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Sailor Moon Part One Limited Edition Review

December 23, 2015

Sailor Moon Part One Limited Edition
Studio: Toei Animation
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Format: Standard Edition DVD / Limited Edition DVD (reviewed)
Release Date: December 2, 2015
Price: $69.95 AUD – Available Here / Standard Edition $49.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview
Usagi Tsukino is a 14-year-old middle school student. She is clumsy at times, is always late to school and is more sensitive than those around her. She mainly spends time with her friends Gurio Umino and Naru Osaka. On her way to school one day, she comes across a cat with an unusual appearance. This cat reveals its name to be Luna and informs Usagi that she is a Sailor Guardian. Usagi must now search for the other Sailor Guardians and the Moon Princess.

Story
By now, magical girl series are something most anime fans are familiar with or have at least heard of. Sailor Moon may in fact be the first anime series many people saw, or at least one of the first. Newer anime fans may be more familiar with modern and darker entries into the genre such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya or Yuki Yuna Is a Hero. Sailor Moon was not the first magical girl series produced in Japan, but the basic formula has remained the same for over two decades now, if not even longer. The three other series mentioned above may appeal only to specific anime fans, but this series has a more broad appeal. Some of that appeal may be due to nostalgia, but the series holds up as possibly the greatest magical girl series of all time. The Monster of the Day format has a negative stigma attached to it, but it works in this series. It is worth noting, however, that Naoko Takeuchi’s original manga series features significantly fewer monsters than this anime adaptation does. Seeing the Sailor Guardians transform and defeat each new monster that the Dark Kingdom sends their way never becomes dull. The obvious deviations from the source material may bother some fans, but they do not detract from the quality of the story. Those who prefer fast-paced action may dislike the slow pace of plot progression throughout much of the series, but each episode is engaging and entertaining whether or not anything significant occurs in them.

One of the many things Naoko Takeuchi does well is to make the protagonists relatable. No matter what your gender, many of you will see yourself or someone you know in one of the characters. Usagi Tsukino is the person who just cannot get to school on time and just wants to spend their youth having fun. Ami Mizuno is the person who wants to be successful and does not share the same interest in having fun. Rei Hino is the person who has a strong personality but is also a good friend. While these descriptions may make it sound like these characters are not three dimensional, that is not the case. They all go through significant character development and grow not only as individuals, but as teammates and friends as well.

It is not easy to create antagonists who are not simply annoying. Despite this, Naoko Takeuchi knew what she was doing when she created the Dark Kingdom and its people. The Dark Kingdom is shrouded in mystery throughout the first half of the season, but the antagonists shown so far are intriguing characters. Nephrite in particular is surprisingly three dimensional for a villainous character, and he even goes through a significant amount of character development. This makes it possible to forge an emotional attachment to him towards the end of his relatively short arc. Furthermore, the episodes towards the end of his arc are some of the most powerful and moving episodes so far.

Visuals
This series features some of the most iconic animation in the history of anime. The transformation sequences and the poses, in particular Sailor Moon’s poses, are extremely memorable. Those sequences may be reused in most episodes, but watching them again never becomes dull. The character designs are beautiful and all stand out. These days, it almost seems as if unique character designs are a thing of the past, but Naoko Takeuchi created many unique and engaging characters. They feel like they could almost be real people, and the staff of this animated adaptation deserve a lot of credit for bringing these characters to life. One thing in particular that stands out in comparison to other anime series is the use of lighting. There are many thematically dark scenes throughout the series, and the animation team does an excellent job at enhancing the atmosphere of a scene through a seemingly simple but effective use of lighting.

Madman’s release uses Viz Media’s subtitles, but they did not replace the romaji in the subtitles for “Moonlight Densetsu” with English translations. This may only be due to contractual reasons, but many fans reasonably consider this a problem. The subtitles are otherwise almost perfect except for one or two insignificant mistakes. Many fans were more outraged at Viz Media for what they perceived to be a poor remaster of the first season. They complained of issues such as brightness levels supposedly being altered in some scenes, but as a representative of Viz Media stated, they did everything they could with the masters they were given. As such, there is not anything wrong with that release. Surprisingly, it actually appears to that Madman received different copies of the episodes. There are many artefacts present in these episodes, and the colours occasionally appear to have faded a little more than expected, but the remastering process Madman put these episodes through is clearly almost perfect. The only major problem now is that these episodes have so far only received a DVD release in Australia. The menus on these discs are completely different to the menus on Viz Media’s discs. “Moonlight Densetsu” plays while on the main menu, but the ‘Episodes’ and ‘Setup’ menus are silent. The images featured in the main menu on each of the discs are noticeably rough around the edges, and there are only options to view the episodes with the English dub or the original Japanese audio and English subtitles. Viz Media’s Blu-ray release contains more options in their set-up menu, but the main subtitles on these discs can at least be turned off if you would like to view the series without subtitles for the Japanese dialogue.

Audio
The music featured in Sailor Moon is some of the best music anime has to offer. The opening song, “Moonlight Densetsu,” is one of the most popular anime songs of all time. It is memorable, catchy and always thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. The ending song is also significantly better than the pop songs used in modern anime series, but it does have a somewhat ’90s sound. This is common with ending songs produced during that period, so it is not something that should be considered a problem. The background music is just as memorable and catchy as the theme songs are. Takanori Arisawa’s compositions are perfectly suited to every scene they accompany, no matter what the tone. The transformation sequences in particular are accompanied by some of the most memorable music in the series. Arisawa was incredibly talented at creating powerful, beautiful and memorable music, so it is a real shame that he is no longer around. It is worth mentioning that a cheaper reprint of the original soundtrack CD release of the first season is currently available in Japan and can be imported from online retailers.

It can be assumed that Viz Media’s English dub is better than DiC’s English adaptation from the mid-1990s without even hearing it. The casting decisions are better this time and have been very well received. However, the voices do not sound like the original Japanese voices, and while that is not always a bad thing in English dubs, the main characters sound more American than Japanese as a result. Whether you find the dub suitable or not will depend on your individual tastes, but the voices in the English dub just do not suit the characters like the original Japanese voice actors do.

Extras
There are significant differences between Viz Media’s limited edition release and this release. The back cover art from the DVD set is reprinted as a one-sided sheet and attached, albeit only barely, on the back of the box. It can be removed, but the way it is stuck to the back gives the box a somewhat cheap appearance. The cover of the DVD case is reversible; the reverse side features artwork of Queen Beryl, Jadeite and Nephrite. The booklet included replicates 29 of the pages from Viz Media’s booklet, but it is unclear why the other 59 pages were not included. The missing pages include a full page introduction to the series, an episode guide for all 46 episodes of the first season and song lyrics in both the original Japanese and English. What is included in Madman’s booklet are the character profile pages and the artwork pages from Viz Media’s booklet. For anyone planning on watching the series for the first name, the content of both versions of the booklet will spoil certain plot points, including plot points from later episodes in this season. The behind-the-scenes footage from the production of the new English dub and the textless animation for “Moonlight Densetsu” and “Heart Moving” are included, but the art gallery and other videos produced for Viz Media’s release are not. The significant number of missing pages makes the extra $20 cost for this limited edition set somewhat questionable, but the important features of Viz Media’s art book are included. Ultimately, whether or not the differences are an issue or not will depend on individual opinion.

Overall
Sailor Moon can be considered a perfect anime series. Like many anime series produced in the 1990s, some elements of the series date it in a specific real world time period, but this can easily be overlooked. The characters, the character designs, the writing, the artwork, the animation, the voice actors, the music, or in other words, everything, combine to make this one of the most memorable anime series ever. It has an important nostalgic value for many anime fans, but it is also accessible to anyone else who is interested in this series. It takes almost no time at all to forge an emotional attachment to the characters and become invested in the story, and there are moments in the series that are incredibly powerful, moving and beautiful.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

The Martian DVD and Blu-Ray Release Announced

Mateja Simovic

December 23, 2015

The Martian DVD and Blu-Ray Release Announced

2015 proved to be a year of fiction masterpieces with The Martian being a very interesting ‘hard science fiction’ entry into the genre. Now, thanks to 20^th Century Fox, the film be will getting a release on DVD and Blu-Ray. The film, directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus) stars Matt Damon (Ocean’s Eleven, Saving Private Ryan) as an astronaut who gets stranded out on the hostile surface of Mars. As far as films go, it’s pretty darn good and as far as sci-fi goes; it’s generally quite accurate in laying the scientific groundwork for the plausibility of these hypothetical events.

Along with the movie, the DVD will feature several pieces of in-universe content, made from the perspective of the characters, as well as a gag reel (which is always to laugh at). The Blu-Ray version will boast a lot of extra content alongside the DVD features including a lot of behind-the-scenes featurettes discussing how the film was made and costumed. I believe the film itself is worth getting a copy for, but I’m not one to turn my nose up at extra content either.

The Martian will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on the 20^th January and the 10^th of February respectively.

Batman: Arkham Knight – Season of Infamy DLC Available Now

Andrew Day

December 23, 2015

Batman: Arkham Knight – Season of Infamy DLC Available Now

Batman: Arkham Knight saw the end of the incredible Arkham series of games from Rockseady and Warner Bros, but that doesn’t mean that the story is quite over. After the Batgirl DLC, we now have our next piece of story content titled “Season of Infamy,” which pits the World’s Greatest Detective against four of his most dangerous foes.

The following four missions each revolve around a particular member of Batman’s Rogues Gallery and each will push the Dark Knight to his absolute limits:

Wonderland: The Mad Hatter makes things personal as the Super-Villain lures Batman into a demented, hallucinatory battle of wits across Gotham City and within the pages of a twisted story book.
Beneath The Surface: The World’s Greatest Detective and Nightwing venture out to investigate Iron Heights, a flying airship prison that housed Killer Croc, after it crashed in the waters surrounding Gotham City.
Shadow War: Picking up after the events of Batman: Arkham City, Batman’s devout moral code is pushed to its limits as Ra’s Al Ghul’s health rebounds with the help of the League of Assassins.
In From The Cold: Mr. Freeze returns to Gotham City, where he is immediately entrapped in Arkham Knight’s Militia and Scarecrow’s plan to destroy Batman. Arkham Knight’s Militia has kidnapped Nora and will return her to Mr. Freeze in exchange for Batman’s capture.

In addition, players can also download new Batman skins, Batmobile skins and challenge maps, including;

Crime Fighter Challenge Pack #5: Combat and invisible predator maps featuring Batman, the Batmobile, Nightwing, Azrael, and Harley Quinn, allowing focused training in Freeflow Combat and Invisible Predator stealth incursion.
2008 Movie Batman Skin: Patrol the streets of Gotham City with this Batsuit inspired by the 2008 movie “The Dark Knight”.
Original Arkham Batmobile: Seize control from Gotham City’s most notorious villains with the original Arkham Asylum Batmobile.
Rocksteady Themed Batmobile Skin: Customize the legendary Batmobile with this unique Rocksteady themed skin.
Batman: Noel Skin: Face your foes with this reinforced leather suit from the Batman: Noel comic (previously a DC Comics exclusive).
Free Updates:
- Batsuit v8.05 – Prestige Edition: Players can access this suit after reaching 240% game completion.
- Classic Harley Quinn Skin: Players who own the Harley Quinn Story Pack or Crime Fighter Challenge Pack #5 can select this Harley Skin, which can be used in the Harley Story Pack or in AR Challenges, from the character showcase.
- Arkham Knight Skin: Players who own the Red Hood Story Pack can select this skin from the character showcase for Red Hood, allowing them to look like the Arkham Knight in the Red Hood Story Pack and AR Challenges.

All of these are available now as part of the Season Pass, or for purchase individually for those without the pass. We have attached a brief trailer below that showcases all of this new content so make sure you check it out and make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the awesome Batman news as it becomes available.

Yo-Kai Watch Review

Andrew Day

December 22, 2015

Yo-Kai Watch
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: 3DS
Release Date: Out Now
Price: AU$59.95 – Available Here | US$39.99 – Available Here

Overview

Yo-Kai Watch is a huge phenomenon in Japan. From its video games to its anime and even the films, everywhere you go the bright and colourful spirits are everywhere. Well now the sensation has made its way to the west, and down under with Yo-Kai Watch for 3DS. With its unique take on the “capture monsters and battle with them formula,” is Yo-Kai Watch, with its gorgeous visuals and abundance of personality destined for the same levels of success over here that it has been seeing in Japan, or does the game’s frustrating mechanics and passive combat mean that it is likely to remain relatively unheard of outside of Japan?

Story

Yo-Kai Watch revolves around these little spirits called Yo-Kai, which in Japanese folklore are responsible for various emotions we randomly feel. Things like gluttony, rage, sadness, etc are all attributed to these little spirits and in the world of Yo-Kai Watch, the player character is tasked with finding, capturing and defeating a number of these spirits that have begun to really cause some havoc. While the whole “find and catch monsters” genre is nothing new, this is such a unique and interesting take on the formula that just oozes Japanese culture in a very real way.

Unfortunately there isn’t all that much to the game’s plot and what there is takes ages to really unfold. Most of the time you will just be going from place to place. Defeating nasty Yo-Kai as you go.

I have to commend Level 5 on not shying away from some seriously mature and downright dark themes in this game. One of the first major Yo-Kai you encounter is one that is making the player character’s parents yell and scream at one another, while another I encountered was causing a character to suffer from depressive, almost suicidal thoughts. These kind of real world issues are hardly touched in video games at all, let alone ones targeted at children. I cannot explain how much I love that these issues are tackled in this game, because the more that people know and understand about mental health and that negative feelings and emotions are part of life, the more educated they will become and the better choices they will make later in life.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Yo-Kai Watch is separated into two different else,nets; exploration and combat. The exploration side of things is one of the most in-depth and engaging I have seen in an RPG of this style before, while the combat is far more passive and simplistic.

At its core, Yo-Kai Watch is a game about finding, battling and capturing little monsters. To achieve that, the player needs to explore the massive world map in order to uncover the monsters themselves and do battle against them. The world map is absolutely huge and is filled with so many little secrets, hidden alleys and other nooks that it will take a HUGE chunk of your time to even make your way through it all.

The titular Yo-Kai Watch is represented by a gauge on your screen that shows you how close you are to a Yo-Kai as well as its level. By investigating areas that you know to have the spirits in them, you will enter a battle with them and have the option to capture and add more to your collection. Areas that don’t have Yo-Kai in them are used to hunt for bugs, fish and various other items in order to enhance your ghostly team. These item finding sections act as a mini game of sorts, where you need to search for the bugs etc in question and then get the correct timing down in order to catch them. I personally felt that these sections dragged on for far too long, and although they are largely optional, considering how important items are to the overall game they are difficult to avoid entirely.

Combat on the other hand is almost the exact opposite. Your Yo-Kai will attack the enemies in battle completely independent of you. Unlike games like Pokemon, you have very little control over the actions of the Yo-Kai and are treated more as a passive observer for the majority of battles. There are two exceptions, firstly if you want to use a Yo-Kai’s special attack then you need to perform a small mini game in the bottom screen while the fight continues without you. In addition, you can use items on your own (and the opposing) Yo-Kai in order to heal their HP. Considering the majority of the action takes place without you, being forced to only perform actions like these makes the game feel incredibly passive and like you are micromanaging the whole thing.

The game is also incredibly vague and inconsistent with how you are supposed to befriend the spirits. Each spirit has its own favourite food and feeding the, it is supposed to increase the likeliness that it will want to join you at the end of the battle. However in my experience, this almost always boils down to dumb luck and random chance. There is no way to see an opposing spirit’s affection towards you so you don’t really know if you’re doing the right thing, and on more than one occasion I have had spirits that I have completely ignored want to join up with me whilst ones I focused specifically on wanted nothing to do with me. Considering this is such a vital part of the overall experience, having it come down to luck just results in frustration and irritation with the whole game.

Visuals & Audio

As they always seem to do, Level 5 have created an absolutely beautiful game world that is not only oozing with charisma and culture but is a joy to explore and filled with little details to take in. As you probably have expected due to the nature of the came (and the development team themselves) many of the subtle references and cultural inclusions are very Japanese-centric, almost to the point where you can learn about the country just by playing the game.

Yo-Kai Watch is perhaps one of the most visually striking games that I have played on the 3DS in quite some time, and a lot of that comes down to the incredible use of colour. Everything from the lush parks, to the bustling towns and of course the Yo-Kai themselves are all so richly colourful that it is just a joy to look at.

Overall

Yo-Kai Watch has become an absolute phenomenon in Japan and it is easy to see why. From the setting, to the fact that the game itself is based on Japanese folklore, all the pieces fit together to make a franchise that will no doubt dominate that country for years to come. However that being said, for all its rich lore and colourful characters, Yo-Kai Watch stumbles in some key areas that will likely stop it from becoming a household name or a global sensation. In the end, the passive nature of this title makes it feel more like you spend more time watching it than you do playing and even when you are, it is micromanaging at its finest. While I enjoyed my time with Yo-Kai, I can’t say that I loved it or that it is something I would go back to in the future.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Large Batch of Spoiler Filled Attack on Titan Game Screenshots Released

Travis Bruno

December 22, 2015

In case the title there didn’t tip you off, then be prepared for some Attack on Titan spoilers if you haven’t checked out the first season at this point because Koei Tecmo and Omega Force have released a large batch of screenshots for their upcoming Attack on Titan game and in it they feature the recently confirmed Female Titan, Titan Eren, and plenty of other elements of the game, including the ability for players to develop equipment, including a large number of game-original equipment, to take down the Titans.

Currently Attack on Titan‘s video game is set to be released on February 18th in Japan for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita while a Western release is planned for sometime in 2016.

Tales of Berseria Heading West for PlayStation 4 and PC

Travis Bruno

December 22, 2015

Fans of the Tales of series will be happy to hear that Bandai Namco is being rather quick when it comes to the localization announcement for the latest game in the series, Tales of Berseria. Today the company announced that they are bringing the title to North America, South America, and Europe where it will be released on the PlayStation 4 and PC, with the PlayStation 3 version only being released in Japan.

Tales of Berseria is set for Japanese release in 2016 and while no release window has been announced for the West the company did release an English version of the latest trailer for the game and a batch of screenshots that are more refined from what we have seen in the past.

God Eater: Resurrection and God Eater 2: Rage Burst Announced for Western Release

Travis Bruno

December 22, 2015

Bandai Namco had some great news for fans of their God Eater series today after a few days of teasing as the company has announced that they plan on bringing both God Eater: Resurrection and God Eater 2: Rage Burst to North America, South America, and Europe in summer 2016 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC.

To go along with the announcement of God Eater: Resurrection and God Eater 2: Rage Burst being localized Bandai Namco has released a trailer showing off the games as well as some details that you can read below:

The Far East, 2071.
The domain of the mad gods.
In the early 2050s, unknown life forms called “Oracle cells” begin their uncontrolled consumption of all life on Earth. Their ravenous appetite and remarkable adaptability earn them first dread, then awe, and finally the name “aragami”. In the face of an enemy completely immune to conventional weapons, urban civilization collapses, and each day humanity is driven further and urban civilization collapses, and each day humanity is driven further and further toward extinction.
One single ray of hope remains for humanity. Following the development of “God Arcs”—living weapons which incorporate Oracle cells—their wielders are organized into an elite force. In a world ravaged by mad gods, these “God Eaters” fight a desperate war…

One Piece: Burning Blood Trailer Released, PC Version Announced

Travis Bruno

December 22, 2015

It has already been confirmed that Bandai Namco will be releasing One Piece: Burning Blood in the West but now the company has also confirmed that, alongside the title’s release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PlayStation Vita, it will also be released digitally on the PC.

To go alongside with this announcement the company released a five minute long gameplay trailer showing off the 3 on 3 combat system as well as the fact that those who pre-order the title will be given an exclusive DLC pack that includes the playable character Luffy in his 4th Gear form as well as two other “surprise” characters.

English Gameplay Trailer Released for Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth

Travis Bruno

December 22, 2015

Those wondering just how Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth will play, especially how they will gather and train the various Digimon in the game, will be interested in checking out the newest English trailer for the game that was just released by Bandai Namco.

This video that primarily focuses on gameplay footage shows off the PlayStation 4 version of the game’s combat system, training, and gathering. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth follows the player’s male or female character as they search for the truth behind mysteries surrounding strange phenomenon and will be released in North America on February 2, 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.

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