Code of Princess: "Senseless Near Nudity" Done Right

Code of Princess: Senseless Near Nudity Done Right

For anyone who knows my video game preferences, they know that japanese developer, Atlus is one of my favorite developers. The company is famous for its twisted sense of humor, incredible ability to westernize games and their ability to create leading ladies to make any anime fan swoon over.

Last year, Catherine was one of my top 5 games and it was for those reasons. So imagine my excitement when I heard that Atlus was developing a game for my heretofore unused 3DS.

I was even more excited when I found out that the main character was a half-dressed heroine with a hefty halberd. Enter Solange:

If Disney made a movie about Solange (and I don't think it would be out of the question) she would rank up there with Belle and Rapunzal in princess status. She is poised, innocent, tough and oh yeah she spends the entire game in her "Royal Robes" IE: an armor bikini. The game only partly addresses the fact that she is dressed this way when guards mistake her for a pole dancer or a bar maid. But take away the clothes and our misguided gender stereotypes and you get a lovable main character who makes the player want to see what happens in the next cutscene.

In addition to Solange, is a slew of great supporting characters: Ali Baba: a tomboyish thief, Zozo: a Necromancer that "borrows" (loots) body parts from corpses for her own body, and a narcissistic elf guitarist/cleric.

Yeah its a lot to take in, but the characters are well-developed and every cutscene is like a mini medieval sitcom.

The game play is pretty straightforward. It's your classic beat-em-up on a 3 rail system with a light magical element. After every battle you have the chance to level up and spend skill points. It resembles some of the classic fighting games with some RPG elements. The game is perfect for playing in short bursts because the story is easy to follow and each cutscene and accompanying fight usually lasts between 5 and 15 minutes not to mention the battle system is easy to pick up and smooth as Solange's skin.

The game includes one of the best original scores for a handheld game to date. It was definitely worth purchasing early for the art book and soundtrack. The Main theme is movie worthy and even if you dont play the game you'll want to give it a listen.

The game is not without flaws. The battle system gets old long before the story comes to a conclusion and there is very little apart from the story and Solange's perfectly flat tummy to keep the player interested through the span of the 20 hour campaign, but changing characters frequently makes the battles bearable.

It's not the best game in the world but it might be one of the best for a handheld system this year and if you're a 13 year-old kid whose parents only let him play games on the DS this may be your chance to play a game with adult themes and hot girls. If you're a fan of princesses, or Atlus, or old fashion Beat-em-ups with some RPG elements it's definitely worth your time. I enjoyed getting involved in the stories and characters.

In response to the IGN review that listed "senseless near nudity" as a negative, I say, "How is that a bad thing?"

Episode 3: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

Episode 3:Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

On this episode we take a break from the consoles to highlight some great games on portable systems.
Usually, the portable systems only get cheaply made spinoffs of mainstream console games and dumbed-down RPGs, but these 2 games break that handheld mold and provide a great adventure in and of themselves.

Cody's Pick: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin:

The Three Castlevania games for the DS are easily the best Castlevania games in the series and are considered the last great side-scrollers. Portrait of Ruin combines the best of the other two games, despite being the second to be released. All of them are great games, but Portrait of Ruin happens to be my favorite. Here's why I love this game:

1. The Combat:
Castlevania plays like any side-scrolling-platformer, imagine Mario with swords and whips. You'll spend a lot of time climbing things using a double jump and sliding under lowered ceilings. What Castlevania games great is that that is combined with sword play with enemies that progress in strenght and bosses. There is a huge variety of enemies and every zone of the game all new models. The haunted circus stage brings in clowns and acrobats.

Combat with these enemies involves using a variety of weapons (axes, swords, and of course, whips) for Jonathan; the story's male protagonist, and books and spells for Charlotte, his female companion. The combat isn't anything revolutionary for the series. It's a lot of pressing A for regular attacks over and over again with the occaisonal special attack, but with each new enemy variety comes a new challenge, in learning how to dodge their attacks or exploit weak points. Bosses also add a unique challenge. It is simple but elegant in a way and certainly addictive.

2. The RPG Elements:
For being a side-scrolling-platformer this game actually incorporates some RPG elements nicely. In order to beat the game, you will have to choose weapons that suit your play style, pick special moves that do well against specific enemies, and do a lot of grinding. I felt at the end of my game that Jonathan and Charlotte were characters unique to my play style. I made Charlotte a magic specialist and brought her in to deal heavy elemental damage while Jonathan I used as a principal fighter, dodging and attacking the enemy to deal huge damage in most cases. Players level up and can gain specific skills, putting emphasis on attack or resistance or health upgrades.


3. The loyalty to the Castlevania series:

Portrait of Ruin is, in my opinion, the epidomy of the Castlevania series. Despite being a newer title, you will see familiar monsters to the series and ***Spoiler Alert*** you fight one of the original protagonists at one point. The final Boss was also a surprise and very consistant with the series. POR is the most recent, Chronologically, taking place in the 1940's but feels like it belongs with the medieval games in the series early history. A good number of enemies, weapons, and items are from other Castlevania games but seem alot smoother in their animations. Plus, I was super excited when I got to use the "Vampire Killer" whip from the original game, that was originally weilded by Simon Belmont.

Spencer's Pick: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
 
One of the greatest films in history is the Godfather. Even if you have never seen it, I'll bet know quotes from it. Especially the Don uttering that foreboding statement, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." References and tributes to it show up all the time in pop culture, and the Grand Theft Auto games are no different. I love the Godfather, I think everyone should see that movie, and that's also how I feel about this game.



1. Rockstar didn't take out the good stuff. 

Liberty City Stories to most might seem like it would be a  diet GTA game; less missions to complete, less to explore and find, and a smaller map, but that is not the case. It is every bit as big as Grand Theft Auto 3, because they even take place in the same city and use the same map. So if you have played GTA 3, then you will know your way around immediately. I love this aspect of it because the city is already so immense enough that it's still a fresh landscape for a second time around. 



2. The Missions

Just like other GTA games, the missions are diverse. There are plenty of good old fashion mob hit missions, but there are a lot of other fun, random stuff to do too. One example of this is you do some missions for an up and coming politician named Donald Love, who has loyalties with Don Leone, your boss. (The Godfather's name is Don Corleone). Something you do for him is drive a van with speakers on the top through different voting battlegrounds to spread slander about the opposing candidate. Meanwhile, the competition's van comes out to campaign as well, and you fight for voters, but after a few minutes, you just blow up the other van. I love just how varied and unpredictable the missions can be.

3. There's much more to it than just the story

I spent hours and hours and hours just exploring the map. There are 100 hidden packages, that allow more guns to appear at your safe houses. There are 2 dozen different types of vehicles, ranging from box trucks, to Ferrari look a likes, to pizza delivery scooters, to speedboats. There are three sections of Liberty City, and each one is enormous and takes a lot of time to navigate. You can spend time just racking up wanted stars until you can steal a tank, you can find big jumps to hit, and even work as a car salesman. My point is is that I don't have to do what people normally think you do in a GTA game, pick up hookers and run people over with cars, to have a good time with this game. Trust me, if you take my advice with this game, you may not have time to play any other games before the world ends.





The reason this GTA game goes on my list though is because it is on the PSP and how I can take this game anywhere I want. To have such a complex and large game go anywhere with me and fit in my pocket is an offer I certainly can't refuse. 

 

 

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

 This is a review I wrote when Skyward Sword had just been released and Super Podcast Bros. was just an idea. I'm posting this now just as a general review and not an article for our "Games to Play Before the World Ends" feature, but you can bet that it'll show up on our list soon.

-Spencer

The new Zelda game, Skyward Sword, opens with an artistic telling of how many years ago, an evil demon named Demise assembled an army and tried to steal the legendary Triforce. The Goddess Hylia, rescued the human race by gathering them on a piece of land and sending it into the sky above the clouds, after which, sealed Demise and his hoard away, protecting the Triforce and the people of the kingdom. Fast forward to present day. Link is a young man attending the Knight Academy on the island sent by the goddess to the sky called Skyloft. The people of Skyloft hold the legend of the Goddess Hylia dear, although knowledge of the surface world (the world below the clouds) is gone from memory. Attending the academy with Link is Zelda, daughter of the academy’s headmaster

There are a number of long cut scenes to start the game, but they have much more of a cinematic brilliance then previous Zelda games. The story is deep, and the characters are loveable, endearing, especially Zelda. After a graduation ceremony for the academy, Link and Zelda are riding their Loftwings (giant birds, which become your Epona) when a freak storm knocks Zelda off and she falls down below to the surface world. Link now would set out to the surface world to try and find Zelda, but find himself in the middle of something that would in the end alter their lives, the world and even time. 

 

You really are not even sure what’s going on in the story as it is much deeper than previous Zelda games. In other games, you know what is going on, the story is mostly laid out for you. In this game however, the story unfolds as you move through it, which makes for an even better ending as everything becomes clear. It starts off great and ends even better. I’ll admit, I was a little emotional during the final cut scenes. 

The world is immense. You travel to each part of the world by way of the sky. To access a different part of the surface world, you have to get back to the sky, ride your loftwing to another portal to another part of the world, and then descend. So your map of the surface world has large blank spots between the main areas. It is an interesting way of doing things, but works well with the premise of the game. There are three main areas, Faron Woods, a hybrid forest/water area, Eldin Volcano, a hybrid fire/earth area, and Lanaryu Desert, a hybrid desert/electric area. Each has its own unique challenges and mixes things up well to provide a constantly entertaining experience. 

The temples are insane. As Cody put it, they are “diabolical.” They are admittedly shorter than temples have been in other games, but they really are something special. What is interesting though is basically everything you do is like a temple. It takes just as long or longer to get to a temple as it does to beat a temple. So a temple never feels like the main event, just the grand finale to a particular area. Like I said, there are only three areas so what is cool is as you get more items and get farther in the story, you have to return to the areas and with the newer items you access different parts of the areas, and sometimes you actually have to go back into temples that had things you couldn’t do before and explore them. 

The boss fights are also very creative. In past Zelda games, typically you have a large flat area that you stay on to fight. In this game, that’s not always the case. One that comes to mind is the boss of the first fire temple. The arena is linear and sloped and the boss is a huge rocky ball of lava. Also, the main-ish bad guy (think Zant from twilight princess), named Ghirahim, is the boss of two temples, then you fight him again right before the final boss. Dare I say the final boss battle is the most spectacular of any Zelda game? It is a visual splendor as well as very difficult. I remember as the battle started I was literally scared of fighting Demise. The arena is like fighting shadow link in ocarina, on a reflective pond then extends forever. What is cool though is whoever has control of the battle; the sky either clears or becomes overcast, giving a stark contrast of good vs evil. It also gives an incredible feeling of accomplishment once you win. 

The side quests are pretty cool as well. All of them involve characters in Skyloft, and seeing how there really aren’t that many residents of Skyloft, there aren’t that many side quests.  That being said, they are pretty intricate and take a bit of time. There is a Skulltula type thing but this time you help a demon who lives on the bottom of Skyloft become a human by giving him Gratitude Crystals, which are given to you by people when you complete their quest. 

Some things that I didn’t like were your guide girl, Fi, was pretty annoying. She is this weird spirit thing that lives in your sword and pops out to talk to you. She is supposed to be like a computer I guess because she is always telling you percentages and things. I don’t know, its just a little weird. Also, the harp bugged me. It was not engaging to play at all and the songs you learn aren’t very good. They are not catchy like songs from Ocarina, Majora’s Mask or Wind Waker, but at least there was an instrument, cough cough Twilight Princess. The only other thing was there really wasn’t much to explore. There are just a handful of islands floating in the sky and even then there are tiny. Then anything on the surface world was designed to be apart of the main quest, so there isn’t many areas to go back and explore after. 

Here are a list of things that it borrows from previous Zelda games:

Ocarina of Time: Epicness, the musical score is just as good, and the stories tie together beautifully because Skyward Sword is the prequel to Ocarina.

Majora’s Mask: Skyward Sword has basically the same thing as the owl statue system where you have to save and return to the sky. 

Wind Waker: The ocean and the sky are pretty similar in how it is wide open for you to explore, also, Windfall island and Skyloft are very similar in design and the characters are just as kooky. 

Twilight Princess: In Skyward Sword, there is a version of the twilight realm called the Silent Realm in which link travels to in order to pass tests of courage. It is almost identical to the twilight realm though. Also, Ghirahim and Zant are similar because you don’t really know who is the main bad guy is until later, and they turn out to be minions or puppets. 

Also, the art in Skyward Sword is a perfect blend of the more real looking Twilight Princess and the cartoon look of Wind Waker, which is the perfect representation of a Zelda game I think. It also has almost all the same tones and sounds as Wind Waker.  Overall the game has a more serious feel than Wind Waker, but more lighthearted feel than Ocarina or Twilight Princess. 

So what do I think of it? Quite simply, it is perfect 10. It is a masterpiece. It is near flawless. The story is rich, the characters as well. You really care about Zelda and you really want to save her. Link and Zelda’s relationship is so much more real than before. So is it better than Ocarina? I’ll put it this way, after talking with Cody; we decided that Skyward Sword is the better game, but it will be another year or so before I could beat it again. Ocarina I could play today, tomorrow, whenever and still love it, which is why it is still my favorite Zelda game.

Five Namco Bandai characters that better be in Super Smash Brothers

This week Nintendo announced that the new Super Smash Brothers game will be developed by Namco Bandai, which begs the question; Who will appear from Namco Bandai's iconic characters to battle Nintendo's Iconic cast?

1. Pac Man
 
His moves would include chomps and punches and maybe a final smash where he eats a power pellet and everyone on the screen turns blue while Pac-man runs around chasing them turning them into floating eyes when he makes contact.

2. Fredrick Chopin

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Eternal Sonata, and I think that there are some pretty interesting characters, but Polka would play too much like Peach, and Allagretto is basically Ike or Marth but Chopin's combination of music based magic and melee attacks with his leading stick would be cool to see. His final smash could be finding out that Super Smash Brothers is just a fever dream, and the game could just end.

3.Lloyd
 
Namco Bandai's biggest JRPG franchise is the "Tales of..." series and Lloyd is the most recognizable. He also appeared in the Soul Caliber Legends action game for the Wii. He uses dual rapiers as weapons and is surprisingly graceful. His final smash could include members of his party coming in and performing their attacks. Other "Tales" characters that would work are Yuri Lowell and Flynn Scifio from Tales of Vesperia.

4. Voldo


Any Soul Caliber Character (except Maxi) would be a well-fit addition to Super Smash, but Voldo is by far the most Unique. He uses hand blades and an oddly suggestive form of fighting would be an interesting mix. Final Smash: Mega-Gyration 'nuff said.

5. Dig Dug


Dig Dug is an arcade classic that involves blowing up monsters with a pump/drill. Imagine him in a battle with Kirby. His moves would include alternating between his drill and his pump and his final smash could be a Multi-pump drill that effects all players.

Episode 2: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and Catherine

Episode 2: Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 and Catherine

Spencer's Pick: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

 

Time to break away from the normal RPG’s and first person shooters we normally highlight on this podcast, and talk about something different. I like sports games, but I really find extreme sports games to be very entertaining. My favorite of the genre and probably the most important to it is in my opinion Tony Hawk 2. Lets take a look at why it makes our list of games to play before you die.

1.The Realism

Something that Neversoft nailed in this game is the physics of skateboarding. It’s a great balance of real life skateboarding, and video game feel. Falling feels like it hurts, balancing is difficult, and hitting tricks takes timing to make everything work.

The pro skaters all resemble their real life counterparts, and even the levels all are designed to feel like real life places, especially Carlsbad High School, which is designed to look just like the real thing, right down the Leap of Faith. 

 

2. The Extras

This game is full of extras.  Each level has a lot of accomplishments to achieve, including the classic secret tape. But beyond that, almost all the levels have special areas that are unlocked by doing certain tricks on certain things, and often at certain times.  There is extra cash littered throughout the game and Spider-Man even becomes an extra character, and his special moves are awesome.

 

3. The Manual

To me, this is what makes Tony Hawk 2 the best in the franchise. Tony Hawk 1 is an awesome, groundbreaking game, but without the manual, it almost makes it unplayable. THPS2 though, not only introduced the manual to the game play, but also did it flawlessly. Being able to link your tricks together gives the game play so much more depth. 

 

When I told Cody I was going to talk about this game, he teased me saying that the Tony Hawk franchise hasn’t been good in years, and I agree with him. This was the first truly great game in the franchise, and the last. Why it is a game so important though is the effect it had on the genre as a whole. It spawned several sequels in the Tony Hawk franchise, as well as influenced in some way every other extreme sport game released after it.


Cody's Pick: Catherine




Remember Block Dude, that game on the TI-83 graphing calculator that made your high school algebra classes a lot less boring?



What if you added hot anime girls, diabolical 3D puzzles and then paired it with one of the most ridiculous stories of love in any video game?

 You would have Catherine, the best puzzle/dating game since Pac man vs Mrs Pacman.

Here's why you should play it:

1. The Choices:
Catherine is a game that achieves something truly incredible. The choices that you make while playing truly affect the outcome of the game. Unlike most games that force you to chose between two roads that lead to the same point and the only real effect is that your good or bad meter is slightly affected, Catherine makes you feel like your choices are really changing the way that people act around you. The game has somewhere between 8 and 16 endings, ranging from dying alone and sad, to living with your "dream" girl as the king of Hell.

Catherine doesn't just give you the option to chose between doing something in a "Renegade" way or in that of a "Paragon".

No, no, the choices go much deeper.
The Main choice of the game is between two girls:

Catherine, a 21 year-old bimbo that is just a little bit crazy but absolutely gorgeous. She loves Pizza and sending inappropriate photos to the game's main character, Vincent. She owns a nurse costume and wears sleepwear in public.
'Nuff Said

 


Katherine (with a "K") is your long time girlfriend, She is calculated and sweet, but can sometimes be a little demanding. Katherine reminded me a little bit of my mom in how nagging she was, but she is also very understanding and you can tell she really likes Vincent. The game implies that you have been with her for a long time and she is pressuring you to get married.
 


The game also throws other choices at you, like what kind of advice to give to your friends, which could effect the difficulty of the puzzle portions of the game. Even small choices like, accepting a risque picture from Catherine effect the outcome of the game.

The most influential choices are those in the text messages you choose to send to Catherine and Katherine. You can choose to do damage control with Katherine or ignore their texts. You can even request more photos from Catherine but beware, Your text messages are very determinate in how the girls act in the story.

In addition to the choices in game, the game gives the player a survey about relationships like "Does age matter if you are in love with someone?" Then gives you the answers of other players in a pie graph. These answers also affect the game's story.

The choices in the game made me evaluate my own personal preferences in girls and I even learned a few things about myself from the choices I made in the game.

2. The Puzzles:

Catherine's Game play is like this: You spend time in a bar chatting it up with your friends and texting the 2 Catherines and when you have exhausted your options you leave to go home. Upon falling asleep, you are transported to a reoccurring dream in which the main character is forced to climb a tower to avoid dying in real life.

The tower is made up of large square blocks of different types that Vincent must maneuver in order to keep advancing up the tower. As time passes the lower levels of the towers drop off, forcing Vince to be quick in his movements and avoid going back down the tower to take a different route. Well placed checkpoints add to the mad climbing frenzy as you frantically try to go one more level before the tower collapses.

As levels progress the puzzles get harder and force you to use techniques that you pick up from the other men trapped in Vince's dreams. Things are also added like bosses, including a giant baby with a chainsaw and a butt with a tongue, all of which may seem ridiculous but make perfect sense if you follow the story, for example the baby represents Vincent's apprehension when Katherine tells him that she is pregnant.

The dream sequences are so captivating that I found myself, in the week it took me to beat the game, having nightmares about climbing towers. I found myself thinking about new climbing strategies through out the day and then trying them out when I got home.

The last couple of levels on Normal Mode were some of the most diabolical puzzles I have seen in any game, but I felt comfortable with the moves I had picked up and some that I invented. The game has a high level of satisfaction when you beat a tower and you truly feel like you accomplished something and that's just on easy mode. 

3. Catherine and Katherine

The third reason for playing this game just happens to be the only reason you would ever play a game like Lollipop Chainsaw or Dead or Alive. HOT CHICKS.

But Catherine does a good job of making these girls likable for things besides the fact that they are hot. They are each well-developed characters, and even though I picked Katherine in my play through I found myself wondering what happened to Catherine.

Speaking of that, one might think that if you choose the wrong girl the game somehow is less fulfilling, however Catherine does a good job of making you feel like you won no matter which girl you choose.

However, be prepared, because which girl you choose is a direct reflection of who you are as a person.

 National Lampoon's Lollipop Chainsaw: A Step Down for Suda51


Personally, I see Lollipop chainsaw as a step down for famed producer, Suda51. His previous games: the ridiculous No More Heroes, No More Heroes 2 and Killer7, are some of my favorites but Lollipop chainsaw falls far from the producer's glorious legacy. Rather than being clever in it's ridiculousness, it comes off like a bad teen movie.

I will start off by saying that I have been looking forward to Lollipop Chainsaw since I saw the first trailer six months ago. The over-the-top story and main character intrigued me, however the final product did not quite live up to my expectations.

Juliet, rather than being a cool Bada** Buffy-type character, only reminded me of why I hated cheerleaders so much in high school. She is a dense, layerless bimbo, who would be better suited as an unlockable character in a fighting game, rather than having a whole storyline revolve around her.

She's Hot.
We get it.
What else ya' got?

But the main character isn't the only problem with the game. The Combat is downright terrible compared with other games in the genre. Bayonetta and Devil May cry do it way better and the characters are a lot more engaging. You spend your time alternating between 2 useless combos while fighting hordes of enemies that aren't that menacing to begin with. Most of the battles involve a group of 5-10 zombies circling around Juliet and closing in, this is easily managed and damage can be avoided in every case by pressing the B or O button and vaulting over the zombies. It isn't complex and gets old after the first level.

The game isn't all bad though. Like I said, Juliet is hot and there are a plethora of costumes for her to dress up in, each one more revealing than the next. So that's cool. Also, there are some moments when the combat becomes more like a puzzle than a frantic hack-and-slash- and-then-vault-away. Zombie Basketball, where Juliet must decapitate zombies and get their heads in to a basketball hoop, and a mini game where I had to stop flaming zombies from getting close to Juliet's explosive birthday cake both provided a nice break from the mundane combat. Those moments are good, but few and far between.

Also Suda51 has a baseball stage in every one of his games but I dont think he knows any of the rules of the game.

Overall Lollipop chainsaw fails to "dazzle" and lacks "pep" your better spending your (cheerleader-related pun here) with a game like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry if your looking for a good hack-and-slash adventure. If you're looking for a game with a dumb hot chick this game is perfect for you. Go out and buy it today, and while you're up off your cheeto-stained couch, take a moment to think about what you really want in life, bercause you can't live the life you're living forever.
Final Verdict: 4/10

The Top 10 swords in video games


If you're anything like me, your favorite part of video games are the weapons (well, next to hot chicks or gore). I love any game that allows you to upgrade or customize your weapons. I thought I would compile a list of my favorite swords.


Cody's List


10. Chaos Eater (Darksiders):
 The companion sword to War, one of the four horseman of the apocalypse. It's got everything that a good sword should: It's big, It's sharp' and its embedded with carvings of Skulls. Also it turns war into a giant monster.


9. Squall's Gunblade (Final Fantasy 8):
  I'm not quite sure of the reasoning behind combining a gun and a sword but it sure looks cool. It handles like any other sword except that pulling the trigger at the right time somehow releases a burst that makes it more powerful.


8. Allagretto's Violin Sword (Eternal Sonata):


 If combining a gun and a sword didn't make sense to you, then you definitely won't see the benefit of combining a violin and a sword. Anyone that listens to the podcast knows that I am a huge fan of the game Eternal Sonata, and even though there is no explanation for why Allagretto's sword has a violin for a handle, it still looks pretty darn cool.


7. Energy Sword (Halo Series):
 I am not the world's biggest Haloholic, but I do recognize that the game does one thing better than any other, Multi player. Every weapon in Halo is almost a character of it's own and the Energy sword is not exception. Making a melee weapon that can compete with guns in a first person shooter is not easily achieved, but Halo did it. Anyone will drop a sniper or a needler to pick up a sword.


6. Beam Katana (No More Heroes):
 Travis Touchdown is one of the most realistic video game characters in his emotions and back story. He is on a quest to become the greatest assassin so that a hot french chick will "hook-up" with him. His weapon of choice is just as intriguing, a standard light saber that Travis purchased online. It resembles a florescent light in design but has the power to cut through fellow assassins like a hot chainsaw through butter.


5. The Red Queen (Devil May Cry 4)
 If I asked you for 2 things that men love you would say "Anything Sharp" and "Gas-powered power tools". Nero's weapon of choice in Devil May Cry is a combination of both. A standard broadsword, with a motorcycle handle that when twisted, injects fuel into the blade to increase damage somehow make it possible to ride enemies like a motorcycle.


4.Keyblade (Kindom hearts series):
 Sora was originally supposed to have a chainsaw as a weapon in the kingdom hearts series but in the end Disney opted for the keyblade. It doesn't look very menacing but with this "sword" sora cuts through heartless, casts magic, and can open any door. The appearance of the keyblade changes as well with whatever keychain is attached to it's base.
3. The Master Sword (Legend of Zelda Series):
 The Master Sword, evils bane is Iconic. It is Link's companion in almost every single game. A hand and a half sword, that has the unique property of, instead of slicing through enemies in a bloody demonstration, it sort of just passes through them and eventually kills them. Trust me it's a lot more humane that way.


2. Multi-buster Sword (Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children);
 

 Technically It's a movie based on a video game, but Cloud's buster sword in Final Fantasy: Advent Children is wickedly awesome.  It's a Gigantic sword that turns into 10 other gigantic swords. Plus not to spoil anything but the final move used in the movie makes this sword one of the coolest ever.


1. Lightning's Gunblade and Sera's Bowblade (Final Fantasy 13):

It's a two-way tie between Sera's Bowsword and Lightning's gunblade. These 2 weapons alternate between being ranged weapons and swords, But what makes them number 1 is that they seamlessly alternate between the 2 modes. Lightning and Sera are both acrobatic and go from shooting while doing back flips to closing in on enemies with cartwheels to slashing an enemy into the air with an uppercut. The whole process is something beautiful. Some people may be upset with my choices but those people haven't seen the battle scenes in Final Fantasy 13 and 13-2, they are really that cool.


Spencer's List


10. Lightning's Gunblade (Final Fantasy XIII)
 
Lightning's Gunblade is one seriously cool sword. Cody is wrong in thinking its the best ever, but you'll have to tune into the podcast to hear why I think so. The sword's transformation from a gun to a sword is seamless and very well executed, and lets face it, Lightning is hot, and even hotter while twirling this thing around.

9. The Infinity Blade (Infinity Blade)




The God Killer, enough said. (Pretty cool an iOS game made this list.)

8. Razor Sword (Majora's Mask)


 
 One of the coolest Zelda swords, I think the Razor sword is severely underrated and often over looked. This thing is on my list for three reasons. 1. It's limited amount of hits before it dulls, 2. the fact that you can only make it in spring after you beat Snowhead make it a rare treat to wield it. And 3, its unlike any other sword in Zelda, which makes it unique too.

7. Squall's Gunblade (Final Fantasy VIII)
 

I remember when Final Fantasy VIII came out, and I fist saw the Gunblade, I had never seen anything like it. A gun and a sword? Can't go wrong with that. 


6. Fierce Deity Sword (Majora's Mask)
 
Majora's Mask is in my opinion is the best game for cool swords, despite the absence of the Master Sword. I think if I were to make a top 15 list both the Great Fairy Sword and the Gilded Sword would be on it. However, the Fierce Deity's Sword is one special piece of metal. Just look at those curves! Plus, obtaining the Fierce Deity's Mask and wielding the sword is a special feat in of itself.


5. Soul's Edge (Soul Calibur)

When Nightmare is holding this sword, nothing looks cooler. Period.

4. Lightsaber (Star Wars)
 
I know the lightsaber is originally from the Star Wars movie, and some may think that it doesn't belong on a list like this, but lets face it, its one of the most iconic weapons of all time, and being able to use it in a video game is pretty awesome. 


3. Energy Sword (Halo)
 
I'm confident in saying that almost no sword in video game history strikes fear into the wielder's opponent like the Energy Sword does. I about need a change of pants every time I see an Elite charge at me with it. Bungie has created something very special with this one.

2. Cloud's Buster Sword (Final Fantasy VII)
 


I'm not the biggest Final Fantasy fan in the world, but even I have the common sense to know that the Buster Sword is the best Final Fantasy sword of all. Final Fantasy VII is to the Final Fantasy series as is Ocarina of Time is to Zelda, and the original Buster Sword, being the flagship sword of the game, makes it the most important.
 
1. The Master Sword (The Legend of Zelda Series)
 
Here it is, my number 1. Not only does it have sentimental value to me, it has the strongest and most important legacy of any video game sword ever. It is the Blade of Evil's Bane, the one that repeatedly sends Ganon packing at the end of most Zelda games. I cringe at the thought of how awful and dreary this world would be with out the existence (although imaginary) of this fine blade. Even while playing the games, wielding it has a special feeling, a special aura, and no sword provides an experience like it. Pulling it out of the pedestal in Ocarina of Time is a life defining moment, one of the greatest in all video game history. It's elegant and simple, but so recognizable, truly it is the best sword in any video game ever.