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Overlord: Fellowship of Evil’ is Now Available

OVERLORD™: FELLOWSHIP OF EVIL – CORRUPTING CONSOLES AND PC DIGITAL STORES FROM TODAY

UK – October 20, 2015 – Codemasters today announced that Overlord: Fellowship of Evil, their digital only, angelically-priced, devilishly fun Action RPG is available now on PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. Fans of evil doings can watch the game’s launch trailer in action now at www.overlordthegame.com.

As the trailer shows, things aren’t currently looking too great for our hero, Gnarl, and his minions. With the previous Overlord long since gone, presumed smited, the forces of good have overrun the world and evil has been pushed to the brink of extinction. In order to regain a foothold, the minions perform a ritual found in The Big Book o’ Evil (under the Nefarious Deeds chapter, naturally) to resurrect four recently deceased evil doers. In doing so, they create the Netherghūls; undead servants of the dark arts, dedicated to the cause of evil.

“The forces of evil have had a few setbacks recently” said Gnarl, Evil Minion Master “Tinkly goodness is on the rise, spreading cuteness and hugs across our once corrupt and unpleasant land. So, we’ve called in a few reinforcements. Those who understand that evil isn’t just what you do, it’s who you are.”

As Cryos, Inferna, Hakon and Malady, players can use their unique skills for spreading mayhem throughout the world, with a troop of impish minions at their heels. This begrudgingly thrown-together band of antiheros form the Fellowship of Evil and must try to work together to defeat the sickeningly good forces of Shining Justice, a band of paladins led by a mysterious unicorn known only as Sparkle.

“These dark heroes will have to work together, or alone, to thwart the forces of shininess” continued Gnarl “But no one’s here to make friends, at least…not for long. So sharpen your weapons, dust off your minions and get with the carnage!” 

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil is available now in digital stores on consoles and Steam for Windows PC. Follow the Codemasters minions’ progress towards world domination on the Codemasters Blog and on social media on Twitter and Facebook.

To plunder the press treasures, including the fiendish new trailer, head to Codemasters’ all new press extranet site at www.codemasterspress.com.

ABOUT OVERLORD: FELLOWSHIP OF EVIL

Overlord: Fellowship of Evil is a dark and twisted Action RPG filled with the series’ signature black humour. Penned by award-winning original Overlord scriptwriter Rhianna Pratchett, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil delivers an epic new quest featuring four Netherghūls – undead servants of the dark arts, resurrected in the absence of a true Overlord, to bring evil back to a world overrun by the forces of good.

Assisting gamers once again are the mighty, maniacal and occasionally moronic minions, ready to unleash their charmingly chaotic brand of destruction and led by Gnarl, their wise old master, voiced, as before, by actor Marc Silk.

Players will embark on a brand new Overlord adventure filled with fun combat and twisted fantasy tales in single-player or with up to three friends in local and online single-screen co-op. Overlord: Fellowship of Evil invites players to dive into an Action RPG where it’s good to be bad, but it’s GREAT to be evil.

ABOUT CODEMASTERS

Codemasters, the award winning video game developer and publisher, has a 25-year heritage. With titles distributed globally, Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of driving and racing entertainment games including DiRT, GRID and the official BAFTA award-winning FORMULA 1 series of videogames. In March 2010, Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL), a part of India’s Reliance ADA group, acquired a 60 percent shareholding in the company, alongside existing investor, Balderton Capital, the leading European venture capital firm. For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com. Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/codemasters.

ABOUT RHIANNA PRATCHETT

Rhianna Pratchett is an award-winning scriptwriter for videogames, comics, film and TV. Rhianna has regularly been named one of the top 100 most influential women in the games industry by various publications, including Edge, MCV and Develop, and won the Women in Games Hall of Fame award in 2013. She has talked about wrestling the wild beasts of narrative for numerous panels, documentaries and lectures. For more information, visit www.rhiannapratchett.com

ABOUT MARC SILK

Marc Silk’s voice is heard around the world in Cartoons, Films, TV Shows, Commercials, Theme Parks & Games, including F1 Race Stars, and the Overlord games, as the voice of Gnarl and a stack of wild Minions! For more information, visit www.marcsilk.com Twitter: @marcsilk

© 2015 The Codemasters Software Company Limited (“Codemasters”). All rights reserved. “Codemasters”® and the Codemasters logo® are registered trademarks owned by Codemasters. “Overlord” and “Overlord: Fellowship of Evil”™ is a trademark of Codemasters. All other trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners and are used under license. Developed and published by Codemasters. Created with Unity. ©Unity Technologies. Audio powered by Fabric.

“PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.

ASSASSIN’S CREED SYNDICATE – THE VICTORIAN COMMUTER

BIKE TO THE FUTURE!

SHOCKED COMMUTERS SEE PENNY FARTHINGS LINING THE CYCLE LANES OF LONDON IN A SURPRISING RETURN TO VICTORIAN TIMES

VIDEO LINK: CLICK HERE

London, UK — October 20, 2015 – Bringing a slice of Victorian life back to the capital for one day only, Lycra was replaced with lamb’s wool while helmet cams were substituted for bowler hats, as hordes of Penny Farthings hit the streets of London. The surprising spectacle was created to mark the launch of Assassin’s Creed® Syndicate, the latest installment in the popular video games franchise that is set in Victorian London and is available to own on October 23rd for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and will be available on Windows PC on November 19th.

In a commute harking back to an era of cobbled streets and horse drawn carriages, the penny farthing riders travelled past St Paul’s Cathedral, weaved through traffic on the Strand, before surprising commuters along Waterloo Bridge. These scenes were inspired by images of Victorian London, which has been painstakingly recreated in Assassin’s Creed® Syndicate. 

“The Penny Farthing is the defining image of Victorian commuting and it was a thrill to bring some Victorian style and panache to the grind of the daily commute,” said Neil Laughton, Chairman of the Penny Farthing Club, seen pictured on his Penny Farthing.

In addition to the convoy of Penny Farthings, one commuter’s journey to work was captured on video to showcase just how difficult it would have been to navigate the bustling streets of London on a Penny Farthing, with the added obstacle of modern day traffic.

You can see video content from the Penny Farthing’s journey across modern day London at https://youtu.be/OvaTL4Aozvs

“Penny farthings are certainly not the easiest things to ride, but we really wanted to find out just how difficult it would be to navigate using one of Victorian London’s most iconic transportation methods,” said Jon Maguire, Penny Farthing commuter. “It’s certainly not something I’d aim to do every day or recommend for others to do, given London’s volume of traffic and general hustle and bustle, yet I made it to my destination in one piece and it’s undoubtedly an exciting way to experience the capital.”

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate has taken over two years to develop by the global video games publisher, Ubisoft, who have painstakingly recreated 1868 London in stunning detail. Alongside key historical references in the game such as storylines bringing to life the tension between the rich and poor during the Industrial Revolution, iconic Victorian figures such as Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin also make appearances in the game. 

Assassin’s Creed® Syndicate, developed by Ubisoft Quebec in collaboration with eight other Ubisoft studios*, is an epic single player experience set in London during the height of the Industrial Revolution, an incredible age of invention that transforms the lives of millions. In Assassin’s Creed® Syndicate, players explore the largest, most modern open-world city ever created in an Assassin’s Creed game.  

KOEI TECMO ANNOUNCES EMPIRES INSTALLMENT FOR SAMURAI WARRIORS 4

KOEI TECMO ANNOUNCES EMPIRES INSTALLMENT FOR SAMURAI WARRIORS 4

BURLINGAME, Calif. – October 20, 2015 – KOEI TECMO America is delighted to announce today the upcoming release of Samurai Warriors 4 Empires. Currently in development for physical release on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and digital releases on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld system, Samurai Warriors 4 Empires is slated for release on March 15, 2016. 

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires provides an alternative take on the events depicted in Samurai Warriors 4, using the historical landscape as a setting for an exciting strategy-focused game. Players have the opportunity to create their own character to serve in the lower ranks of the army, gradually rising through the ranks to eventually rule the entire land through their conquests.

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires marks the return of the Empires brand in the Samurai Warriors universe after a nine year hiatus. Since the 2007 release of Samurai Warriors 2 Empires for the PlayStation®2, Samurai Warriors has grown to become one of the most successful and acclaimed titles in the Warriors universe. This revamped version of the fan-favorite installment features improved gameplay mechanics and an expanded, intuitive governing system, and explores the effects that building in-depth relationships and alliances have in times of war.

While more news and information on the innovative content of Samurai Warriors 4 Empires will be made public in the following weeks, KOEI TECMO America has released a trailer displaying some of the most exciting new features of this fan-favorite franchise. To view the trailer, please visit https://youtu.be/2X6yrGkCFqw.

For more Samurai Warriors 4 Empires news, please visit http://www.koeitecmoamerica.com/, Like KOEI TECMO America on Facebook at www.facebook.com/koeitecmous, and follow KOEI TECMO America on Twitter at @KoeiTecmoUS. 

ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.

KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.

©2015 KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. The KT logo is a registered trademark of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

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

TURTLE BEACH CORPORATION UK PRESENTS LINEUP OF ENTRY-LEVEL GAMING HEADSETS PERFECT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

TURTLE BEACH CORPORATION UK PRESENTS LINEUP OF ENTRY-LEVEL GAMING HEADSETS PERFECT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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Turtle Beach’s Latest High-Quality Headsets Provide Features No Gamer Should be without, at Prices Fit for any Budget 

London, UK – October 20, 2015 – Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR), the leading-edge audio technology company and #1 in gaming audio, is pleased to present this year’s holiday 2015 lineup of high-quality, entry-level gaming headsets. As the leader in gaming audio, Turtle Beach offers a wide range of products packed with features, at price points catering to gamers’ various desires and budgets in order to deliver the most immersive and competitive gaming experience. In addition to the Company’s top-of-the-line products like the Turtle Beach Elite 800 series 100% fully wireless gaming headsets, this year’s holiday lineup includes a handful of all-new entry level products that deliver the same high-quality gaming experience Turtle Beach fans love.

“So far this year we’ve released 11 new gaming headsets, including the acclaimed Elite 800X and Stealth 420X, as we continue to innovate and bring true value to the market with a variety of high-quality products we know fans will want for the holidays,” said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “Having launched market-leading headsets for the latest consoles and set new benchmarks for innovation and technology, we’ve made sure to spread those same high-quality designs and features across products for newer, entry-level gamers as well as for our tried and true hardcore fans.”

A prime example of this blend of innovation and value is the just-launched Ear Force® PX24, which is the latest iteration on two of the best-selling console gaming headsets of all-time – Turtle Beach’s Ear Force X12 and Ear Force PX22. The PX24 is a multiplatform gaming headset for PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and mobile/tablet devices, and comes with the all-new Ear Force SuperAmp™, Turtle Beach’s innovative, battery powered, in-line amplifier that delivers crisp highs and thundering lows from any connected device to the PX24’s full range 50mm speakers. The SuperAmp also includes convenient fingertip controls allowing listeners to tune the headset to their preferred gaming platform, and provides audio enhancements like Turtle Beach’s exclusive Superhuman Hearing™ audio preset, plus Turtle Beach Virtual Surround Sound, Variable Mic Monitoring and Variable Bass Boost. The PX24 also features an adjustable, high-sensitivity boom mic. MSRP £69.99

Additionally, to celebrate the long-awaited theatrical release of Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™, Turtle Beach’s holiday lineup will soon be joined by the Star Wars™ X-Wing Pilot gaming headset. Planned to launch this November in advance of the film, the X-Wing Pilot is an all-new gaming headset for PS4™, Xbox One and mobile/tablet gaming devices, based on Turtle Beach’s new Recon series entry-level gaming headset design. Lightweight and comfortable, the X-Wing Pilot headset is themed after the signature orange jumpsuits worn by Rebel Alliance pilots, and offers a range of features for a MSRP of £34.99.

Joining the battle with the Star Wars™ X-Wing Pilot is the Star Wars™-themed Sandtrooper gaming headset for the eagerly anticipated Star Wars™ Battlefront™ video game. The Sandtrooper is a multiplatform gaming headset for PS4, Xbox One, PC and mobile/tablet devices, and features an over-ear design for extended comfort, a removable high-sensitivity boom mic, and thundering 50mm speakers that deliver sound the way Star Wars™ is meant to be heard for a MSRP £69.99.

The rest of Turtle Beach’s holiday 2015 entry-level gaming headset lineup includes:

  • Ear Force Recon 30X Chat Headset – Featuring an original, innovative slotted ear-cup design, Turtle Beach’s Recon 30X is an officially licensed chat headset for Xbox One, and also works with PS4, PC, Mac and mobile/tablet devices. The Recon 30X comes with convenient in-line Volume and Mic Mute controls, and features a single 40mm over-ear speaker with a unique, slotted design enabling players to hear game audio with both ears for a much better audio experience. MSRP £19.99
  • Ear Force Recon 50 / Recon 50X / Recon 50P Gaming Headsets – The Ear Force Recon 50 series gaming headsets are multiplatform compatible for PC and Mac, Xbox One, PS4 and mobile/tablet devices, and feature a brand new, lightweight over-ear design with 40mm speakers built for great sound and extended comfort. The Recon 50/50X/50P comes with an adjustable and removable high-sensitivity boom mic and convenient in-line controls for Volume and Mic Muting. The Recon 50 also includes a PC-Y adapter for universal PC, Mac and mobile/tablet compatibility. MSRP £29.99
  • Ear Force Recon 60P Gaming Headset – An amplified stereo headset for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation®3, the Recon 60P plugs directly into an available USB port to deliver amazing sound and Mic Monitoring, and features 40mm speakers and a brand new over-ear design for added comfort. The Recon 60P comes with an adjustable and removable high-sensitivity boom mic, plus convenient in-line Volume and Mic Mute controls, and is multiplatform compatible for Xbox One, PC, Mac and mobile/tablet devices in addition to the PS4 and PS3. MSRP £39.99

With the holidays just around the corner, be sure to check out Turtle Beach’s full lineup of new, high-quality gaming headsets and accessories at www.turtlebeach.com, and be sure to follow Turtle Beach on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Turtle Beach Corporation

Turtle Beach Corporation (www.turtlebeachcorp.com) designs leading-edge audio products for the consumer, commercial and healthcare markets. Under the Turtle Beach brand (www.turtlebeach.com), the Company markets a wide selection of quality gaming headsets catering to a variety of gamers’ needs and budgets, for use with video game consoles, including officially-licensed headsets for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as for personal computers and mobile/tablet devices. Under the HyperSound brand (www.hypersound.com), the Company markets pioneering directed audio solutions that have applications in digital signage and kiosks, consumer electronics and healthcare. The company’s shares are traded on the NASDAQ Exchange under the symbol: HEAR.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Except for historical information contained in this release, statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements regarding assumptions, projections, expectations, targets, intentions or beliefs about future events. Forward looking statements are based on management’s statements containing the words “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “estimate”, “target”, “project”, “intend” and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current belief, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management.
While the Company believes that its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurances that its goals and strategy will be realized. Numerous factors, including risks and uncertainties, may affect actual results and may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by the Company or on its behalf. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the substantial uncertainties inherent in acceptance of existing and future products, the difficulty of commercializing and protecting new technology, the impact of competitive products and pricing, general business and economic conditions, risks associated with the expansion of our business including the implementation of any businesses we acquire, our indebtedness, and other factors discussed in our public filings, including the risk factors included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s other periodic reports. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement after the date of this release whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Hardcore Adult Visual Novel ‘Euphoria’ Release Date Set, Pre-Orders Opened

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The infamous Euphoria eroge was announced for English release a little over a year ago and now MangaGamer has announced that the title finally has a release date and because of that, they have opted to open up pre-orders for the 18+ title. Those who pre-order the $44.95 title from MangaGamer’s official website will be able to get it at a 10% discount until the title is released on November 27th for the PC.

MangaGamer’s release of Euphoria will be completely uncut and uncensored when it is released and it is worth noting that ClockUp’s visual novel is going to be something quite a bit rough for some people as it places the one male and six females in a game of death where they can only survive by obeying demands that are absolutely atrocious, asking how far players will go to save someone else’s life. Those who do wish to try out the game before it is released can also find a demo, as well as additional details, on the game’s official website. (Adults Only)

Is the Order a Rabbit? Complete Collection Review

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Is the Order a Rabbit? Complete Collection
Studio: White Fox
Publisher: Sentai Filmworks
Format: DVD, Blu-ray (Reviewed)
Release Date: July 14, 2015
Price: $59.99 – Available Here

Overview
Beginning in 2011 a four-koma manga series called Is the Order a Rabbit? began running in Japan and despite only gathering enough content for a few volumes by 2014, an anime series was created. When it comes to series like this, they live and die depending on how well fans take to the characters in a slice of life series. With a second season currently airing in Japan, the first season of Is the Order a Rabbit? has been released in the West, is this series one worth picking up?

Story
A young high school girl named Cocoa Hoto has just arrived in a new European-themed town where she will be attending high school for the next few years. While searching she comes across the Rabbit House café and, thinking that it will be filled with rabbits, enters the place only to find a young girl named Chino working alone with a large white fluffball on top of her head. It just so happens that the ball of fluff is actually a rabbit named Tippy and that the Rabbit House café also serves as the residence of Chino and her family, exactly where Cocoa is supposed to be staying.

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After stumbling upon her new place of residence Cocoa quickly makes herself at home and learns that the Rabbit House was founded by Chino’s grandfather and that during the day Chino runs the coffee shop while at night her father takes his place behind the desk and serves alcohol alongside the aforementioned rabbit who just so happens to be able to speak in an old man voice through mysterious circumstances revolving around Chino’s grandfather and possibly Cocoa at a younger age.

Cocoa is more than happy to be staying with Chino as she has a self-admitted sister complex and eagerly works alongside Chino in the café, even going so far as to bake special bread from time to time since it is her specialty. Chino is a bit cold to Cocoa but never more than necessary and even though she doesn’t like how clingy Cocoa can be at times she accepts her as a new friend easily enough. Joining the pair is another girl named Rize who spends her time working at the café when she isn’t training.

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You see, Rize comes from a well-off family where her father is a soldier and has drilled her into being an excellent athlete with a habit of carrying around a gun or a knife. Despite her serious and straightforward nature, she enjoys feminine things even more than any of the other girls as she often swoons whenever something cute happens or is shown to her. Alongside Rize we have Sharo, another girl who attends the same school as Rize who looks up to Rize due to her saving her from a feral rabbit at a young age.

Despite not enjoying coffee thanks to the way caffeine makes her act hyper, she is more than willing to spend time with the three although she is trying to put on the show of also being from a rich family despite living as a scholarship student next to the final main girl in the series, Chiya. Attending the same school as Cocoa, Chiya works for a rival coffee shop but that rivalry has long since faded, allowing Chiya to become quick friends with Cocoa since they both share a fondness for rabbits and have similar personalities while also easily getting along with the rest of the group.

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Is the Order a Rabbit? is the type of slice of life series that rarely goes deep in any way. There are a few elements that are tapped upon such as hinting at the mystery of why Tippy appears to contain Chino’s grandfather but the series never brings drama more than one of the girls catching a fever and the rest caring for her in a heartwarming manner.

Instead this is the slice of life series that is all about setting an enjoyable and comfortable mood where the viewers are able to unwind and enjoy a series that follows the four girls as they take part in various activities such as making latte art, picking out new mugs, telling fortunes from coffee stains, and only occasionally actually focusing on how the girls are actually in school still and simply playing around. This of course means that Is the Order a Rabbit? isn’t the most engaging series in the world but it does provide its fair share of laughs, cute scenes, and heartwarming moments that fans of this type of series will be looking for.

Visuals
Something that helps set Is the Order a Rabbit? apart a bit from your standard slice of life series is how the story spends most of its time centered around the girls actually spending time or working around their respective cafés. The quaint European theme to the town presents a calming and unique atmosphere to surround the cast and although the series is very colorful they are toned down a bit to not appear garish against the backdrop.

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The character designs are as cute as they come with the “moe” nature being pushed to the extreme very often, usually for comedic purposes due to Cocoa’s reaction. Plus considering the rabbit themed nature for the series one can expect plenty of different rabbits to appear at random times, with even Tippy being a rabbit breed that I didn’t know of at the start. It is worth noting that there are some very minor fan service elements though this is given little focus since most of it comes from the girls playing around during the summer than anything else.

Audio
Considering Is the Order a Rabbit? is a slice of life anime series it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to hear that Sentai Filmworks has chosen to release the series with only the original Japanese voice track accompanied by English subtitles. This is a smart choice given the nature of the series and the possibility of certain jokes being lost in translation as the original voice actresses perform their roles perfectly here.

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The soundtrack features a nice mix of calming background music and comedic tunes depending on the situation while the opening theme “Daydream Café” is sung by the voice actresses for the main girls and is very enjoyable and the calming ending theme “Poppin’ Jump” is sung by the voice actresses of Chino and her two school friends.

Extras
The only bonus features contained on this release are clean versions of the opening and ending animations as well as trailers for other Sentai Filmworks anime releases.

Overall
If you are looking for a slice of life series that you can sit down and relax with a few laughs then Is the Order a Rabbit? fits that category perfectly even if it does have its fair share of standard cliches. This series doesn’t attempt to explain various oddities in the world or throw any drama at the viewer to advance things and instead focuses on creating a charming atmosphere where the girls spend their days playing around in everyday and strange situations as well as partaking in various café activities ranging from making tea, baking bread, and brewing coffee. This does mean that those looking for something a bit serious or something with a twist halfway through will find the series lacking but for everyone looking for a light and enjoyable series then Is the Order a Rabbit? is right up your alley.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Already Smashing Records

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Who would have thought that a Disney-produced Star Wars movie would break box office records? All sarcasm aside, what is a surprise is the fact that even though tickets have only been available since 8am this morning, that the film, in the first four hours that tickets were available had already sold $1million worth of tickets.

When you average out ticket prices for Australian cinemas, you get around $20 per ticket, meaning that around 500,000 people had purchased tickets to the 7th installment to the epic space-faring franchise by midday today.

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This no doubt means that the J. J. Abrams directed flick is already well on-track to be one of the highest grossing films of the year, if not all-time. If you haven’t got your tickets yet, then be sure to do them soon or risk missing out on screenings during the first week, and if you need a little extra to hype you up, check out today’s newly released trailer here.

EINSTEIN™ QUIZ RUNNER – THE NEW ACTION QUIZ FOR APPLE® iPHONE®/iPAD®

EINSTEIN™ QUIZ RUNNER – THE NEW ACTION QUIZ FOR APPLE® iPHONE®/iPAD® 

The Maker of the Popular Mental Fitness Game Einstein™ Brain Trainer Now Delivers Einstein™ Quiz Runner, The New Action Quiz – Explore the World and Universe with Albert Einstein

Munich, Germany – October 19, 2015 – BBG Entertainment, a leading producer and publisher of digital entertainment products, announced today the worldwide release of Einstein Quiz Runner priced at US$ 1.99 / Euro 1.99 / £ 1.49 and Einstein Quiz Runner Free (free version without premium features – e.g. being ad-free) for the Apple iPhone/iPad on the Apple iTunes App Store℠. An Android version will be added later.

Einstein™ Quiz Runner allows players to test their skills and knowledge while exploring the world and the universe with Albert Einstein. The app takes players on an exciting journey on land, water and air with a variety of levels and vehicles. Einstein™ Quiz Runner is an extremely entertaining, almost addictive game, offering a constant challenge and lots of fun at the same time!

This new and exciting action quiz puts the player’s brain, eyes, fingers and reactions to the test! One can test their knowledge with questions about Albert Einstein as well as a host of other categories, such as geography, history, culture, technology and science. Players control the iPhone/iPad through movements, gliding through varied landscapes, having to overcome many obstacles while collecting diamonds and coins to buy power-ups along the way.

Comprehensive statistics allow the player to compare results to other players instantly in the public Game Center. Finally, the awarding of ranks from know-it-all to junior professor ensures that Einstein™ Quiz Runner is a blast to play for all. All levels and graphics of the game were individually designed with high levels of creativity, making this a truly unique action quiz.

Munich-based BBG Entertainment hit the bull’s eye already with its Einstein™ Brain Trainer  for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Within a matter of days of launch, the game leapt into the top games apps sold around the world. On May 16th 2013 the Android version of Einstein™ Brain Trainer was awarded from the famous 148apps and Pocketgamer portal with the “BestAppEver” prize in the categories “Best Education App” and “Best Brain and Puzzle Game”.

Einstein™ Quiz Runner is completely localized into English, German, French, Italian, and Russian.

Einstein™ Quiz Runner features include:

  • Hundreds of quiz questions from many different subjects
  • Hours of gameplay fun
  • A unique blend of quiz, action and skills gameplay
  • Compare your score to others. The best results in terms of time and knowledge are stored in the Game Center high score rankings
  • Rise in the rankings and receive unique titles up to junior professor
  • Game bonus missions to collect more gold coins to buy new levels or power-ups

For more information visit http://www.bbg-entertainment.com/games/einstein-quiz-runner

New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer Arrives

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Time for the hype train to leave the station folks, because Disney and LucasFilm have just dropped the biggest, most badass trailer for this year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens yet! After a few teasers we now have our first proper look at just how the film will shape up.

Anyway, enough blabbering from me. Check out the trailer below and then let us know your thoughts and speculations in the comments section. As always, may the force be with you and make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the epic Star Wars news as it becomes available. Also don’t forget that tickets to the film went on sale this morning, so make sure you go online and order yours ASAP!

Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden Review

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Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: October 16th, 2015
Price: $59.95 AU – Available Here / $29.95 US– Available Here

Overview

Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is the first Dragon Ball title to be released for the 3DS outside of the currently Japan-only Dragon Ball Heroes. Although the first for the handheld, it is far from being the first 2D fighting game revolving around the popular anime series. Hopes are high this time around with Arc System Works developing the game, who people might know from their work on the popular Guilty Gear and BlazBlue series and also for creating Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors and the sequel for the original Nintendo DS. Does Extreme Butoden live up to it’s name or is it just a bluff? Continue reading our full review to find out.

Story

Extreme Butoden features 2 main story modes in Z-Story and Adventure mode. Don’t be fooled by the trickily named Quest Mode which also features in the main menu, which is sadly a simple Streetpass profile trading feature and although I didn’t get a chance to test this feature out with another person, based on that description I really can’t see it being anything worth anyone’s time.

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Z-Story follows the story of Dragon Ball Z as it has been told and retold over the past 20 or so years now with some very small, unimportant changes. Your first run through story mode will see you take on the biggest 10 fights that the game allows with it’s playable roster. After that you unlock character specific stories that focus on battles involving that particular character, which means a lot of the stories overlap with each other leading to the same fights.

The story is told in the blandest way possible, using text, still portraits and a few sound effects to try and convey some of the shows more epic moments. Long time fans will most likely be bored while people not entirely familiar with the story of DBZ will be left lost as characters come out of nowhere and events spanning several episodes are summed up in a single sentence. Z-Story mode is essentially the most bare bones story mode you could ask for in a Dragon Ball Z game. It’s serviceable but ultimately mediocre at best.

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Where both new and old fans alike can have a bit of fun is in the decently lengthy Adventure mode where there is an original story that, from what I can gather, takes place sometime after the end of Dragon Ball GT but with anomalies all over the place such as Kami being alive and Supreme Kai and Kibito not being fused. The plot centers around a slowly-becoming-stale plot device about how time has become distorted thanks to the Black Star Dragon Balls. It’s basically an excuse to get every character in the one place, however there is actually some well written dialogue spoken between some characters that should please the hardcore followers, even if there are some strange inconsistencies that will no doubt irritate them. Being a fairly hardcore Dragon Ball fan this is honestly one of the best original storylines I have played in a Dragon Ball title, rivaling Shin Budokai 2 on the PSP and Dragon Ball Xenoverse in terms of script and scale although not as well presented.

In Adventure mode players visit 8 worlds with a number of stages on each in a very similar style to a Super Mario Bros. map. Most of these stages are simple battles but will often have a reward on offer (mostly an unlockable support character) if you can get an s rank by playing well and satisfying a certain condition like end a battle with a super attack or land 3 of a certain combo. Not all missions are battles though, with some simply being talk missions that extend the story and offer a reward as a freebie.

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Outside of those two modes there is a free battle mode, vs mode (offline, local only) and extras mode. These modes are perfect for what they are, allowing you to make your own dream teams and pit them against whoever you like. There really is no excuse to omit online multiplayer these days but unfortunately that is the road taken here and it does limit the games replayability if you don’t have another person to play against. Extras mode is also pretty lacking, only featuring profiles for the playable characters and a sound test.

Gameplay

Extreme Butoden is a strictly 2D sprite fighter. Each character has the same inputs and move similarly, but each has different abilities, special attacks and ultimates. A good example is the basic ki blast, where Goku will simply fire a single ki blast forward, while Vegeta will jump into the air and can perform a rapid barrage of ki blast if you keep mashing the A button. This makes being able to use any fighter a lot easier while still providing a sense of variety among the fighters.

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Honestly, I don’t feel 2D games are well suited to the Dragon Ball license as they limit too much of what the characters can do but Arc System Works has done a good job with the combat system here. Fans of the old 2D sprite based Dragon Ball games from times past will love the action on offer here as it’s basically a much more refined version of those older titles. Players have basic attacks, heavy attacks, ki attacks, specials and ultimates available at their disposal as well as a basic guard and evade button which can set you up for a combo if timed correctly. While the combat can appear simple on the surface there are some techniques advanced players can master such as the Z-Cancel and evade. The game fits the moniker of easy to pick up hard to master perfectly, with simple combos being easy to perform and even super attacks having basic inputs.

Back to the roster, thanks to the time and effort required to create sprites, Extreme Butoden features a rather small 25 playable characters (5 of which that are unlockable) and that is a little disappointing, with some major omissions including Tien, Yamcha and Android 17. In a cast of characters this diverse exclusions are always disappointing, especially after being spoiled for choice with countless other titles. The other 75 or so support characters help ease the pain, but only go so far to expanding the combat system, either providing a small attack such as Yamcha’s Wolf Fang Fist or a buff or de-buff such as Oolong that summons a de-buffing pair of panties that humorously stick to your opponent.

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Visuals

Fans of sprite work will love the visuals here and considering the 3DS isn’t a graphical powerhouse the sprites are very well detailed for the most part. Animations are fluid and physical attacks look great and impactful. You can get some pretty epic back and forth fight sequences together if you and your opponent are both capable players, vanishing behind each other and unleashing powerful combos. The dynamic camera that shakes, zooms and follows the characters around the screen makes the battles even more of spectacle. The game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second which is a big plus for the visuals and gameplay.

The 3D background environments look pretty good and I will give the artists credit for accurately translating iconic locations from the show into the game, even if I feel 2D backgrounds would have been a better choice for a sprite styled game. Menu’s and UI are all easy to understand and navigate as well except for the blue bar next to the green guard meter which I’m still not sure about what it represents. Sadly the biggest negative is the ultimate attacks, which look accurate but are way too drawn out and uninspired on the presentation side, turning what should be an epic looking attack into a boring experience which really takes the pace out of the fight.

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Any Dragon Ball game with an animated opening sequence scores a few bonus points in the visuals category for me and it was nice to see a really fun, well animated opening here that mixed in some characters you wouldn’t normally see in these sequences. Where the game loses a few points is the over world in Adventure mode which looks very rushed, but this can be overlooked as the it serves no real purpose outside of being a glorified level select feature.

Audio

The game features an excellent, high energy soundtrack that fits perfectly with the pace of the fights. Outside of the music the sound quality for the sound effects and voices is a little on the low side even with a pair of headphones plugged in, however this might be a deliberate effect to try and replicate the older days where sprite based games were in their prime.

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Unfortunately anyone hoping for the English dub will be dissapointed as the game only has Japanese audio and there aren’t really any subtitles to translate what the characters are saying. I can’t comment too much on these voices as I normally listen to the English dub, but from what I’ve heard in game and heard from source material the voices all match up well to the original actors and their actual acting is on par with what you would expect from those characters.

Overall

Extreme may be a little too substantial of a word on this occasion. Maybe Dragon Ball Z: Good Butoden would have been a more accurate title despite not sounding quite as impressive. While the bland presentation of the main story mode makes it a bit of a chore to play through, the well written Adventure Mode makes up for this with it’s all new scenario and fun mission based story levels. The core gameplay here is fun, fast paced (outside of the way too drawn out Ultimate Attacks) and looks impressive thanks to the great sprite work, but a small roster means your favourite fighter may be sidelined to the support character selection screen. The graphics are solid as is the soundtrack in what is a well polished game, but the lack of an online mode will leave some players wanting more. Extreme Butoden is a solid Dragon Ball title that is arguably the best in it’s genre, however is lacking compared to some of it’s other franchise entries.

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