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KOEI TECMO EUROPE DETAILS THE MAGICAL REFLECTOR ABILITIES FEATURED IN UPCOMING JRPG, BLUE REFLECTION

Philip Federico
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KOEI TECMO EUROPE DETAILS THE MAGICAL REFLECTOR ABILITIES FEATURED IN UPCOMING JRPG, BLUE REFLECTION

Use The Power Of Ether To Overcome The Perils Of The Common, And Save The World From Devastating Foes In GUST Studio’s Upcoming JRPG

Hertfordshire, 5th September 2017 – Today KOEI TECMO Europe detailed the exciting Reflector abilities and in-depth battle system featured in the upcoming JRPG, Blue Reflection, slated for release on the 29th September 2017 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and digitally on Windows PC via Steam®.

In Blue Reflection, as Hinako, Yuzu, and Lime leap into the Common, they transform into their magical Reflector forms which allows them to freely navigate the many puzzles and perils found in the dimension. Additionally, their Reflector forms allow them to face the plethora of Demons that stand in their way of obtaining Ether Fragments!

When face-to-face with the Demons, the girls have a roster of magical attacks which they are able to utilise to defeat their foes. As they attack, defend, and use supportive abilities in combat, they will drain Ether, the source of their magical abilities. To accumulate this power, they must perform an Ether Charge, which not only sees them gather more power – but also the ability to perform stronger attacks on their opponents. Once enough Ether is charged, the Overdrive ability is unlocked, allowing players to use several skills consecutively in exchange for this magical energy. Strategically using Overdrive is key in battle, as Ether is greatly depleted to allow the Reflectors to perform increasingly impactful attacks – leaving them with no choice but to perform an Ether Charge!

The Demons which inhabit The Common are not the only foes Hinako, Yuzu, and Lime will face, as devastating forces loom closer at every moment; the Sephira, gigantic creatures which harbour overwhelming powers and threaten to end the world. Facing these deadly opponents is impossible alone, and the girls will have to call upon their friends for support. Before battle, players are able to select up to four supporting allies for each of the Reflectors. When they are in a tight spot, and need the support of their allies, the girls can call for help in the form of strong attacks which will greatly damage the Sephira or utilise healing abilities to recover or buff the Reflectors’ powers. Companions not only help when called upon, but they will provide Live Tweets via FreeSpace! to provide the Reflectors with battle advice!

If players accumulate enough Ether in a fight against the Sephira, the Guard ability is upgraded to Reflect. When a Reflector uses this ability, they unleash their magical power to create a barrier which even the most overwhelming of creatures cannot penetrate.

To further introduce the magical Reflector abilities and deep battle systems featured within Blue Reflection, KOEI TECMO released an action-packed trailer, alongside screenshots and artwork of the devastating Sephira which Hinako and friends will have to overcome to save the world!

Finally, pre-order bonuses are available from select retailers before launch, including a costume pack which includes the School Swimsuit and Rorona style costumes, with the latter being the outfit donned by Rorolina Frixell in Atelier Rorona – and a “FreeSpace!” theme to change the look of the in-game social networking app. Furthermore, players who pre-order on the PlayStation®4 system will receive an Original Custom Theme. Those who pre-order both Blue Reflection and Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon will receive a special outfit for Hinako which allows her to don the armour of Aluche, as well as an outfit for Aluche which allows her to wear Hinako’s school uniform.

For more information on Blue Reflection, please like us on www.facebook.com/ateliergames and follow us on twitter @koeitecmoeurope.

About Blue Reflection

Blue Reflection follows the life of Hinako Shirai as she takes her first steps into an ordinary school life after a tragic accident ends her ballet career. Her injury causes her to close off her heart from the rest of the world, but her life changes when she meets her new best friends, the magical Shijou sisters Yuzu and Lime, who bestow her with the powers of a Reflector. As she comes to terms with her new abilities and traverses between her ordinary school life and The Common, Hinako starts to understand the very real perils that await not only her friends, but humanity itself.

ABOUT KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD.

KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, UK. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive® and Ninja Gaiden®series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger. More information about KOEI TECMO EUROPE LTD and its products can be found at www.koeitecmoeurope.com

BLUE REFLECTION ©2017 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. All rights reserved. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Yakuza Kiwami Review

Travis Bruno
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Yakuza Kiwami Review

Yakuza Kiwami

Developer: Yakuza Studio
Publisher: Sega
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $29.99 USD – Available Here $69.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

The Yakuza series may have seemed daunting to some players in the past thanks to the story heavy games already being in their fourth and fifth entry but Sega has made great strides to try and bring more fans into the fold. With the release of Yakuza 0 earlier this year serving as a great starting point for those who want to learn about the backstory of Kazuya Kiryu now the company has released Yakuza Kiwami, a complete remake of the first entry in the series. Serving as the beginning of the core storyline with revamped features, is this still a great starting point for players?

Story

Starting in 1995 we join Kazuma Kiryu who has established himself as a member of the Dojima branch of the yakuza to the point of being called the “Dragon of Dojima” and preparing to take over a branch of the clan for himself. In the world of yakuza things can quickly turn sour as Kiryu finds himself taking the fall for the crime of murdering a high-ranking member of the Tojo Clan in an attempt to cover up for his friend Nishikiyama who is suffering from numerous family issues already.

Sentenced to ten years in prison, Kiryu serves his time until he is released only to find that the world of the yakuza as well as the city of Kamurocho has changed immensely during his time in jail. Officially banished from the Tojo Clan, Kiryu is considered a free man but thanks to the events that he learns about shortly after leaving prison and the young girl Haruka he soon dives deep into the criminal underworld once again in an effort to uncover the truth.

To go further into detail about the story for Yakuza Kiwami would be a disservice to those who want to experience the various twists and turns for themselves. It is interesting to note that although the core storyline remains the same from the original release, various bits of extra information and new scenes have been added in here and there to help give players some new details so even longtime fans of the series will be able to experience new story elements in this game. It is also worth noting that newcomers will find that Yakuza Kiwami’s storyline is fairly easy to follow thanks to the smaller focus of the story this time around compared to how many different stories are told in later games, making it yet another great place to start for fans, or even for those who’ve already played Yakuza 0.

Gameplay

Whereas some games in a series gloss over the main character’s sudden loss of ability, Yakuza Kiwami immediately presents a satisfying reason for Kiryu’s loss of skill. Prior to being sent to jail he is capable of taking down basically any foe that steps in his way utilizing every move possible in the game but thanks to being on the shelf for ten years, those skills have grown rusty. So rusty that the first few encounters he has against low level thugs can even be a bit of a challenge if you happen to be playing on normal and aren’t keeping an eye on your health.

Thankfully it doesn’t take long for Kiryu to get back his combat skills as players can continue to swap between the same fast, medium, and slow styles of combat that were introduced in Yakuza 0 as well as an all new Dragon of Dojima style at any time during a fight. Thanks to a “heat gauge” that can be used to take down opponents, players will feel quite powerful more often than not, though be prepared for some rather annoying boss fights to appear throughout the game.

While the other three combat modes can be obtained by using experience points, the Dragon of Dojima style has a unique upgrade path thanks to the “Majima Everywhere” system in this game. For fans of the series, Goro Majima is an extremely familiar face and even those who started with Yakuza 0 will recognize this one eyed man. In Kiwami Majima has taken a lot of interest in making sure Kiryu is taking care of himself, to the point that he will stalk him throughout his time in Kamurocho. After certain story parts Majima will have a chance to appear nearly anywhere, whether it is simply walking through the streets or taking the place of a police officer or bartender before giving Kiryu an ultimatum that is best solved with fists. This system not only makes sure that players will need to keep themselves well equipped with healing items and potential weapons but also serves as a great bit of service for fans of Majima.

Plus whenever you happen to defeat Majima you will unlock a new skill in the Dragon of Dojima fighting style. Unfortunately this is can be a bit of a negative at times since there are story elements that don’t match up with Majima’s appearances at times and if you get unlucky there may be times you will not come across Majima for quite some time, leaving the Dragon of Dojima style underpowered until you search him out.

Thankfully even with this slight hiccup the combat system is as refined as ever with players able to take advantage of numerous styles that either fit their way of playing or best match your opponent. It is also interesting to note that though Majima Everywhere can take some time to complete, it is a perfect example of the random and often comedic events that can take place throughout Yakuza Kiwami’s side stories.

There are a wide array of subquests that are flat out hilarious, purposely so, and it is great to see a game that can be so serious at times not be afraid to let players laugh now and then. Players will also find that alongside the aforementioned subquests that there are plenty of other activities to spend their time on in Kamurocho though a few of these modes are simply copied from Yakuza 0 but even with these repeats players will find plenty of side activities outside of combat.

Visuals & Audio

Those who played Yakuza 0 earlier this year should be quite familiar with the layout and designs of many of the areas players will be exploring in the game as the same engine is being used in Yakuza Kiwami. This means that all of the character models and environments are highly detailed and combat visuals remain top notch. Unfortunately the same cannot quite be said in regards to the cut-scene action as many scenes feature stilted actions that appear to be something of a holdover from the original release despite the complete visual upgrade.

It is interesting to note that when the original Yakuza was released on the PlayStation 2 it contained an English dub that, looking back, was extremely rough around the edges despite having some great actors taking part in it. As such Sega has opted to avoid trying to re-record the English voice track and have instead released Yakuza Kiwami with only the Japanese voice track. Fans of the series are more than familiar with the Japanese voice actors for the series and all of them have returned to reprise their roles here so although some may be disappointed by the missing English dub, the Japanese track more than makes up for it.

Overall

In terms of being a remake Yakuza Kiwami is a complete success as it transplants the original storyline without a single flaw while building upon it in every possible way. With a better control and a refined combat system accompanying an amazing looking title, this is yet another perfect way to step into the series if you choose to pass over the equally amazing Yakuza 0. With tons of content packed inside of a discounted package, is an extremely attractive offer, especially for newcomers and even for longtime fans wanting to experience the story once again with nearly all of the refinements that the series has gone through over the years.

 

Agents of Mayhem Review

Jamie Laike Tsui
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Agents of Mayhem Review

Agents of Mayhem

Developer: Volition
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows (Reviewed)
Release Date: 15 August 2017
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here / $89.95 AUD (PC),  $99.95 AUD (Consoles) – Available Here

Video Review

Overview

The latest addition to the Saints Row franchise is Agents of Mayhem, an open world shooter set after the events of Gat out of Hell. Persephone Brimstone leads M.A.Y.H.E.M., an organization of super agents doing battle against Brimstone’s previous employers L.E.G.I.O.N., an organization of super villains. In Asian Pop Idol fashion, players will form their own sub-group of three agents and put a stop to L.E.G.I.O.N.’s heinous plans in Seoul.

Story

Agents of Mayhem follows the battle between M.AY.H.E.M and L.E.G.I.O.N.’s Ministry of Pride in Seoul. The game’s story is essentially an adult version of the Saturday morning super hero cartoons mixed with a touch of James Bond super spies. Playing the game was just wave after wave of nostalgia for the movies and shows I grew up watching. While the agents are probably more Suicide Squad than The Avengers, the characters are charming and lovable. The game’s large cast provides little opportunity for character development, but each agent is given a decent backstory and their own story mission that dives into the character’s past.

The writing in Agents of Mayhem is probably the game at its best. It is reminiscent of Saints Row 3, possibly the best written title in the franchise. The dialogue is witty and sharp. No trope or pop culture franchise is safe from parody. The humour is over the top without going too far, and there is enough variety in the humour that it will elicit a laugh from just about anyone. I am extremely impressed by the sheer amount of dialogue in the game. Almost all the NPCs in the game have lines that are specific to each agent and their backstory and many missions have customised dialogue for the player’s active agent instead of some generic line that could be responded to easily.

I think Agents of Mayhem deserves a mention on how the game handles diversity. The characters come from a vast range of backgrounds and life experiences, giving Overwatch a serious run for its money. The best part is that Agents of Mayhem never really feels like it is making an overt attempt to tick all the diversity boxes, as it always feels seamlessly woven into the story as a fact of life.

Gameplay

Agents of Mayhem is a pretty standard open world action game. There are plenty of collectibles scattered across the map, vehicles to drive, side activities to complete, and main missions to beat. The game’s hook is the roster of agents that players can build their Asian pop idol-esque sub-team from. Each agent has a unique weapon, a special ability on a cooldown timer, and a Mayhem ability that charges based on kills. Agents have two types of special enemies they excel against and a small stat tree that consists of three individual stat buffs and one party wide buff. Each agent can also can customise their special ability and two passive skills with gadgets unlocked from levelling up and L.E.G.I.O.N. tech found throughout Seoul. All agents also have access to special weapons and items called Gremlin Tech that can be crafted with materials collected in the game, though I didn’t find these items to be too useful for the most part. Additionally, cores are used to purchase one of three special passive abilities for each agent or level them up beyond level 20. While players will need to build a balanced team of agents that can tackle all the special enemy types, the roster is laid out in a way that players should be able to build a well-rounded team based on their preferred playstyle.

Unfortunately, the game’s diverse cast of agents may be the best thing going for the gameplay. It soon becomes apparent after the first seven to eight missions that all of the missions fall under a few standard archetypes: kill everyone here, destroy a bunch of environmental items there, hack a few console in this corner, hold onto this area as waves of enemies surge in, complete a race, or destroy a target vehicle. Agents of Mayhem’s mission design is MMORPGs at its dullest, but without the carrot urging players to continue on the grind treadmill. The car combat missions deserve a special, dubious mention as probably the worst mission archetype in the entire game due to its utterly dull vehicle combat system. There are no weapons for vehicles, so the only option is to chase the target car in a large circular path and ram the car off the road while boosting. To make matters worse, many versions of the mission will have two enemy cars spawning infinitely to harass the player, dragging out the mission length as players need to destroy the two enemy cars and then boost to the target car to destroy it before two more enemy cars spawn. The L.E.G.I.O.N. lair missions are supposed to serve as dungeons for the game, but end up being another fantastic example of the game’s repetitiveness. These mini dungeons recycle the same handful of rooms in different configuration. The repetition is only alleviated during the game’s boss battles, which add some interesting mechanics to the fights.

Agents of Mayhem’s controls are good. The control layout is solid and feels very tight. The controls are on the arcade end of the spectrum, making gun and vehicle handling very forgiving. The map is well designed for the triple jump mechanics for the most part, with plenty of small ledges to allow players to scale extremely tall buildings.

Visuals

Agents of Mayhem’s art style is fantastic. The cut scenes are done in traditional Saturday morning cartoon style. In game, the style is the same as the more recent Saints Row titles, with a cartoony look. Seoul channels a neat, near future look, but the city itself feels quite repetitive and is in dire need of more unique neighbourhoods. The L.E.G.I.O.N. lair suffers from the same visual repetition issues due to the same rooms being recycled.

Audio

Agents of Mayhem delivers a solid audio experience that gamers have come to expect from a triple A title. The voice acting is generally very good, with the voice actor for Joule probably being the weakest of the bunch. She has difficulty doing a convincing Italian accent and clearly drops it for her American accent at times. The sound effects are satisfying. I was a little disappointed that the game lacks a car radio, but the soundtrack is excellent none the less.

Overall

Agents of Mayhem is a bit of a mixed bag. The story is an absolute pleasure with witty writing, enjoyable characters, and brilliant parody. The audio/visual presentation is strong, but unfortunately none of this can save the game from its repetitive nature. Gameplay wise, the player will have experienced pretty much all the game has to offer by the time they finish the first boss fight. I cannot recommend the game at full price, but I do suggest picking Agents of Mayhem up when it is dirt cheap during a sale and blitzing through the game at the lowest difficulty just to enjoy the story.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE OPERATION BLOOD ORCHID UPDATE AVAILABLE TODAY

Philip Federico
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TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE OPERATION BLOOD ORCHID UPDATE AVAILABLE TODAY

Discover a New Map and Three Additional Operators

Sydney, Australia — September 5, 2017 — Today, Ubisoft® announced that Operation Blood Orchid, the Year 2 Season 3 add-on content for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege, will launch today on Playstation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. The Theme Park map will be available at no additional cost for all players. Starting September 5, season pass holders will be able to access three new operators and their signature weapons skins. All other players will be able to unlock the new content starting September 12 using Renown or R6 Credits.

Theme Park Map and Two New SDU Operators

In Operation Blood Orchid, players will have to raid an abandoned theme park, identified by the Special Duties Unit (SDU) – also known as the Flying Tigers – as a criminal organization’s nest for narcotic manufacturing. After establishing a connection with the Hong Kong Triad, two Flying Tigers are chosen to lead a lethal raid in Theme Park, a colourful and eclectic map filled with dynamic and fast-paced face-offs.

  • Ying: Siu Mei Lin is recognized as an all-purpose operator. After a few operations, she decided to join Team Rainbow, representing Hong Kong’s Flying Tigers Unit. Equipped with the T-95 LSW and the SIX12 shotgun as primary weapons, she knows how to intervene in densely populated areas with her non-lethal unique gadget. Her Candela device is a new breed of flash grenade: when deployed, it releases a cluster of flash charges that can be anchored on surfaces, or it can be thrown out as a grenade or rolled along the floor.
  • Lesion: Liu Tze Long is known to take his work seriously and to thrive in high-risk situations. Demonstrating a natural calm while handling highly corrosive substances, he’s also an expert in mine-clearing. Equipped with the SIX12 SD silenced shotgun and the T-5 SMG, Lesion can handle any situation with his Gu mines. When an attacker triggers these mines, they’re injected with a toxin that deals an initial burst of damage, then slower damage over time, limiting their speed until the affected player removes the poison dart. Starting with two Gu mines, his inventory will increase by one Gu mine every 35 seconds until it reaches a maximum of seven mines.

New Polish GROM Operator, Ela Bosak

  • Ela: Ela Bosak is the latest and one of the youngest recruits to Team Rainbow. This thirty-year-old operator is a member of Poland’s Military Unit, GROM, and is equipped with the Scorpion EVO 3 A1 SMG and the F0-12 shotgun as primary weapons. Ela also is equipped with the RG15 pistol with a red dot sight, the first pistol in the game with a sight. She is known for her determination and prowess in the field. Her sticky Grzmot mines are proximity concussion mines that affect anyone within radius with reduced movement speed, aiming and vision. Ela’s signature move when in a downed state is the ability to trigger one last concussion mine.

To mark the culmination of Operation Health, Operation Blood Orchid will be the largest update for Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege ever deployed, bringing fixes and improvements to the game, including an updated lighting system, data clean-ups on operators, optimized stability, reduced load times and a smaller memory footprint. New and improved servers will also be deployed around the launch of Season 3 to enhance stability, connectivity and overall performance. For more information about this patch, please consult the full patch notes on rainbow6.com/bloodorchid.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is currently available worldwide for consoles and PC. For more information about the game and news on the upcoming title update, Operation Blood Orchid, please visit www.rainbow6.com.

About Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Inspired by real-world counter-terrorist organizations, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege puts players in the middle of lethal close-quarter confrontations. For the first time in a Rainbow Six game, players will engage in sieges, a new style of assault where enemies have the means to transform their environments into modern strongholds while Rainbow Six teams lead the assault to breach the enemy’s position. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege gives players unprecedented control over their ability to fortify their position by reinforcing walls and floors, using barbed wire and deployable shields, laying mines and more, or to breach the enemies’ position using observation drones, setting charges, rappelling and more. The fast pace and uniqueness of each siege sets a new bar for intense firefights, strategic gameplay and competitive gaming.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2016–17 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,460 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2015 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Tom Clancy’s, Rainbow Six, the Soldier Icon, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.

Atari 2600 Lives Again as a New Handheld and TV Plug and Play Console

Jamie Laike Tsui
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Atari 2600 Lives Again as a New Handheld and TV Plug and Play Console

While it is not the AtariBox, Atari announced they will be rebooting the classic Atari 2600 console in handheld and TV console formats this Christmas. The Atari Retro Handheld features a wood effect inspired by the Atari 2600’s design. The handheld sports at 2.4″ screen with A/V output and an analog joystick. An optional HDMI adapter will also be available, allowing owners to plug the device into a TV. It will have an MSRP of £34.99 at Funstock Retro.

For those preferring to enjoy their games at home, the Atari Retro Plug and Play TV Joystick channels the classic Atari Joystick with modern plastics and connectivity. The joystick can be plugged into the TV directly with the included A/V cable or with an optional HDMI adapter. Funstock Retro will be carrying the joystick for £24.99.

No word if either console will be carried by retailers outside of Europe.

Both consoles come with the following 50 classic titles:

1.3D Tic-Tac-Toe (31 in 1)
2.Adventure
3.Air-Sea Battle
4.Asteroids ®
5.Black Jack
6.Bowling
7.Breakout ®
8.Canyon Bomber ®
9.Casino
10.Centipede ®
11.Circus Atari ®
12.Crystal Castles ®
13.Demons to Diamonds ™
14.Desert Falcon ®
15.Dodge ’em
16.Double Dunk
17.Fun With Numbers
18.Golf
19.Gravitar ®
20.Haunted House ®
21.Home Run
22.Human Cannonball ™
23.Maze Craze
24.Millipede ®
25.Miniature Golf ®
26.Missile Command ®
27.Night Driver ™
28.Off the Wall
29.Pong – Video Olympics
30.Quadrun ™
31.Radar Lock ™
32.Realsports Football ®
33.Realsports Tennis ®
34.Realsports Volleyball ®
35.Sprintmaster
36.Star Raiders ®
37.Steeplechase
38.Stellar Track ™
39.Street Racer
40.Submarine Commander
41.Super Baseball
42.Super Breakout ®
43.Swordquest: Earthworld ™
44.Swordquest: Fireworld ™
45.Swordquest: Waterworld ™
46.Tempest ®
47.Video Checkers
48.Video Chess
49.Video Pinball
50.Yar’s Revenge ®

Daddy’s Home 2 Celebrates Father’s Day with a New Trailer

Jamie Laike Tsui
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Daddy’s Home 2 Celebrates Father’s Day with a New Trailer

It’s Father’s Day in Australia this weekend! The cast of Daddy’s Home 2 is celebrating all the types of fathers in the world with a brand new trailer. So whether you’re a dad, grandad, stepdad, co-dad, or whatever-dad, it’s your day!

Daddy’s Home 2 stars Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Mel Gibson, and John Lithgow. Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Farrell) return as two fathers trying to give their kids the best Christmas ever. Their dreams of a perfect Christmas are shattered when Dusty’s macho father (Mel Gibson) and Brad’s ultra-affectionate father decide to visit for the holidays. As if Dusty and Brad’s problems couldn’t get any worse, the biological father of Dusty’s step child is in the picture, wreaking havoc on Dusty’s life.

Daddy’s Home 2 is set to hit cinemas on November 23 in Australia and November 10 in the USA.

https://youtu.be/6gc1-sDe66Q

Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2 Review

Mateja Simovic
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Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2 Review

Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2

Studios: A Band Apart
Publisher: Miramax Films
Platforms: Cinema
Release Date: Out Now

Overview

I’ve long been a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s work and I find his work to be quite enjoyable. I remember watching the Kill Bill films some time ago and fell in love with it’s pastiche of so many different film genres and styles. It should not come as a surprise to anyone that Tarantino is a huge film geek since it clearly shows in his work. In preparation for the In the House double screening of the two films, I sharped my katana to a killing edge and rode on down to George street cinemas.

Our hosts for the evening were David ‘Quinny’ Quinn and Jill Wall who opened up the proceedings, in typical In the House fashion, with a game of scissors, paper, kung fu. After this lively game, they sat down to speak a bit about the films that we were about to watch. A point Quinny mentioned which stuck with me was that Tarantino had said no music was featured in these films which had not been in another film before. I find that particularly because it speaks to a certain quality of Tarantino’s films whereby they draw upon a shared knowledge of film genre and play with them to great effect.

Story

The narrative of these two films is fairly simple: The Bride (Uma Thurman) is on a quest for revenge against a team of assassins lead by the cruel and eponymous Bill (David Carradine) who attacked her during a wedding ceremony. She, of course, survived their attempted murder but suffers injuries which make her lose her child and put her into a coma for four years. Motivated purely out a desire for revenge against her former comrades in the name of the wrongs done to her, she goes on a murderous rampage which involves travelling the world, obtaining legendary samurai swords, and participating in ultra-violent but visually stunning fight sequences. We understand that, although her destination might be quite straightforward, it’s the journey and the obstacles that she has to overcome which keep you captivated.

I am in two minds about Tarantino as a screenwriter. On the one hand, I appreciate that he is a master of naturalistic dialogue which both feels grounded in the everyday but is still quite humorous and we see it here on display. The way he pulls this off seems almost effortless but it something which so many screenwriters repeatedly fall at the hurdle of. On the other hand, this same dialogue can really kill the mood when used out of context for a character. This is also on display, somewhat, with the film’s climax and the build up leading up to it. When the final confrontation with Bill happens, my companion and I for the screening felt that it was undercut a bit Tarantino’s signature dialogue. Instead of a faceless and near mythical villain, we end up with an underwhelming cowboy who likes to think about comics.

Thurman carries the role of the bride with equal parts grit, determination and vulnerability. Throughout the film, we can see, feel, and believe that she’s on a single-minded quest for vengeance. This is especially important since for most of the runtime, all we know about her character is that she’s out to kill a bunch of people. With Thurman’s performance we feel every kick and punch that’s both given and received alongside the vindication that comes when she finally gets at one of her chosen targets. What we see of her before her homicidal quest also makes for interesting character development as we see the drastic change of a cold blooded killer who finds out that they are pregnant.

In terms of the rest of the cast, pretty much everyone puts in a solid performance in the ensemble. Truth be told, there isn’t too much to explore with the characters outside of their origin story and current situation so the actors pretty worked with what they had and turn things up to 11. Lucy Liu does particularly well as the proud O-Ren Ishi and gives the role plays the role with both restraint and abandon. Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver does a good turn as a nemesis to the Bride and she gives the limited character a distinct presence which, if not memorable, is at least recognisable. Michael Madsen is similarly engaging as the contemplative Budd, but besides delivering his lines in a cool way, there really wasn’t much more I could tell you about his character.

Two of the real showstoppers in this ensemble, however, were Chiaki Kuriyama and Gordon Liu. The characters they play, Gogo Yubari and Master Pai Mei respectively, were bit roles but were without a doubt some of the most memorable parts of the film. Kuriyama’s Gogo is all kinds of creepy and crazy and she absolutely sells it as this homicidal yet demure psychopath. Liu’s Pai Mei hits the mark with what most people imagine a kung fu master to be with capricious cruelty and snide humour. His exaggerated movements and mannerisms are what make Pai stay with you after the film’s run time.

Visuals

This film is pretty much a showcase of Tarantino playing with film. The first volume especially takes to playing with the cinematic styles of traditional American grindhouse, Japanese Western, Japanese anime, and of course samurai films. Where the sections meet and crossover is quite clearly delineated and you become hyperaware of the fact that you are watching a film. For some, this may break your immersion but for me, I found no difficulty in pretty much just jumping right back in.

The action sequences are expertly made to be bother entertaining and beautiful in it’s own macabre fashion. Tarantino uses gore almost as much as Raimi does in the Evil Dead series but whereas Raimi uses it for comedy, Tarantino uses violence the same way an artist uses paint. He lays out a scene of bloody carnage and finds the beauty in even the most macabre and bloodthirsty scenario.

Audio

Tarantino is a master of combining film and music together in innovative pastiches which are a heady mix of contemporary and classical genre soundtracks. The soundtrack features a range of items including everything from orchestral pieces to 70s pop and even a Spanish guitar number which sounds like it belongs in a Western. None of it might be making their debut in a film but they are certainly given new life by this film.

There is pretty much no point in time where the film’s sound design has been left to its own devices and you feel as though even single sound and moment you hear has had effort put in and applied to it. Even in moments of relative silence, we are made hyper aware of the film’s sound design with just subtle tones and sound effects. If you are interested in how distinct and effective sound design in a film can be, the Kill Bill films are a masterclass.

Overall

Overall, I found a lot to love about these films and had a great time during the screening. The characters, writing, and performances was almost consistently quite good albeit with one noticeable exception. The visual direction and action sequences were expertly crafted with an eye for the beauty of violence. The film’s sound design is similarly composed to not just match and accentuate the film’s images but rather to serve as a further element of the film’s experience which is no less integral. It was a different experience to finally see these films up on the big screen and I am sure Tarantino would agree that it would be the only correct way anyone should ever see any of his films.

Kudos to In the House for screening these two cult classics!

For other films which In The House is screening, feel free to check out their schedule for the next season here.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Nintendo Partners with Western Digital® to Create Licensed Nintendo Switch SanDisk® Memory Cards

Philip Federico
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Nintendo Partners with Western Digital® to Create Licensed Nintendo Switch SanDisk® Memory Cards

64 GB and 128 GB Versions Will be Available in Stores Starting in October

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo and Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) have formed a global partnership to create Nintendo-licensed memory cards for use in Nintendo Switch video game systems. The microSDXC cards will be available in capacities of 64 GB and 128 GB, and will feature the Nintendo Switch and SanDisk logos.

The Nintendo-licensed 64 GB and 128 GB microSDXC SanDisk memory cards will be available at select retail outlets starting in October 2017. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Western Digital is a global leader in memory storage, and its SanDisk brand microSD cards are trusted by consumers around the world,” said Tom Prata, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. “These new Nintendo-licensed memory cards provide significant additional storage for digital content, and in many retail locations they will be conveniently displayed alongside Nintendo Switch games and accessories.”

“As more and more amazing games and related content become available for download on Nintendo Switch, our licensed memory cards allow users to quickly and easily expand their storage,” said Sven Rathjen, Vice President of Product Marketing, Client Solutions, Western Digital. “Nintendo Switch has generated tremendous momentum, and we are thrilled to partner with Nintendo to offer consumers a trusted card for their system.”

Nintendo Switch gives players the option to supplement their system’s built-in storage, depending on how much digital content they choose to download. Ever since Nintendo Switch launched in March, the system has become home to a continually growing library of diverse downloadable games and content. Additional storage enables players to download more digital games and content, and take it all on the go. Also, a microSD card will be needed for certain Nintendo Switch games that contain an especially large amount of content and require additional storage for players to enjoy the full experience.

The Nintendo-licensed 64 GB and 128 GB microSDXC SanDisk memory cards will be available at select retail outlets starting in October 2017.

For more information about Nintendo Switch, visit http://www.nintendo.com/switch.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo Switch™ system and the Nintendo 3DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 703 million hardware units globally, including Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS™ family of systems, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, Wii™ and Wii U™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

About Western Digital: Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) is an industry-leading provider of storage technologies and solutions that enable people to create, leverage, experience and preserve data. The company addresses ever-changing market needs by providing a full portfolio of compelling, high-quality storage solutions with customer-focused innovation, high efficiency, flexibility and speed. Our products are marketed under the HGST, SanDisk and WD brands to OEMs, distributors, resellers, cloud infrastructure providers and consumers. For more information, please visit www.hgst.com, www.wd.com, and www.sandisk.com.

About SanDisk: SanDisk, a Western Digital Corporation brand, provides trusted and innovative flash storage products that have transformed the electronics industry. SanDisk’s quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world’s largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smartphones, tablets and PCs. SanDisk’s consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide.

Grasshopper Manufacture announces Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018

Philip Federico
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0

Grasshopper Manufacture announces Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018
Suda51 directs Travis Touchdown’s latest adventure for a new generation of gamers

Tokyo, Japan, September 1st, 2017, Grasshopper Manufacture, an award-winning Japanese developer of videogames is delighted to announce the return of Travis Touchdown in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, due for release for Nintendo Switch in 2018.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a raucous 3D action title, where Travis touchdown wields the Beam Katana to massacre his way through countless enemies, taking on ferocious bosses in an epic battle with Badman. This marks the first time in ten years that SUDA51 has taken on the mantle of director.

“We’ve received a tremendous amount of support from our fans over the years, and we are delighted to finally share Travis Touchdown’s next great adventure with fans of Nintendo Switch,” said Goichi “SUDA51” Suda, founder of Grasshopper Manufacture. “We’re ecstatic to be expanding the No More Heroes universe in 2018, and we can’t wait to share more information with you in the coming months.”

Set in the remote countryside of the southern US, one year has passed since the events of No More Heroes.  Badman has come to exact his revenge on Travis for the murder of his daughter, Badgirl. As the two foes are battling it out, they’re sucked inside the phantom game console ‘Death Drive MK-II’, a machine developed by Doctor Juvenile. It is said that whomever collects and beats all six of its games will have their wishes granted.

For more information, please visit:
Website: tsanmh.com/
Facebook: @grasshopper.manufacture
Twitter: @Grasshopper_EN  and @suda_51
Instagram: goichisuda

About Yusuke Kozaki and Boneface
<Profile: Yusuke Kozaki>　Travis Touchdown character design
Kozaki is a top creator who has worked not only in illustration and manga, but has also flexed his skills in character design for a wide variety of genres including anime and video games as well. His works have been highly praised both domestically and overseas. Some of his most notable character design work has been for the No More Heroes and Fire Emblem series, as well as Pokémon Go.

<Profile: Boneface> The Badman character design
He came from another dimension, where others looked just like him.  Boneface’s secret Lair is now located somewhere in the wastelands of Liverpool, UK.  His works of evil have been shown around the world, including galleries in San Francisco and Sydney.  His mad campaign to conquer the entire world is slowly coming together…

About Grasshopper Manufacture Inc.

Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. is a ‘video game band’ based in Tokyo, established in 1998 by award-winning game creator Goichi “Suda51” Suda. Widely known for creating and developing titles like Killer 7 and No More Heroes, Suda51 is famous for consistently creating imaginative and unique IPs that rarely conform to game industry standards. The universes Grasshopper creates constantly challenge, surprise and exceed the expectations of fans around the world.

©Marvelous Inc. / Grasshopper Manufacture Inc.

Madman’s November 2017 Anime Releases Are Now Available for Pre-Order

K. Roberts
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0
Madman’s November 2017 Anime Releases Are Now Available for Pre-Order

Madman’s November 2017 anime and Cartoon Network releases are now available for pre-order. The following anime titles will be released on home video in Australia on November 8, 2017.

  • Bleach – Shinigami Collection 3 (Episodes 80-121) on DVD. Textless ending animation sequences and production art will be included as on-disc extras.
  • Dance with Devils Complete Series on DVD. All 12 episodes will be presented with dual audio options and English subtitles.
  • Fairy Tail Guild Collection 5 (Episodes 176-226) on DVD. The on-disc extras will include: audio commentaries, “Guild Pride: Sabertooth,” “Guild Pride: Mermaid Heel,” “Guild Pride: Quatro Cerberus,” “Guild Pride: Lamia Scale,” “Guild Pride: Blue Pegasus,” textless song animation sequences and the U.S. trailer.
  • Garo the Animation Complete Series on DVD. All 25 episodes will be presented with English audio and Japanese audio with English subtitles.
  • K: Return of Kings (Season 2) on DVD and Blu-ray. The director’s cut of episode 13 and the textless opening and ending animation sequences are included.
  • Love, Chunibyo and Other Delusions: Rikka Version on DVD. This film presents the story from Rikka’s perspective.
  • One Piece Voyage Collection 4 (Episodes 157-205) on DVD.
  • Psycho-Pass Complete Collection on DVD and Blu-ray. This limited edition release will come with physical booklets. Additionally, episode and movie commentaries, a feature titled “Psycho-Pass at Sakura-Con Part 2,” the textless opening and ending animation sequences and the Japanese and U.S. trailers will be included as on-disc extras.
  • Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars Complete Series on DVD. All 13 episodes will be presented with dual audio options and English subtitles.
  • Tokyo Ghoul / Jack Pinto Complete OVA Series on DVD and Blu-ray. This is a limited edition release.
  • Ushio and Tora Complete Series on DVD and Blu-ray.
  • Your Name on DVD and Blu-ray and in a limited edition DVD and Blu-ray combo pack. Japanese promotional videos, an English trailer, a Makoto Shinkai filmography featurette and a TV special will be included as on-disc extras. The standard edition DVD and Blu-ray releases will come with exclusive art cards.

The following Cartoon Network titles will be released in Australia on November 22, 2017.

  • Regular Show Season 8 on DVD and Blu-ray.
  • Samurai Jack Season 5 on DVD.
  • Samurai Jack – The Complete Seasons 1-5 Box Set on DVD.
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