Page 3292 – Capsule Computers

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September 16, 2015

Wargaming Breaks New Grounds with The Pacific Rumble

NA and APAC will meet on the battlefield in a Wargaming first

September 16, 2015 — Wargaming has begun registrations for the upcoming qualifying tournament All You Need Is Battle Season 2. The registration period is from 14 September to 25 September 2015 at the following link:

http://worldoftanks.asia/uc/tournaments/342/

The top APAC teams from All You Need Is Battle Season 2 – one each from the Asia and Korea servers – will meet two teams from North America, and a Wild Card qualifying team from Japan in a brand new challenge series titled The Pacific Rumble. Designed as part of a series of “mini Grand Finals”, The Pacific Rumble is not only Wargaming’s first cross-continent eSports event that pits the top NA teams against the best APAC teams, it also offers players the opportunities to share and learn from global experiences.

The Pacific Rumble will see the top World of Tanks teams representing NA and APAC battle it out in the land of mecha, anime and sushi – Japan – in early November 2015. The final stakes are the right to be crowned champions, and a major share in the total prize winnings of $100,000USD. A fierce battle of skill and teamwork will be on display for a world-class spectacle of blazing firepower. The Pacific Rumble will be held at the Bellesalle Akihabara B1, in Tokyo, Japan.

To learn more about the Wargaming.net League APAC, please visit:

http://asia.wgleague.net/en/

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About the Wargaming.net League

Established in 2013, the Wargaming.net League is Wargaming’s professional eSports league. It showcases one of the company’s key products in an eSports capacity; runs all-year-round world-class events giving professional and aspiring gamers a platform to compete and excel, and provides its ever-growing, global audience with instant access to premier competitive gaming content.

The League promotes eSports through large-scale events and premium content, fostering its popularity among gamers and spectators. The massive prize pools and world-class competitive gaming tournaments are broadcasted live to millions of viewers. In addition, the League’s accessibility attracts new teams and contributes to global audience growth, with the ultimate goal of turning all eSports into a professional sport.

Having grown from a player-encouraged initiative into a worldwide organization, the League puts its community first and evolves based on the needs of pro-gamers and viewers. Format and rule sets for matches are continually improved in close cooperation with professional players.

The Wargaming.net League infrastructure gives aspiring players a clear ladder of progression for them to transition to the pro scene. Split into three divisions—Gold, Silver, and Bronze Series—it allows for skilled players to tap into the world of pro-gaming and provides them with a clear path onward to the top echelon.

Official website:

http://asia.wgleague.net

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher and one of the leaders in the free-to-play MMO market. Founded as a privately held company in 1998, Wargaming has shipped more than 15 titles. Currently, Wargaming is focused on its team-based MMO war series dedicated to the mid-20th century warfare that will include the tank warfare title World of Tanks, the flight combat World of Warplanes, and the naval World of Warships. The three intertwined titles will form a common gaming universe integrated within the portal www.wargaming.net.

As part of its multiplatform line-up, the company has introduced World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition and World of Tanks Blitz. Launched in 2014, World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition introduced epic tank-on-tank battles to console gamers and the mobile MMO game World of Tanks Blitz has opened up Wargaming’s trademark team-based military IP to smartphone and tablet users worldwide.

Official website:

www.wargaming.com

TURTLE BEACH CORPORATION LAUNCHES THE EAR FORCE STEALTH 450

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 16, 2015

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TURTLE BEACH CORPORATION LAUNCHES THE EAR FORCE STEALTH 450

100% FULLY WIRELESS PC GAMING HEADSET FEATURING DTS HEADPHONE:X 7.1 SURROUND SOUND AND SUPERHUMAN HEARING

With a Similar Design to Turtle Beach’s Fan-Favorite Stealth 420X Xbox One Gaming Headset, the Stealth 450 Wireless Gaming Headset

Offers PC Gamers a Robust Suite of Features for Just AU$199

Sydney, Australia — September 16, 2015 — Leading-edge audio technology company and #1 in gaming audio, Turtle Beach Corporation, today announced the Ear Force® Stealth 450 Wireless PC gaming headset is exclusively available at EB Games in Australia. With a new headset style similar to Turtle Beach’s recently launched Stealth 420X Xbox One gaming headset – one of Amazon’s highest-rated gaming headsets – the Stealth 450 offers PC gamers the same 100% fully wireless connectivity plus a wealth of features, including DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound, Superhuman Hearing™ and much more, all for a RRP of just AU$199. The Ear Force Stealth 450 wireless PC gaming headset is set for release in early October exclusively through EB Games in Australia.

“The Stealth 450 PC gaming headset offers an amazing mix of best-in-class features to PC gamers for an amazing price,” said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. “And the 450 is very similar in design to our fan-favorite 420X that we launched for Xbox One in July, so we know we’ve got another winning gaming headset sure to keep PC gamers happy.”

The full list of features for the Ear Force Stealth 450 includes:

100% Fully Wireless – No wires anywhere. Experience crystal clear game and chat audio using the latest, intelligent channel-hopping technology for interference-free wireless gaming.

Simple Setup – One simple-to-set-up USB connection to the PC and players’ wireless gaming dreams come true.

DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound & Sound Presets – Experience DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound with incredibly accurate, unmatched spatialization.

Superhuman Hearing – From the faintest of enemy footsteps to weapon reloads off in the distance, Superhuman Hearing ensures gamers hear it all by amplifying soft sounds when switched on. This exclusive Turtle Beach audio processing gives players the competitive advantage of hearing enemies before they come into view.

STOP SHOUTING! – Variable Mic Monitoring lets players hear their own voice in the headset to avoid shouting.

Lightweight & Comfortable Headset Design – An updated over-ear headset design with breathable, fabric/mesh-wrapped ear-cups provides for superior comfort during those long PC gaming sessions.

Mic Check – A high-sensitivity, adjustable boom mic picks-up voice audio loud and clear. Remove the mic to enjoy mobile/tablet gaming, as well as listening to music and watching movies.

Voice Prompts – Audible voice prompts from the headset tell gamers what setting they’ve selected.

15 Hour Rechargeable Battery – A built-in rechargeable battery delivers up to 15 hours of wireless gaming.

For more info on the latest Turtle Beach gaming headsets and accessories, visit www.turtlebeach.com, and be sure to follow Turtle Beach on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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EMBARK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER FROM BUNGIE AND ACTIVISION WITH DESTINY: THE TAKEN KING

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 16, 2015

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EMBARK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER FROM BUNGIE AND ACTIVISION WITH DESTINY: THE TAKEN KING

Never Been a Better Time to Jump into the Destiny Universe

Destiny Year Two Gives New Players and Veteran Guardians the Ability to Carve Their Legends in the Stars

Sydney, Australia. — September 16, 2015 — Bungie and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) have joined forces to bring the world Destiny: The Taken King, the epic follow-up to the blockbuster Destiny saga. Building upon Destiny, the biggest new video game franchise launch in history, Destiny: The Taken King expands the universe with a rich and diverse offering, including new adventures, challenges, enemies, and weapons that make for the most ambitious addition to the Destiny universe yet. The Taken King can be purchased now, worldwide, in each territory where available at global retailers, and through console digital stores. Additionally, the ‘King’s Fall’ Raid will go live at 3am AEST on Saturday, Sept. 19, giving millions of players in the Destiny community the biggest new challenge and commensurate rewards to date.

With a new storyline introducing Oryx, Crota’s vengeful father, an all-new destination, three new Guardian subclasses, a massive arsenal of new armor, weapons and exotics, new Strikes and Crucible maps, and the new ‘King’s Fall’ Raid that will put players to the ultimate test, there has never been a better time to jump in to “Become Legend,” particularly for new players beginning their journey as a Guardian. The Taken King major expansion takes players deep into the chambers of a new destination, the ‘Dreadnaught’ ship, to defeat Oryx, and his Taken Army.

“The biggest new video game franchise launch in history is back!” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “For the millions who have been playing Destiny already, The Taken King offers epic new adventures across all modes of play, with all-new enemies, destinations, weapons and challenges. And if you’re new to Destiny, this is the perfect time to jump in, by getting all of the incredible adventures of Destiny to date in one epic Legendary Edition for a value that won’t be seen anywhere in gaming this year.”

“Destiny has the best and most passionate community we’ve ever seen at Bungie. As we started planning for year two, we wanted to surprise, engage and challenge those that have put in hundreds, if not thousands of hours of their personal time in to the universe,” said Luke Smith, creative director for The Taken King at Bungie. “We hope The Taken King will exceed the high bar of expectations from our voracious audience, and welcome new Guardians into this next great chapter.”

For players who are new to Destiny, everything needed to jump in is available in the Legendary Edition which includes content for: Destiny, Expansion I: The Dark Below, Expansion II: House of Wolves, and features The Taken King offered at a suggested retail price of $99.95. Those who have already purchased Destiny and both expansions can purchase a digital copy of The Taken King by itself for a suggested retail price of $69.95. At launch, PlayStation® gamers will also receive access to a host of additional content for The Taken King, including a Strike, a Crucible map, three sets of armor and an exotic weapon, timed exclusive until at least Spring 2016. Both The Taken King and the Legendary Edition will also include a character boost, called “Spark of Light,” a one-time increase to level 25 which is the minimum level required to play The Taken King content.

The Taken King is rated ‘M’ for mature, and will be available for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system (PlayStation® Plus required for some features), PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system and Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft (Xbox Live Gold required for some features) on Sept. 15, 2015.

The community can interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net, www.facebook.com/Bungie and @Bungie on Twitter. For game information, they can visit www.DestinyTheGame.com and follow the official Destiny social channels at www.facebook.com/DestinyTheGame and @DestinyTheGame on Twitter.

About Bungie

Bungie was founded in 1991 with two goals: develop kick ass games that combine state-of-the-art technology with uncompromising art, captivating storytelling, and deep gameplay, and then to sell enough copies to fund our ongoing quest for World Domination. Over the past twenty years, Bungie created a bunch of fun games, including the Halo franchise, the Marathon Trilogy, and the first two Myth games. Our independent, employee-owned development studio is located in Bellevue, Washington, the base where we launched our most ambitious project to date: Destiny.

More information about Bungie can be found at www.bungie.net.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment.) Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website,www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

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Destiny game, Expansions I & II required to play, all included in the Legendary and Collector’s editions.

© 2015 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Destiny, the Destiny Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are among the trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Activision. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks or trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence Review

Dustin Spencer

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September 16, 2015

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Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence Review

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence
Developer: Koei Tecmo
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Platforms: PC, Playstation 4 (Reviewed)
Release Date: September 4, 2015
Price: PS4 $59.99 Buy Here, Steam $59.99 Buy Here

Overview
There are some games that wouldn’t have stood a chance in America without a little faith from the publisher. Luckily, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence has launched on the Playstation 4 because of Koei Tecmo, and brings with it everything fans love about the franchise. Originally released on the Playstation 3 over a year ago in Japan, this strategy sim has made its mark already and brings back the addicting gameplay players love to a new generation of platforms. Like most imports however, it comes with its own set of rules that may or may not scare away new players. How does this Ambition play out?

Story
I want to start by saying that no matter which genre of a Nobunaga title you are playing, the story always feels linked to Koei’s other big hits such as Dynasty Warriors and of course the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as it follows one young hero who is attempting to unite a 16th century Japan. While the story isn’t really riveting or even that meaningful, it does offer Koei’s usual in-depth history lesson, giving players a taste of the times through a good amount of dialogue through the text driven cutscenes. There is also a bit of humor mixed in, but without animation or much expression – its best to use your imagination to get more out of the narrative than a lesson in culture. I suppose if this was my first taste of the series I would have been more enthralled, but there isn’t a ton that sets this title apart from its predecessors other than minor differences and the exact dialogue spoken, but still enjoyable enough to keep you going as you build and unite an empire.

Gameplay
Say you see Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence sitting on the shelf. The cover alone doesn’t show us much as the game relies on its namesake and loyal fans to push numbers. Those who do take the plunge however need to know that they are in for a treat if they can manage to grasp it all. It has been a good while since I have played Nobunaga’s Ambition in any form, so the tutorial, while lengthy – was very needed. This little learning tool drags a ton but teaches the player all of the basics. How to manage crops, earn labor, gold, and everything else to keep your community growing. The heavy amount of icons and text on the rather bland looking map do not do newcomers or even returning players much assistance unless they have a full understanding from this tutorial, but once you get the game – the addiction truly begins.

Players are provided a very small territory at first and have very few resources. The main resource to worry about is your labor, which allows men to perform tasks such as building, working on diplomacy to gain truce, planting crops to keep your people alive, and simply waiting for each task to be completed by your clan. As you progress, you will be able to build an army and slowly take over smaller territories or persuade ally troops to join you for land domination, which keeps the game interesting due to the little animations that occur on the map to signal a change in the environment. I understand, that isn’t a very detailed way of putting it, but this is a very detailed game and one that could take just as long as the tutorial to explain in this text I am typing. To be honest, I was so clueless during my first hour I grew frustrated. Then, like a puzzle everything came together like an interlinking web.

The more territories you claim, the more land you possess which can make you a target as you grow near enemy villages. This means that you must use strategy to survive. Do you rush the enemy with full force, attempt democracy for a peaceful takeover, or retreat for a bit to build up more of a structured army? Generals each have a large variety of techniques that can greatly assist on the battlefield, which keeps things from getting too tedious overall. Between the somewhat decent AI and these abilities, that is about the only variation players can expect other than watching a population grow. I know, its a strategy game and that is the point, but without a lot of flash and sizzle that we have seen in similar products, things can get boring after hours on end and even easy – dare I say it. I found myself using the same tactics over and over and even playing with my phone almost as much as I was playing the game itself while waiting for actions to occur. Thankfully time can be sped up and combat happens in real-time, but as I said – getting the rewards of a victory take time and the inpatient probably will give quickly in this deep – yet somewhat unfulfilling experience.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun with Sphere of Influence. I sunk a hefty amount of hours into the product here and mostly enjoyed it. Those who want the charms of something more simplistic like Civilization Revolution however are going to realize quickly that this is a very mature title that expects the same back from its players. Its a game where you have to learn, think, and use strategy to expand -and while it does get simple after a while, just knowing that you conquered one campaign can make you feel fantastic. I do wish there were other maps, but this is a game about one region and not multiple locations. Its just large enough to go back again, but small enough to take a good break in-between sessions to avoid more tedious actions.

Visuals
Visually, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence looks great. I mean it isn’t going to test the power of your Playstation 4 and probably would not have even very powerful on a Playstation 3, but the colors make up for the lack of design, and most will be so interested in simply thinking about what to next that they will not be worried about the subtle sprites and map features. You can get a closer look at almost anytime by zooming in a good bit, and there is some nicely built structures to look at that give the player a closer view of how their clans are growing as the landscape starts to evolve. The text however could use a bit of a boost as I had to move close to see many of my options as the beige colors with white text seemed to clash and make it hard to read from a distance.

Audio
The music, well – its generic, but nothing bothersome. This is a title you are going to spend hours on end playing so I suppose that is a positive for this title. The tempo and current track always represent your current status as well. For instance, while you are simply at peace, assigning tasks and so on you will hear a light tune that is rather pleasant. Combat brings the beat to more intense rhythm, allowing for better immersion overall.

Overall
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence is a great addition to the genre but one that has a strict learning curve. Once you get past learning the basics, this may in fact be your new addition as the tedious yet satisfying gameplay can be a joy as you grow an empire. Consider this game as micromanagement 101, where you are not really able to go in and conquer, but instead have to learn, memorize, and strategize in order to gain ground. Sphere of Influences strongest trait is its complex nature, while its weakest is to keep the player’s attention after mastering the game itself. That being said, you can’t really go wrong with the rich and habit-forming gameplay that Koei has delivered in this package.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Super Mario Maker Review

Nathan Farrugia

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September 16, 2015

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Super Mario Maker
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Wii U
Release Date: 12/9/2015
Price: $79.95 (AU) – Available Here / $59.95 (US) – Available Here

Overview

The 30th anniversary of Mario is upon us and Nintendo is celebrating it’s most popular IP with Super Mario Maker, a game which allows you to create, play and share your very own Super Mario levels! If you’re a fan of the Italian plumbers past 2D titles or have always aspired to be a level designer for Nintendo then no doubt the games premise will have you excited, but is it well executed? Read on for our full review.

Story

If there’s one thing Super Mario Maker lacks it’s story. There’s none to speak of here not that it is really needed in a title like this, however not having some kind of core mode does leave the game feeling slightly lacking, as no matter how good the builder and created levels are they fall short of offering the content expected in a full retail priced game in my opinion. I do however give props to Nintendo for implementing the whole “Princess is in another castle” bit whenever you complete the 10 or 100 Mario Challenge, where the dialogue from Toad will change if you have a different costume on at the end of the last stage.

Gameplay

Super Mario Maker consists of two main game modes, create and play, both which are easily accessible from within the games menus. Firstly, I’ll talk about create mode.

If I had to summarise the creation mode in one word it would be amazing. I’ll do my best to overwhelm you by simply describing some of the possibilities here. First there are 60 different objects that are gradually unlocked on the tool palette. These include things like the ground blocks, coin blocks, coins, goombas, koopa troopers, Bowser, Bowser Jr.s, trampolines, mushrooms, doors, warp pipes and many more. Now shaking a fair few of these items will change their properties, for example, shaking a green Cheep Cheep will turn it into a red Cheep Cheep which will follow Mario around more. Now you can place a mushroom on the enemies to make them giant and add wings on them for good measure. Now how about putting that enemy into a pipe so it keeps spawning? Then factor in that some objects will change depending on which of four game themes is being used and the stage layout. Overwhelmed yet?

The possibilities here are basically endless and so much of the content from Mario’s 2D adventures are present here. I did say most and that’s because there are unfortunately some omissions, perhaps the most glaring one being a lack of a checkpoint system. Some other honorable mentions go to the Charging Chuck enemy from Super Mario World, a number of power ups such as the Ice Flower and some level themes such as Ice and Dessert. It’s a shame there are some omissions in what is a giant Mario celebration, however I would argue the new possibilities we have here make up for what Nintendo chose to not include (except for checkpoints because people are making some damn hard levels and checkpoints would have really been appreciated).

The creator itself is very intuitive and makes great use of the GamePad’s unique screen and stylus offering. Players simply drag and drop elements from a top bar (which can be customised so you can have all your favourite items in one bar) onto the level grid below. Erasing elements is easy as pressing the eraser and rubbing out anything you don’t like. Players can also mass select an area with the stylus and move or copy those areas. I feel a zoom out function would have been appreciated here to select more of a level at once, however considering the max length of a stage the tools here are adequate. Making your stage a scrolling stage with 3 tiers of speed, editing the max time for a level and changing how far the flag pole is from the start of a level are easy to accomplish as well. Testing and fine tuning your levels couldn’t be easier, as a simple play and create button can be tapped to seamlessly switch been the two modes. I have to mention this is the first time I ever saw my Wii U GamePad’s battery level get down to red because I was so engrossed in perfecting my level.

For those without a creative whim (and those with one as well), you will appreciate the ease at which they can play other people’s creations. The online ‘course world’ mode allows users to browse through thousands of levels, with filters for difficulty and best rated being useful for finding some of the best levels and most successful creators who you can easily spot by how many rating stars they have received from other players. Player’s can also share levels directly through other means by a generated code. Any level online can be downloaded, allowing you to save it for offline play and edit it to your heart’s content.

Online is where the creativity available in the game truly shines, with players making levels of all types from clown car levels where you are tasked with dodging projectiles and enemies, to levels with a puzzle gimmick that can leave you stumped for ages, to missions where you may need to successfully escort a koopa troopa to the end of the stage to reach the goal post. Then there are of course a plethora of ultra difficult levels, which will have even the most competent Mario player nearing a breakdown. In a great move by Nintendo, any uploaded level must first be beaten by the creator, so every level online is definitely beatable.

Upon completing a level you receive a small completion flag and can leave a comment, however this comment functionality is all done through Miiverse and is unfortunately very slow and clunky, enough to deter people from actually using it. Unfortunately there is no high score leader board or similar for each level to give players a reason to retry levels, however some cool stats for each stage are kept such as number of attempts, successful attempts and popular danger areas in each stage which you can see when you lose a life in a level. Personal stats such as courses tried, cleared and total lives lost are fun to compare with other players and aid in offering a sense of satisfaction and progress in a game that has no true end game.

To tie custom levels together, Super Mario Maker contains the 10 Mario Challenge and the 100 Mario Challenge. The 10 Mario Challenge tasks you to complete 8 sample levels with 10 lives, while 100 Mario Challenge is basically an online version which replaces sample levels with user made ones and has three difficulty levels in easy, normal and expert. Completing these unlocks more sample levels and Mystery Mushroom costumes, which is a very nice feature that replaces the Mario sprite and most sound effects when a mushroom is gathered in an original Super Mario Bros. themed course. There are 100 of these to collect with at least some of them sure to offer a squeal of delight from players. These unlockables offer a fun reward for playing the game but can also be unlocked using a respective Amiibo.

Of course I should mention the actual platforming gameplay and being one of the genre standard franchises it is of course excellent. This is classic 2D Super Mario in the truest sense of word and the plumber controls just as fluidly and responsively as in past games, true to the games theme style (e.g. Mario can wall jump only in the New Super Mario Bros. U theme). Any lives you lose in Mario Maker will be your own fault (or the fault of an unexpected enemy hidden by some devious level creator).

Visuals

The visuals here are nothing new as you’ve seen it all before however I believe this is the first time the three retro themes have been presented in high definition, 60 frames per second widescreen which really gives them a new and shiny appearance. The four themes which can be applied to a stage are the original Super Mario Bros. look from the NES as well as the Super Mario Bros. 3 look from the same system, Super Mario World from the SNES and lastly the New Super Mario Bros. theme from the Wii U. All the themes bring a great deal of nostalgia with them and also look great with their new HD presentation. The fact that you can switch between the themes in create mode at any time is nothing short of impressive and you will be amazed how different one of your levels feels just by applying a different theme to it.

Audio

As with the visuals, the audio brings it’s own great sense of nostalgia along with some new music for themes that weren’t present in the older games. All the music and sound effects that normally accompany each represented games visual look and stage theme is present, but Super Mario Maker goes far beyond nostalgia in the audio department. From the custom sound effects that Mystery Costumes bring with them, to the fun way sound is used when placing elements on the stage to the ability to place premade and recorded sound effects within stages themselves, the audio in Super Mario Maker truly matches the fantastic visual presentation to celebrate 30 years of Mario.

Overall

Super Mario Maker is the perfect way to honour the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. Players can take everything they know from the series long history and go beyond it, creating never before seen experiences thanks to the games expansive yet simple level creator, despite some unfortunate omissions. For those who aren’t so creatively inclined the game will seem a little less brilliant, however playing others levels from a near infinite pool and the 60+ sample stages will keep you occupied for what could be forever granted your playing the game simply to have fun. Super Mario Maker is full of charm, nostalgia and great new experiences which are presented excellently in high definition with equally fantastic sound. While without a ‘core’ game mode the game may get older a little quicker, if you’re a platforming fan, a Mario fan or a general Nintendo fan, then Super Mario Maker is for you.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Announced

Nathan Farrugia

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September 16, 2015

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Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Announced

Last week rumours spread around the Internet after an employee leaked information that he had worked on a game titled Kingdom Hearts 2.9. Many assumed this would be a demo to Kingdom Hearts III or include a version of the previously Nintendo 3DS exclusive Dream Drop Distance. Well during TGS Square Enix has announced they will be releasing a new game called Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue exclusively for the PS4. KH 2.8 will contain a full HD remaster of Dream Drop Distance, a non-playable cutscene movie and a playable ‘short episode’.

The cutscene movie is called Back Cover and covers the events of Kingdom Hearts Unchained X (pronounced chi). Unchained X is a Japanese exclusive mobile version of a browser game and predates Birth By Sleep, telling the tale of the Foretellers and detailing more of the series’ history. Birth By Sleep 0.2 (quite possibly the long awaited Birth By Sleep Volume 2) – A Fragmentary Passage is being labelled as a ‘short episode’, this episode will feature brand new content telling the events following the original Birth By Sleep from Aqua’s perspective, after she faded into darkness when saving Terra. Nomura has stated the episode will take the same amount of time to complete this episode as it would take to complete one world.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue will release in Japan sometime in 2016 with an International release not yet detailed. While I believe the initial point of these HD remasters was so that each Kingdom Hearts game could be on one console, it seems 2.8 is breaking this by being a PS4 exclusive. Maybe we will see 2.9 as some sort of all encompassing collection for the PS4? Let us know your fan theories in the comments below.

A new kind of war has started! This fall, it’s WAR

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 16, 2015

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A new kind of war has started! This fall, it’s WAR

More firepower, a new map, and a rewarding in-game ranking system in the biggest update yet for Combat Arms, with even more to come

Berlin, Germany — September 15^th, 2015 — Nexon Europe introduces WAR, the largest update so far for the successful online first-person shooter Combat Arms, providing more action and new exciting gameplay.

Combat Arms users can already obtain two new updates from WAR in the form of Master Gunner and Treasure Ship. Master Gunner introduces two new weapon modification categories and a plethora of new modifications – allowing players to take their weapons and refine them to deliver more killer blows in combat.

Treasure Ship is a new battleground for players to test their new and improved weaponry from the Master Gunner update. Treasure Ship will require players to storm the ship and use the containers in order to gain a strategic advantage.

Combat Arms WAR – Map Teaser: Treasure Ship trailer: https://youtu.be/GnS41DUPX0o

Aim High will be available from late September – an in-game ranking system that allows users to measure their performance compared to other competitors. Aim High provides players with the opportunity to receive great rewards with seasonal rankings. Users who reach a certain rank at the end of the season will be rewarded.

More updates will be coming throughout the WAR content update. Stay tuned for more details at combatarms.nexoneu.com/promotion/war.

For the latest Combat Arms announcements keep an eye trained on the official game website at combatarms.nexoneu.com and the official Facebook page at facebook.com/CombatArms.

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About Nexon Europe
Established in March 2007, Nexon Europe is one of the leading publishers of free-to-play MMOs in Europe. The company has brought the worldwide hit casual MMORPG MapleStory to Europe in May 2007, and the successful FPS Combat Arms in January 2009. With the launch of the 3D action MMORPG Vindictus in 2011, Nexon Europe strengthened its position as a promising publisher in Europe. Next to these in-house franchises, the company was also able to acquire and fully operate Atlantica Online, an innovative, tactical MMORPG; Dekaron, an authentic action MMORPG set in a grim fantasy universe; and the action-packed FPS War Rock. In 2014, the company stepped up globally with the cross-platform football management game, United Eleven, and legendary FPS Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies. For more information on Nexon Europe and its games, please visit the official website at www.nexoneu.com .

About Combat Arms
Combat Arms is a fast-paced, multiplayer shooter, designed for non-stop action on various battlefields, recruiting players to get engaged with their opponents in multiple game modes. Whilst integrating the traditional attributes of the FPS genre, Combat Arms advances it further by evolving a whole new set of striking features, allowing character customisation as well as weapon modification, enabling the player to adjust their weapons with attachments such as scopes, silencers, and extended magazines. An additional eye-catching feature is the unique backpack system, which allows players to combine a set of multiple weapons from the extensive armoury for a more sophisticated combat experience on the battlefield. Moreover, the extensive community features within the game actively support the clan system, where players can easily recruit, manage, and communicate with their other clan members.

Get Ready to Rock – Super Dungeon Bros Playable at EGX Expo

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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September 16, 2015

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Get Ready to Rock – Super Dungeon Bros Playable at EGX Expo

Super Dungeon Bros to show off new weapons and worlds at the NEC, Birmingham

Watford, United Kingdom – (Tuesday, 15^th September, 2015) – Wired Productions, an independent games publisher, today announced that Super Dungeon Bros, the highly anticipated rock-themed co-op dungeon brawler will be playable at this year’s EGX Expo in Birmingham.

Following its well-received appearance at PAX Prime in Seattle, where Super Dungeon Bros had players taking on the roles of a band of mighty rock bros from the fantasy realm of Rökheim, the game will be playable at the NEC in Birmingham, with all new content, from the 24^th to the 27^th September 2015!

Available to play at this year’s EGX Expo in the Rezzed Area. Super Dungeon Bros sees a band of mighty rock bros navigate the endless dungeons of Rökheim, a giant scar of godforsaken earth, to seek out epic loot, fight hordes of evil undead and uncover the legends of long lost fabled Rock Stars!

Teams of up to four players either on or offline can take on the roles of heavy metal heroes; Axl, Ozzie, Freddie, and Lars and embark on a quest from the gods of rock to search ever-changing dungeons (which scale depending on the number of players) and combine rock and fantasy with dangerous foes, deadly obstacles and hazardous puzzles.

Super Dungeon Bros also takes advantage of Unity 5’s cross-device multiplayer feature which will offer seamless co-op gameplay between Xbox One and Windows 10, as well as PlayStation 4 to PC. Available at launch, this will allow console and PC gamers to take on epic dungeons side by side.

For more information and to keep up to date with all the latest news, announcements & more, please register your interest at www.superdungeonbros.com and be in with a chance of gaining exclusive access to the BETA.

You can also LIKE the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DungeonBros or follow the Dungeon Bros on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DungeonBros. To download the Super Dungeon Bros Press Kit including the first game screens and the initial teaser trailer, please click here: http://bit.ly/SupDunBro
To download the Wired Productions Press Kit, please click here: http://bit.ly/WiredP

For the latest news and information about Wired Productions, please visitwww.wiredproductions.com , follow the Twitter page (https://twitter.com/WiredP) @WiredP, Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/wiredpro ) or alternatively please email [email protected] .

About React Games:
Founded in 2008, React Games are an award winning, independent video games developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Specializing in development for Xbox, PlayStation®, iOS, Android, Windows, Facebook, PC, Mac as well as the Nintendo 3DS, React Games have shipped over 37 titles in 7 years. React Games are well known for delivering fun gameplay and high quality production values on every project. For more information, please visit http://www.reactgames.com or follow us on Twitter viahttps://twitter.com/reactgames.

About Wired Productions:
Wired Productions are an independent games publisher based in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. Wired have produced over 35 titles, and are the team responsible for the 1.3 million unit selling We Sing franchise as well as producing and co-developing The Voice branded console products. In 2013/14, Wired Productions moved back into digital console publishing with Let’s Fish! Hooked On for the PlayStation Vita, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita (including cross buy) and Last Inua on PC & Mac. For more information visit www.wiredproductions.com or follow at: www.facebook.com/WiredPro and on Twitter https://twitter.com/WiredP.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Announced by VanillaWare for PS4 and PS Vita

Travis Bruno

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September 15, 2015

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It seems like Atlus isn’t about to let the great and unique thinking developers at VanillaWare slip away into obscurity or put all of their efforts into bringing an enhanced version of an older title to current consoles in the form of Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir.

Today during Sony’s pre-Tokyo Game Show 2015 press conference VanillaWare announced that they are working on a brand new PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita game called 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Few details about the great looking, seemingly side-scrolling, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim are known but you can check out the announcement trailer below as well as the official website here.

Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness Japanese Release Date Set for February

Travis Bruno

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September 15, 2015

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Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness Japanese Release Date Set for February

Members from Square Enix took to the stage at Sony’s pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference this morning to not only announce a release date for their upcoming RPG Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness but also release a new gameplay trailer showcasing combat, a few of the characters, and a number of environments that will be found in the tri-Ace developed game.

Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness will be released on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in Japan on February 25, 2016 and it is worth noting that it has previously been confirmed that the PlayStation 4 version of the game will be released in the West in 2016.