I recently went to the Gameworks in Indianapolis, IN to see if they had any new offerings, and to enjoy some arcade classics with my friends from Addicted to Media.

Much to my surprise, SEGA actually had two new(ish) games to check out. The always classic SEGA RALLY series has returned with SEGA RALLY 3:

The monitors were gorgeous and really showed off the crisp games graphics. The game was even more fun than the overlooked Sega Rally Revo on 360/PS3.

Also new, was RAMBO:

This game was beyond rad. It played like Virtua Cop or Ghost Squad (check out the great Wii version if you want some hot arcade action), but was chock full of Stallone goodness. There was even a "rage" button that made your character do the Stallone growl/howl/shout for 30 seconds while you mowed down terrorists. It was epic. The game was also spiced with clips from the movie, making this game a must-play for fans of hot action and bad acting.

Since this arcade is located in the heart of Indianapolis, Sega was sure to furnish it with an epic version of the racing classic, Indy 500:

The event that put Indianapolis on the map is recreated with 4 oversize car cabinets and giant monitors. The game is a blast, and you can't beat that presentation. This Gameworks is inside the Circle Center mall and I can't imagine too many racing tourists passing up a round of this if they see it while they shop.

The arcade even had a small selection of fighters, gloriously tucked out of the way near the restrooms:

Street Fighter III: Third Strike, Virtua Fighter 3, Soul Caliber 3 Arcade, and the always in-use MvC2. The selection is much better than nothing, but it makes one miss the good old days. Thank god for Xbox Live and PSN for helping to facilitate the return of competitive fighting games.

I encourage everyone to find an arcade by them, check it out, and share what they find. Arcades cabinets are still the most fun and exciting way to experience a game. Even though the crowds are gone, the magic isn't!

Here is a shot of the work in progress of my big SFII woodcut:

It's going to be made out of two 32" panels to make an image over 5 feet long.

The image depicts Honda and Zangief fighting it out in Honda's sweet bath house stage. The CD that came with the SSF2THDR press kit is coming in quite handy for photo reference.

After the woodcut is done, I'm going to do a small edition of the prints. Stay tuned for more updates as the work comes along. I aim to be all done by Tuesday. 

Update #1 (6/21 @6pm)

I've finished all of the linework on the two panels, and I've begun the long process of actually carving them.

The perspective in the actual level was a little wonky, and replicating said wonkiness was probably the hardest part of the drawing.

This is my second woodcut ever, and the process is really fun and challenging. At 5.3', this is also one of the largest pieces I've ever done. Woodcut involves carving a panel and then covering it in ink and making prints (think of the wood as a giant rubber stamp). I have two large rolls of nice paper to print on, and I plan on making as many prints as I can. I will probably end up with and edition of 5-10. I am doing this for a monotype class, and our teacher is big proponent of working back into prints with traditional media like paint, so I might go back and watercolor one of the prints. We'll see.

Update #2 (6/23 @ 1:52 am)

After about 25 hours of carving, the woodcut is finished!

I am about to head downtown to the print shop to make my editions of the woodcut. The prints are due at 9am, so it is going to be a long, rough day/night.

For each print of each panel I have to use rollers to spread a thin layer of ink over the entire board. The board is then rolled through a printing press and the ink is transferred onto paper. The board has to be re-inked after each printing, and I have to hand-tear each sheet of paper, so I'm estimating a good 3-5 hours of work left. I'll be sure to post the finished product!

Update #3 (6/25)

The prints are all done! I did an edition of 7 of each panel. I will have photos or scans of the final product soon because I don't get them back until Friday. 

(Panel 2 all inked up)

(A Print of Panel 2)

(Panel 1 all inked up)

(A print of panel 1)

The prints are backwards because I wanted to do something slightly different from the game itself, and it's a fun nod to the sprite flipping in SFII a la Guile's tattoo.

I hope you dig them, and any comments/critiques/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I was lucky enough to get my hands Spyborgs, and to grill the game’s producer, Daryl, at Captivate ’09 in Monte Carlo this year, and the game really made an impression on me. Even better, the game has continued to evolve and improve. The build at E3 looks like an absolute blast. 

The media embargo is finally over, and I can finally tell you about all of the great games you'll be playing in the next year or so. I'm sure that lots of sites will be inundated with screen-shots and movies, so this blog will focus on my personal impressions of the game, and hopefully provide a good fan's eye view of the action.

Spyborgs- I will actually be writing a more in-depth blog about this game a little later, so stay tuned for that. This was one of the biggest surprises of the event. I went into this presentation with no idea what to think, and the game didn't quite win me over until I got my hands on it a little later.

Remember when you and a friend would press start and beat up all the bad guys between point A and point B? Remember the feeling you got when you think you beat a giant boss, only to have it come back stronger and firing missiles? This is a game for you. This game is a modern entry into the proud legacy of Capcom beat-em-ups. Throw in motion controls that are tasteful and intuitive, instead of obnoxious and tacked-on, and you have a Wii game for Capcom fans to get excited about.

Dead Rising 2- At some point in the demonstration for this game the protagonist, Chuck Greene, picked up a bucket with a bunch of power drills stuck into it. He then dunked this "drill-bucket" onto a zombie's head. What was left was a mess and a question: Will players be able to combine items to make super-awesome-custom-weapons-of-epic-violence? I asked Inafune San by way of Ben Judd, and he gave me the best non-answer I've ever heard. He said something along the lines of, "I cannot answer that question because we are not talking about any extra features today. But how often have you just stumbled upon a "drill-bucket". Get ready for custom mayhem.

Also, at some point Chuck drove a motorcycle with chainsaws duct-taped to the handlebars through a crowd of 7,000 zombies. 7,000 zombies is 14x the number of zombies seen at once in the original DR. To reiterate, 7,000 ZOMBIES ON SCREEN AT ONCE. 

Photography is gone, but there will be new objectives to match Chuck's unique personality and skill set. In addition to PP, players can also collect money. Inafune San was coy about what players will able to do with the money stating "You don't eat money". My guess is gambling. There was a big SUV display in one of the casinos. Can we win that SUV in a jackpot and run over zombies with it? I sure hope so.

Dark Void- At long last, a videogame that gives you full control of a jet pack! I know the industry is relatively young, but it is about time. The game is really special in that you can really approach each mission in your own way. Players are given the ability to fly, hover, and run and cover on the ground, with seamless transitions between control methods. The controls are a little daunting at first because you are just given so much to work with. Once you have the hang of them, get ready for a new gaming experience.

Cool plot elements were teased, and what little music I heard was amazing. This game is on track to be an original, top-notch action game. 

Bionic Commando- My exposure to the single-player was limited, but rest assured that there is swinging and giant Capcom bosses. The voice acting sounded a lot better than I was expecting too.

The multiplayer really left an impression on me though. Players start with a pistol and are free to find any of the weapons scattered on the map. What was cool is that you never had to reload. You either have a weapon or you don't. The swinging takes some getting used to, but pretty soon you're zipping into people and kicking them right in the face. Players are awarded more points for more stylish kills. Acrobatics and mid-air shooting are worth more that stationary sniping. I can see myself getting really addicted to the multiplayer. Try it for yourself tomorrow, when the demo hits!

Lost Planet 2- Let me get this out of the way: This game is, in terms of graphics, the best looking game that Capcom has ever made. Now onto the good stuff. I love Lee Byung Hun probably more than the next guy ("All In", anyone?), but he will not be missed in LP2. Players are given really robust character customization options, and the online matches should be full of really diverse pirates.

The campaign is now handing in 4 player co-op. When playing by yourself the AI will take over for your other 3 characters.

The level shown featured one of the largest enemies I've ever seen in a game. What really makes LP2 exciting is how it lets you fight these giant enemies. In most modern games that feature giant bosses, the player usually defeats them by way of some goofy mini-game controls. Take Marvel Ultimate Alliance. When you fight Galactus, you have to fight him with some goofy quick-time event button pressing. Zelda usually makes you do some cute trick to beat the bosses.

LP2 lets you take on the giant enemies your way. The player is really left to their own devices. Want to slowly waste the boss away with your machine gun? Go for it. Want to hop in a giant robot and take to the skies? Go for it. Want to jump in the enemy's mouth and fight your way through a river of crap before being violently ejected from the enemies backside? This is the game for you.

The camera is more zoomed in on the player compared to LP1 and new control options like dashing really help to make LP2 feel more exciting. This game really has the potential to be the next big thing in the action genre. It really is the coolest looking action game that I've ever seen. I cannot do it justice here, just wait until you see it.

Also, get ready for loads of new weapons, VS suits, enemies, and environments.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite- This was my very first MH experience and I really dug it. The scope of this game is MASSIVE. There is so much to do. I am sold on this game by way of cats that perform a musical number for you while they're cooking meals that have unique status effects. Amazing.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles- This might be the best looking game on the Wii, no joke. The game is also incredibly cinematic. The camera really made the game feel more tense and exciting. Controls have also been streamlined a little bit. It looks like all the little problems that the first one had have been addressed.

I was really expecting more of the same with this one, but Capcom has really pushed the Wii to present one of the most gorgeous and tense games they've ever put out.

MYSTERY GAME #1- MARVEL VS CAPCOM 2- This is the MvC2 you know and love with widescreen support, HD support, custom soundtracks, and online play. The game really shines in HD. I noticed facial animations and little touches that I'd never seen before. Even Morrigan's tired old sprites shine. And thank God for custom soundtracks on this one.

MYSTERY GAME #2- Fate Unlimited Codes- I managed to somehow not get a picture of this one. I blame the fact that I had just met Jessica Chobot. This is a 3-D fighter with easy inputs and floaty movements. It plays like the long-lost cousin to Star Gladiator and Tech Romancer. It would have been right at home on the Dreamcast. It will be available as a download-only title on the PSP.

Resident Evil Archives- Wii editions of RE1 an RE0 in case you missed them the first time around!

A new Moto GP and Ace Attorney spin-off were also announced.

Please feel free to ask me any questions, and let me know what you'd like to read about!

Captivate 09 has come and gone, and fans can expect lots of good news tomorrow when the media embargo is over.

(The view from my room!)

The experience was really great. As a Capcom fan, I would have been elated for a bus ticket to a Holiday Inn in Dubuque, IA to check out Capcom games. So the fact that that I was sent, for free, to Monaco is unbelievable. It was great to meet a lot of the people behind Capcom-Unity, a few other lucky fans, and some cool folks from the gaming press.

(Jessica Chobot is the coolest person on the internet)

I talked with Sven a lot about Unity over a few fancy rounds, and it sounds like the site is only going to get better. Capcom fans really have a lot of good stuff coming to them in the next few years.

The hotel was magnificent. It was definitely the most posh place that I have ever been to.

The hotel had the most comfortable bed ever, yet tragically, I found only few hours to sleep the whole time I was there.

(This is where all of the blogging action took place)

Capcom also took us to a couple of really swanky eateries. The Cafe de Paris had the best prosciutto I've ever had, and I miss it terribly.

After dinner, we were driven to a yacht where partying commenced. Amid the free drinks I was able to talk to some developers and learn a lot about what is going to make Spyborgs and Dead Rising 2 so awesome. 

All of the gaming presentations were really exciting. There wasn't a single game that didn't go beyond my expectations. I kept waiting for one of the sequels to just look incrementally better, but they all look to really push their respective series in exciting directions.

(Mr. Judd and Mr. Inafune are bad enough dudes to save the president)

Getting hands-on time with some of the games was really exciting. I will definitely have more to say about that tomorrow!

(Bionic Commando multiplayer did not disappoint)

Tomorrow I will have my general overview of the games that I saw, and a more in-depth blog about Spyborgs. After a long talk with Daryl about the game, I really have a lot to say about it, and I think Capcom fans should definitely give it a chance.

Please feel free to ask my any questions, and let me know what you'd like to read about!