Yeah, the PS2 keeps on getting unique titles! Go here for info.

While Street Fighter IV is garnering most of the press here in the US, and for good reason: it's the granddaddy of the genre, there are other 2D style fighting games coming out (in the arcades of course, at first) that deserve your attention. You have probably seen some clips of King of Fighters XII via Gamespot's coverage, but you may have missed another huge title: BlazBlue.

This is going to be the world's first true HD hand drawn fighting game (maybe any game?). It's being developed by the same guys who brought you the Guilty Gear series, which had the first hand drawn 2D fighter in 480i.

Now this may not seem interesting for those of you playing in HD for a few years now, anyone who is a fighting fan is salivating at the influx of 2D.

For a look at BlazBlue by Arc System Works go here.

I love me some SoulCaliber, but you can't beat 2D!

02-25-2008,11:56:13

This ties in with my PS2 for 2008 article, but this announcement deserves its own post.

Yes, my beloved Atlus will bring over the highly anticipated (among people who played P3) FES additional scenario.

For this US, this release will include the whole original game with new features PLUS the additional Aegis story line.

All this for only 29.99! It's a steal. Go here for more info if you are unfamiliar with the game.

Everyone buy this amazing game! Show that quality matters to you! You will not buy the latest knock-off crap from a big developer!

I'm living in the past. The most current-gen piece of equipment I have is a onyx ds lite. The PS2 is my trusty console of choice. Without considering my huge list of unfinished PS1/PS2 games, I still think the PS2 can fulfill my home gaming needs for 2008.

I've never been an early adopter, so this is the norm for me. Plus, sometimes a given system's finest games come out after the spotlight has already moved on....

So here are some PS2 games I'm looking forward to, in no particular order:

Baroque (Atlus)

This is a self-described "hardcore" dungeon crawler, complete with old-school difficulty. Nothing about this game has blown me away just by looking at screen shot, BUT... Baroque was developed by STING! These are the guys who made Riviera: The Promised Land and Yggdra Union for the GBA. I immensely enjoyed these two titles; truthfully, they blew me away. Thus, I have a lot of faith that Baroque will follow in the goodness.

Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis(NIS America, Gust)

Ok, so it's another alchemy/questing type game from these guys, a la the Atelier Iris series, but I'm looking forward to this for a few reasons:

1. I like the school context instead of fantasy land.

2. I like the artwork and 2D sprites.

3. I played and loved Ar Tonelico, another Gust game, and I really enjoyed the relaxed pacing and difficulty level. I'm anticipating another chill-out game here, where I can just appreciate the artwork and tinker with alchemy.

So, obviously, this game may not appeal to a lot of people, but for this technophobe, it works fine.

Arcana Hearts (Atlus)

Wow, I'm really happy about this. I've recently gotten into 2D fighting (in the last few months I've bought KoF XI, Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, Street Fighter Alpha Anthology, and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core) and I was considering importing this game. Seriously, who wouldn't want to play a fighting game with an ALL GIRL CAST? At a bargain price, what's not to like?

LEGO Indiana Jones (LucusArts)

This lies a little outside my usual gaming interests, and I know there will be better* versions of this game on other consoles, but for some reason, this title piques my interest. I had fun with the LEGO Star Wars, so I am expecting more blocky adventure with this one. Now only if the would make a LEGO rpg based off of their Castle collection.

More to come, have to go work....

(edit)

Ok, here comes another one to look forward to...

Chaos Wars (Idea Factory) (D3 in America?)

If you can't tell from the list, I like RPGs and SRPGs a lot. Here's another Japanese strategy game a la Disgaea. However, this game is kind of like a Marvel v Capcom or SVC where it brings together a bunch of universes. From the Japanese website one can tell it contains characters from games by Red Entertainment, Idea Factory, Atlus, and Aruze. I'm not going to say I recognize all of the cameos, but I did recognize some Growlanser characters in the trailer. So if you like over the top strategy games with JRPG elements, this game should be right up your alley.

I have nothing profound to say on the subject.  I want to show that it matters to me, though...and since I never paid for a membership, I can't cancel it!  My main point is that I believe the way Jeff's firing was handled was completely mismanaged by CNet. 
I will miss Jeff's high energy craziness and funny quirks.  He was one of the editors that "made" the site.
Saying that, until I know the truth, I can't say whether or not Jeff deserved to get fired.  If his firing had anything to do with Lame and Lynch, then I will be completely let down by Gamespot.
To get back to the main point, even if Jeff deserved to get fired, the way it was all handled was ridiculous.  It has been the opposite of transparent, and has been completely disrespectful to fans of Jeff and the site.  Knowing that Jeff was a driving force behind what made Gamespot, CNet should have made public the rationale the moment the firing occurred.  I know that is not how normal HR works, but this isn't a normal job.  Every hour there is not an official explanation, it gets worse for the site.
Good luck Jeff. 

I've been waiting for this for a while now. I used to wonder how they did it. However, I can now happily proclaim that I have reached the 'Metal Slime' GS level. This has always been one of my favorite, if not the favorite, GS levels. It brings back good memories of walking around the overworld for hours just to have the chance to fight 3 metal slimes, which all ran away from me, of course. I'm talking Dragon Warrior, the first! I'm happy. Maybe I should just quit visiting the site under this avatar so I can always be a 'metal slime.'

well, i just signed up with gamerinstinct.com. gave them a bunch of info, which they promise they won't sell. i supposedly just earned $2.50 by filling out the initial survey. you can't redeem the money until you get 1000pts or $50.00. the payment would be cool, but i'm more interested in trying to get likes and dislikes noticed by the gaming/electronic industry. and there may be some sort of emblem, which would be really cool. who knows if this thing is worth it, but i'll write out the results as they come.

(EDIT)

well, it's been over a week now, and there are no surveys for me to take. thus, no points to earn. maybe i don't fit into a demographic that they need information from. so far, nothing from gamerinstinct. (note, i have not received any spam after i gave my information either.)

(EDIT 2)

ok, i received a survey. completed it, received points, and still no spam.  so far, it seems legit.  although, it looks like you are selected for only certain surveys according to your demographics.  it may be a while before i earn enough points to qualify for money.

(EDIT 3)

ouch, got another survey, but got denied after answering the first few questions.  must be because i'm not next (current) gen enough. i love you ps2.