Devil May Cry HD Collection Released Early!

Instead of dragging the wait out until April 3rd, Capcom and retailers have decided to move Devil May Cry HD Collection’s release date to March 29th. This is great news for old fans of the series and for those who missed out on these Playstation 2 action-adventure classics.

This is the franchise that inspired the action-adventure genre as it is known today; it helped create a basis for titles such as God of War. Featuring the half human, half demon bounty hunter, Dante, each game delivers stylish, fast-paced action accompanied by thought-provoking puzzles.

Don’t expect a large amount of changes to the original content, though. If you feel there is nothing new for you in this series, then this product will not warrant a pruchase. These are basically the same great Devil May Cry games (well, at least I enjoyed Devil May Cry 2) with a facelift and the addition of achievements/trophies. The HD graphics compliment the games and the terrific gameplay remains unaltered. However, it’s too bad that Capcom didn’t allow full remapping of the controls in any of the entries.

Complete with a whopping 99 achievements/trophies, you are getting Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening Special Edition; three classic games for $40 (or should I write, “2 great games for $40;” that stupid joke continuously said since this was announced)!

With the remake on the way (please don’t ruin it, Ninja Theory), this collection is perfect for those who want to dive into the roots of where this franchise started; or for those who want nothing to do with the remake. Lastly, if you have never played these titles, and you are a fan of action games, then this HD collection is the perfect chance to become acquainted with the greatest demon killer to have ever lived (in a video game, that is): Dante.

Ninja Theory's DmC

Now this isn't exactly new news persay, but I have to express my disappointment in Ninja Theory's character design for their reboot of the Devil May Cry series (not that the series needed a reboot in the first place). Dante (originally created by Hideki Kamiya), the famous half-human, half-demon savior of the world is one of the most popular characters to date in the world of video games. He was placed 19th in ScrewAttack's Manliest Men countdown as well as being placed at 28th in the Guiness Book of World Records' Top 50 Video Game Characters of All Time. Dante is hailed as a great video game character for several reasons which include his combat style, his attitude, his jokes but most of all, his look. The Western world isn't very fond of Eastern created video game characters, with their crazy colored hair and boyish looks but Dante was something different. Immediately the Western world accepted Dante and he became a global success.

However, returning to my original point, this is all going to change due to Ninja Theory's new take on the DmC franchise. Instead, they believe Dante should look like a cross between Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and Edward of Twilight. Fans have, of course, expressed their dislike of this new character design but both Ninja Theory and Capcom have refused to turn back and are determined to move forward proudly. I'm not saying the game will turn out poorly and I know I will make sure to try the Devil May Cry before I pass final judgement; Ninja Theory's previous productions, Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: An Odyssey to the West, are well made video games (they weren't anything special but they are a good bit of fun). It's just disappointing to see a fan favorite video game character receive treatment not supported by fans. It also strikes me odd (as well as saddens me) that Ninja Theory and Capcom have scrapped fans request to return to the old Dante, completely ignoring what the majority of their consumers desire.