Xbox 360 review: Metal Gear Solid HD Collection

Back in 2008, Konami released the Metal Gear Solid Essentials Collection shortly before the long-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The Essentials Collection was comprised of the first three Metal Gear Solid titles, and served as a refresher for veterans of the series as well as an inexpensive means for newcomers to get acquainted with Solid Snake and Big Boss. Now Konami is at it again with the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, and gamers can revisit three games from the series on the current gen consoles. Included in the HD Collection are Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, and Peace Walker. For those not so familiar with the chronology of the series, Metal Gear Solid 2 is a direct sequel to the PS1 Metal Gear Solid, while 3 and Peace Walker act as prequels to the original MSX Metal Gear games.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is divided into two chapters. The first puts you in control of Solid Snake as he sneaks aboard a US Marine corps tanker making its way down the Hudson River. Otacon has uncovered information that the Marine corps has been developing a new type of Metal Gear, and Snake's mission is to locate it and snap some photographs that they can leak online and expose the military's unethical decision to construct such a machine. The situation quickly escalates as Russian soldiers board the tanker and take out the guards, and Snake barely manages to send Otacon the photos before Revolver Ocelot shows up, steals the new Metal Gear RAY, and sinks the ship into the river. The first section lasts an hour at the longest, and serves primarily as a tutorial section, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the controls, sneaking tactics, and a brief boss battle.

Two years later, Raiden is sent into a water decontamination facility known as Big Shell, in order to rescue hostages from the terrorist organization known as Dead Cell. This second chapter, known as the Plant Chapter, has Raiden sneaking around guards, disarming explosives, swimming through flooded areas of Big Shell, and going toe-to-toe with the four members of Dead Cell. The Plant Chapter has a greater variety of gameplay, and also lasts significantly longer. Many of the areas in Big Shell look similar, and it can be easy to get lost early on.

Raiden can be whiny at times, but he's nowhere near as unlikable as his girlfriend/radio support Rosemary, who can't seem to remember that Raiden is on an important mission and should not have time to chat about her feelings. Meanwhile, the odd behavior and unique abilities that each member of Dead Cell exhibits makes them quite interesting. The story may be slow-going at first, but the darker tone and multiple plot twists that unfold during the last few hours make it all worth the trouble. Metal Gear Solid 2 may not control as smoothly as the other two titles, and there are moments that prove rather frustrating. But the boss fights are epic and the story has a downright brilliant conclusion.

Easily the best of the bunch, Metal Gear Solid 3 follows Naked Snake as he is sent into Russia to stop a separatist group known as GRU and their leader the sadistic Colonel Volgin from usurping Khrushchev and developing the Shagohod, an all-terrain tank armed with nuclear missiles, in order to start a war with the US. Snake must make his way through the jungle and use various camouflage and face paints to blend in with his surrounding and avoid detection by the enemy. The rate at which Snake recovers health is determined by two factors - how hungry he is, and if he is injured in any way. Snake has a limited number of rations and medical supplies at the outset of Operation: Snake Eater, though wild animals can be killed and eaten, while bandages and splints can sometimes be found in warehouses and supply rooms.

Snake's mission is two-fold. While he maintains his focus on stopping Volgin and destroying the Shagohod, he is constantly reminded of the fact that he must face down the elite members of the Cobra Unit and The Boss - their leader and his former mentor. Snake also becomes romantically linked to one of his contacts, a blonde code breaker named EVA, and shares a rivalry with a young Revolver Ocelot. All of this culminates to one of the greatest stories ever told in a video game. What Hideo Kojima has accomplished with Metal Gear Solid 3 is unrivaled by many a novel, film, or television series.

Finally, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker sees perhaps the boldest undertaking by Konami, as it was originally released for the Playstation Portable and has been ported over to consoles. Peace Walker takes place ten years after Metal Gear Solid 3 as Naked Snake (now known as Big Boss) is in the process of training his own private army after having left the United States behind. He is asked to intervene in Costa Rica, where a series of AI-controlled mechs are being developed.

Peace Walker's level design is similar to that of Metal Gear Solid 3, with small areas connecting to one another, though Peace Walker shrinks these down and sets up barriers in order to make gameplay more linear. The game adopts an RPG element of recruiting troops and developing weapons, the results of which are mixed. On the one hand, putting the time and effort to experiment with this can unlock different weapons and make your experience different from anyone else's. On the other hand, it can prove annoying when a certain weapon or item is required to progress to the next mission and you must grind through the optional missions so that the research can progress.

Peace Walker's visuals don't quite hold up to the other two, but for a handheld game it looks pretty darn impressive. There's a great attention to detail, and colors pop nicely against the backdrops of different environments. Traditional cutscenes are thrown out in favor of a gritty motion comic style. Some of these sequences involve quick time events, and all of it plays out well - it's a great artistic direction for the game and provides an extra level of immersion. While the Metal Gear series has a long history of great soundtracks, Peace Walker's might be the best yet.

Not all HD collections are made equal. There have been some in the past couple of years that left players disappointed due to a lack of content or aesthetic alterations. With the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, it's a completely opposite scenario. Despite the fact that the first Metal Gear Solid is not included, the bonuses of MGS2's VR missions, Peace Walker's online multiplayer, and the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake provide plenty of replay value after the main three games have been completed. When other companies look into releasing HD collections of classic games, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection should be their primary reference.

My rating: 9 (out of 10)

Toonami returns - first impressions

Last night marked the beginning of Toonami's new Saturday night schedule as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup. The shows were all new to Toonami - no Gundam Wing or Dragon Ball Z this time around. And while some viewers were upset by the omission of these classics, I was among those who embraced this new direction that Toonami is taking. It's a new Toonami aimed at the Adult Swim audience, and I think the new shows are fitting to that end.

The new lineup consists of Bleach, Deadman Wonderland, Casshern Sins, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Ghost in the Shell, and Cowboy Bebop. Bleach, FMA: Brotherhood, Ghost in the Shell, and Cowboy Bebop are classics, and I'm not at all surprised that Cartoon Network chose to carry them over to the new Toonami block. The other two, however, are brand new to both Toonami and Cartoon Network. Based on the first episode, I was not particularly impressed with Deadman Wonderland. The premise was interesting enough, and the first five minutes or so kept me entertained, but from then on it seemed like the show followed a very cliché path. I'll probably give another episode or two, but the first episode did little to impress me. Casshern Sins, on the other hand, was rather enjoyable for a very dark and melancholy robot action anime. I love the character and environment designs, and I feel like the first episode gave a decent sense about who Casshern is through his actions. There seems to be an air of mystery with both Deadman Wonderland and Casshern Sins, and I expect each one to peel through layers in the coming weeks.

As I have mentioned before, Toonami was a huge part of my childhood and the gateway that led me to discover anime in the first place. After the April Fools airing, I honestly did not expect them to resurrect Toonami, but I could not be more pleased that they did. I would like to see some other shows added to the lineup in the future. I think the fact that they managed to put together a solid programming block this quickly following the April Fools airing is great, but four out of the six shows currently airing were already part of the Adult Swim lineup. I think Cartoon Network would be wise to keep those shows - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Bleach are still incredibly popular, and there is no sense in taking them off the air. But perhaps Toonami could throw some other relatively recent action anime like Darker Than Black or Gundam 00 into the mix as the process of rebuilding Toonami continues.

Anime review: Sgt. Frog (season two)

The hilarious misadventures of Sgt. Keroro and the Armpit Platoon continue into the second season. For those not familiar with the back story, Keroro is the leader of a small team of space frogs whose mission is to conquer Earth (or as they refer to the planet, Pekopon). Fortunately for humanity, Keroro's track record is less-than-spectacular and his motivation is frequently sidetracked due to his obsession with Gundam model kits. He ends up living with the Hinata family under the pretenses that he take care of daily chores, act as inspiration for mother Aki Hinata's job printing volumes of manga, and not attempt to conquer mankind. The first season saw Keroro yelled at by his own subordinates, beaten to a pulp by Natsumi Hinata on multiple occasions, and the Armpit Platoon hatching many plans to conquer Pekopon, each one failing in spectacular fashion.

Season two picks up some unspecified time after the end of season one. The first season made it pretty clear that, while some episodes might chronologically occur after others, it isn't really necessary to view them all in order to grasp the general story of the anime. The same is true with season two. There will be plot points referenced by the ever-amusing narrator, but it's just as easy to pick up season two from the first episode as it is from the halfway point.

As luck would have it, Keroro and his troops have not yet managed to conquer Pekopon. But they still have plenty of half-baked plans to put into action. Some of the funniest moments in the first season were due to the show's tendencies to parody other media, and this carries over to season two. Keroro and company parody a wide range of films and television shows, from Evangelion to Saturday Night Fever. Some of the jokes, like those regarding Macross and Gundam, will only hit home with some viewers, though the general irony of the zany situations the characters find themselves in is sure to hit a funny bone with just about every viewer.

Season two does not carry out as many parodies as season one did, however. This is due in large part to the fact that the show has defined itself and has a more concrete idea of where it is going from start to finish. Because of this, the parodies and satires are not always as direct as in the first season, but are still relevant to the greater plot of whatever episode they are being worked into. The high points of season two may not be as high as the best bits in season one, but the low points are not as low. While the first season only stumbled a few times, they were significant enough to render at least one whole episode practically worthless. Thankfully, not a single episode in season two falls as flat as that particular one did last time around.

Generally speaking, Funimation tends to do a solid job in designating voice actors to their respective roles. Sgt. Frog has a standout English cast, one that is - in many ways - superior to the Japanese cast. Todd Haberkorn is absolutely masterful in his portrayal of Keroro, embodying the frog's persona through each line and delivering jokes with perfect timing. The rest of the cast does not follow far behind, and all of them make the viewing experience so wonderfully enjoyable. The soundtrack is simple but fitting for this comedy anime, while the animation is at approximately the same level as it was last time around. The art style is visually pleasing and each episode presents itself well enough. But it isn't the visual treat of any Madhouse or Studio IG production.

Anyone who might have had qualms about Sgt. Frog's humor dwindling in the second season can lay their worries to rest. While it's true that the best moments are not as great this time around, this is still one of the funniest anime series around - most of the humor remains in territory friendly toward a younger audience, but every once in a while borderline-adult comedy sneaks into the mix, making the show enjoyable for a broad audience. If you enjoyed the Armpit platoon's antics in the first season, strap yourself in and prepare for the zany antics to continue. Season two is just plain fun to watch and laugh at.

My rating: 9 (out of 10)

Origin of the Dinobots in Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

The Dinobots are a interesting new group to have thrown into Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. We have already seen how different Grimlock's gameplay will be from the traditional Autobot controls in the first game. Now, High Moon talks about the origin story for the dinobots and how it is different from other Transformers lore in order to fit into the War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron storyline.

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron - Developer Diary: Dinobots Unleashed HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Toonami returns on May 26

In case you have not yet seen this image, it is official - Toonami is back, starting May 26th. It seems the messages many sent along to Cartoon Network (myself included) paid off. Honestly, I was excited enough at the April Fool's programming, and I really did not expect them to bring it back as a full block. As happy as I am that a whole generation gets to relive their childhood before the end of the month, I'm even more hopeful for an entirely new generation who will now have easier access to anime.

When Toonami originally aired, anime DVDs were difficult to come by, and those that were in stores were generally rather expensive. While it is true that many anime distributors host episodes of some of their shows online, there's something great about sitting down and watching the latest episode your favorite show or checking out some entirely new anime you might not have otherwise watched. Toonami is what introduced me to my first anime, Ronin Warriors, as well as some of my favorites like Outlaw Star and Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th Ms Team. The atmosphere of the programming block combined with the variety of shows aired were the major factors that kept me so entertained. I hope that kids young and old find the same holds true for them following Toonami's long-overdue return.

Halo 4 limited edition announced

343 Industries has announced a limited edition release for Halo 4. This version will include a plethora of goodies. As far as the in-game content is concerned, purchasers will be allowed to download nine extra multiplayer maps. They will also be privy to six specializations, which in turn allow players greater customizations to their multiplayer Spartan-IV character. Also included are extra in-game armor and Assault Rifle skins, and some gear for Xbox Live Avatars.

With regards to physical items, the limited edition will be host to a briefing packet on the UNSC ship Infinity, which plays a key role on the multiplayer side of Halo 4's story. It seems this will be similar to Halsey's journal from the limited edition of Halo: Reach. Finally, the ninety-minute Forward Unto Dawn series, which chronicles Master Chief's story in the early days of the Human-Covenant War, is included. The Halo 4 limited edition will retail for $99.99, which really isn't too shabby, considering everything included with the game. I'll probably end up getting it primarily for the Forward Unto Dawn series, as I am really interested to see how Chief will be portrayed pre-Halo: CE/Halo 2/Halo 3.

Retro Studios Wii U title speculation/wishlist

There have been some rumors circulating the web recently regarding the possibility of a new Star Fox game for Nintendo's upcoming console, the Wii U. Star Fox has became a big hit with Nintendo fans due in large part to the N64 version, which allowed players to take different paths through the Lylat system in order to reach the final boss fight against Andross. What I personally find to be the most compelling aspect about this rumor is that it is often associated with Retro Studios being the developer of said game.

Looking back on Star Fox 64, it really does not present that long of a gaming experience, but still plays brilliantly with its arcade-style gameplay and cool level designs. I have always found it a bit odd how many people have demanded a new Star Fox title for years on end, following the success of Star Fox 64. Many people act as if the three new installments (Adventures, Assault, and Command) since never occurred. I've never been much a fan of Star Fox Adventures. It felt too far removed from the traditional Star Fox gameplay, and took forever for the story to get going. The concept of a planet populated by dinosaurs was entertaining, but it felt off for one of Fox McCloud's adventures, especially considering the fact that he faced it without the aid of Falco, Slippy, or Peppy.

Flash-forward to 2005, and Nintendo released a Star Fox game that was in keeping with its SNES and N64 predecessors. Star Fox Assault proved a more linear approach to the ship-based combat, but offered variety in gameplay via on-foot missions and use of the Landmaster tank. To this day, I still hold Star Fox Assault to be one of the most underappreciated titles on the Gamecube. Certainly it's not perfect; the experience is rather short, and the difficulty is lacking in parts. But it looks gorgeous for the hardware, has a great soundtrack, and is a heck of a lot of fun to play.

If indeed Retro Studios is developing a new game in the series, I'm sure it will turn out splendid. Retro Studios has earned a lot of respect from me, primarily for their resurrection of the Metroid series. But they have also done a great job with Donkey Kong Country Returns. They know how to keep a seemingly-perfect balance of new content with the familiar roots that fans have come to know and love with these games. I would love to see a Wii U Star Fox that blends the decision-based outcomes of Star Fox 64 with the varied mission parameters from Star Fox Assault.

Prior to the rumors spreading, however, Retro Studios had already confirmed that they were working on a game that they said "everyone wanted them to make". It's true that a new console Star Fox game has been in relatively high demand for a while, and the Wii was never host to an entry in the series. But the re-release of Star Fox 64 on the 3DS still seems to be performing pretty well in sales. One title that could be in keeping with Retro Studios' trend of breathing new life into older games (SNES-era games, to be more precise) would be Earthbound. For those not so familiar with Earthbound, it is the RPG from which Smash Bros. contender Ness originated from. While Earthbound did not perform outstandingly in sales during its initial release, its quirky style and gameplay has earned it a cult following since. It is the number-one requested game for the Wii's virtual console, and since Nintendo has not yet appeased the masses with such a release, a new Earthbound could be their answer.

Frankly, I think it would be a great option. Not only would it please gamer who have been asking for a new Earthbound for years, but it could prove a prime opportunity to utilize the Wii U tablet controller. In the same vein as the Zelda tech demo displayed, a Wii U Earthbound could grant players use of the tablet to plan their attacks and keep an eye on their stats while the action takes place on the television screen. It could also be used to make the experience more immersive if, say, something as bizarre and haunting as Gigyas came onto the scene (I'm thinking along the lines of how Eternal Darkness would pretend to shut of the television and so forth). Both Star Fox and Earthbound would be great, especially if either one is being developed by Retro Studios. And who knows - maybe the title they are working on is something completely different. Hopefully we will get some confirmation at this year's E3.