If you’re a subscriber of Star Wars The Old Republic, you will have likely received an email today notifying you that a new SWTOR expansion pack is on its way. If you haven’t yet received that email, well, consider this your notification. Bioware and EA have formally announced today the 2nd Star Wars: The Old Republic digital expansion, entitled “Shadow of Revan”. The expansion is already available for digital pre-order via the official Bioware website, or through the game client itself, and is set for a Holiday Season release.
If you know anything about the lore of the Old Republic timeline, or played any of the previous Knights of the Old Republic games, you would know that Revan is THE major of that time period, and one of the most powerful beings to walk the path of both Jedi and Sith. Republic players will have already rescued the legendary Jedi during one of the game’s older flashpoints, and Empire players will have already fought him. The ultimate fate of Revan has been a topic hotly debated by Star Wars fans for years, and it seems that we may finally get the chance to see how his legacy pans out.
Features to be added to the game in this new expansion pack include:
Level cap raised to 60.
Two new planets to explore: Yavin IV, from Episode 4 fame, and Rishi a new world described as a haven for pirates at the edge of the galaxy.
A new discipline system to unlock new abilities for the eight player classes
New Flashpoints and Operations based on Revan’s Master Plan
Along with the bonus features, Bioware and EA are also offering some very shiny looking preorder bonuses for players who get in early, including Early Expansion access, a Revan Stronghold statue, and the almighty x12 experience boost to fast track players to level 55 with newer characters.
NBA 2K15 season has begun, with 2K Sports and Visual Concept’s latest in the top-selling NBA series now available at retail and online in Australia and New Zealand, for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC. Featuring 2013-14 NBA ‘Most Valuable Player’ Kevin Durant on the cover, a soundtrack curated by Pharrell Williams, facial scanning integration, a dedicated in-game program called NBA 2KTV and all the various improvements, NBA 2K15 promises to be bigger and better than its award winning predecessor.
Greg Thomas, president of product development at 2K Sports, stated;
NBA 2K15 is one of the most ambitious sports titles in video game history. We’ve surpassed our own goals to move this franchise in new directions by pushing the boundaries of both hardware and software technologies to create a game that will change what fans can expect from sports simulations.
Here is a full list of game features:
Facial Scanning – All-new in-game technology enables NBA 2K15 players to put themselves into the game like never before through revolutionary 3-D facial scanning. Using native first-party camera hardware, NBA 2K fans can see themselves stand out as individuals while living the life of a player in MyCAREER, becoming the face of a franchise in MyGM, or playing with friends online in multiplayer modes. (Not available for Windows PC).
Gameplay – 2K’s groundbreaking, dynamic gameplay returns with over 6,000 new on-court animations, all-new defensive AI and shooting systems, and an emphasis on more control during offense and defense, making NBA 2K15 the most connected sports simulation experience ever.
MyCAREER – MyCAREER players will experience a whole new story of NBA life both on and off the court, as they develop and hone their MyPLAYER through the journey from undrafted rookie to NBA star. NBA 2K15’s MyCAREER mode features encounters with real-life NBA mentors from all 30 teams, coaching from legendary NBA coach Doc Rivers, an all-new upgrade system, and badges that reflect your on-court status.
MyPARK – NBA 2K’s revolutionary online multiplayer competitive street mode
returns bigger and better than ever in NBA 2K15. This year, the stakes are even higher, with new parks, affiliations, competition, rep system, squads and integration with the MyNBA 2K15 mobile app.
Presentation –NBA 2K15 takes its world-class realism further with an updated broadcast style presentation and pre-game show featuring hosts Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal, and delivering more authentic commentary and analysis on the action.
NBA 2KTV – Players can now stay connected to the NBA 2K community better than ever through an innovative, gamer-focused, in-game broadcast program. Hosted by sports broadcast personality Rachel A DeMita, NBA2K TV will be the source for NBA 2K community news giving dedicated NBA 2K players a voice in the content of each show.
Check out the ‘Beginner’s Guide’ video created by senior producer Rob Jones, embedded below, for helpful tips on playing the game.
We still don’t know what they actually do but we know they are launching soon and wave 2 will be coming soon after. Nintendo’s Amiibo figures will be launching on November 29th, one week ahead of Super Smash Bros. Wii U which is the only title we know of that will support Amiibo at launch and what functionality it will provide. Touching the Amiibo to the Wii U Gamepad NFC symbol will bring the figure to life in game! Interestingly, all the Amiibo figures look just like their trophy counterparts in Super Smash Bros. so it really is like they are coming to life. From then on the figure will become an artificial intelligence which you can level up, fight against and fight alongside in any game modes from 1 vs 1 to team battles.
The second wave of figures will launch two weeks later on the 12th of December and will feature Zelda, Diddy Kong, Luigi, Little Mac, Pit and Captain Falcon. Both waves of figures will cost $17.95 each at retail, meaning if you want to purchase all 18 figures when they come it will cost you a little over $323 dollars barring any sales prices. Amiibo will also work with Mario Kart 8 and upcoming titles such as Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Party 10 with more compatible titles to be announced in the future. Amiibo can be used with 3DS titles but a stand alone adapter (sold separately) will be required unless you are using the New 3DS or New 3DS XL models. You can check out the wave 2 figures in high detail in the gallery below.
In non-Amiibo related news, Super Smash Bros. Wii U finally got a confirmed release date (December 6th in Australia, November 21st for the States), as well as official pricing and bundle guides. The standalone game retail or digital will set you back $79.95 AUD or $89.95 AUD if you wish to purchase the GameCube controller adapter game bundle which to me seems well worth it. An official black GameCube relaunch control featuring the Smash logo will also be made available for $49.95 and will be made available through Nintendo Australia’s website alongside the adapter.
As expected, Smash Bros. 3DS sold through the roof, with 2.8 million units sold worldwide already, even though the game had only been out for about a day in most countries. Let us know what you think of Nintendo’s Amiibo strategy and if you will be purchasing, one, none or all of them when they arrive. For a closer look at the wave 1 of the Amiibo figures, check out our past article.
Today Atlus USA released a handful of new videos for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and while two of them are character introduction videos, one of them is a behind the scenes interview with the voice actors for Yukikio Amagi and Aigis/Nanako who are voiced by Amanda Winn Lee and Karen Strassman respectively.
As for the characters being introduced this time around, we have a brand new character in the form of Rei who has a voracious appetite and is best paired with Zen as she is a support character as well as Aigis who can deal large amounts of damage from the back row but lacks support abilities.
Nothing is more annoying than having to plug in a Wiimote and a now out of print Wii classic controller to the Wii U, just to play your Virtual Console games that were transferred over from the original Wii. Everything seemed to be fixed as Nintendo’s Gamecube controller “rebirth” was rumored to add support to the backwards compatible set of games, bit alas, the rumor has been squashed today with Nintendo citing that they would only offer compatibility with Super Smash Bros. for the system at this time.
Days ago however, Nintendo offered this statement on their website, which if you’re curious – is why there was so much confusion:
This adapter will allow you to connect your GameCube controller to the Nintendo Wii or Wii U. Connect your GameCube controller to your Wii or Wii U console. Compatible with all games supported by the Wii Classic Controller, Wii Classic Controller Pro and Wii U Pro Controller.
Well, as much as I want to confirm the above, it seems to be no longer true and just a random mix-up. We do need to get this issue fixed Nintendo – as it was my own personal preference to utilize the Gamecube controller on the Wii – and now I am unsure if it is really needed at all considering we have the Pro, Wiimotes, and a Gamepad to play Smash with already.
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a game I have waited on for a long time. Announced for last year, this little sequel will be hitting the 3DS eShop on October 23rd after several delays – as a part of Nintendo’s “Nindies” (terrible name) program for the service.
A Wii U version of WayForward‘s latest is also scheduled to hit the console before the end of the year, but at this moment there is no date in sight. We do have a release date for the third and final chapter of the first Shantae trilogy however, and that alone is worth celebrating. Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse will be priced at $19.99 when it drifts to the eShop.
Overview Despite the large number of anime series that are produced in Japan every year, only in recent years have many of them been released in North America and still today, even fewer actually appear on standard television. That is why back when Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit debuted back in 2008, it was a pleasant surprise to see grace English channels. However due Toonami’s ill future at the time, the series suffered from poor planning and air times. Years later Viz Media has now released the entire series on Blu-ray, but is it worth picking up? Let’s find out.
Story A female warrior named Balsa from the land of Kabal who has sworn to save eight worthy souls with her fighting prowess, is returning to the land of Shin Yogo in order to repair her spear. On her journey she witnesses a royal carriage carrying the prince of Yogo tumble off of a bridge, casting the unconscious prince into the river below. Despite the rumor that simply looking at the royal family will cause blindness, Balsa risks her life to save the prince, named Chagum, from his watery grave.
Shortly after doing so, Balsa is apprehended and brought to the Empress where she is informed that the Emperor believes that Chagum has been possessed by an evil spirit and must be killed. Balsa is hired to be his bodyguard and escort him from the empire in order to save his life. After avoiding capture and escaping the long reach of the Emperor’s secret forces, the two manage to escape. However with the land plagued by a drought, could the secret within Chagum be the solution to everything?
To say that Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit tells a sprawling story would be something of an understatement as Balsa and Chagum’s journey takes them to various locations and meeting up with numerous characters. Unfortunately the large nature of the story also leads to some rather poor pacing and a bad loss of focus. There are countless times throughout the series that Moribito begins to struggle under the numerous threads it is trying to tie together, especially when more continue to be added as the episodes progress, causing viewers to wonder if the story is even trying to go anywhere.
That being said, the premise that focuses on humanity’s struggles and growing up is one of the highlights of this series. Watching the bond that grows between Balsa and Chagum is interesting to watch as the dynamic shifts from simply being a bodyguard to something similar to what one would feel for their own child. Chagum is also an interesting character to see develop thanks to the fact that he starts the series as a noble who knows nothing of the world.
Watching Chagum learn about the world and grow as a person while learning more about Balsa’s past and the reason for her quest mean that the two are the central focus for character development. Unfortunately at the same time, the countless characters that are introduced over the course of the story receive very little development, if any which makes the series’ pacing issues all the more troubling. That being said, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit spins an intriguing yarn that, when everything finally comes together near the end, is worthwhile.
Visuals Although Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit was produced back in 2007, it holds up incredibly well thanks to the amount of effort that Production I.G. put into the series back then. Every design aspect of the series is focused on providing a natural and realistic look to the series. Not only does the color palette feature subdued colors for the environment but the environments and clothing the characters wear matches well with the style of clothing and building structure prominent in ancient Japan.
The characters are also rather plain and realistic looking with only a few stranger designs populating the series. Balsa serves as a strong female lead without falling back on any ridiculous fanservice appearance and all of the action sequences are impressively executed using a variety of styles. There are some drops in quality during these battles but many of them feature well-choreographed and fluid combat.
Audio With this release of Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, Viz has provided not only the original English dub that was produced back when the series aired on television but also the original Japanese voice track. The English cast does a great job matching the character personalities but considering the heavy Japanese aesthetic of the show, viewers may prefer listening to the Japanese voice track for consistencies’ sake.
The background music throughout Moribito is rather impressive as it makes use of numerous tracks that not only accent the atmosphere of the show but heighten the tension of fights. Despite being a twenty six episode series, only one opening and ending theme is used throughout the series with the opening being “Shine” by L’Arc~en~Ciel, and “Itoshii Hito e” by Sachi Tainaka. The opening is surprisingly impressive, mixing English and Japanese vocals together to create a memorable tune while the ending is standard for a series such as this.
Extras As far as bonus content goes, Viz’s release comes with a number of standard inclusions such as a clean version of the opening theme and ending theme as well as Japanese trailers and promotional material. Also included is a seven minute press conference and a discussion panel that lasts for twenty minutes. It is worth noting that all of these bonus features are only presented in Japanese and for some reason, they are set to play without subtitles. This means that viewers will need to manually turn subtitles on when they wish to check out the press conference and discussion panel or else they will not activate.
Overall Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is a rare series that tells a large story with many different threads that are created over time before culminating into a decent finish. It is held back by poor pacing and a sense that the series loses focus over the course of its twenty six episode run but those who manage to stick with it until the end will be in for a down to earth series laced with fantasy elements told in a way that you just don’t see much nowadays.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today Square Enix released a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX and while this three minute trailer may contain plenty of footage of the first HD collection, the focus of the trailer is to explain how everything in Kingdom Hearts is connected together. The trailer serves as both a refresher course for fans of the series as well as a way to introduce new fans to the Kingdom Hearts games.
You can check out the trailer below, as well as our recent hands-on with the title here, and be sure to keep an eye out for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX when it is released in North America on December 2nd and in Europe on December 5th.
Super Smash Bros. For Wii U has finally been given a release date and it is sooner than you may think. Today Nintendo revealed that the title will be released in North America on November 21st, a few weeks before its release in Europe on December 5th. You can check out our hands-on with the Wii U release here.
The title will cost $60 when it is released and will be compatible with all of the Amiibo figures that will also be released on that same day. These Amiibo figures cost $13 each and the first twelve will be available include Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Fox, Samus, Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, Pikachu, Kirby and Marth. The second wave of Amiibo figures will be released in December and they will include Zelda, Luigi, Pit, Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, and Little Mac.
It looks like Toad’s solo adventure will be missing Black Friday as Nintendo has announced that they are planning on releasing Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on December 5th in North America. The title will be priced at $39.99 and the company has also announced that it will support “select” Amiibo figures starting in 2015.
Of course Nintendo failed to clarify exactly how the Amiibo figures would factor into the game, though it is nice that those who are already looking forward to purchasing some of them will see them used in more titles than just Super Smash Bros.
