it here.

There's no costume talk so sorry about that. I chime in on some current topics and tell some old timey game industry stories circa 1994-1995. If they have me on again, I won't say "like" so darn much.

Thanks guys for having me on! The iTunes link is up!

Velvet Christmas

2008-12-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Aside from Fallout 3, I haven't unlocked many outfits recently. On the bright side, I saw that new outfits for the upcoming game Velvet Assassin were released today. Just in time for the holidays!

This is the outfit the main character appears to wear on the cover. It's a very nice, retro rocketeer-looking leather suit. A good start.

You can't infiltrate Nazi headquarters without an outfit like this. I wonder if they made this for her before going in or if she found this on location since it seems to fit so well.

I love the unique boots. Elevates what would otherwise be generic street clothes.

Because of the blood stains, I'm guessing you are only going to be able to use this outfit in one specific mission/stage. Would be interesting albeit unrealistic if it was at your disposal any time.

GET! deals alert

2008-12-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

There have been sales all weekend long on some great games and a few more popped up today for “cyber Monday”. Check the full list here.

Among the games listed that have costume options are Saint’s Row 2, Tomb Raider Underworld, Golden Axe Beastrider ($20!), Little Big Planet, Fable II, and Rockband 2.

My favorite deal? It’s Persona 3 FES WITH artbook and soundtrack CD (previously only available with the limited edition of the regular non-FES Persona 3) for $19.99!!! If I ever have time for a RPG, this is tops on my list.

October alternate costume watch

2008-10-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

Golden Axe Beast Rider has received mostly negative reviews, but I'm still a little interested thanks to this image post above from the irojanaikedo board. I'm a sucker for the old school costume. Maybe I'll take the chance once the game gets discounted.

It sounds like Street Fighter IV is going to be out before the end of the year. I thought it would be Feb, but whatever. I hope the characters have more than one alternate outfit.

Finally, Tekken 6 update!

2008-09-19T06:01:00.000-07:00

Tekken 6 Bloodline Rebellion adds two new characters and a host of upgrades to the regular arcade version. The gal you see up top (source Majoria's News) is Alisa Bosconovitch and she happens to be some type of humanoid robot. That last name should be familiar to long time Tekken fans as the same as the mechanized Dr. Bosconovitch who was playable in Tekken 3 (I think, my memory is fuzzy). The other character is some dude named Lars. You can check them out on the official site.

New items!

The hair option could be cool.

Exclusive Dress Up mode?

2008-09-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

D3 has updated their Onechanbara 360 page and it reveals an exciting development:

"Exclusive Dress-Up Mode – Go behind the scenes to expose the hottest samurai wardrobe on the planet. Unlock an arsenal of customized clothing and looks to maximize and personalize the Onechanbara experience."

I don't know if this means the mode is exclusive to the US version and that it wasn't in the Japanese release or just that the exclusive is different from the US Wii version. Have to look into that.

They also posted a new box on the page. No release date yet although I've read that it might be 2009 now.

UPDATE: Amazon lists both the 360 and Wii versions as Feb 17, 2009 while EB only has the Wiii for Feb 10th, 2009.

It’s vented

2008-09-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

The first shots of Tomb Raider Underworld that came out months ago did nothing for me. It just seemed like Uncharted for the PS3 raised the bar on how these types of games should look. Then, slowly, more screens and movies appeared as well as cool art and the reveal of a new live action Lara model.

First, let me say that this piece of art above is pure awesome. I have no clue if it has anything to do with the game (does she actually fight sharks in the open ocean?), but I like it. I also like wetsuits that almost look like thin leather armor, but I digress.

The new Lara model does not offend me as much as the last, mostly because her outfit makes fewer nonsensical alterations. There are two subtle improvements in the new design worth noting, one is the backpack straps across her upper torso. Very strategic location that is both functional and accentuate the chest. Speaking of chest, her side boobs now have vents. Vents people.

SCIV update

I’ve been massively sidetracked by Bionic Commando Rearmed, but still managed to be on the cusp of unlocking the majority of armor and items in Soul Calibur IV. Once completed, I’ll start posting my creations for anyone still playing SCIV.

Holiday outlook – Zombies, bikinis, Lara

2008-08-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

I’ve been waiting to post about the US release of Onechanbara for the 360 until there was more info, mainly a solid release date other than “holiday 2008”. The official page is semi-down as of this moment, which could mean an update is imminent. Or that the game is cancelled?! In any case, if you missed the announcement, now you know!

Never got around to picking up Tomb Raider Anniversary, but might try to sneak it in before the release of TR Underworld based on this snazzy costume compilation video.

Custom character heaven

2008-08-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

I’m sure there are tons of different message boards posting custom creations, but the only one I’ve checked regularly is the NeoGaf one. Some truly amazing ones in that thread. Both custom creations shown here are from the thread.

I’m still in the process of unlocking every possible item in the Tower of Souls so I haven’t made too many “funny” characters. Most are just custom versions of existing characters configured to do well in certain challenges.

I’ll post some of my own as soon as I as I can!

Soul Calibur IV MEGA GET

2008-08-09T14:11:00.001-07:00

The long wait for Soul Calibur IV is now over. I couldn't decide which version I would like the best so it had to be both. I thought the PS3 version would get the most initial love because of the ability to install most of the game to the hard drive, but so far that hasn't really resulted in faster load times.

I did like the look of the PS3 Hori stick over the 360, plus I already had a DOA4 Hori stick for the 360. I think that's going to be the last arcade stick I get until they go wireless.

Every week, my desire for Soul caliber IV increases (UPDATE)

2008-06-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

Still over a month away, it’s amazing that there is still so much cool new stuff being revealed about Soul Calibur IV. The latest are details and images about the custom costumes. We knew there would be lots more to choose from, but now there are no restrictions on how you combine them! They are also not limited to custom created players, but can be applied to the main characters.

At this point, I think I’m actually going to buy both the 360 and PS3 versions. I know it’s silly to do so and that the console exclusive characters will probably be available for purchase. We’ll see when the game actually comes out I guess.

UPDATE:
Thanks to macanaqui for sharing this link to GameSpot Japan's massive gallery of custom characters.

What's really cool is they also have shots of the creation menu.

Plethora of characters - UPDATED

2008-05-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

New and returning Soul Calibur IV characters are coming out of the woodwork faster than I can remember to write something about it. Two of the most recent have caught my eye.

Shura was designed by Hiroya Oku, the guy behind the Gantz series (which I love). Her outfit is a bit on the trashy side, but I dig it. It’s such a bizarre combination - stylized chaps, thong, swords, and massive skull shoulder armor. It shouldn’t be appealing yet it is, at least to me.

Ashlotte is easily the coolest guest-created character so far. Designed by Oh Great! (Tenjho Tenge, Air Gear), Ashlotte looks like a true maiden of death. She has a deceptively cute face and outfit that diverts your attention from the sharp iron dress frame and deadly spear ready to slice you open.

UPDATED: Original post only had the two-page scan. Nice large non-watermarked pics were just posted on strategy informer. Sweet.

Costly costumes

2008-05-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

The good news is that Ninja Gaiden II will have three downloadable costumes for Ryu in July. The bad news is each will cost 200 MS points ($2.50). I’m kind of stunned. That’s a lot of money per outfit. This will suck even more if there aren’t any “free” costumes in the game to unlock.

Although I’ve been a big Ninja Gaiden fan, there are aspects of II that I’m not looking forward to. One is the massive amounts of gore, Two - the lackluster Sonia designs, Three – the game doesn’t look significantly better than Sigma for PS3, Four – there doesn’t appear to be another playable character in the game, Five – and now it appears we’ll be gouged for extras costumes that used to be free.

Previously Team Ninja charged for unlocking costumes already in the game for folks who didn’t have 100 hours to accomplish those tasks. The prices were sky high if you wanted to buy everything (I think it was like $300+), but it wasn’t that bad if you purchased items for just one or two characters.

This development with NGII makes me dread what will happen to extra costumes in a new Dead or Alive fighting game or DOA Xtreme.

Shockingly…

2008-04-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

…generic. That was my first thought looking at Sonia, the new femme fatale in Ninja Gaiden II. Is it some kind of parody of Dante from Devil May Cry? Seems that way since she’s packing guns.

Whatever the motivation was behind her creation, there’s really no excuse to throw out such a forgettable looking character like this. Maybe she’ll win me over as her story unfolds in the game. That is, if she’s actually playable in it.

SC IV Flood

2008-03-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

The Soul Calibur IV character shots are starting to flow like crazy now. First up is a scan of the new character Angol Fear. It’s hard to tell how she looks in-game from this, but her character art is kind of…interesting.

Up next is Amy who I was fond of in SCIII. Hopefully her moves are fully fleshed out this time.

I like Cervantes less and less with each new game. I think that trend will continue in IV.

Jury is still out on Zasalamel. I like the overall character design (not so much the look above, but with the hood), but he was so damn cheap in SCIII that it clouded my opinion of him.

Scheherazade

2008-03-24T05:12:00.000-07:00

The newest Soul Calibur IV character to be revealed is Scheherazade. She belongs to a secret forest tribe. Umm…okay.

I haven’t seen any video of her in motion, but I’m not too crazy about her look from these screens. Actually, most of her outfit would be fine if it wasn’t for that damn beret with the feather. It’s like they needed something that would make her look more innocent yet mysterious at the same time. The French are mysterious right?

2008-03-20T04:55:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with some folks over lunch about what kind of PS3 Home features would trump 360 achievement points. In the case of Soul Calibur IV, you’re looking at Yoda exclusive and achievement points vs PS3’s Darth Vader and…? If the rumored launch of Home is actually July, it’s faintly possible SCIV could have some Home support. If so, what would it have to be to make you choose the PS3 over the 360 version?

Taking a look at what has been announced for Resistance, Warhawk, and Uncharted, it seems that walking around some of the battle stages in SCIV should be possible. I’d want items to customize my Home pad or maybe some tasteful wearable items. That’s probably asking too much for anything launching this year though.

As far as actually playing games, I’m way behind. I haven’t even picked up Super Smash Bros yet.

Fes! Yes!

2008-02-29T06:09:00.000-08:00

I’ve dabbled only casually in the Persona games over the years. Loved that it was a RPG set in modern Japan, but something about it never propelled me past the first few hours. I was sure P3 would finally be "the one" based on everything I had read and watched about it. Several time a Persona 3 purchase was very close, but a lack of time was always the big deterrent.

Up until a few days ago, P3 was still on my Amazon wishlist, but it has not been retired…only to get quickly replaced with the updated Fes (well, not yet since it’s not listed officially on Amazon yet)! To get the original game plus 30 extra hours of story and new costumes (and the ability to change into them regularly) for just $30 is just fantastic. It might take me a few months, even years even to get to though.

I don’t get the Kos-Mos thing

2008-02-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

Is it because she is an android who wears skimpy clothing? Maybe it’s because she/it is supposed to be super powerful? Whatever “it” is I don’t get it. I never played any of the Xenogears games and probably never will. So for the two people who keep emailing me to profile Kos-Mos, this mini-rant is about all I’ve got.

I’m loving that the PS2 is still getting new games, especially when they are as niche as Arcana Heart. There isn’t much in the way of multiple costumes that I know of, but it will be relatively cheap and has a decent reputation as a fun game.

While we’re on the topic of fighters, there are more on the horizon than any in recent memory. Below is a handy GET! percentage of the multiple/edit costumes bonus. Massive GET!, Great GET!, So-so GET!, Poor GET!, Terrible GET!

Soul Calibur IV (360/PS3) – 70% GET!
Tekken 6 (PS3, Arcade) – 85% GET!
Street Fighter IV (Arcade, 360, PS3) – 35% GET!
King of Fighters XII (Arcade, 360, PS3) – 20% GET!
Fatal Fury Battle Archives 2 (PS2) – 10% GET!
World Heroes Anthology (PS2) – 5% GET!
Samurai Shodown Sen (Arcade) – 40% GET!
BluBlaze (Arcade) – 15% GET!
Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii) – 10% GET!
Virtua Fighter 5 R (Arcade) – 80% GET!
Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (360, PS3) – 5% GET!