Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-19-2019, 01:41 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Why Akuma Should Be In Resident Evil 2 Remake
The highly-anticipated Resident Evil 2 remake's release draws near and I couldn't be any more excited. I'm a huge fan of the 1998 original--alongside many lovely coworkers at GameSpot--and have countless fond memories playing it during my formative years. But amidst these memories were hours spent speculating upon the validity of a popular gaming hoax; the ability to play as Akuma in Resident Evil 2. That's right, the Akuma (or Gouki, if you're a Capcom purist)--the infamous top knotted practitioner of the Ansatsuken fighting style and well-known beaded necklace aficionado from Street Fighter. Though it began as a joke back in 1998, I'm crossing my fingers that Capcom puts Akuma in the upcoming remake. It's a longshot, but the iconic fighter's addition could prove a humorous and unexpected way to experience the horrors of Raccoon City.
"[Akuma's] main weapon is a fireball, done just like holding the Action button and firing" -- EGM2
The popular Akuma hoax was birthed into the Resident Evil 2 community thanks to the work of the now defunct Electronic Gaming Monthly spin-off magazine, EGM2. The publication's April issue "Trick of the Month" column stated that Akuma could be unlocked by typing "AKUMA" instead of "GUEST" on a laboratory computer located at the end of the game, allowing a new save file to be made where you could play him. However, to actually get this to work, EGM2 claimed you needed to first beat both Resident Evil 2 scenarios six times in a row with an A-rank, and do it only using the handgun combat knife. Akuma could then be unlocked on the seventh run after inputting the login name across both scenarios. This was clearly an April Fool’s joke, but readers quickly spread word of the false unlockable. None of this was unfeasible, as both The 4th Survivor and Tofu modes demanded similar unlock requirements.
"Remember that 'Unused' Cryo tank? Well, at the start Akuma will bust out of it!" -- EGM2
Looking back at the low-resolution screenshots from EGM2, it's not surprising that many were fooled by this joke. A polygonal Akuma exploring RPD and launching Shakunetsu Hadokens at zombies looked as authentic any other screenshots in the magazine. As a child, I only heard about this myth via word-of-mouth during a vague encounter that only seems to escape my memory the more I think about it. Regardless, the myth worked its way into the community to the point where many were convinced of its existence. Though, I do admit that by the time I built up the courage to play Resident Evil 2, the hoax had already been debunked. However, an uncertainty around the myth remained--if anything a nostalgic yearning for it to somehow be true.
This wasn't the first time EGM fooled people, either. In fact, the magazine did something similar in a previous April Fool's joke with Street Fighter II with the infamous Sheng Long hoax. Many were lead to believe that the game had an unlockable character named Sheng Long, who was framed as the martial arts master of Ryu and Ken. The joke's status grew over the years, gaining international fame. Capcom acknowledged its existence several times and eventually added the character to Street Fighter IV in the form of Gouken as a response to fans.
Imagine performing a Raging Demon on Mr. X. It would be ridiculous.
Like EGM's Sheng Long, the Akuma hoax is a peculiar piece of gaming history that continues to captivate in its execution and overall endurance. Its alluring promise is a fantasy that I hold steadfast in wanting to come true in the Resident Evil 2 remake. Imagine being able to send enemies across a room with a well-placed fierce punch or performing a Raging Demon on a Licker. Of course, let's not forget about spamming Hadokens at the undead. And if we're remaining faithful to EGM2's vision, you'll have free rein to be merry and explore environments without worrying about locked doors. You might call it a pipedream, but given Capcom's track record with previous Resident Evils, I could easily see a playable Akuma becoming a reality.
Case in point: Wesker mode in Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster. This bonus mode made Rebecca's and Billy's terrifying zombie-infested journey into a silly romp, allowing you to use Wesker's super-human speed and destructive arsenal to wipe out the undead with ease. The ability to instantly overpower your enemies supplied a satisfying release, especially after spending hours desperately managing resources to survive. Akuma could easily bring all the joyous highs of Wesker mode into Resident Evil 2 remake, while also being a fun, loving nod to the hoax that captivated readers back in the day.
I'm still shocked at how well Akuma was inserted into Tekken 7's story. I envision a similar scenario playing out in Resident Evil 2 where Akuma just happens to walk onto the scene as if he's always been there.
Capcom certainly isn't shy towards allowing Akuma to be in ridiculous situations and crossovers. He recently jumped franchises by appearing in Tekken 7, somehow managing to be naturally incorporated into that franchise's lore. In addition, Akuma once appeared in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter as Cyber-Akuma, a cyborg version of himself with a sweet robot arm that was brainwashed by X-Men baddie Apocalypse.
Despite all this talk, I admit that Capcom adding Akuma into the remake is still unrealistic. Compared to Sheng Long, the Akuma hoax had more impact in North America than in other regions, so I'm sure it would be bizarre for European and Japanese players, who would see Akuma's inclusion as a random choice. I already feel lucky that Capcom is taking a chance on a Resident Evil 2 remake in the first place. But I know that whoever Capcom chooses to be the star of the game's Wesker mode-like equivalent, if anyone at all, my heart will always be longing for Akuma and the promise EGM2 cleverly fooled me into believing all those years ago.
Here Are The Top 30 Best-Selling Nintendo eShop Games Of 2018 In Japan
Nintendo has shared lists of the best-selling eShop games of 2018 in Japan, providing us with a good look at which games were the most popular in the gaming giant’s homeland.
Each of the two lists below shows the top 30 most-downloaded games from the eShop during the year 2018. The first list shows exclusively download-only software, while the second is made up of digital sales of games which were also released at retail. You can also see the publisher and original Japanese release date for each game.
Did any of the titles listed above surprise you? Anything missing that you thought might be featured? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Mortal Kombat 11's Story Introduced In New Trailer
NetherRealm Studios has released our first look at the story in Mortal Kombat 11. The prologue to the game's story plays out in a trailer revealed at NetherRealm's January reveal event, which sees Raiden interacting with Shinnok after the events of Mortal Kombat X and also introduces a brand-new character.
In the prologue, Raiden is wearing Shinnok's amulet as he tortures the captured Elder God. Shinnok arrogantly reminds Raiden that an Elder God can't be killed, so the Earthrealm defender simply cuts off his victim's head while reminding it that there are fates worse than death. The prologue ends with Shinnok's still-living head being approached by Kronika, the first female boss character in the franchise's history and who we first saw during the Game Awards 2018.
During the reveal event, NetherRealm also revealed gameplay moments of several characters, including Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Skarlet, Raiden, and Geras--the latter of which is a brand-new addition to the franchise. Geras also got a reveal trailer at the end of the event that showcased his incredible time-bending abilities in action, both summoning artifacts from other periods, transporting himself to his past position to avoid enemy attacks, and also freezing an opponent's time to land some devastating combos.
In addition to again being able to change between different character variations, in Mortal Kombat 11, you'll be able to customize fighters. Options include a fighter's costume, intros, victories, abilities, and AI behavior. Mortal Kombat 11 also adds Fatal Blow attacks for each fighter, which act as special, powerful attacks--similar to Fatalities--that can be pulled off in an effort to change the tide of a battle. The one meter devoted to offense, defense, and supers in past Mortal Kombat games has been separated into three different meters for this eleventh entry.
Mortal Kombat 11 is scheduled to release April 23 for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Switch.
Video: Old-School Footage Of Reggie At E3 2006 Surfaces On YouTube
Old footage of Reggie Fils-Aimé at E3 has surfaced online. Apparently, it’s a formal introduction to media managers at a manager media brief about all the content Nintendo intended to showcase at the annual event in 2006.
In the one minute clip, you’ll get to see a younger version of the current Nintendo of America President along with his trademark mannerisms, all while he carefully pronounces the names of his colleagues. He even acknowledges his audience as “important” people because of their critical roles in the success of the company. Take a look at this time capsule in the video below and tell us what you think:
The YouTube channel responsible for the upload said it would share more classic footage soon, so stay tuned for flashbacks to simpler times when it was all about the Nintendo Wii and DS.
The definitive guide to scaling 10k VMs on Azure; New Azure Migrate Site Recovery enhancements for cloud migration; General availability of Azure Data Box Disk; and so much more.
Rob CaronSr. Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft Azure
We’re on track with reviews of newer titles now though, with several already in the pipeline for the day of release.
Meanwhile, in mobile gaming…
Out Now
Sheeping Around (iOS Universal) – Full review coming soon!
This one caught our eye – a multiplayer strategy card game (with deck-building, no less) where one person is the Thief and one person is the Shepard – you’re both fighting for ‘control’ over three Sheep. You must play cards that allow for various abilities, such as luring, trapping and so forth. We haven’t had a chance to take for a spin ourselves, but I’ve already got someone working on a review.
Two other games caught our eye, but we won’t write them up fully as we haven’t played them either and there’s no plans for review right now. Bit ballers (iOS) looks like a Kairosoft game about basketball, except not made by Kairosoft, and Lootbox RPG (iOS) is a cheap and cheerful dungeon crawler devoid of any kind of online functionality – buy once, play forever. Or at least, until you get bored. Maybe we will review this one after all.
Also, we mustn’t forget the global launch of NetEase’s UNO. I mean, I was super excited to give this a try myself but then I read TouchArcade’s write up and… yeah. No.
Team17 did a pretty good job when they brought sandbox/simulation game The Escapists to mobile back in 2017. Now they’re looking to do the same again with The Escapists 2. It’s due out on January 31st, but you can pre-order now on both the app store (for $6.99) and Google Play via pre-registration. We’ll try and have our review ready as soon as we can.
Sales
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem like there’s anything really worth mentioning this week, although if you spot something do let us know in the comments. If you want a peak behind the curtain, we actually get a lot of our sales info (on iOS at least) from this website, if you want to have a look for yourself. Just make sure you’ve set it to ‘Games’, and then ‘Last 72 (or 24) Hours.
AFTERCHARGE is a 3 vs 3 competitive game pitting invisible robots against an invincible security squad in high-octane tactical skirmishes. The robots must sneak around to destroy all the energy extractors on the site while the guards are tasked to spot the attackers and stop them.
Head back to the Mexiverse in this long-awaited sequel to the smash hit Guacamelee. Uppercut your way to victory across stunning new hand-crafted levels. Featuring full 4-player co-op, fancy new wrestling moves, sassy new bosses, twice the enemies, and 300% more chickens.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is the sequel to Warhammer: End Times ? Vermintide. In this epic 4-player co-op game, you fight together with your friends against the forces of Chaos and Skaven in the Warhammer Fantasy Battles world.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Story Arc 1 - Legacy of the First Blade: Episode 2
In Shadow Heritage, the second episode of Legacy of the First Blade, players will fight alongside Darius and use their naval prowess to fight against The Tempest-a formidable new enemy with a devastating arsenal and fleet at her command. Players will help the threatened innocents escape and destroy the blockade of the Greek Order.
