Now Playing: GIRL FIGHT

 Lowest Common Denominator: THE GAME

Developed by Kung Fu Factory.

Published by MicroProse/Majesco.

Released mid/late October 2013.

Formats:  Xbox 360 (Live Arcade download), PS3 (PS Store download)

Version played:  PS3

You know...I can usually come up with an at least somewhat clever introductory paragraph for these write-ups, but this time?  This time, I don't know what to say.  This is Girl Fight.  It's a game where girls fight.

...that's basically it.

Now Playing: DEADPOOL

"THIS IS WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE" - Craig

Released late June 2013.

Developed by High Moon Studios.

Published by Activision.

Available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Version played: PlayStation 3.

The story of Deadpool (the character) is an interesting one.  Not the actual in-universe 'origin' or whatever, that's fairly bland stuff existing solely to drag another character out of some part of Wolverine's past to further capitalise on the pointy-haired Bananaman lookalike's popularity, and perhaps to copycat DC's Deathstroke The Terminator because why not.  Anyway, he quickly evolved from just being a dude with swords who dressed kinda like Spider-Man into a kind of walking in-joke, the court jester of the Marvel universe - a means for his writers to satirise the ludicrous conventions of the very same cape comics their co-workers were hawking to the masses.  DP wasn't a huge success but he had his niche, and survived for most of the 21st century living on the outer fringes of Marvel...and then all of a sudden, people started noticing him.  Part of that was no doubt down to the awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine, although how anyone could see what Fox did with the character there and think, "yes, this is a guy I would like to know more about!" is beyond my understanding.  Whatever the case, Marvel jumped at the opportunity and cashed in big on Deadpool, and even now he's got at least 2 montly ongoing comic series all about him, not to mention an enviable assortment of toys and other merch.  I have a Deadpool logo polo shirt, for god's sake.  Y'know, in case I feel like playing golf and need everyone there to know I support Deadpool.  At golf.

The story of Deadpool (the game) is a lot less interesting.  Marvel wanted to make more money out of the character so they got some devs to make a videogame about him.  And here it is.  I have been playing it.  And now I have been thinking about it.

Now Playing: DEAD OR ALIVE 5

"3...2...1...Strike a pose, everybody!"

Released October 2012.

Published by Tecmo Koei.

Developed by Team Ninja.

Version played: PlayStation 3.

Fighting games seem to have seasons, I've noticed.  You can go for 3 years with not a single new arrival outside of small-time indies on Steam and other such services, until all of a sudden a whole bunch of them arrive, practically tripping over each other's over-muscled bodies in their attempt to sweet-talk you with their expanded rosters, shinier graphics and thoughtful tutorial mode for stupid people.  So while Team Ninja can talk all they like about an organic process of growth over the many years that Dead or Alive was dormant leading up to its well-plotted-out reappearance, the fact that it's riding in on the coattails of Tekken Tag Tournament 2's worldwide hype train - which itself rose from the shadows cast by Street Fighter X Tekken - seems a little too convenient to be coincidence.  Still, there's no rule saying we can't have more than one solid fighter to choose from at any given time, so I was more than ready to welcome a return to the DOAverse.  And having been wearing my thumbs down with it for a week or so now, it's time to take a more in-depth look under its shirt.  I mean, boobs.  Bonnet, dammit!