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GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Let's Play Ken's Rage

Ken's Rage is a character action game that came out way back in 2010 for the PS3/360. It's a faithful adaptation of the show/manga into interactive format, and it makes excellent use of the license in both its presentation and game mechanics. Really, it's just the best.

The best?

There are countless mechanics dedicated to making you feel like the most powerful wall of righteousness that ever was. Plow enemies over with heavy physics objects, explode their faces off with muscle-propelled warheads, slam them against crumbling walls, and smash them into showers of gore using Hokuto Shinken. The game also sports a stunningly powerful leitmotif, which is just a small part of the emotional wrecking ball that is the entire heavy metal soundtrack.

It's not all about the spectacle either, as everything from the RPG-lite nuances, down to the smallest strikes of your mightiest combo leave plenty of thought for the player in how to approach a situation and come away with maximum bloodshed. And maximum points! It's an exercise in absolute brawling satisfaction, using a license that couldn't have been more appropriate.

How's this gonna go down?

We'll be playing through "Legend Mode", which predicatbly follows Kenshiro's massive story to its conclusion. We'll also take a look at the unique levels of the unlockable characters.

Let's get started.


Videos

















Extra


Toki brings ecstasy to all those he kills


I have no regrets for the life I have lived.

GamesAreSupernice fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Jul 29, 2016

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NGDBSS
Dec 30, 2009






Oh hey, another Koei Tecmo brawler! I'm guessing that you've played most of their selection, given the several LPs you've already done showing them off? Either way, this looks pretty cool at the outset.

It's good to hear Richard Epcar (as Zeed) continuing to get work. The man doesn't have all that much range (which is how I immediately pegged him as "that guy who does Batou's voice in most of GitS"), but he can certainly sell the hell out of that limited range.

I wouldn't call this to be terribly distinct from the Dynasty Warriors games, but that's not really a problem. KT's Dynasty Warriors series (including several spinoffs you've shown off like Gundam or Undead Knights) has almost always been about making a crazy brawler, potentially with additional strategic elements. Hence making a more "pure" beat-em-up is right up their alley.

Speaking of Undead Knights, it looks like KT swiped the grab from that to put in here? I'd imagine that doing so wouldn't be too hard, after all.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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NGDBSS posted:

Speaking of Undead Knights, it looks like KT swiped the grab from that to put in here? I'd imagine that doing so wouldn't be too hard, after all.

The animation is strikingly similar.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


I WA SHOCK!

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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SSNeoman posted:

I WA SHOCK!

You Wa Shock

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

He/She/They Wa Shock

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Kaboom Dragoon posted:

He/She/They Wa Shock

You've gone too far this time my friend.

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
So what are the two mission bonuses you missed on this stage?

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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ProfessorProf posted:

So what are the two mission bonuses you missed on this stage?

They just involved roaming around some more and punching more lingering enemies. I only want to show off enough missions to give insight into the design, but some will be ignored for the sake of pacing.

Gulping Again
Mar 10, 2007
At one point you have to show off what happens when you actually fulfill all the optional conditions in a stage and fill up the Big Dipper.

Because that deserves to be called out.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Gulping Again posted:

At one point you have to show off what happens when you actually fulfill all the optional conditions in a stage and fill up the Big Dipper.

Because that deserves to be called out.

We will, don't worry, but I assure you it's nothing special.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Physics. Objects.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Death is pretty rank.

Angry Lobster
May 16, 2011

Served with honor
and some clarified butter.
Good game, I like how they introduced enviromental destruction as an integral part of the gameplay. Loos really fun.

Also I am a it dissapointed with the first stage cutscene where you met Bart and Lin, they should have used the scene from the movie, one of the most badass introductions in the story of anime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwkveulfDz4

Omobono
Feb 19, 2013

That's it! No more hiding in tomato crates! It's time to show that idiota Germany how a real nation fights!

For pasta~! CHARGE!

Rei and Ken's plan was to fake a duel to the death hoping Gengiz Khan lowered his guard with the hostages (I distinctly remember Mamiya as an hostage too in the anime). That stance Ken went into is actually the secret code between Hokuto and Nanto practitioners to implement plan "fake duel". Hokuto and Nanto are the kung-fu versions of Batman is what I'm saying.
No idea what their plan B was, but it wasn't needed.


What's the deal with the star of death popping up during the bosses, in the bottom right corner? I saw it too during first video, but not during Shin. Is it just an indicator you've found their weakness?

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Omobono posted:

What's the deal with the star of death popping up during the bosses, in the bottom right corner? I saw it too during first video, but not during Shin. Is it just an indicator you've found their weakness?

Yeah, it's just so you know that you found the attack they're weak to.

Scalding Coffee
Jun 26, 2006

You're already dead
The story is even more abbreviated than the Dragon Ball games. The game only looks easy because the underlings don't seem to cause much damage.
I thought the code was just a simple sparring hand signal instead of the actual fighting one, because they have two signals.

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

Hokuto and Nanto users have an answer for every situation, pretty much. Don't question it or else you'll never stop.

I had forgotten how crazy it is that there are bands of gigantic musclemen roaming around in this blasted wasteland, despite food being scarce, let alone fat dudes like Heart.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Green Intern posted:

Hokuto and Nanto users have an answer for every situation, pretty much. Don't question it or else you'll never stop.

I had forgotten how crazy it is that there are bands of gigantic musclemen roaming around in this blasted wasteland, despite food being scarce, let alone fat dudes like Heart.

Seeds, man. He ate so many loving seeds you have no idea.

marshmallow creep
Dec 10, 2008

I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

This game looks really fun. I wasn't expecting much of it, but it's winning me over.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Lotish posted:

This game looks really fun. I wasn't expecting much of it, but it's winning me over.

I'm glad. I always thought it was pretty underrated.

AnotherGamer
Jan 12, 2007
Please change my name to "The Guff Machine"

Scalding Coffee posted:

The story is even more abbreviated than the Dragon Ball games.

The second game has a lot more story that goes past timeskip but it also axed a lot of cool stuff I liked about this game, such only using the triple repeat shots after you land a special move and move subtitle afterwards during story sequences and all the hypermode special attacks. It also had other problems from what I understand but I'm not completely sure what they were.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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AnotherGamer posted:

The second game has a lot more story that goes past timeskip but it also axed a lot of cool stuff I liked about this game, such only using the triple repeat shots after you land a special move and move subtitle afterwards during story sequences and all the hypermode special attacks. It also had other problems from what I understand but I'm not completely sure what they were.

Ken's Rage 2 makes me upset on an existential level.

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

GamesAreSupernice posted:

Seeds, man. He ate so many loving seeds you have no idea.

They must have been seeds of the Vegetable Lamb, if they had all that protein.

Night10194
Feb 13, 2012

We'll start,
like many good things,
with a bear.

Green Intern posted:

They must have been seeds of the Vegetable Lamb, if they had all that protein.

It's like you never even played Odin Sphere.

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

Night10194 posted:

It's like you never even played Odin Sphere.

Or I have, and I'm making a joke about that and the source material?

marshmallow creep
Dec 10, 2008

I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

GamesAreSupernice posted:

Ken's Rage 2 makes me upset on an existential level.

Now I have to see it.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Lotish posted:

Now I have to see it.

It's nothing offensively, disgustingly awful, they just removed everything that made Ken's Rage unique in favor of way lazier, less brutal and satisfying traditional Dynasty Warriors gameplay.

I think this was done in response to folks in Japan not feeling like Ken's Rage was similar enough to existing DW games, so they made Ken's Rage 2 as a "fix" for that.

Edit: Traditional DW gameplay is pretty sweet inside its own license, it's only lazy in the context of a much different license with different appeal.

GamesAreSupernice fucked around with this message at 14:25 on Jul 13, 2016

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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S'Nanto time

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
Oh, Mamiya. You could have been a fun character if you weren't being written by 80s shonen manga writers.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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ProfessorProf posted:

Oh, Mamiya. You could have been a fun character if you weren't being written by 80s shonen manga writers.

She's pretty fun to play as, at least.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Hi Jagi

DICKS FOR DINNER
Sep 6, 2008

Stand Proud
The reason Meridian Shock is exclusive to Hokuto users is because Hokuto Shinken is specifically a martial art that strikes specific pressure points in the target's body to induce whatever effect, whether it's healing (like how Ken gave Rin her voice back), incapacitation, or just straight making someone explode from the inside out. Nanto styles don't give a gently caress about that sort of precision and just go for brute force to make people dead real quick.

Also, Jagi's rapid strike is actually a distinct technique from the Hundred Crack Fist named the Hokuto Senju Satsu/Thousand Hand Slaughter, although the only real difference I could tell you is that it uses the fingertips instead of a closed fist like the Hundred Crack Fist.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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DICKS FOR DINNER posted:

Jagi's rapid strike is actually a distinct technique from the Hundred Crack Fist named the Hokuto Senju Satsu/Thousand Hand Slaughter, although the only real difference I could tell you is that it uses the fingertips instead of a closed fist like the Hundred Crack Fist.

Thanks! I'm always glad to learn more through my LPs.

Scalding Coffee
Jun 26, 2006

You're already dead
There is only one t in Penitence.
I am guessing they named that one attack "softness", because he is a Soft user. His attacks straight up murder people, but his style places less emphasis on physical force during fights. I think I worded that correctly.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Scalding Coffee posted:

There is only one t in Penitence.
I am guessing they named that one attack "softness", because he is a Soft user. His attacks straight up murder people, but his style places less emphasis on physical force during fights. I think I worded that correctly.

Yeah, I've mispronounced penitence accidentally for years now, whoops.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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Man what is with our relatives being all weird and poo poo

Quinn2win
Nov 9, 2011

Foolish child of man...
After reading all this,
do you still not understand?
At some point, Ken becomes the weird outlier for not being an over-the-top screaming murder-lunatic.

GamesAreSupernice
Jan 3, 2014

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A quick play as Mamiya.

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Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

ProfessorProf posted:

At some point, Ken becomes the weird outlier for not being an over-the-top screaming murder-lunatic.

He screams, but it's always justified and fairly well-rationed.

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