Today Aksys Games has revealed that the limited edition version of Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign will not be making the title’s December 16th release date in North America. The reason for this delay is due to strikes being held at Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach and because of this, key components of the limited edition have been held up.
The release of the Limited Edition will likely suffer from a one to two week delay, though those who ordered the standard edition of Guilty Gear Xrd: Sign should still be able to pick up a copy when it is released on December 16.
They say loose lips sink ships but often in the video game industry, it just means that we learn about games far earlier than the publishers usually intend us to. Kotaku has obtained information and images concerning the next iteration in the Assassin’s Creed franchise and all signs are pointing towards the title taking place in Victorian London.
Currently the title is being called Assassin’s Creed Victory and will be released on the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in Fall 2015. Assassin’s Creed Victory is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec, which handled the development of Assassin’s Creed III.
No information was revealed about a last gen Assassin’s Creed game coming out in 2015 like Rogue did this year, though of course since this is leaked and unconfirmed information, everything is subject to change. That being said, the writer talking about the leak has stated that he was shown seven minutes of footage that appeared to be a sizzle reel that would accompany the game’s full reveal.
Today Idea Factory International has released a number of new screenshots focusing on the battle aspect of the strategy RPG. Most of these screenshots focus on attacks from the various Goddesses in the game but a couple of the new guest characters are also shown off.
Also released today is the opening movie for Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart which will be released for the PS Vita in North America and Europe sometime early in 2015. You can check out both the new screenshots as well as the opening video below.
He’s back! The Terminator franchise and Arnold Schwarzenegger have been mainstays of the sci-fi action scene for decades now, and I for one am always buzzing with excitement whenever there is new developments or news about the series’ past, present and future. Well, we are still seven months away from the next installment – Terminator: Genisys, but we have a brief look at the film’s teaser trailer and “living poster” for you to check out. Here is the brief trailer for the movie:
Pretty cool hey. Well guess what? Paramount Pictures have announced that FULL trailer is set to release tomorrow! However, if you want a little more Genisys goodness to keep you satiated until then, click here to check out the living, moving poster for the film. Terminator: Genisys is set to release on July 1st, 2015 with the full length trailer dropping tomorrow so make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Terminator news as it becomes available.
Today Viz Media had a surprising announcement to make when they revealed that they have acquired the rights to Junji Ito‘s “Fragments of Horror” manga. While this may not be the well known title, it may be due to the fact that it is a short story collection that contains numerous horror stories from Junji Ito that ran in Nemuki Magazine for eight chapters.
The entire collection has been contained in one volume and Viz is planning on printing it under their Viz Signature label and currently they are planning on releasing it sometime in Summer 2015 with a special deluxe hardcover release.
Some of the stories contained in the collection have been described by Viz below:
Fragments of Horror is the brand-new collection of delightfully macabre tales from the celebrated master of Japanese horror. An old wooden mansion that turns on its inhabitants. A dissection class with a most unusual subject. A funeral where the dead are definitely not laid to rest. Ranging from the terrifying to the comedic, from the erotic to the loathsome, these stories showcase Junji Ito’s long-awaited return to the world of horror.
Overview The Pokémon franchise has remained extremely successful over the years despite only changing a little bit each time a new game is released. As such when Pokémon X and Y were released last year and gave numerous aspects of the game a much needed visual overhaul, fans were quite pleased with the direction the series was going in. As such, a year later Nintendo has brought us a remake of two classic games featuring many of the improvements from X and Y. So is the Hoenn region worth revisiting in Pokémon Omega Ruby?
Story As per the series standard, players take control of a male or female trainer who has recently moved into Littleroot Town with their mother. With your father already an established Gym Leader in the region, there are high hopes for the trainer and shortly after moving in you will begin your own journey. After saving Professor Birch from being attacked in the wild, you are given your first Pokémon and set out into the world.
From here players experience the story that has remained a rudimentary inclusion in the Pokémon series as they will battle against eight different gym leaders, all of whom have a gimmick, and take on the Elite Four and the final champion. This time players will encounter a nefarious group called Team Magma that plans on causing mass destruction and forcing the landmass to expand in order to satisfy an ancient Pokémon of legend.
The story remains as threadbare as standard for a Pokémon game which is something of a disappointment thanks to the fact that there is a solid storyline told in a piece of post-game content. Instead we have some very standard villains with little to zero development that do little than get in the player’s way and throw a little bit of chaos into the world that the trainer must put a stop to as has become standard fair.
Gameplay The basic mechanics of Pokémon remain the same as always, with players starting out with only one Pokémon and then catching various Pokémon they come across while traveling through grassy areas. The previously archaic battle system of Ruby has been redone using the same mechanics found in X and Y, giving players various new moves and weaknesses to take advantage of as well as the Fairy type.
While it may appear as an unexpected surprise for some, the EXP Share device is back where players can choose to provide EXP to all of the Pokémon in their party after a battle is complete. This allows players to avoid grinding for extensive lengths of time as they try to build up a team that they like but it also means that the game can be even easier than it should be at times, with most of your team clearly overpowering Gym Leaders with one move.
Despite featuring only specific Pokémon, Mega Evolutions have returned in X and Y in abundance as a number of classic Pokémon have been given the rub this time around, adding some much needed variety to the system that before saw only a few useful Mega Evolutions of the whole lot. There is even a new little mechanic that is exclusive to each game’s legendary Pokémon. In Omega Ruby, Groudon can use “Primal Reversion” which is similar to a Mega Evolution but instead is triggered automatically rather than at the player’s choosing like a Mega Evolution.
Outside of the Pokémon battles, Omega Ruby sports a number of new and returning features that help spice up the old formula, though sadly some of these systems are complete copy pastes from X and Y. For example, the entire Super Training and Pokémon Amie apps are direct copies from the previous versions though it is worth noting that the happier a Pokémon is, the better it will do in the returning competitions that see players compete against other Pokémon in order to win contests.
These contests still don’t do much other than offer a side attraction to the main game, though those of you who happen to be big fans of Pikachu will want to spend some time here as you will obtain a cosplaying Pikachu that can wear different costumes not only while performing but also in combat, allowing it to learn new moves it otherwise wouldn’t be able to master.
One of the new features that is not only delightful to use but also helps make catching certain Pokémon easier, is the DexNav. This application not only shows what Pokémon are in each area, and if you have already caught these Pokémon, but also features a search option to try and find specific Pokémon types. The more you encounter each type of Pokémon, the more information will be revealed about it in the wild. This includes everything from their level, to their potential state growth, and even a rare skill that generally is only available through time consuming breeding.
This also sees players taking advantage of a new sneak feature. As you walk through an area with grass, you will occasionally notice a Pokémon’s tail or ears sticking out of the grass, each unique to the Pokémon’s species. To try and catch these Pokémon you will need to sneak up on them as simply running up will cause them to escape. Combine this with the ability to search for specific Pokémon through the DexNav and you’ll be able to create a team of your dreams easier than ever.
Unfortunately a large amount of the apps found on the “Pokénav Plus” as it is called are largely useless. While the map is helpful and the DexNav is a great tool, the television that broadcasts incredibly repetitive information and the copy pasted mechanics earlier clutter the screen with mostly useless material. One thing that has been given a major overhaul is the Secret Base mechanic. Players can create and customize their own secret base with numerous different decorations and create their very own base that they can share not only through QR codes but also with everyone they happen to StreetPass.
Omega Ruby is packed with content that will give players plenty of time to explore at their hearts content, including taking advantage of a new move called Soar that allows players to travel wherever they wish in Hoenn. From online battles against their friends to competing in little contests to taking part in all of the post-game content and finding every secret, there is so much to do in this title that it will be very hard to put down even once the League has been conquered.
Visuals & Audio With Omega Ruby given a remake job, it has been brought up to the same level that X and Y were presented at. The new 3D world is a nice change of pace over what fans of the old games experienced and, given the change of perspective; it almost makes the game feel like much more than a remake. Thanks to the various areas in the Hoenn region the world is full of vibrant sights to see and explore as players travel up active volcanoes to icy plains. The Pokémon battles themselves have been given similar improvements as each Pokémon continues with their overhauled appearance, making each battle look very impressive. That being said, it is worth noting that these battles do still suffer from slowdown from time to time which is a bit of a nuisance considering how fluid the rest of the game is.
One thing that does sound very similar is the soundtrack. There are numerous themes and tunes used in Omega Ruby that anyone familiar with the old games will instantly recognize. They have been given a revamp to fit in with modern times and thankfully they have made the transition without damaging any of the music. It is also nice to note that whenever a Pokémon tail pops out of the grass as mentioned earlier, you will also hear the cry of that Pokémon, giving the world a more realistic approach as you venture through the wilderness.
Overall Although many people may have scoffed at the idea of simply remaking an old Pokémon game and giving it a handful of improvements taken directly from X and Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby turns out to be an extremely successful title. While there is some laziness in this upgrade, it offers practically everything that a fan of the series could ask for. With a number of new features that make finding Pokémon a fun endeavor and plenty of content to explore in a familiar region, Pokémon Omega Ruby will leave fans more than satisfied.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview
I remember the third generation of Pokemon rather well. At the time it launched over ten years ago, I was going through my mid-teen phase and was knee deep into the Playstation 2 and Gamecube. Sure, I still cared for Pokemon, but I kind of didn’t bother with Ruby or Sapphire until after the first-generation remakes of Red and Green launched, which re-struck my interest and to pick up Pokemon Sapphire nearly two years after it hit shelves. The land of Hoenn was an interesting one, and oddly enough, was probably one the least remembered locales by fans as the peak of the Pokemon craze was slowly dying down just a bit at launch, which makes the idea of a remake or reintroduction perfect to go along with the now sixth installments of X & Y. After seeing what the 3DS did for Pokemon in general, Nintendo and Game Freak have brought us Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Pokemon Omega Ruby. With a brand new look and newer features in tow, can these two remakes prove to stand the test of time? Let’s find out.
Story
After just moving to Hoenn and exiting a moving truck in Littleroot Town, players start on their journey to becoming a Pokemon master right after saving Professor Birch from an attack. One of the gym leaders (Norman) is your father in this title, so you have a lot to prove already. Of course the “evil team” is none other than Team Aqua (or Team Magma if you picked up Omega Ruby), who are usually around every other route to challenge the player to a battle. The same formula of collecting badges hasn’t changed much, and if you played the originals you should know that the pacing has remained in tact. The mascot legendary of Alpha Sapphire is Kyogre, and Team Aqua are determined to respect its habitat and flood the land, causing what seems to be unintentional chaos along the way.
Its odd how much Pokemon has changed, yet stayed the same. When Black and White released, many considered it to be a mature storyline as it dealt with extremism in the form of a PETA like group that had good intentions, yet went about their mission in a destructive manner. After playing the remake here, I can say that Black and White were not really too far of a stretch, as this group simply wants a paradise for their Pokemon of worship. Its a bit cliche, sure, but in 2003 – I now see how deep this little tale here actually was compared to the first generation, where we were just stopping thieves, and the second – where we stopped a revival of the same group. I really feel like this story arc, along with Wally (a shy, sickly kid that simply wants to be a Pokemon trainer) touched upon deeper themes for the franchise, and really brought it up to where it is today.
Gameplay
If you know anything about the general structuring of Pokemon, you will have no problem picking up Alpha Sapphire and taking off quickly. As you would expect, the main objective is to pick a starter, get a Pokedex, and set off on a journey through the land and sea as you aim to obtain all eight badges, tackle side quests of sorts, and defeat the Elite Four. Personally, I never liked the first three starters with this generation. I know, Mudkip is a god of the meme world, May has made Torchic famous, and Treeko is decent on his own, but I guess this trio never struck me as great, despite the fanfare behind them. That said, there are plenty of Pokemon to collect in this title that introduced so many, and those who are like myself in terms of taste will be able to snag a nice Wurmple or a Ralts rather quickly after starting up.
The battle system has remained relatively the same since X & Y, and players will be happy to know that type advantages have been retained from the latest version and not reverted to the more archaic methods of the past, as all of the additions such as Fairy Pokemon, triple battles, and yes – the EXP Share are back, making the road slightly less bumpy in terms of overall difficulty. I want to say that the EXP Share (which is optional) would be great, but personally, I found its inclusion to be a bit off as this title doesn’t really require it. Sure, you can have a full team leveled without ever swapping your party, but this game was already built for a bit of a grind and isn’t in need of much assistance when it comes to leveling. Now, I can say the pacing isn’t hurt, but part of the charm of Pokemon is taking to a bush to do some leveling, and with that being said, most veterans may want to turn off this booster that may take away some of the spirit of the originals.
Another feature that doesn’t feel fully in tune with the remake are the Mega Evolutions. I get that these creations were a nice gimmick to bring us forward with the franchise, but I feel like every Mega is a weight that throws off the balance of general competition. Its a fun gimmick and no – it doesn’t hurt the experience at all when it comes to single player, but those looking for pure nostalgia will have these hefty evolutions to break that illusion – as The Mega Pokemon seem to be here to stay, like it or not. Those two gripes out of the way, I can say that Hoenn is a wonderful place to explore. There is a lot of water, so players will have to equip their team with HMs such as Dive, Surf, and Waterfall for the sea. On top of that, you will also see a lot more Rock Smash – which was introduced this generation and used heavily in caves and mountainous areas. The NPCs are also full of little tidbits, tips, and secrets as well, making it worth speaking to everyone you encounter.
Secret Bases have had a major overhaul. Players now have the ability to build and customize their base from the ground-up, and then share their creations via Streetpass or a QR code. Players can also share decor and battle styles as these little hideouts work as a nice little gym of sorts, and have come full circle as they feel much more important than a whole in the wall with a few dolls crammed in. Pokemon Amie is also back, and due to contests being a thing yet again, this little set of mini-games for you Poke can now be utilized for a purpose as a happy Pokemon is more likely to perform well in contests. Pikachu can even don a few sets of clothes too, and while its cute – it doesn’t do a lot if your not already a mega fan of the electric rodent. Because of the much larger variety of tools that keep contests interesting this time around, players can finally use contests as more of a focus for the post-game.
Those who are into menus will have a lot to take in. While you can retain the same menu that X & Y saw, the updated Pokenav has been overhauled to make the experience more streamlined. We can now track how many more Pokemon remain in an area as a crown appears throughout each route to inform the player if they have caught every species on a route. If that screen doesn’t do it for you, the town map that displays plenty of re-battle opportunities is a nice touch. Instead of having to go and look at a television, players can also see news reports live from their Pokenav that update with you and your friends’ journeys, which is a nice distraction and quite a clever change.
Its honestly hard to just pick one thing to do within Alpha Sapphire. Contests, training, catching them all, shiny hunting – the list goes on and on. Its Pokemon, a game that begs you to play for hundreds of hours, and Game Freak have done a fantastic job with both the little details to modernize a classic. I have to say that sure, we don’t get roller blades, but being able to tip-toe to catch a rarer Pokemon is a great idea. The same goes for the two styles of bikes in the game. When Ruby and Sapphire were released, they brought about a ton of new to the franchise and all these years later, those features have been fully realized and make for one incredible journey to the top.
Visuals
Every little pixel has been upgraded within both of these remakes. Donning the same art style from Pokemon X and Y, we have been treated to a colorful world that keeps the same shape and atmosphere, yet feels much more alive due to the added animations, cutscenes, and everything else in-between. Its a massive visual overhaul that was pulled off successfully, as even if you have played the two classics, you have not experienced anything in the same caliber as Alpha and Omega. Walking into a gym was a puzzle, now its a game in itself due to the spacious designs and the sharp new attires of the larger than life gym leaders. Its even a great thing to see a random trainer, as watching heads turn as you slowly creep through a bush to avoid a wild Pokemon will put players with a low HP count on edge as that next battle looms near.
Audio
Trumpets, my friend. Those glorious trumpets. The soundtrack within Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are top of the line, featuring remixed tracks featuring those boisterous trumpets from the original titles. The battle music has a razor sharp edge, and every single encounter is felt due to the powerful tunes that this and every other Pokemon title have featured over the years, sure to stick in your head for quite some time. Its also nice to hear the distinct cries of the Pokemon. Sure, we could do voices like the anime, but the cries have an odd audible charm to them and hearing a Pokemon pop out of the grass and let out a familiar chirp does a lot to add some nostalgic vibes to the overall scale of the game.
Overall
For years Pokemon has dominated the handheld market, and these two remakes can be seen as two more gems for the franchise, as they hit nearly every mark a fan could ask for. Yeah, I am not a big fan of the Mega Evolutions or a couple of other minor preferences, but those small gripes are drowned out in what is literally a vast ocean of content, where one can start on that old road all over again and get new memories in a classic world reborn. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire is not the greatest Pokemon game of all time, but it is a worthy remake that feels just as relevant as every other modern title currently on the market. Game Freak could have easily released these two titles on the Virtual Console and added a trade feature and I would have been happy, but instead we have received two underdogs of the Pokemon universe that have finally shown true evolution for a whole new generation. Grab your fishing rods and swimming trunks, as its time to go back to Hoenn.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Sentai Filmworks has just announced the English dub cast for the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release of Dog & Scissors, which will be available on January 6, 2015. The series was initially released on DVD in North America with Japanese audio and English subtitles in 2014. The cast list features many familiar names as well as the names of some relatively new voice actresses.
The dub cast is as follows:
Kazuhito Harumi – Blake Shepard
Natsuno Kirihime – Jessica Calvello
Suzuna – Joanne Bonasso
Toji – John Gremillion
Maxi Akizuki – Brittney Karbowski
Yayoi Honda – Monica Rial
Afro Gomez – Chris Hutchison
Sumitani – Julia Traber
Genji – John Swasey
Sarai – Luci Christian
Sakura Honda – Nancy Novotny
Sachi Moribe – Carli Mosier
Madoka Harumi – Juliet Simmons
Munakata – David Wald
Fumio Honda – John Swasey
Hami – Luci Christian
Macho – Leraldo Anzaldua
Daimon – David Wald
Himehagi Momiji – Emily Neves
Emily Neves is also the director of the English dubbed version. Sentai Filmworks provided a synopsis of the series:
Harumi Kazuhito could spend days at a time with his head buried in his beloved books, and little would make him happier than perusing the pages of his favorite author. Unfortunately, when Harumi gets himself killed he inexplicably finds himself reincarnated as a dog… which might not be so bad if he could read, or his new owner didn’t have the unfortunate twin predilections of playing with scissors and tormenting her new pet!
But what truly makes this strange reincarnation the worst of all possible worlds is that she’s also his favorite author! The horror! Can Harumi find a way to live with this tantrum-throwing typist, or will her crazed clippings prove to be his undoing? Can he escape her constant hounding via the doggy door, or is he barking up the wrong tree? There’s a rough, rough time ahead as canine compulsive readers and literary she-wolves get snippy with each other when doggies do what they gotta do!
Nintendo has released the version 1.2 update for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The update was announced last month shortly after the version 1.1 patch was released.
Pokémon trainers playing these games are advised to download this patch immediately as it fixes an issue which causes the game to freeze during the ending movie “under certain conditions”. It has not been revealed exactly what these conditions are. Like with the previous update, ‘ver. 1.2’ will appear at the top-right of the bottom screen while the title screen is displayed.
Pokémon trainers will notice when accessing the 3DS eShop that the PokéMart music from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is playing for a limited time.
This week Viz Media has begun releasing their latest manga, Assassination Classroom in North America. The first volume is now available for purchase through retailers for $9.99 while the digital version can be purchased through Viz’s various digital store fronts for $6.99.
Assassination Classroom is being printed under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint and fans of the series can expect a bi-monthly print release for the series from now on. Created by Yusei Matsui, Assassination Classroom follows the story of a group of students who are the misfits of their school and are isolated from the rest of the academy.
One day an alien octopus with incredible speed and unstoppable powers appears on Earth and destroys part of the moon, threatening to do the same to Earth in one year unless the students of this one classroom can manage to assassinate him in that time frame.
Despite the situation, this strange alien turns out to be the best thing that could have ever happened to the students in what becomes an over the top comedic action series that has managed to survive in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2012. An anime series is also planned to debut sometime early in 2015.
