GAEA MOBILE’S NEW MOBA – ACE OF ARENAS – LAUNCHES ON THE APP STORE AND GOOGLE PLAY
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Sept. 24, 2015 – GAEA Mobile has released Ace of Arenas, a new competitive multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game now available for smartphones and tablets through the App Store and Google Play. Ace of Arenas builds upon and distills the genre-defining aspects of PC MOBAs to match the unique play styles of mobile gamers.
“Ace of Arenas fills a glaring gap in mobile gaming, capturing all the chaos and strategy of classic MOBAs in quick and exciting bursts of action that take only minutes to enjoy. It’s a perfect fit for MOBA fans on the move,” said Jason Dahlberg, Director of North American Operations at GAEA Mobile Limited.
Ace of Arenas is optimized for touchscreen play with virtual D-pad controls for precise positioning and combat. It features a host of game modes: practice against AI in training mode, take on real challengers in 1v1, or team up with friends in 2v2 and 3v3 battles. Players can compete with opponents for leaderboard supremacy in ranked battles, or create and manage their own Clans with allies to dominate together.
The game includes an extensive and diverse cast of playable, customizable champions. From hulking, melee-swinging warriors to spell-casting mages, each character changes the face of the battlefield with their own distinct abilities and upgrade paths.
Ace of Arenas is available to download for free today on iOS and Android devices worldwide. For more information, please visit http://aoa.gaeamobile.com, and follow the game on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
About GAEA Mobile Limited
GAEA Mobile Limited is a global mobile game service provider with offices in Beijing, San Francisco, Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong. Since it was founded in October 2014, GAEA has brought multiple blockbuster games to over 8,000,000 gamers all over the world.
New Swashbuckling Adventures Await in the Guild of Dungeoneering Expansion Pack
‘Pirate’s Cove Adventure Pack’ Now Available for PC and MAC
DUBLIN, Ireland – September 24th, 2015 – “Independent developer Gambrinous, in partnership with indie publishing powerhouse Versus Evil, has announced the release of their first expansion pack to the distinctive role-playing game (RPG) Guild of Dungeoneering for PC and Mac. The Pirates Cove Adventure Pack includes a brand new pirate themed region complete with 3 new dungeoneer classes to quest with, over 20 new monsters to defeat and new items to equip. The game is available to buy on Steam, GoG.com and other online retailers for $4.99 (£3.99, €4,99, A$ 5.69, NZ$ 5.99).
“The reception to Guild of Dungeoneering has been overwhelming and we are really excited to see what fans think of our first expansion pack,” said Colm Larkin of Gambrinous. “Once we launched we did a huge number of updates based on community feedback and we feel that the game is in a really solid place. This additional content delivers a lot of new game play and we think that dungeoneers world-wide will have a lot of fun with it.”
“Pirate’s Cove is a good indication to fans of Guild of Dungeoneering of what they can expect for the future of this game, good solid content additions at a great price” said Steve Escalante, GM of Versus Evil. “Gambrinous wanted to pack this adventure full of features that touch virtually every aspect of the game. The new challenges, items you find and creatures you face continue this adventure which is just plain fun to play. Stay tuned, they have more to come!”
Guild of Dungeoneering turns traditional dungeon crawling on its head by putting a new spin on classic game play – rather than controlling a dungeoneer, players build their dungeon around him (or indeed her). Using a random deck of cards, players can expand the dungeon and strategically place loot and monsters to lure their dungeoneer in the direction they want him to go. When their dungeoneer confronts a monster (either willingly or not), battle lines are drawn and the victor will be decided on how cunning a player is with the hand that’s been dealt to them. Pirate’s Cove adds to this base level game experience and touches each of these systems; regions to explore, new dungeoneer classes, new items, monsters and guild growth.
Over time, as players collect enough gold and gain more experience, they will be able to build out their own Guild by adding rooms to attract more-powerful adventurers and unlock better weapons and special cards for their Guild deck all in the name of fame and fortune.
For more information about Guild of Dungeoneering, visit www.guildofdungeoneering.com.
Check out the launch trailer here:
About Gambrinous
Gambrinous is an independent studio based primarily in Dublin, Ireland. Initially a kind of one-man-band run by founder Colm Larkin, it has now grown to a hefty five people as they work on their first commercial release, Guild of Dungeoneering.
About Versus Evil
Versus Evil, LLC is a US based independent video game publisher. The company was founded on the principles of helping independent game developers be financially and creatively successful in the highly competitive video games market. Led by group of AAA games industry veterans, Versus Evil’s services include the full suite of publishing support including brand marketing, community, social, PR, creative, production, QA, legal, distribution and other general business support. As a global publisher, the Versus Evil team is strategically placed around the world with presences in California, Texas, Maryland, New York, and London and works with indie studios in North America, South America, and Europe.
‘THE WINGSUIT EXPERIENCE’ brought to you by JUST CAUSE 3, released today for iOS & Android
World’s first in-game 360-Degree VR video experience
We’re excited to announce the release of ‘THE WINGSUIT EXPERIENCE’ a 360 Degree VR app brought to you by JUST CAUSE 3, which is available today for free download to iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
Join Rico Rodriguez as he skydives and wingsuits his way across the beautiful Mediterranean island of Medici. Using your smartphone’s gyrometer, the app offers the world’s first 360-degree in-game, interactive video experience, allowing you to freely move the camera to rotate the view of the world below.
The experience can be further intensified through use of Google Cardboard – and other VR goggles – which allows thrill-seekers to experience the app in VR, moving the camera viewpoint with your head as if you are flying in a WingSuit behind Rico.
“In order to show the world of Just Cause 3 in 360-degrees, in-game, we’ve captured over 10 TB of high resolution data to bring you this experience,” explains Ron Bakker, founder of Mindlight, the developer of the Wingsuit Experience, “this will allow you to immerse yourself in the most explosive sandbox ever made, ahead of the game’s release this December.”
THE WINGSUIT EXPERIENCE, brought to you by Just Cause 3 is available now on both the App Store, and the Android Store for free.
JUST CAUSE 3, developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix, is due for release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and high-end PCs December 1st, 2015.
STUDIO WILDCARD RAISES THE COMPETITIVE STAKES IN ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED’S ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT ‘THE LAST STAND’
Watch the Biggest, Baddest ARK: Survival of the Fittest Dino-Battle Yet With 230 Survivors Playing Simultaneously for $60,000 in Prizes
Seattle, WA – September 24, 2015 – Studio Wildcard announced today the start of its biggest and fiercest online multiplayer ARK: Survival of the Fittest tournament to date. ‘The Last Stand’ is the final event in the 2015 ‘ARK Survival of the Fittest’ series, starting September 24 and ending October 24. Anyone with a copy of the highly-popular survival-adventure game ARK: Survival Evolved and a PC with a high speed Internet connection can enter until the servers are full. With nearly 2 million ARK survivors having downloaded the game, players will duke it out in six-player tribes to see who qualifies for…The Last Stand!
Tune into Twitch to watch the tournament finale livestream on Saturday, October 24, in the largest single ARK game ever with 230 contestants – 70 popular Twitch streamers and 160 qualifying contestants – doing battle using hand-crafted weapons and tamed dinosaurs while facing down all three ARK Boss creatures, including the Giant Ape, the monolithic, web-slinging Broodmother and the ominous fire-breathing Dragon.
“With the League of Legends Season World Championship being watched by more than 27 million viewers (in 2014), nearly 12 million more than the NBA Finals, it’s clear that there is a hungry worldwide audience itching to see something extraordinary,” said Jesse Rapczak, co-founder and co-creative director at Studio Wildcard. “ARK’s survival-adventure gameplay offers a totally different e-sports experience that captures the thrill of organized competition in an entirely new way.”
Servers for ‘The Last Stand’ Preliminary Rounds will be open to all gamers from Noon EST through 8pm EST, on the following days:
Thursday, September 24, and Saturday, September 26
Tuesday, September 29; Thursday, October 1, and Saturday, October 3
Tuesday, October 6, and Thursday, October 8
Tuesday, October 13, and Thursday, October 15
The Winning Tribes from the Preliminary Rounds will be exclusively invited it to ‘The Last Stand Pre-Championships,’ being held from Noon – 8pm EST, on the following days, from which the top 160 finale contestants will be calculated:
Saturday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 20
Prizes for ‘The Last Stand’ October 24th Championship Include:
First Place Winning Tribe receives: $24,000 (split six ways)
Second Place Winning Tribe receives: $12,000 (split six ways)
Third Place Winning Tribe receives: $6,000 (split six ways)
Each of ‘The Last Stand’ 230 entrants receives a $100 Steam Gift Card
All three Championship Winning Tribes will receive an in-game Gold/Silver/Bronze Trophy Structure Skin, customized with their Tribe details, for everyone to marvel at with envy!
Each ARK: Survival of the Fittest tournament has been modified with new creatures, life-threatening events, and more. Changes for ‘The Last Stand’ include:
Three Boss Creatures! At key points through the match, each Boss makes an appearance available for taming at the central platform. That includes the Broodmother, the Dragon, and the previously unrevealed Giant Ape, who can easily smash through forests and throw huge boulders to demolish survivors and their dinosaurs.
Six Player Tribes: Stay in competition longer as extra-large teams have more chances to claim victory!
Improved Competitive Game Balance! This time, you won’t advance by hiding in a box.
Four New Evolution Events: The world-altering events are triggered by player-voting so that the audience can participate in the action!
Acid Rain: Seek cover! This red-tinted rain won’t quench your thirst, but it will chew through your armor and slowly sap your Health!
I Love You, You Love Me: Mate-Boost effects are doubled! An ideal time to launch your assault with gender-paired creatures, but be careful about wild mates, as they can be extra dangerous.
Hail to the King: A powerful explosive item is dropped at every player’s position… use it wisely!
Food of the Gods: This extra-special Mega Loot crate contains instant-taming Feed.
ARK was among the top five selling titles for its first three months in Steam’s Early Access and continues to maintain a solid position in the top 10 sellers, with nearly two million copies sold on Steam. Developed by Studio Wildcard, in conjunction with Instinct Games, ARK: Survival Evolved will launch in June 2016 on Xbox One via the ID@Xbox program, PlayStation®4 with Project Morpheus support, and full release on Steam PC. The game is currently in Steam’s Early Access program and includes Oculus Rift VR support and an integration of Steam community features such as Steam Economy and Steam Workshop for custom maps and mods. Players can host private/LAN servers and have access to a custom-built version of the Unreal Engine 4 Editor for creating mods. The world of ARK is designed to be modder-friendly and ever-expanding!
To join our growing band of survivors, journey over to Steam to download the game. For the latest updates follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the Website at www.playark.com and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
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ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD
Studio Wildcard was co-founded in 2014 by Jesse Rapczak, former Technical Art Director at Microsoft Game Studios, with the mission of bringing AAA quality to ambitious indie productions designed for core gamers. With 12 years of industry experience across multiple independent and studio-backed titles, Jesse has teamed up with other veteran developers for a Seattle, WA-based development studio that also includes distributed team members across multiple continents. Wherever talented, driven developers may reside, Studio Wildcard intends to seek out and work with them!
ABOUT INSTINCT GAMES
Instinct Games is Egypt’s leading game development studio. Started in 2011 by former Timeline Interactive co-founders, the Instinct Games team develops and produces video games on all major platforms utilizing its competent technical team. Its mission is to collaborate with world class partners to foster Egypt’s video game development ecosystem and set a precedent of high quality, low cost, entertaining indie games with worldwide appeal.
MELEE AND CHIVALRY TO ENSUE WHEN CHARTBUSTING MOBILE RPG, SEVEN KNIGHTS, LAUNCHES GLOBALLY THIS YEAR
With over Seven Million Downloads, Netmarble Readies Breathtaking Mobile RPG for Global Launch
September 24, 2015 – SAN FRANCISCO – Netmarble Games (“Netmarble”), a leading Korean gaming company, today announced that its hit RPG, Seven Knights, will launch globally for iOS and Android devices later this year. To celebrate the upcoming release, the company has launched a new Seven Knights website in four languages, including English, Traditional Chinese, Thai and Korean.
Seven Knights, which debuted in Korea last year and has consistently held a top five spot on the Google Play Store – reaching #1 in September 2014 and remaining in the top three for 48 consecutive weeks, currently ranks second in revenue in Korea on the Google Play Store. The game continues to amass legions of fans with more than seven million downloads and an active, growing global community. The visually striking mobile RPG has struck a chord with male and female players of all ages through its distinctive combination of intuitive commands, intense strategy and exciting adventure. With simple controls and lively turn-based combat, Seven Knights invites players to collect and upgrade hundreds of heroes, blaze through battles with a customized team and explore a number of dynamic game modes for variety and challenge.
“Following the highly successful launch of Seven Knights in Korea, where the game has attracted millions of passionate players, we are pleased to introduce the game to the world through its new global website,” said Seungwon Lee, President of Overseas at Netmarble Games. “As a global gaming company, Netmarble Games will continue to introduce and support high quality games like Seven Knights that combine the fun immersion of a true RPG with the accessibility of a casual mobile title.”
With over 230 characters in Seven Knights shown in high quality animations and dynamic skill effects, and each of the game’s uniquely designed heroes has his or her own distinct skills and scintillating backstory. The turn-based battles combine various skill effects and counter skills with tactical battle formations and the ability to customize team rosters for different enemies. Game modes include the single player Celestial Tower mode, a Battle Arena for fighting other players and Castle Rush mode where player guilds can fight for supremacy.
Seven Knights is developed by Netmarble Nexus, a subsidiary of Netmarble Games, and will be available free-to-download with in game purchase options, later this year. For more information, please visit the game’s newly launched official global website at http://sevenknights.netmarble.com/.
About Netmarble Games Corporation
Netmarble Games Corp. strives to enrich people’s lives by providing great games to global audiences. Based in Seoul, Korea, Netmarble Games Corp. has produced some of the most successful mobile games such as MARVEL Future Fight, Raven, Seven Knights, Everyone’s Marble, and Monster Taming. The company has more than 2,500 employees worldwide, numerous studios and consistently ranks as a top developer and publisher in Asia and globally. Netmarble Games Corp. has a strategic partnership with CJ E&M Corporation, Asia’s largest entertainment company, Tencent Holdings, Asia’s largest internet company, and NCsoft, a prominent MMO company, as company shareholders. The company is the largest shareholder to SGN, a leading casual game developer. More information can be found at www.netmarble.com.
KILL ME AGAIN LAUNCHES TODAY FOR BOTH iOS AND ANDROID
Check Out the New Launch Trailer for this Unique, Action-Packed Blend of Puzzle and Zombie Survival Horror
Santa Monica, CA– September 24, 2015 – Ready up, Mercs – Developer NHN PixelCube, under the publishing brand TOAST, announced today that Kill Me Again is now available for both iOS and Android devices. Featuring a thrilling combination of action, match-three puzzle, RPG, horror, and multiplayer elements, Kill Me Again is a gory and tense amalgamation unlike anything you’ve ever played.
Watch the Kill Me Again launch trailer HERE: youtu.be/hMj1Vo-5nhY
Gamers looking to get a leg up on the undead hordes should pre-register at playkillmeagain.com/#registration to receive extra in-game bonuses and perks.
“If you’re looking for a unique app that will challenge your brain as well as your reflexes, Kill Me Again has it all,” said Alex Fleming, Associate Product Manager, NHN Entertainment. “Match-three style puzzle games have always been entertaining, but when combined with the brutal zombie-slaying graphics and advanced Guild gameplay, it’s a visceral experience that’s hard to put down.”
Kill Me Again offers one-of-a-kind gameplay that will challenge gamers to perform cascading combos and chain skills in this free-form puzzle gameplay, while destroying the toxic beasts that crawl out of the darkness. Listen to the inhuman sounds of bones cracking as shotgun shells are rattled off from any one of the three distinct character classes – the Hit Woman, Advanced Soldier or Researcher. Get your heart-pumping as you blast the zombies away and save the survivors who are too paralyzed with fear to run.
Kill Me Again Features:
Free puzzle block movement enables players to execute several matches in one move – providing for a much more in-depth matching system than players have seen before.
There are no set turns when battling swarms of the undead. Be quick and plan your attacks in real-time or you’ll soon be overwhelmed!
Listen to the barrage of gunfire from the mercs on the barricades and the swelling cacophony of groans and screams in this terrifying thriller.
RPG elements allow players to craft hundreds of hardcore weaponry with runic and scientific enhancements, designed to disable and destroy the mutant monsters.
Enlist the help of your friends by joining a Guild and allying yourself with other players. Share bonuses and perks in-game with fellow members, experience Guild-exclusive gameplay modes, and make your Guild the most active to recruit the best Mercs!
NHN PixelCube Corp is a subdivision of NHN Entertainment founded in February 2014 that specializes in game development and maintenance. They contributed to the famous global messenger LINE by creating mobile puzzle games such as Line Pop and Line Pop 2. LINE POP series were able to achieve great success in the Japanese mobile game market, and they were downloaded over 70 million times globally in total. Its brand new puzzle game called ‘Friends Pop for Kakao’ is also creating a great sensation by being ranked #1 Free Apps in Korean Google Play and Apple App Store. NHN PixelCube is tightening its position as a global game developer by launching ‘Kill Me Again’, a well-developed game with a thrilling combination of action, match-three puzzle, and RPG.
Warhammer®: End Times Vermintide™ Hacks, Slashes and Shoots onto Steam with Base and Collector’s Edition Pre-Order, Windows PC Release on October 23rd, 2015
Fatshark’s Rat-Busting Co-operative Action Adventure to Launch on PC, Pre-Order Details Announced
Stockholm, Sweden – September 24th, 2015 – Independent developer Fatshark announced today that Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide, the co-operative action first person shooter and melee combat adventure set in the End Times of the iconic Warhammer Fantasy universe, will launch on Steam for Windows PC on October 23rd and is now available in pre-order in a Standard and Collector’s edition. To secure your pre-order please visit the Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide Steam page: store.steampowered.com/app/235540/
“We are so excited to announce that co-op fans can join the heroes of Ubersreik in the fight against the invasion of Skaven this October”, said Martin Wahlund, CEO of Fatshark. “This is by far our most ambitious game yet, and a huge passion project for everyone on the team. We can’t wait to share our work with everyone and look forward to hearing what you all think of Vermintidecome October!”
By pre-ordering the Base or Collector’s Edition through Steam, players will get 10% off either the Base or Collector’s Editions and a Beta Key that will provide beta access to Vermintide prior to its commercial full launch. The base edition of Vermintide will be available for $29.99 / €27.99 / £22.99 and the Collector’s edition for $44.99 / €39.99 / £33.99 that will include the official Soundtrack by award-winning composer Jesper Kyd, wallpapers, an Ubersreik Map, behind the Scenes pack containing all developer diaries and exclusive in-game items including 5 Exclusive Hats (1 for each Hero) and 2 Prestige Trinkets.
In Vermintide, the city of Ubersreik is under siege as players select from a band of five heroes with different play-styles and abilities, all equipped with unique gear and personalities. Working together cooperatively, players must use their individual attributes to survive an apocalyptic invasion from hordes of relentless, power hungry Skaven, across a range of environments stretching from the top of the Magnus Tower to the bowels of the Under Empire. Vermintide is scheduled for release in Q1 2016, for the Xbox One, all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program, and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system.
In the run up to the release of Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide, Fatshark will undertake a series of closed and open beta tests. To sign up please visit: www.vermintide.com/#front-page-2
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and established in 2004 independent developer Fatshark is comprised of a team of over 50 experienced games developers, who strive to create compelling interactive experiences. The team have previously developed titles including Lead and Gold, Krater and War of the Roses, as well the upcoming game Warhammer®: End Times Vermintide™. For more information, visit www.fatsharkgames.com
The Escapists The Walking Dead Gets Xbox One and PC release date Wakefield, UK – 24th September 2015 – Games industry veteran and independent games label Team17 is excited to announce that they will be unleashing The Escapists The Walking Dead worldwide on Xbox One and PC on the 30th September.
The Escapists The Walking Dead merges the gameplay and aesthetics of the smash-hit, indie game The Escapists with the universe and characters of the worldwide phenomenon that is The Walking Dead. Team17, working in close collaboration with Skybound Entertainment, have taken the very best of both worlds, featuring panels, dialogue and the story of the award-winning comic series recreated in the charming 8-bit pixel art stylings of The Escapists.
Daniel Murray, President of Skybound Interactive said “The Escapists The Walking Dead is a creative monsterpiece. We believe fans of great games in general will be delighted to play this unique interpretation of Robert’s graphic novel. Team17 shares our belief in empowering independent creators. This game embodies that spirit to a tee.”
In The Escapists The Walking Dead players will take on the role of iconic protagonist Rick Grimes, who must lead and protect a band of survivors featuring many of the original comic book cast. Rick and the survivors must secure, survive and escape a number of dangerous environments which faithfully follows the narrative timeline of the hit comic.
Team17’s Marketing and Commercial Director added, “After the huge success of the original The Escapists, we really wanted to expand the brand and take it in different directions. Teaming up with Skybound Entertainment is an amazing start to building a strong indie gaming franchise and we are incredibly pleased to be part of their growing The Walking Dead brand”.
The Escapists The Walking Dead features:
5 levels following the timeline of the award-winning comic including Harrison Memorial Hospital, Greene Family Farm, Meriwether Correctional Facility, Woodbury and Alexandria
Comic book panels and dialogue taken from the hit comic series and faithfully recreated in 8bit style
Weapons including craftable upgrades and iconic weapons such as Michonne’s Katana
Characters from the hit series. Play as Rick Grimes alongside a cast of iconic survivors from the comic including Carl, Lori, Glenn, Hershel, Maggie, Dale, Tyreese, Michonne, Abraham and Gabriel, all faithfully re-created in charming pixel art style
Crafting system. Choosing from over 250 materials, you’ll need to craft more than 70 different items to keep your survivors safe including tools like cutters and shovels and weapons such as the modified pistol and rifle.
24 bonus collectibles to find
Leaderboards and Achievements
The Escapists The Walking Dead will be available to download for Xbox One via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program and PC on the 30th September for £12.99 / $17.99 / 14,99 €, on PC and £14.99 / $19.99 / 17,99 € for console.
To keep up to date with all the information on The Escapists please visit www.team17.com , like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
In 2010, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman saw an opportunity to start a company that would nurture creators and give them resources to produce content while retaining creative control of their properties. Partnering with long-time collaborator, and fellow executive producer of The Walking Dead David Alpert, Skybound Entertainment was born. Skybound has properties across television, film, interactive, and beyond. The company also creates a wide range of merchandise, including its first tabletop card game Superfight, apparel, board games, and action figures.
About Team17 Digital Ltd
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital Limited is a leading independent developer and publishing label headquartered in West Yorkshire (UK). Team17 publishes games for PC, console, mobile and handheld devices and other digital platforms. Visit www.team17.com for more info.
It hasn’t been long since the release of Pokemon XY-Ancient Origins, but the Pokemon Trading Card Games newest forthcoming expansion has been announced. The new set will be called XY: BREAKthrough and will feature an all new mechanic titled Break Evolution as well as 160 brand new cards. The set will hit store shelves starting from November 4th.
· New BREAK Evolution game mechanic—When a Pokémon evolves into a Pokémon BREAK, it gets an HP boost and a new attack or Ability, but it also gets to keep its existing attacks! Pokémon BREAK cards have a landscape design, unique foil pattern, and uniquely rendered art.
· 6 new Pokémon BREAK including Chesnaught BREAK and Zoroark BREAK
· 8 new Pokémon-EX including 4 new Mega Evolution Pokémon, plus 20 Trainer cards, including 2 full-art rare Ultra Trainer cards
· Booster packs—Packs of 10 additional cards selected from the expansion will be available.
· Two new theme decks—These 60-card preconstructed decks are designed to introduce players to the Pokémon TCG by enabling them to play right away. Each will include 59 standard cards and 1 special foil card.
As with all the latest releases in the card game, theme decks and booster packs include an in-pack code card that unlocks virtual cards from the BREAKthrough expansion for play in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online at www.pokemon.co.uk/tcgo . This online version of the Pokémon TCG is also now available on iPad via the Apple App Store. Key features of the set include:
The Pokemon Trading Card Game has remained a staple part of the Pokemon franchise for Nintendo, shipping more than 21.5 billion cards to 74 countries around the world since its debut in 1996.
Overview Although the initial release of The Familiar of Zero left the series abandoned in the West, Sentai Filmworks’ acquisition of all four seasons has seen the series thrive over the past year. While the second season spent time expanding the world and building up a bit of Saito and Louise’s relationship, it felt like in the end very little had actually changed. Now with the company releasing the third season of the series, The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses to audiences in the West where does the series go from here?
Story Those who have not watched either the first season or Knight of the Twin Moons will be dealing with a handful of missed details and world building in this season since it takes place only a few days after the events that transpired during the final episode of the second season.
For those who may have forgotten, at the end of the last season it appeared that the newlyweds Louise and Saito would be heading towards a terrible end as Saito remained behind to face off against an army of Albion soldiers in order to buy time for Louise and Queen Henrietta to escape safely. Despite dying to the forces, he managed to return to life through unknown means and it is here that Rondo of Princesses picks up.
Life for Saito and Louise has returned to normal after returning to Tristain Academy but it appears that, perhaps due to his death, the ruins marking him as Louise’s familiar have faded away and with it his powers as Gandalfr. Unfortunately for those who would like to see how things would go without Saito being magically bound to Louise, something Siesta actually begins to aim for, this issue quickly becomes resolved shortly after heading out to find the “fairy” that resurrected Saito and coming under attack from Sheffield once again.
As one would expect, Saito quickly finds the fairy who turns out to be the well-endowed woman named Tiffania, a half-elf who has been living in isolation due to fears about her race. This does play a role which will be mentioned in a bit but after being given the rank of chevalier by the Queen, Saito’s life only grows far more complicated as Siesta is assigned as his personal maid and Tiffania joins the academy. All the while, darkness begins to move in a neighboring country with Sheffield’s new master revealing his intentions, one of which just so happens to include a soft-spoken friend, and will put Louise and Saito’s potential happiness at risk.
The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses follows a fairly standard formula with very few issues lasting for very long before being resolved, usually in the same episode, and the main issue playing in the background and rising up only occasionally to remind viewers that there is still danger in the world targeting Louise despite the land no longer in a constant state of war. This means that while there are still plenty of sub-plots that appear in the meantime, most of the season is spent either placing the characters in funny situations or playing the “will they or won’t they” game with Saito and Louise’s relationship.
As mentioned earlier, few aspects are actually delved into regarding the characters with issues such as Saito’s status as a familiar and Louise’s concerns about summoning a new one resolving themselves in two episodes and even the harsh racism facing Tiffania once her secret is revealed only becoming an issue for half an episode before being resolved and never mentioned again around the school. Even the various developments that seem like they will occur between Saito and Louise generally are negated thanks to her always jumping to the worst conclusion and lashing out violently whenever Saito finds himself accidentally with another girl in some form.
Despite there being plenty of times that things seem to return back to the status quo, it does become a bit clear throughout the course of this season that Louise is willing to at least believe some elements of what Saito is saying, though more often than not viewers will be feeling sorry for Saito as the running joke of Louise’s explosions starts to wear thin. Thankfully there are still plenty of new gags brought on by introducing Tiffania and the jealousy that she causes in other girls, the return of all of the core side-characters, such as Guiche, who were previously non-existent due to the war, as well as the addition of a certain unexpected character near the end of the series, and of course all of the ecchi moments that usually see Louise being the butt of a joke.
Thankfully, despite the series still feeling like it is attempting to hold onto a status quo, there does feel like there is some progression this season. This is thanks to the return of a certain character whose death hit hard last season and also to Tabitha, a character who rarely stood out unless someone needed to fly, being given quite a bit of focus near the end as we learn not only about her past but also about her family situation which helps her stand out, especially in regards to Saito, and gives meaning towards the events that unfold at the end other than Louise and Saito facing off against Sheffield once more.
Visuals Although produced by the same studio as the past two seasons, Rondo of Princesses appears to benefit from being a year fresher than its predecessor as the series’ artwork appears to be far cleaner in this release than in the past with the colorful series appearing quite vibrant without any of the fuzziness that plagued the second season. The character designs remain the same and Tiffania serves as a nice addition to the core cast with her usually unique outfits.
It is worth noting that the fan-service element has been given quite a boost in this season over the past few. This of course includes Tiffania, who appears to feature the largest bust of the cast with plenty of focus being placed on her chest both for comedic jealousy and to get Saito into trouble. There are plenty of instances where the female cast will be cosplaying in some form, though it comes under the guise of stealth, or with Siesta attempting to seduce the slightly more available Saito.
Audio Similar to the second season, Rondo of Princesses has been released with only the original Japanese voice track. Fans of the series will appreciate that the voice actors have remained the same throughout the series with Rie Kugimiya handling Louise perfectly still while new characters are voiced fittingly, especially with Tiffania’s soft-spoken nature coming off very well.
The soundtrack is fairly standard at this point and doesn’t really stand out, though a small vocal insert song is included this time which is something of a nice touch. The opening and ending themes continue to have something of a running theme, with “You’re the One” by Ichiko being an exciting opening and “Gomen” by Rie Kugimiya being softer and gives us a glimpse at Louise’s softer side.
Extras The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses features a few of the expected special features such as a clean version of the opening and ending theme as well as trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases but this time it also includes a bonus OVA episode.
This OVA features plenty of fan-service as it sees the characters venture to the beach and, humorously enough, has most of the cast wearing swimsuits that practically cover their entire bodies. Of course, given how many things have managed to make their way into the fantasy land from the modern world, a number of swimsuits and bikinis have managed to appear as well allowing for the headmaster and the rest of the boys to trick the girls. The whole experience doesn’t have much impact but does contain a lot of fan-service without damaging the main storyline and also has quite a few humorous punchlines mixed in.
Overall Although The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses still feels rather light for a series that is already on its third season, this time around there does feel like some actual progression has been made between Saito and Lousie plus Siesta starts acting far more aggressive and the introduction of Tiffania adds some extra spice to the mix to keep things fresh. The rest of the cast benefits from some focused character development and although many of the running jokes are still familiar, with a few starting to wear thin, the majority of the humor remains enjoyable though with the next season being the last; it will be interesting to see how things wrap up.
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