CARTOON NETWORK PARTNERS WITH SUNDAYTOZ TO LAUNCH GLOBAL WE BARE BEARS GAME
ATLANTA – Nov. 8, 2017 – Cartoon Network has partnered with Korean game developer SundayToz for a mobile puzzle game around the network’s hit animated series, We Bare Bears. A global launch is expected early 2018.
The free match 3-style and city-builder game will feature storytelling and video from the series, as well as competitive features such as leader-boards where friends can challenge one another.
“It’s exciting to partner with SundayToz on a new global mobile game for We Bare Bears,” said Chris Waldron, Vice President of Cartoon Network Digital Products and Games. “They connect with the fun, light-hearted tone of the series; and we know they’ll deliver a game our fans won’t want to put down.”
Phil Nelson, Turner’s Managing Director for North Asia and Southeast Asia Pacific, added: “We are extremely pleased to be working with a world-class game developer like SundayToz. Developing this product here in Asia for an international market is a great example of global collaboration.”
SundayToz is well known for its other puzzle games, particularly the “Anipang” series which was launched in 2013. As of January 2017, the company’s products have been downloaded more than 82 million times.
Co-Founder and CEO Kevin Jungwoong Lee said, “SundayToz has been pursuing the creation of a new gaming culture through the development of games like these. This much-anticipated release combines SundayToz and Cartoon Network’s collaborative efforts, and together we will launch an exceptional product.”
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About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is Turner’s global entertainment brand and the # 1 animation network in the U.S., offering the best in original content for kids and families with such hits as, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, Steven Universe, We Bare Bears and The Amazing World of Gumball. Seen in 192 countries and over 400 million homes, Cartoon Network is known for being a leader in innovation with its approach to engaging and inspiring kids at the intersection of creativity and technology. Its pro-social initiative, Stop Bullying: Speak Up is an acknowledged and often used resource for kids and adults looking for tools that can assist in dealing with the ongoing issue of bullying.
Turner, a Time Warner company, is a global entertainment, sports and news company that creates premium content and delivers exceptional experiences to fans whenever and wherever they consume content. These efforts are fueled by data-driven insights and industry-leading technology. Turner owns and operates some of the most valuable brands in the world, including Adult Swim, Bleacher Report, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, CNN, ELEAGE, FilmStruck, Great Big Story, HLN, iStreamPlanet, Super Deluxe, TBS, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), TNT, truTV and Turner Sports.
About Turner Asia Pacific
Turner Asia Pacific creates and distributes award-winning brands throughout the region, running 61 channels in 14 languages in 42 countries. These include CNN International, CNNj, CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, POGO, Toonami, Warner TV, Oh!K, TNT, TCM Turner Classic Movies, truTV, MondoTV, TABI Channel, and HBO, HBO HD and WB in South Asia. Turner manages the business of Pay- and Free-TV-channels, as well as Internet-based services, and oversees commercial partnerships with various third-party media ventures; it teams with Warner Bros. and HBO to leverage Time Warner’s global reach. Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. (“Turner Asia Pacific”) is a Time Warner company.
About SundayToz
Established in 2009, mobile game developer Sundaytoz released and serviced Korea’s mega selling game ‘Anipang’ in 2013 upon the introduction of smart phones. Currently, it is servicing nearly 10 games that are utilizing the ‘Anipang’ IP. Sundaytoz is recognized for its world class casual mobile game developing ability in the Korean mobile game market, which is often referred to as one of the top 5 markets in the world.
A female agent by the name of Aluche is given the task of guarding her childhood friend Liliana, who is now a priestess of the order, to the Curia but it is here they find out that only a horrible fate will await the pair. To put a stop to the new evil, known as the Moon Queen, an existence called the Bride of Time must be sacrificed and Liliana is the one who has been selected as the bride. Unprepared for such a mission, the pair set out but It isn’t long before another friend from their past by the name of Ruenheid appears to inform them that there is another possibility to that the Curia speaks of, but all that is for naught as the party is beset by none other than the Queen herself.
There is a certain problem that arises when you create a storyline that thrives when you interact with the cast and learn little bits about them and enjoy the service that is provided as your relationship grows and hamper it with something as frustrating as a time limit. Gust is no stranger to placing time restrictions on story events as the majority of the Atelier franchise featured such a system but nowhere did it feel more restricting as in Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon.
For the most part, players will be spending their time outside of Hotel Eterna and taking part in field missions where Aluche will battle against enemies and try to complete as many tasks possible within a limited time frame. You see, thanks to Aluche not being accustomed to her new body there is only so much time that she can spend out in a field before having to return to Eterna and get some rest. To make things worse, players are given a second time limit where every time Aluche returns to rest, a night passes and once the moon grows completely dark, the game comes to an end. This means that not only are players limited in actual exploration but they are also limited in how long they can explore before worrying about advancing the storyline and returning the moon to its previous phase, making players have to often make sacrifices in an attempt to see as much of the story as possible without risking a game over screen.
These include areas that require a Servan capable of burning a path, or something else, and there will be instances you’ll need to worry about whether you need strong fighting Servans or those capable of clearing an obstacle in an attempt to avoid having to return to Eterna and lose your available exploration time, potentially ruining a chance to complete a limited mission. Thanks to this, actually trying to complete as many side missions and Lily interactions as possible is something of a pain that is hard to be annoyed by.
Whenever this happens a tension gauge is filled and special skills can be activated. These skills vary depending on what Lily you have assisting you but they range from small buffing abilities or small scale attacks to large area of effect attacks capable of completely wiping out an enemy force. With these abilities growing stronger as your bond with a Lily is increased, players are encouraged to strengthen the Aluche’s relationship with these characters, though don’t expect most combat encounters to be too difficult even with an unfamiliar partner as most encounters, even some boss battles, can be incredibly easy on the Normal difficulty setting, so you will likely wish to avoid the suggested Easy difficulty unless you happen to be entirely new to action RPGs.
It is worth noting that this release of the game comes with only the original Japanese voice track. This works well for the most part as the voice actresses fit their roles well here and the subtitles do a solid job keeping up with the dialogue without any noticeable issues like previous Koei Tecmo releases. The soundtrack also features a wide array of music that fits the theme and aesthetic of the game perfectly, making any venture into the battlefield a treat when you aren’t rushing from place to place.
Playing as their perfectly recreated avatars, these four are introduced to the world of Alsgard by the guardian spirit named Bouquet who informs them how the world came to be and inform them that they are the chosen ones who must help restore power to the Tree of Life by gathering four Sacred Treasures and summon the four goddesses back to the world to put a stop to the revival of the Demon King Jester who had previously challenged the goddesses to the point that they could no longer freely enjoy the world they created.
This light hearted comedy plays a major role in keeping things interesting as the characters continue to take shots at one another and the world they are exploring. There is a bit of something for everyone when it comes to the comedy on offer here and don’t worry, even the CPU Candidates get plenty of time to shine. Even though the story really doesn’t delve too deeply or offer any major developments for our familiar cast of characters, Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online is a nice and light refresher between many of the darker games we see released every month.
Players will find that there are various mechanics and systems that will need to be used to make the most of the system. This includes blocking and parrying enemy blows to leave them open for retaliation and making use of the various weapons and armor upgrades that are made available through the title. To be fair, most of these mechanics should be extremely familiar for fans of action RPGs, especially if you’ve played the games based off the one that Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online takes so many shots at.
While the combat system has been reworked and exploring dungeons is different this time around, the actual town “exploration” is still handled the same way. This means that when you return to town you will instead be presented with a picture hub populated by chibi NPCs that can be talked to to trigger various events, learn little tidbits, or simply hear a joke or two. This hub offers various shops to upgrade characters as well as the Guild where you can take on side quests to earn extra rewards for completing tasks that, for the most part, you’ll be doing anyways.
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