What are you currently playing? 4.0

[Foggle]

There are only two control scheme options, but the default controls have been changed to be the exact same as the ones in DMC 3. Makes the game a lot more user-friendly and fun.

[Rynnec]

Great to hear! Now I just need to save up enough money to get the HD collection.

[Foggle]

Just as a warning; some people with the PS3 version have been experiencing severe cutscene audio/video sync issues in DMC 3. I, personally, have not, but the cause of this glitch hasn't been pinpointed yet. I've had no problems with my copy, but I'd suggest getting the game for Xbox 360 if you have one.

[gunswordfist]

So I just beat Devil May Cry for the second time. Such an excellent game! Mundus fight is awful, though.

I really love the final battle with Angelo... definitely one of my all time favorite video game bosses. On a similar note, the final battle with Nightmare is the worst shit ever.

I never got past Nightmare on Dante Must Die mode. The Nelo Angelo boss fights are the best in the series.

Speaking of DMC, I hope 3 has style changing on the fly in the HD version. Also Bloody Palace mode in DMC1 would make me completely ignore 3's existence.

EDIT: It's already out? So does the game have these improvements or what?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Its not so much an HD remake as an HD port. So, no, DMC3 does not have style changing on the fly in the HD version, since its meant to be an authentic port. Personally I'm fine with that, since I want the original experience, and while you can argue its not the original experience unless you play it on a PS2, its close enough for me so long as none of the major gameplay mechanics undergo any changes.

Anyways, I'll definitely be picking up the HD collection this summer. Its good to finally have a chance to own all 3 games on one convenient disc.

[gunswordfist]

Bleh, they should have gave an option. That's lame.

[Foggle]

The only difference between the HD collection and the PS2 games is that X jumps and triangle attacks in DMC 1.

So, anyway, I just beat Mission 5 in DMC 2. And after completing that miserable pile of shit, all I can say is that this game makes Ninja Gaiden 3 look like Bayonetta. "But, Foggle, how can you make such a stupendous claim?" Two words: Infested fucking Chopper. Good God.

The way you beat this guy is by equipping the pistols and moving back and forth in a straight line while mashing the fire button. Occasionally you have to dodge missiles. This goes on for at least seven minutes. I sorta' timed it by looking back and forth at my alarm clock. Seven straight minutes of hammering the square button.

brb nursing my newly acquired carpal tunnel syndrome

[gunswordfist]

No no, I refuse to accept that comparison.

[Foggle]

No no, I refuse to accept that comparison.

Are there any levels in Ninja Gaiden 3 where you literally stand still next to a tank and whack it with your sword constantly for two minutes straight while it does absolutely nothing to attack you... and then do the exact same thing to two more tanks immediately afterward? I think not.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Are there any levels in Ninja Gaiden 3 where you literally stand still next to a tank and whack it with your sword constantly for two minutes straight while it does absolutely nothing to attack you... and then do the exact same thing to two more tanks immediately afterward? I think not.

Oddly enough Ninja Gaiden Black/Sigma has 2 tanks that you fight in a row, but to be fair they do actually attack you with both a gunner on the top and tank shells shot at you during regular intervals. You also fight a helicopter boss but it does shoot missiles at you that you need to dodge.

As for NG3, its pretty much just as bad as DMC2 as far as I'm concerned. You might not have a tank that does nothing to attack you, but you have stupidly long segments in the game where you're arm starts acting up for absolutely no reason and you trudge through whole sections of levels killing bad guys in you're way who do absolutely NOTHING to attack you (and while you are in you're most vulnerable and hard to control state, at that; and its hard to control because the controls are just flat-out bad in those sections). Also, I'd like to point out that NG3 bastardizes Ryu's character just as much as DMC2 does for Dante, and if anything that's a harder feat to accomplish for NG3 seeing as how Ryu has absolutely no character to begin with, so to make people go from feeling indifferent towards him to thinking he's an absolute douche-bag really takes a lot of bad writing that nobody can do on purpose.

Also, NG3 has one thing that's MUCH worse than those DMC2 sections that you described. Its called the Kunai-Climb, and its present EVERYWHERE. Seriously, after every major battle you have to upscale large walls, not by cool ninja acrobatics, but by slow and tedious kunai climbing that is such a chore to do that it makes you wonder if Team Ninja even has the remotest idea of the concept of "fun" in a video game. I'd much rather shoot at a brainless enemy for 7 minutes than spend twice that amount of time in overall gameplay climbing a stupid fucking wall in the most boring and tedious way ever in just one level alone.

[Foggle]

Oddly enough Ninja Gaiden Black/Sigma has 2 tanks that you fight in a row, but to be fair they do actually attack you with both a gunner on the top and tank shells shot at you during regular intervals. You also fight a helicopter boss but it does shoot missiles at you that you need to dodge.

Yeah, but those fights are AWESOME. The ones in DMC 2 are pathetically easy and tedious.

you have stupidly long segments in the game where you're arm starts acting up for absolutely no reason and you trudge through whole sections of levels killing bad guys in you're way who do absolutely NOTHING to attack you (and while you are in you're most vulnerable and hard to control state, at that; and its hard to control because the controls are just flat-out bad in those sections).

Okay, yeah, that is worse than DMC 2.

But while Kunai Climbing is pretty damn awful, the thing I hated most about the helicopter fight is that it actually caused me physical pain. Seriously, mashing one button about 3 times per second for 7 straight minutes left me incapable of playing any more games for the rest of the night.

So we are now in agreement that NG 3 and DMC 2 are equally awful. Honestly, I think DmC will probably end up being better than both at this rate...

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

If its at least a competent action game then it'll be better for sure. I mean, I'm no fan of Ninja Theory but based on what I've played of their games, they make pretty mediocre if not decent action games. Heavenly Sword wasn't anything special but its far from the worst action game that I've ever played, and Enslaved was at least somewhat entertaining even if it was completely shallow. I'd take either of those games over NG3 at least, personally.

[Foggle]

Once you get past some of the stupider design choices (and the fact that DMC 4 was clearly left open for a sequel if not sequels), DmC actually looks pretty fun IMO. Doubt I'll pay full price for it, but I'll definitely pick it up eventually.

More than I can say for NG 3.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The thing that still baffles me about NG3 the most is the main reason for WHY its a bad game. Its not one of those issues where the developer is trying to change up the series to improve the gameplay formula and comes up with interesting new ideas but doesn't manage to execute them right. If NG3 was that kind of game I'd honestly at least have more respect for it as a fan than I do for the piece of turd Team Ninja shit out and called NG3. The problem with NG3 is that its the type of game that changes things up by taking out what worked from previous games and replacing them with downright BAD ideas in general. Who the fuck agreed that stuff like Kunai Climbing and trudging through levels in horribly controlled sections with a disgusting infected arm was a good idea and would be fun to implement into gameplay? Who thought that SoB should replace the dismemberment system which worked so well in NG2? If Itagaki were the director of this game he would've straight up smacked anyone who proposed ideas like that to him and kicked them out of the team ASAP. This is why you need people who actually UNDERSTAND gaming to make games. Yosuke Hayashi clearly does not understand gaming. I'd be more likely to believe that he was a spokesperson for the company executives who they made run the development of their main games because they literally had no one else after Itagaki left the company.

What this game does that bothers me more than anything, though, is the fact that it takes out SO MANY features from previous games that ACTUALLY WORKED. The combat is stripped down its most shallow derivative form, with now additional weapons, upgrade features, extra Ninpo, items, and the enemies are completely dumbed down. Ninja Gaiden fans and gaming critics alike downright PRAISED previous NG games for their sublime and technical combat systems, deep weapon variety, and overall action which was close to unrivaled by any other action games aside from DMC and Bayonetta. WHY would you get rid of that? Even if Hayashi just recycled the same weapons from the first 2 games it STILL would have been a lot more to offer than almost any other hack n' slash game currently on the market. Instead he strips those things away from the series because he assumes that people don't want them. Then he also takes out the dismemberment which was a huge strategic element of NG2 on the harder difficulties and replaces it with a shallow and boring mechanic that slows down combat called SoB, which is also just downright gross rater than flashy (if that's what he was going for).

I mean, I am by no means an expert in game design, and I would never claim to know what I'm talking about when it comes to the decisions that most game developers make, but in this case even I could tell you that these ideas are downright horrid, even on paper. I REALLY, REALLY hope Hayashi gets his position of project development leader revoked after this game, and DOA5 which I'm almost certain he'll find a way to screw up as well (it IS pretty much his last chance to come out with a successful game post-Itagaki).

[Rynnec]

Also, I'd like to point out that NG3 bastardizes Ryu's character just as much as DMC2 does for Dante, and if anything that's a harder feat to accomplish for NG3 seeing as how Ryu has absolutely no character to begin with, so to make people go from feeling indifferent towards him to thinking he's an absolute douche-bag really takes a lot of bad writing that nobody can do on purpose.

"Hello Canna. My name is Ryu. That means dragon."