Kick off August with a little motivation with Capsule Computers and Indie Gala‘s Monday Motivation bundle. Get pumped with ten great indie games for one low price.
Buyers who pay at least $1.00 will get:
Judgement – A story driven adventure game for mature gamers about the large gray areas of morality.
Jamsouls – Invite up to three friends over and battle each other as one of the nine evils that escaped from Pandora’s Box.
Spooky Heroes – All sorts of evils are popping up and it’s up to nine heroes to stop it all in this casual platformer.
For a minimum price of $2.19, buyers will also receive:
King’s Guard TD – Assemble your army of heroes and fight against the horde of enemies coming to remove you from your throne.
Will Fight for Food – Jared Casey is a washed up wrestler looking to find his place in the world through diplomacy and violence.
Awakened – An indie horror game that blends multiple genres set in an asylum for the criminally insane.
MacGuffin – A hilarious FPS set in a Japanese nuclear power plant in the middle of a meltdown.
Sapper’s Bad Dream – A FPS reimagining of the classic franchise Bomberman.
Puzzle Nebula – A puzzle game featuring 80 mind-bending levels with a procedurally generated star system.
MagNets – A frantic platformer that challenges players to scoop up as many malfunctioning robots as they can.
For the first 24 hours of the sale, the entire bundle is only $2.19! So grab your copy at Indie Gala before the price goes up.
NARUTO ONLINE is available now across Europe on PC, published by Oasis Games. NARUTO ONLINE is an MMORPG turn-based browser-game that is set entirely in the NARUTO universe. The game is the very first and only Online NARUTO RPG in the world to be officially licensed from BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT.
While the game faithfully follows the story portrayed in the anime series, NARUTO ONLINE is the only game that allows you to continue the tale. Additionally, five brand-new characters that represent the elements of earth, water, fire, wind and lightning will be introduced. Players can choose to become one of these characters and start a new adventure, gaining experience in a variety of different types of quests and gameplay modes.
Features:
Based entirely on the NARUTO Anime Story Line
NARUTO ONLINE currently features 9 arcs of the Naruto storyline for players to go through and explore, featuring all the familiar locations such as the Village Hidden in the Sand and the Valley of the End—the story will continue only in NARUTO ONLINE.
Relive key scenes from the series with the original voice actors in person
Details such as the original voices of the characters and in-game usage of the series’ scenes will make NARUTO fans instantly familiar with game, entering the world they know from the series
Establish your own Ninja Team
Player can recruit their favourite ninjas and fight together with them. All of the ninjas are modelled after characters from the series so as to seamlessly fit in the game world
Combo Fighting System
Match the ninjas in your team, making use of the Naruto Bonds-system which can greatly enhance your team’s fighting abilities and manifest groundbreaking combos
Gameplay Modes
From Single Player mode to Multi-player dungeons, giant Worldboss battles and battlefields, the game features tons of ways of gaining EXP, obtaining new items and equipment while enhancing your characters and their outfit on the way
Ready to play right away
No downloads required, users can create an account in under a minute and start playing right away
NARUTO ONLINE is available to play for free now. For any questions or requests, please feel free to reach out to the media contacts below.
The top-selling NARUTO manga written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto has sold over 200 million copies in 35 countries, and tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja leader of his village who is acknowledged as the best and strongest. With multiple successful Naruto movies and novels and over 600 episodes of the popular anime still running on television and streaming services, Naruto ranks among the top anime franchises in history.
About Oasis Games
A leading independent Chinese game company, Oasis Games prides itself on serving as an ambassador for China’s massive gaming community to the West with its strategic business endeavors. Established in 2011, Oasis Games was one of the first publishers in China to deliver online games to overseas markets, currently reaching over 100 million players in 70 countries. The company continues its pioneering presence as it is the first, and currently sole, strategic publishing partner of Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai (SIESH) for overseas publishing market – affording Oasis Games to be uniquely positioned to bring high quality Chinese games to PlayStation® players worldwide. Its blockbuster online RPG, Legend Online has attracted over 50 million players in China. The award-winning exploration adventure game, KOI, was Oasis Games’ PlayStation®4 console debut for the western market and the company has begun its launches for NARUTO ONLINE, the official RPG browser game of the NARUTO franchise in the west, starting with the North America. For more information, visit http://company.oasgames.com/en/.
Soak Up Some Sun With Winning Putt’s Summer Update
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. announced a new content update for Winning Putt, their multiplayer golf title for PC. The Summer Patch greatly extends guild features by increasing guild’s level caps and adding new Guild rewards. In keeping with the season, the Summer Festival adds new event missions and visual updates to the free-to-play game.
Players who join forces with other golfers in a guild, can now collect guild ranking points. By competing against different guilds in ranked rounds, golfers are able to increase the amount of points earned and help their team climb up the guild ladder. Players should choose their opponents wisely though: while winning a round is great, losing a match means losing guild ranking points as well!
Guilds looking for new teammates can now invite more players, as the total number of possible members was increased from 30 to 40. In addition, the guild level cap has been pushed from 10 to 20.
The update also introduces the sunny season to Winning Putt. Summer decorations in the Square and surrounding areas set the right atmosphere for the newly added festival event: Depending on their mood, golfers choose between hot and cool missions. Each category contains a set of quests with unique items and gold up for grabs. Both mission chains refresh daily so players can tap the Festival’s full potential.
Lastly, the Summer Update brings more real-world details to the game. Based on the CryEngine3, Winning Putt already features realistic and high-quality graphics on PC. With the introduction of day and night cycles, players will now be able to find themselves at nighttime when joining the game’s Square.
Winning Putt is a free-to-play online golf experience where players build their golfing career solo or with friends. A variety of customizations are available to personalize the looks, clothing, and playstyles of the golfer; clubs can be outfitted with special enchantments for longer drives and accurate shots.
For more information on Winning Putt and to join the Open Beta, please visit www.winningputtgame.com.
Champions of Anteria is a brand new IP from Blue Byte, the studio most famous for their work on The Settlers and Anno franchises. Champions of Anteria is a mix of real time strategy and turn based kingdom building. The game started its life as part of The Settlers franchise, but has been split off into a brand new IP set in a world caught in the midst of bloody inter-faction warfare while an evil wizard quietly builds an undead army in the shadows.
Champions of Anteria may sound like a standard fantasy franchise with factions battling for power and evil wizards, but the game is incredibly light hearted and relishes in mocking fantasy tropes. The game revolves around a mayor of a small village that is under the thumb of the evil wizard who tricks three heroes into freeing the town and rebuilding it to its former glory. While it’s simple humour may not appeal to everyone, I suspect most will have a good laugh with the game.
The gameplay in Chapmions of Anteria cycles between two phases, a combat phase and a kingdom building phase. The combat is small unit RTS with players controlling three of five possible heroes. Each map has a set of main objectives to complete and possibly a side objective or two. Combat is built around a rock, paper, scissors type elemental damage mechanic. There are five elements in the game: metal, nature, lighting, fire, and water. Each element has two elements it is neutral with, one element it is strong against, and an element it is weak against. Every unit in the game is assigned one of these elements. Since players are only allowed to select three heroes, each playable hero has a main element and a set of abilities from a secondary element. The main strategy in the game is to send heroes after elements they are strong against.
To aid players in planning, Champions of Anteria can be paused as needed. This gives players some time to examine the battlefield, plan their next moves, and ensure they can get the upper hand in the situation. Since the game has no real dedicated healer and potions are limited to however many the player can afford to craft, using the right character in the right situation is an absolute must. Being weak to a element means a character will take extra damage and the end result is devastating. In addition to potions, players can deploy a variety of turrets to help provide some extra DPS in battle. Like every other unit in the game, turrets have their own elemental assignments. These turrets only last a set amount of time and cannot be moved, but also serve as an excellent damage sponge.
Each character in Champions of Anteria gains new skills as the kingdom grows. They can bring up four skills into battle. The skill tree is pretty simple with only two branches for each hero. Each hero has their own resource pool and method of generating said resources. Like any good RPG, heroes can also equip weapons, armours, and trinkets for stat boosts.
The maps in the combat phase are pretty linear. There are some side paths here or there that will help the player avoid enemies, get to their objective sooner, or complete a side objective. The game’s real gem are the epic boss battles. These are extended fights that will test not only the player’s combat prowess, but their preparation as well.
Once a combat mission is complete, players are returned to the kingdom screen to plan their next move and grow their kingdom. As the kingdom becomes more famous with the heroes’ conquests, the kingdom’s skill tree and the village will grow. There are several currencies to manage in the game: gold, building supplies, and the five elements. These are spent on new buildings, consumables for upcoming battles, and equipment. While not particularly complex, the kingdom phase puts an interesting, more thoughtful spin to the game.
Champions of Anteria’s audio/visual presentation is solid. The art style is a cartoony fantasy, with the exaggerated features and bright colours. The style fits beautifully with the light hearted delivery of the game’s story. The music and sound effects is pretty standard for a fantasy game, but are enjoyable none the less. The voice acting in the game is very good. There are a few rough patches here or there, but it is very close to a triple A experience.
Champions of Anteria is launching in just under a month, but the game is already looking very good. The story is enjoyable and the humourous delivery really lightens the mood. The game has a great mix of real time combat and casual, turn based kingdom building. The audio/visual presentation is excellent. Like any pre-release build of a game, there is some room for polish and optimization on the technical side, but Blue Byte may have a great new franchise on its hands.
The Yo-kai Invasion Continues! YO-KAI WATCH 2 Launches in Australia and New Zealand on October 15
YO -KAI WATCH 2: Bony Spirits and YO-KAI WATCH 2: Fleshy Souls exclusive to Nintendo 3DS family systems
August 1, 2016 – The Yo-kai phenomenon continues in 2016. Australia and New Zealand have seen the launches of the YO-KAI WATCH video game for Nintendo 3DS, a line of Hasbro toys and games, a top-rated animated series that airs on Channel 9’s GO! channel and the mobile game sensation YO-KAI WATCH Wibble Wobble. The world of Yo-kai continues to grow as new video games, toys and shows are set to become available in the future.
All things Yo-kai continue on October 15 this year when YO-KAI WATCH 2 launches exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems in two versions: YO-KAI WATCH 2: Bony Spirits and YO-KAI WATCH 2: Fleshy Souls – each featuring rare Yo-kai that can only be found in their respective games. Already a huge hit in Japan, the sequel to the first smash hit, which is once again developed by LEVEL-5, offers the same deep RPG gameplay and wacky adventures as the first game. Players will embark on a new adventure across Springdale and through time, with more than 350 new and returning Yo-kai to discover and befriend — each with a unique look, personality and Soultimate Move. Teaming up with the heroic cat Hovernyan, players will travel back in time to 60 years ago and witness the origin of the Yo-kai Watch. In addition, up to four players with their own systems and games can team up in an action-packed co-op mode to earn rewards that can be used in the single-player adventure!
A second season of the YO-KAI WATCH animated TV show is also on the way, with more Yo-kai, more miniseries, more episodes, and most importantly, more laughs! Fans can look forward to seeing how a new cast of Yo-kai interrupts Nate’s normal life in unexpected and hilarious ways! Those who missed the first season can catch up on all the adventures by picking up the DVD of YO-KAI WATCH – Season 1 or by streaming the show on Netflix. Finally, the world of Yo-kai will expand even more in February 2017 with Hasbro set to add a variety of new items to its YO-KAI WATCH line.
The original YO-KAI WATCH video game introduced people to the mysterious Yo-kai. In Japan, these invisible beings – not ghosts or spirits… just Yo-kai! – are steeped in folklore and based on common concerns that everyday citizens have. If a child misplaces homework or an adult can’t stop babbling at a work meeting, for instance, it’s probably the work of a troublesome Yo-kai.
Prepare for more Yo-kai mischief this year, when YO-KAI WATCH 2: Bony Spirits and YO-KAI WATCH 2: Fleshy Souls launch exclusively for Nintendo 3DS family of systems on October 15.
With the League of Legends Oceanic Pro League (OPL) Grand Final at the Courier-Mail Piazza less than two weeks away, the Semi Finals starting tonight will be the closest competition the OPL has ever had in its history.
Legacy, Dire Wolves, Chiefs and Avant Garde all still have a red hot opportunity to make the Grand Final, but it will all come down to the battle on the Rift with the Semi Finals streamed live tonight and tomorrow night from 6pm (AEST).
Up first, Legacy, sitting in pole position after 10 weeks of regular season, will be going up against Avant Garde, who secured a spot in the Semi Finals after winning a three-way tie-breaker between Tainted Minds and Abyss Gaming. Although Legacy holds the OPL Legend title belt, Avant Garde bested Legacy in week four in their only game against each other this split so either team looks good to win.
On Tuesday, the Chiefs, the reigning OPL Champions, will then face Dire Wolves, who finished second on the ladder, above the Chiefs this split. Again this Semi Final will be tough with Chefs looking to keep their crown, but Dire Wolves having a better track record this split, beating Chiefs in week seven in their only match-up.
The two teams that win the Semi Finals will be playing live at the Courier-Mail Piazza on 13 August, which is set to be the biggest esports event to ever hit Brisbane.
Pre-event activities will begin at 2pm including, pro-player signings, a dunk tank, photo opportunities and a community stage, which will showcase some of Oceania’s best League of Legends cosplayers, as well as caster and pro player Q&As.
Starting at 5:30pm, Oceania’s two best esports teams will then battle it out in a best-of-5 showdown in-front of over 2,000 spectators and tens of thousands of online viewers, for the chance to progress to the World Championship Qualifiers in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Manufacturer: Logitech Platform: Mac, Windows (Reviewed) Release Date: September 2016 Price: $119.99 USD / $209.95 AUD – Available Here
Video Review
The Logitech G610 Orion Blue Keyboard is the latest iteration of Logitech’s mid-range mechanical keyboards featuring genuine Cherry MX Blue switches. The G610 Orion keyboards were previously only available in Cherry MX Red and Brown switches, the two most common mechanical switch for gaming. While not nearly as common or as popular as its two brethren, the Cherry MX Blue has a small but dedicated following of gamers.
The Logitech G610 Orion Blue keyboard is packed in a compact but very dense packaging. Wrapped in two cardboard boxes and sealed in a plastic bag, the packaging is probably one of the more bomb proof set ups I have unboxed. There isn’t much in terms of pack ins beyond the standard quick start guide and a safety warning.
The keyboard itself is much like the packaging, compact but hefty. The G610 Orion Blue comes with a 1.83m braided cable that is offset to the right of the case. The case is a matte black plastic with a shiny finish on the sides of the keyboard. I would have preferred a total matte finish for better fingerprint resistance. Weighing in at 1259g, there is definitely a metal plate inside the keyboard somewhere. The G610 features white LEDs mounted on top of the switches. While the LEDs on the keyboard keys, lock lights, and the Logitech G logo share the same white colour and brightness level, the circular keys are noticeably dimmer and more blue.
The angular font chosen for the keyboard gives the keyboard a nice flair to the keyboard without looking tacky or screaming Mountain Dew chuggin’, Dorito eatin’ gamer. The lock notification light’s traditional spot above the keypad are taken up by the media keys, so they have been moved above the F9-12 cluster. Each notificaation light is bright and wide, making it very obvious if Caps Lock has been engaged. Especially compared to the tiny little green LEDs on traditional keyboards, the International Space Station could probably tell if Caps Lock is on. The lit Logitech G logo aside, I think the keyboard has a very subdued and classy look to it, especially with the plain white lighting. It is definitely a nice change from the usual garish gaming keyboard.
I really like the design of the G610’s keyboard feet. Most keyboards offer users two choices, flat or angled. Logitech has made a better mouse trap by nesting two sets of keyboard feet together so the user can select one of two angles. I really like the fact Logitech even labeled the degree on each leg. The bottom of the keyboard has five rubber feet, plus an extra on each keyboard leg. I was a little unsure initially if the small pads would be able to keep the keyboard from sliding around the desk, but between the weight of the keyboard and the padding, the keyboard never moved without intentional force when set flat or at 6 degrees. I found the smaller 4 degree legs did not have the same level of grip and could slide around a bit easier.
Cherry MX Blue switches seem to be the durian fruit of the gaming world, either you love them or you hate them. They are tactile and clicky type switches, meaning not only do they provide a noticeable bump when actuated, they chatter like a pack of rabid monkeys. Traditionally considered to be the ideal typist switch, there are a group of us who prefer the slightly higher actuation forces of the Cherry MX Blues. Logitech are using genuine Cherry MX Blue switches in in the G610 Orion Blue, which are made in Germany and are considered to be the gold standard for mechanical switches for their tolerances and quality control.
The Logitech G610 Orion Blue keyboard has a bit of a problem with the longer keys, such as the shift key. It requires noticeably more force to depress if the key is hit off center. The keyboard uses PCB mounted Cherry MX levelling mechanisms. These are a mix of wire stabilizers and Cherry style post designed for easy removal of keys. I have used keyboard with this same mechanism before. They do require a little extra force to depress long keys off-centre, but not to the degree of the Logitech G610. While it doesn’t require so much force that it renders the G610 unusable, the extra force does take some getting used to.
I really like the dedicated media keys on the Logitech G610 Orion Blue. Many keyboards these days have banished the media keys to the function keys, which force the user to press a modifier key to use the media key functions. If I want to pause the music to talk to someone, I’d much rather hit one key instead of fuss around trying to find the right key combination. I am very pleasantly surprised to discover that the game mode, brightness, and media keys all use mechanical switches similar to a mouse. The volume control is handled by a nice big rubberized metal scroll wheel. It is a very tactile experience and I love it.
The Logitech G610 Orion Blue keyboard supports a game mode. When activated, certain troublesome keys like the Windows key are disabled and all twelve function keys are replaced with macros set in the Logitech G software. While it is not as ideal as a dedicated set of macro keys, repurposing the function keys is one of the better ideas on the market. It keeps at least four macro keys in easy reach, with the remaining eight reasonably close to the WASD cluster.
The Logitech G Software is probably one of the most well rounded programs for a gaming peripheral. The software layout is clean and clear. Navigating through the software is easy with its well thought-out layout. The macro options are without a doubt the widest set provided by the major gaming peripheral manufacturers. I really like the fact there is a separate option for text macros, allowing players to use a macro to post recruitment ads on their favourite MMO or type a polite “GL;HF” at the beginning of a match with a single key. The software also supports the Arx app on mobile devices that can launch games, display system stats, list macros, and display game information when available. While the app worked, there are definitely some problems with the Android version of the app. The media controls were broken and some of the game applets had broken images.
The Logitech G610 Orion Blue Mechanical Keyboard is a solid pick for a mid-range keyboard. If it wasn’t for the issues with the higher force needed to depress the long keys near the ends of the key, I would likely consider the G610 line to be the first choice in its price range. The design is subdued and classy. The design is intelligent, as placing the macro keys on the function row is the ideal spot for a keyboard without dedicated macro keys. And best of all, it’s all backed by possibly the best gaming software on the market today.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Sentai Filmworks has seven titles coming out on DVD and Blu-ray in North America next month. The first of these releases will be available in just a few days. All of the following releases, except for the Hakuoki release, contain their respective textless opening and ending animation sequences as on-disc extras.
August 2, 2016:
Gourmet Girl Graffiti. Episodes 1-12 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles.
August 9, 2016:
Wake Up, Girls!. Episodes 1-12 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles.
August 16, 2016:
Punch Line. Episodes 1-12 are featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles.
Trinity Seven. Episodes 1-12 are featured with dual language options.
August 23, 2016:
Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon Collection 2. Episodes 13-25 are featured with dual language options. On-disc extras include: “Cross Ange Talk Show”, a music video and the textless opening and ending animation sequences.
Hakuoki: Warrior Spirit of the Blue Sky. The film is featured with dual language options. The Japanese trailers are featured as on-disc extras.
FUNimation Entertainment has a wide range of anime releases coming out next month in North America. The following list includes releases of new series and old favourites.
August 2, 2016:
Jormungand Complete Series. It contains seasons one and two.
Samurai 7 Complete Series – Anime Classics Edition.
The Rolling Girls Complete Series.
World Break: Aria of Curse for a Holy Swordsman Complete Series.
August 9, 2016:
Absolute Duo Complete Series.
Barakamon Complete Series.
Garo the Animation Season One Part Two.
Gunslinger Girl Seasons One and Two and OVA Collection – Anime Classics Edition.
Blood Blockade Battlefront Complete Series. This will be released in a standard and limited edition.
All of FUNimation’s August 2016 releases up until this point are DVD and Blu-ray combo packs.
August 23, 2016:
Hal – DVD and Blu-ray combo pack.
Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians (Season Three) – S.A.V.E. – DVD only.
Ikki Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor (Season Four) – S.A.V.E. – DVD only.
Laughing Under the Clouds Complete Series – DVD and Blu-ray combo pack.
The Heroic Legend of Arslan Season One Part One – DVD and Blu-ray combo pack.
August 30, 2016:
Doamaigar-D Complete Series – DVD and Blu-ray combo pack. This series is featured with Japanese audio and English subtitles only.
Eureka Seven Complete Series – DVD and Blu-ray available separately.
Although most anime series are adapted from manga series or light novel series, Samurai 7 is based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 film Seven Samurai. This adaptation premiered just over 50 years after the original theatrical release of the film. All of these releases are still available for pre-order. According to the product pages for these releases, many of them will be playable on international DVD and Blu-ray players.
TGIF! Kick off the weekend with a brand new Indie GalaFriday Special Bundle! For only $2.99 during the first 24 hours of the sale, buyers will snag 11 great indie games.
For a minimum price of $1.00, buyers will receive:
