November Brings Promise To Nintendo

Today(Sept. 13,2011), well this morning at 12:00 a.m.-ish Nintedo had a Press Conference for the 3DS. Since the release of the 3DS earlier this year, I’ve expressed my dislike for it. I still believe the 3DS its on its last leg, and they need to do anything to get it away from falling into the Nintendo Fail Pile. I still don’t understand why you would put Netflix on a video game system that already has a 2-3 hour battery lifespan on one charge compared to the DSi, which has a 4+ hour battery lifespan charge. And, for the most part all their games are 3D remakes of old games.

But although they failed miserably at first, they have had a 260% increase in sales in the last month, thanks to the price drop. And they have been making more 3D non-remake games, which they should’ve stuck to in the beginning and slowly put 3D remake games out after 6 months. After the price drop, Nintendo issued a statement announcing that the owners of the 3DS will have access to 20 free games, 10 NES and 10 Game Boy Advance, from the e-Shop, but only those who bought the system at full price. So, they have been trying to make it better in the last month and trying to win their fans back. Now, if they can only give people the money the used to buy medicine to cure the motion sickness they got back.

All negativity aside, they have potential for big things. If they play their cards right, they could just win the 3DS/Vita fight with little to no challenge. Cuz, what is the PS Vita? A PSP with a touchscreen and no potential after that. With decent Nintendo veteran games series’ like Star Fox and Zelda, Kirby and Mario, and the Kart/Sport games, combined with the low price, they are off to a refreshed start. Yes, I know. Contradiction. I think the 3DS has potential, but I see it as a failure so far.

Anyway, the press conference. Very promising indeed, with a line up of new games and release dates......or month, news of new colors for the 3DS and a rumor turned reality. With a decent lineup within the next year, the 3DS Well, the 3DS press conference wasn’t just about the 3DS games, they also talked a little about Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Well actually, let’s get into that right away!

November 20, 2011. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. About time! After being teased back at E3 ’09, fans waited for more info. E3 ’10 came and we got a presentation with graphics inspired by impressionist art and Paul Cézanne, or a blend of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker for those who don’t know art. Fast forward to a little after midnight this morning, and we got tons more info about this future best seller. 

The biggest announcement released was that Skyward Sword would have over 50 hours of gameplay, with a second play-through and a boss challenge mode which sounds awesome. Miyamoto also announced hint movies, similar to in Ocarina of Time 3D. With the 25th anniversary of the Zelda series coming up, a limited edition back with a Gold Wii control and Symphony Orchestra CD priced at $70 bundled up. And if you choose not to get the Limited Edition, you still get the Symphony CD with the standard version. And for those feeling left out if you don’t have a Wii, Miyamoto announced the Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Anniversary Edition as a free Download of the DSi and 3DS on September 28, 2011. Everybody wins, by the end of November at least.

On to 3DS news, we have 4 1/2 Mario games launching within the next 6 months. Sometime in 2012, Paper Mario is coming out and is promised to have gimmicks that players haven’t seen before from the Paper Mario series. Diddy Kong Racing Mario Kart 7 rolls out December 4 of this year, with online gaming restricted only to your friend list. Mario Tennis 3D, out in 2012. That is all that is known at the moment. And Super Mario Land 3D, coming November 13/2011. What? Oh yeah, the half. Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games for the Wii hits shelves December 8, while the 3DS version comes out sometime in 2012.

As for the 3DS hardware itself, expect a system update sometime in November that will add 3D video capturing capabilities. The update will also add more content to the StreetPass Mii Plaza. We get a Flame Red skew 3DS, and apparently someone a woman at Nintendo thought that a contributiong factor to the 3DS low sales was that the systems available colors were made to cater to only males. So expect a misty pink version to cover the female gamers. Not all girls prefer pink, by the way. And, after the press conference, it was announced that the 3DS Circle Pad Add-On is indeed real. And a decently labeled $20 price tag to go with it.

Like I said, Very promising and might actually give the 3DS its second wind. Well, this is more than I ever wanted to type about the 3DS. So, I think I’m done here! Ugh, fine! Here’s more news.

Other notes from the conference-

Dragon Quest X announced for Wii and Wii U. Expect a mid-2012 release.

Just Dance 3 ships out October 07, 2011.

A Pokepark spinoff by the end of December.

Kirby: Return to Dreamland scheduled for Oct. 24, 2011 , exclusively for the Wii.

Luigi’s Mansion 2, for the 3DS smh, out sometime in 2012

A new Fire Emblem announced for the 3DS in Spring ’12.

Kid Icarus: Uprising has been pushed back to an unknown date in 2012 for the USA, and Japan in January 2012.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D coming “this winter.”

A new Tekken game, no extra info known.

A new Resident Evil for 3DS.

....and the weirdest game I’ve ever seen. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Think Elite Beat Agents with Final Fantasy characters.

The Super Smash Bros 4 Hopeful 10

Still have no high hopes for the Wii U.

With the Wii U coming out next year, or next, the top series’ in Nintendo will be having new installments. Unfortunately, Luigi’s Mansion 2 got dropped to 3DS. But, that seems like a misplay. Nonetheless, Kid Icarus, Pikmin 3, and a new Legend of Zelda are a few of the staples with new games coming out for the Wii U. On the 3rd party side we have Ninja Gaiden 3, a new Assassin’s Creed game, Darksiders 2, and Batman: Arkham City. But, the game I am looking forward to the most- Super Smash Bros 4!

Best. N64. Game. Ever!

Super Smash Bros for the Nintendo64 was an instant classic. A fighting game that brought 12 of your favorite heroes from your favorite game to your TV screen for an all out fight. It was Nintendo’s answer to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. A game that made you the most popular kid on the block, if you were the only one who owned it. The First 12; Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Captain Falcon, Ness, Kirby, Fox McCloud, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff; stood the test of time and made it into the next game in the series, Super Smash Bros Melee.

You don't get to #1 without stepping on a few Ice Climbers along the way.

Super Smash Bros Melee was the highest selling game for the Gamecube all the way until the Gamecube stopped being produced, with 7 million units sold. With new game mechanics and new characters, Melee did everything but solve world hunger. The First 12 were joined by Zelda/Sheik, Peach, Bowser, the Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Marth, Roy, Pichu, Ganondorf, Mr. Game & Watch, Falco, Young Link, and Mewtwo; raising the roster count to 25, albeit some were clones. The idiots fine people at Gamecritics.com and Edge said what I can summarize to ”It’s the first game with prettier graphics.” Sales say otherwise. Moving on!

You see that? Link wants the top spot, Mario.

In Spring 2008, the 3rd and at the time final installment, Super Smash Bros was released to very positive reception. Except for an unnamed critic Matt Casamassina at IGN and some “critic” at Gamespy called it “an enhanced version of Melee and the graphics were that of Gamecube quality.” Nintendo ranked it the 5th best game of the 2000s released on a Nintendo console. 35 Brawlers rounded out the roster this time around with fighters like Mewtwo, Roy, Pichu, Dr. Mario, and Young Link dropped and replaced by Diddy Kong, King Dedede, Ike, Lucas, Olimar, Meta Knight, Pit, Pokemon Trainer Red, Wario, Lucario, Wolf, R.O.B., Toon Link, Snake, and Sonic. With a robust roster and even newer game mechanics, the inclusion of a story mode, Subspace Emissary, and Final Smashes, it looked like the series was just starting to take off.

Everyone runs to E3 to hear the news of Super Smash Bros 4. What is Zelda doing running away?

For 3 years, we were lead to believe that Brawl would be the last installment in the series. At E3, news broke ground that Nintendo was planning Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and the 3DS lame. Fans rejoiced at the news and quickly ran to their Wiis to practice for the new gaming challenge. But with no news about the game to ride on, except that we have to wait until after Kid Icarus: Uprising was done and out of the way. But we can speculate new characters, new fight stages, and new mechanics. And, we can say goodbye to new favorites to make way for new fighters. Chances are Sonic, R.O.B., Snake, and King Dedede are few that won’t be making the cut. Now, you know this was coming. Here’s my list of 10 hopeful candidates for Super Smash Bros 4!

Mostly this but with some changes.

Oh, at the end of the list I have a little tidbit of news that I received that I personally do not like. Anyway, enjoy!

10. Plusle and Minun

Kinda like Event 48 in Melee.

Originally meant to be in Brawl, and then scrapped for no known reason, Plusle and Minun would have covered the slot left empty by Pichu. They would have added a new electric character and would be a team fighter so the Ice Climbers wouldn’t feel left out.

9. Toad

Peach, he's coming for you!

The unfortunate shield of Peach, Toad deserves a chance at revenge. Why not give it him the opportunity to? Toad has been in all of the Mario Sport/Party/Kart games, its about time he got a spot in the roster to show his moves.

8. Bowser Jr.

Aww, isn't he too cute to take seriously?

Little Bowser Jr. has been shown to be mischevious and capable of holding his own, what better game to let players see what he truly is capable of than Super Smash Bros 4? A tiny, fast version of Bowser sounds fun to me.

7. Scizor

The  Metal Ninja.

Scizor has the looks, the power, and the speed of a Smash Bros fighter. As a Pokemon that popped out of a Pokeball(duh!) in Melee, he packed quite a whallop. But seeing as the new Pokemon fighter is usually a Pokemon from that current generation, chances are Zoroark would be in this spot.

6. Samurai Goroh

"What do you mean I am an Assist Trophy?"

An Assist Trophy? Really? Brawl had Goroh as an Assist Trophy instead of a playable fighter. Instead of adding him to the roster and making F-Zero have 2 representatives, they kept it at 1. While Pokemon had 4, Mario series had 5, and the Zelda series had 4 as well. 5 if you count Zelda and Sheik separately. Speaking of the Zelda Series...

5. Skull Kid

Had Navi for breakfast.

You cannot sit there and say you were not upset when Skull Kid wasn’t announced as a Brawler. A new villian for the Zelda series and possibly set as a midweight agile class fighter, he would sure become a quick fan favorite.

4. Mewtwo

Mewtwo>Lucario, naturally.

Pushed aside because he was outdated, Mewtwo would come back with revenge in his eyes. If they were to keep Lucario in the game, keep a type of story mode in the game, and throw in Mewtwo as an unlockable character you could have an epic Story Mode battle. Better yet, have him as the main antagonist. Hello, revenge. Oh, and give him his giant spoon(Look up Pokemon Adventures and look for it)!!!!!

3. Daisy

More worthy of being in the Smash Series than other princesses.

You know? Daisy! The costume Peach has where she gets the yellow dress and the brown hair. She was also in many Mario Sports/Party/Kart games. Her appearance in Super Mario Strikers Charged proves that she can hang with the big boys, and dish it back.

2.  Krystal

Panther vs. Fox- Who gets Krystal? Spoiler- Fox wins.

The only female on the Star Fox team, also fully capable of ground combat. Armed with a staff that shoots fire and ice projectiles, creates force fields, and flight boosts thist makes her for a worthy opponent.

And, #1 Knuckles the Echidna

Did you know: Knuckles was supposed to be a Rastafarian. True fact.

Angel Island’s residential badass, Knuckles the Echidna is a great candidate for Super Smash Bros 4. Powerful, agile, and downright tough. With the ability to do spin attacks, doing multi combos with Knuckles will be something short of awesome. 

There’s my list of my Top 10 candidates for Super Smash Bros 4. Hope you liked it. If not, oh well. It’s my list. Here are some others I would like to see in SSB4.

Birdo

Waluigi

Gary Oak(Blastoise, Magmar, Electivire)

Sylux from Metroid Prime Hunters

Zoroak from Pokemon Black & White

Little Mac(Punch-Out)

Boshi(Super Mario RPG: 7 Star)

Black Shadow(F-Zero)

Dixie Kong

Daroach(Kirby: Squeak Squad)

Galacta Knight(Kirby Superstar Ultra)

Panther Caroso(Star Fox)

Bomberman

Shadow the Hedgehog

Toon Zelda/Sheik

Meowth

Young Link

Roy(Fire Emblem Series)

Pichu

Oh yeah, that little tidbit of news. So, once again Nintendo leaves me shanking and scratching my head for the 3rd time this month. ***SPOILER ALERT OF SORTS*** Masahiro Sakurai, the lead developer for Super Smash 4, wants to include characters from Capcom. Yes, that Capcom. The Capcom that made Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Megaman.

Having nothing to do with Mario since 1981.

 Who honestly wants to see Chun Li vs. Mario? Or Chris Redfield vs. Bowser? Zombies vs. Kirby? Just no. The only exception to this is Megaman. Megaman would be a perfect addition to the series, serving as a mini Samus of sorts. Keep Capcom with Marvel, that’s where they belong.

Megaman: The Exception.

Mortal Kombat: Music "Inspired" by the Warriors...

***Note: This review is in the Game section because of it is based on the Mortal Kombat series.***

A soundtrack inspired by the Warriors of Mortal Kombat......right. A soundtrack I felt would have had a hard rock feel to it, but all we got was an album full of techno and dubstep. Do they have raves in the Outworld or the Netherealm? I’m not saying that techno or dubstep are bad, but I wasn’t expecting the WHOLE album to be what it is. My main problem with this album is that “Mortal Kombat: Songs inspired by the Warriors” is the name of it, but there is only 12 tracks. Where is Cyrax’s track? Or maybe a track for Jax?

JFK(1/2 of MSTRKRFT) was asked to be executive producer and was asked to bring together a variety of electronic/techno artists to create the album, and the result is Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors. JFK was asked to find the best artists in techno music.....where’s Daft Punk? And why couldn’t someone with a history with the company be the one to do this?

I honestly gave this album a chance, something I rarely do to a soundtrack. I promised myself to listen to the whole song to the end, no matter what I thought of it. I wasn’t completely pleased, but not completely upset with it. It had huge potential to be a great album, but fell short with the choosing of the artists. If it was done by one artist(Tron Legacy-Daft Punk), then maybe it would’ve been a success. Maybe Skrillex. Not a huge fan, but best choice.

#1 “Deathstalker(Scorpion’s Theme)”- JFK

As I said above, do the have raves in the Netherealm? Deathstalker is a fitting name Scorpion, but not for the song. I don’t feel a sense of badass in this track. Scorpion is a character that should have a hard rock/ metal track, this is more of a trance track. Take away the name and you wouldn’t even know this was Scorpion’s theme, let alone an MK track. Simply, there’s no Scorpion to it. Good to know the “Executive Producer” of the album can’t even do Scorpion justice. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#2 “Mileena’s Theme”- Tokimonsta

Mileena’s theme is a little better. It has a dark feel to it, good pace. It doesn’t fit Mileena completely but it works well. Not to mention it actually has Mileena’s “Let’s Play!” soundbyte at 2:33, on of the only tracks that have a soundbyte in the song. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#3 “Helado(Sub-Zero’s Theme)”- Harvard Bass

First off, 7:33. Way too long for a song. Second, Helado? Is Sub-Zero the ice cream man? Helado is Spanish for ice cream. Third, I cannot take an artist with the name of an Ivy League school in its name seriously. Now, on to the good stuff. I do like the freezing sounds used in the games being used in the track. But at 7:33 long, it leaves so much more wanted. It’s a good song, but time is its downfall. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#4 “Liu Kang's Theme”- Congorock

This is one of the instances on this album where I say, “It fits.” Listening to this track made me imagine Liu Kang performing a Kata or doing capoeira, which I think was the point. Being the main protagonist, the track does do him justice by being one of the top tracks on the album. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#5 “Goro’s Theme”- Bird Peterson

What can be said about Goro? Big, cold blooded, ruthless, scary as shit if you run into him in an alley. So is the song. Starts slow and dark, as Goro is. Then, he gets a ghetto breakdancer in an alley treatment. Now, I imagine Bird Peterson has a drawing of Goro playing dice with Kintaro in an alley or roughing up Motaro cuz he looked at Sheeva the wrong way when he made the track. Around the 3:40 mark, it stops and you hear chains and an unworldly growl, before picking back up. I like the track because imagining Goro breakdancing amuses me. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#6 “Reptile’s Theme”- Skrillex

The gem of the album. This track was the track heard during the commercials for Mortal Kombat(2011). Fast paced and not as repetitive as other tracks, this track stands out from the others. Oh, and it actually tells you who its about. The iconic “Toasty!” is thrown into the track with Shao Kahn’s menacing laugh, “Finish Him!”, “Flawless Victory!”, “Excellent!” and “Fight!” quotes, making this the most Mortal Kombat inspired track on the album. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#7 “Raiden’s Theme”- 9th Wonder.

Who let DMX on this album? Oh wait, nevermind. When I look at Raiden, I do not see gangster or pimp or a wanabe, I see a God. A white one at that. The song just does not fit the guy. It fits Jax a lot better than it does Raiden. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#8 “Johnny Cage’s Theme”- LA Riots

Johnny Cage, a $500 sunglass wearin’, girl stealin’, high class livin’, son of a gun. Died more times than I can count. Lives in the 80’s. One of those is a lie. The song sounds like it came straight out of a club in the 1980’s. Does not fit him. And, since when does Johnny Cage win? Ok, that one time against Goro. Yes, they added a “Johnny Cage Wins!” soundbyte to it. No, just no. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#9 “Baraka’s Theme”- Run DMT

Scratch what I said about Jax in Raiden’s Theme summary. This fits Jax better. Baraka, the man who has giant, sharp teeth and twin death blades sticking out of his arms, has been given a street racing song. Although this would work if they remade the Road Rash games and added him as an unlockable character, it does not work for him as a fighter. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#10 “Kung Lao’s Theme”- Felix Cartal

Belongs in a dance club, not this album. Kung Lao deserves better. That is all. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#11 “Kano’s Theme”- Them Jeans

The treacherous, yet loveable Aussie, Kano. As badass as he is, this song is not. If you get and Australian character to make a song for, add sounds you hear in Australia. You wouldn’t give an Asian a Salsa song, would you? Where’s the didjeridoo? Crocodile Dundee would not be pleased. Click the video below to listen to the track.

#12 “Shao Kahn’s Theme”- Sound of Stereo

The last person you fight in 90% of the MK games. Big, powerful, and intimidating, Shao Kahn is probably the hardest to fight against in the games. But, can be overconfident and leaves openings to be attacked. This track is not intimidating, hardcore, or loud. Might it have been someone else like Smoke, then yes. But not Shao Kahn. Click the video below to listen to the track.

Like I said, I wasn’t pleased by it, but I wasn’t completely disappointed. It had its bad tracks, but there was a few good tracks. Nothing memorable, but what do you expect when someone with no common knowledge about Mortal Kombat is the Executive Producer. Chances are, if someone from NetherRealm Studios was in charge, the album would’ve been a lot different.

Best Inspired: Reptile, Liu Kang, Goro

Worst Inspired: Raiden, Shao Kahn, Scorpion

iTunes Rating- 4 out of 5 stars

Amazon Rating- 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

My Rating- 3 out of stars

*Bonus Track* Noob Saibot’s Theme- Abstract-ONE

I found this on Youtube. I felt this song could be on the album. Funny enough, it sounds better than most of the songs on the album. And the guy isn’t even famous!  Click the video below to listen to the track.

Really, Nintendo? Really?

         Of all thing Nintendo has pulled in the last almost 30 years, this is up there as one of the worst. Right on time for the holidays, Nintendo is releasing a Revamped Wii. Now, what does this mean? Does this mean a new look? No. How about more accesories? No. Will it still play Gamecube games? No!

        That's right, Nintendo is shipping out a "Vanilla" Wii. No GCN control ports, no Memory Card slots either. Now, this is the part that confuses me. Why? What is your reasoning for this? Sending out a toned down version of your latest console will not make you any huge amount of extra money. Considering almost everyone and their grandma has one, Wii 0.5 will not sell.

SPACE GHOST DOES NOT APPROVE!!!

        The system will come in a bundle pack with Wii Sports and Wii Party.... what in the world is Wii Party? The system will be slimmer than the already slim Wii, cuz we are going for anorexia in our consoles now! But, it gets better. The Wii 0.5, as I will call it forever, is planned to completely phase out the current Wii unit(original) in favor of the "new" one. Yeah, that's right. If you didn't get one before, you better get one now.

       Price is still not known, but chances are it will be priced at the current Wii's sales price. This has got to be the most pointless thing, in my eyes, that Nintendo has ever done. We can't get a confirmation for a MMORPG Pokemon game or a Pokemon Snap 2 or Pokemon Stadium 3, but we can get a drink coaster that can play games. Actually, I might buy this so I have a fancy drink coaster to use when my rich friends from Harvard visit.

       Sorry, Nintendo. I might shun you until you rectify your latest moment of stupidity.

                                   Oh look, I posted a picture of the waste of money below.

WWE ’12, will it shine? I say yes!

          November 17, 2000. WWF No Mercy was released into the world for all die hard wrestling fans and casual gamers alike to enjoy. No Mercy was hailed as the best wrestling game for many years. A game great enough to receive a 9/10 from IGN. Skip to November 14, 2005. WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, the new crown jewel of wrestling games was released. Critically hailed and becoming one of the best selling sports games, innovative and seemingly took over the number one spot from No Mercy, IGN giving it a 9.2/10. 11 years, 5 days, a company name change(WWF->WWE) and 2 franchise names from the release of WWF No Mercy, we will have WWE ’12. 

A game that THQ promises to be Bigger, Badder, and Better. WWE ’12 looks to be a beautiful yet far from perfect mix of the past and the present. Gone are the days of Career mode and In-Game buying credits. Universe Mode and Superstar Threads now run the games. THQ promises this game is “All because of the fans!” How true is this? I can say, after watching the Roster Reveal and the gameplay, I believe that promise.

Returning to the franchise after an almost 5 game hiatus is the Finisher Storage System. Now instead of having a finisher go to waste by waiting too long or because of constant AI reversing, you get to keep the Finisher. But, it comes with a new surprise. At some point during the match, you get what THQ calls a Super Finisher. I have yet to see what this is, but it seems like a super-powered version of the normal Finisher. With this return, comes another. The Grappling system has gone back to basics. Gone is the need for the joystick....heh, joystick. That’s right, the square button(PS3) gets love again. And like the Finisher system, it gets a surprise as well. In comes the Body Select system. After you hit Square, it brings up a body schematic with the X, O, Triangle, and Square on parts of the body. Lets say... you want to destroy the legs, after you set up the Body Select hit X and then you can use moves that affect the legs. Same with the other buttons. Fun stuff!

The 3 newest features in matches are the Comeback, Stalking, and Momentum Change systems. The Comeback system is exactly how it sounds. Hit Triangle and your Superstar get a rush of momentum and hits a series of moves and button presses to get the upper hand. Prime example, John Cena. Yes, John Cena does get to do his 5 Moves of Doom without missing a step. That is, as long as you don’t miss the right button. 

The Stalking feature(right), named after Randy Orton’s predatory stance, is far overdue. It was sampled in WWE Here Comes the Pain as moves, but in WWE ’12 its full on automatic. Orton’s Predator pose, The Rock’s Rock Bottom Setup and many other’s are in.This new feature seems to feed off of your Finisher, so make sure you have one in stock or ready to use.

The Momentum of the match is one of the biggest changes this year. The tide of a match is ever changing. Prime example: Lesnar/Angle Wrestlemania XIX. WWE ’12 takes that and puts it into the virtual ring. Combined with the new AI and the slightest slip up, you could lose a match. Or if you get your bearings back, you could win after a grueling match. Not much is know about the Momentum change, but we can assume it will make the matches that much realistic and overall more fun to play.

New game, new visual features. This year, the camera angles become less annoying and more realistic. This year we get a few crowd camera angles and the impressive ringside camera, which seems to pop up whenever you or your opponent are in a submission. This, is a plus in my book. But, with the good comes the bad. Remember that annoying feature that came out a few games back, that makes you extra groggy with the smallest amount of damage and all you can do is hit X(PS3)? Well, that returns with  an annoying looking blurred effect. Apparently, it gives the match more tension or something. I don’t buy it.

Too add to the visual upgrade the franchise is getting, the crowd doesn’t get left out. The crowd now has a life of its own, in some ways. They now have depth and aren’t blurry. You can clearly see Little Jimmy in the 7th row wearing his John Cena shirt. The Belts have gotten fixed, as well. The kiddie sized belts are gone, and the full sized belts are in. The WWE Champ belt is now visibly amazing and is layered instead of looking like a sticker. The physical design of the belt is more fluid, instead of being composed of 3 rectangles.

With the addition of the new Predator Technology™, this new system delivers gameplay experience that looks better than ever before. The grappling and reversing systems got overhauled by the PredTech, giving WWE ’12 the most fluid WWE action and realistic animations that I have ever seen, even on a demo show. Reversals are more realistic than they have ever been, whereas in the past you end up behind the person even though you reversed from the front. In addition to allowing players to interrupt moves(WWE Day of Reckoning), animations such as John Cena's 5 Knuckle Shuffle no longer have players warped to the center of ring. More realistic ring rope physics have been added, with ropes moving as Superstars are slammed to the mat. As opposed to bouncing wildly with the simplest hit to the chest.

The weak/strong grapple system from the past games has been removed. Characters now perform different moves based on their opponent's current physical state. Players now have an opportunity to attack while still in a downed state and can also interrupt moves and Royal Rumble eliminations with attacks. The game's AI has also been adjusted to prevent players from using the same move over and over. The pinning meter from the past games has also been reworked to make it harder to kick out as a Superstar takes more damage.

With improved AI, you will hide and cower in fear from the Legend difficulty. The new AI is the hardest its ever been, even on easy. And the all-new Breaking Point submission system gives matches more realism(except for the big BreakingPoint logo that pops up) and more interactiveness. The Breaking Point logo becomes a large meter that seems to fill/empty with however much you mash the buttons on the control. To go along with the new submission system, the ability to crawl closer to the ropes during a submission returns to add to an already drama filled match. What’s more fun than putting John Cena in a Figure Four Leg Lock and watching him crawl to the ropes while trying not to tap out?

The Universe Mode returns with the gonna be annoyingly overused over the next few months tagline, bigger, badder, better.  Not much is known about the mode. Chances are, like THQ has shown us over the years, that it will be the same as the last year with a few new features. 2011’s version was disappointing at a lot of moments. There was very random run-ins, rivalries starting whenever someone has a match, and pointless cutscenes. This mode has you fighting for months in pointless matches, just to get a chance at a title. And when you get to the #1 Contender’s spot, 90% of the time you will be the one who challenges the champion. The other 10% falls to the 2nd or 3rd seed. Championship matches were now part of Universe Mode, meaning you couldn’t do your own title matches. This mode could have been something. Hopefully in WWE ’12, they bring back manual championship matches, make the Mode have more fluid gameplay, and more customizable options.

For the first time since the time of N64 and PSOne, the Create-An-Arena feature is back! How far will this feature let you go? Hopefully, very far. From the ring posts to the stage to the ring apron. But, like Create-a-Belt and Create-a-Taunt this might be a waste if not done correctly. Full customization is needed for this to work, more LittleBigPlanet-ness, less WWE-ness. Have it so you have to make the stage and ring area yourself, from the ground up. Who doesn’t wanna say they built the Starrcade Arena or the Wrestlemania X8 Arena? I know I do. So far, it is said that you can create up to 50 cuztom arenas.

The Road to Wrestlemania returns...... That’s it. It returns, but which incarnation? 2011 or 2010? 2011 had the Shut Your Mouth privilege of roaming around backstage and getting into random fisticuffs. 2009 and 2010 had nothing......except for Jericho’s Road to Wrestlemania. The only thing I hope for this is that its the same as 2011, but with less running around to accomplish things.

The one thing that bothers me the most about the game so far isn’t a mode or a feature. It’s The Rock. Why would someone who has been in the games since the first one be a Pre-Order Bonus? Besides the fact that he is headlining Wrestlemania 28, I see no reason for him to be a bonus. I feel like this is the one thing the are doing to make a quick buck with this game. The sequel to 2011’s Fan Axxess pack.

While I normally ignore the Divas on the games, I couldn’t help but complain about the lack of a Diva’s Division in WWE ’12. This year, we get 7 Divas. Now, I understand that their is still 14 slots to be filled in the game roster, but what are the chances the Bella Twins, Tamina, AJ and Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Gail Kim, Rosa Mendes, or even Kharma are gonna make it? Last year, Trish Stratus graced the Legends section with her presence. This year, without the Final 14 being shown and the just released confirmation the Trish Stratus will be returning as a Legend, what chance does the Divas have to stand out? I will be happy if we even get Kharma.

With 61 Superstars, Divas, and Legends and 1 DLC character already revealed, I can honestly say WWE ’12 will be a force to be reckoned with. With Legends like “Double A” Arn Anderson, Legion of Doom, and the late Eddie Guerrero you have to wonder,  will THQ do the right thing and add the one guy every one fan wants, “The Macho Man” Randy Savage? Did any deserving Superstars get left out? Will we see Kharma lead the Divas Division? With 14 slots left, WWE ’12 promises to have the biggest roster in recent memory. And, who will be the Mystery Star? New rumors out of THQ hint at UFC star Brock Lesnar being the Mystery Star. Here’s to hoping that the latest rumor is true.

The release date is set for November 22, 2011. Right at the beginning of the holiday season, and a perfect addition to any WWF/E games library. WWE ‘12 promises to be Bigger, Badder, Better. Will it deliver?