EA Mobile has three major announcements this week. The Sims FreePlay received a carnival themed content update that allows players to build their own carnivals for their Sims to enjoy. Carnivals can be filled with Ferris Wheels, kissing booths, bouncy castles, and more. Additionally, the entertainer personality and juggling hobbies have been added to the game. The Sims FreePlay can be downloaded for free on iTunes App Store, Google Play, and Amazon AppStore.
Heroes of Dragon Age also received a major content update. Consume has been redesigned to allow heroes to earn Fortify slots. Fortify is the new mechanic that will bind characters to heroes, which will provide bonus stats based on the rarity, tier, and faction of the bound units. Finally, players will get special rewards for referring their friends to the game. Heroes of Dragon Age is available for free on iTunes App Store and Google Play.
Not a PC gamer? Don’t despair! EA Mobile is making sure mobile gamers aren’t left out of the fun with the EA Mobile Summer Sale. A slew of premium titles have been knocked down to only $0.99. Gamers can now pick up games like Need for Speed Most Wanted and Tetris for less than a cup of coffee.
Nintendo seems to be stepping up its game with its online presence this generation and is releasing patches much more frequently to bring improvements and user requested features to its titles. Update 1.03 for Wii Fit U brings with it a very highly anticipated feature that was present in Wii Fit Plus for the Wii but questionably left out of Wii Fit U on release, that feature being for the game to automatically advance through user routines. Previously the user would have to grab the control and press a to advance through the routine and menu screens. While this seems like a minor issue, it increased the time of workouts and made it much more annoying to complete your daily routine so the update to streamline this is much appreciated.
The update also brought with it a few more walking and climbing challenges to complete and some other updates. Full update notes as released by developer Matunaga are available below, you can view the original Miiverse post and all the user comments by following the link.
Adds new headgear for your Mii character after you complete the new walking and climbing challenges.
Adds automatic progression between activities in My Routines, removing the need to use a Wii Remote or Wii U Gamepad to advance.
Increased support for posting screenshots to Miiverse.
Can display individual dates to the Graphs screen when viewing weight changes over one year.
Adds ability to check altitude data in more detail from the Fit Meter Data screen.
Additional enhancements to improve user experience.
Overview Just when you thought that Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic couldn’t get any more intriguing, the series throws out the Balbadd arc, a real game changer in every sense. This second collection of the first season of Magi, is made up almost entirely of the famous Balbadd arc, which fans of the series will tell you is one of the high points of the series. As such there is some pretty lofty expectations here for A-1 Pictures to stick the landing and by and large they do just that, but that’s not to say there isn’t any hiccups along the way.
Story As previously mentioned this collection revolves primarily around the Balbadd story arc and features a plethora of new and colourful characters as they all become entangled in the web that is Balbadd. It goes without saying that the real show-stealer is Sinbad, a character that is just impossible not to like. However the cast really comes into its own in this part of the series and finally begins to feel like a true ensemble, something that the first part of the series was laying the foundations for.
It is pleasing to see that Alibaba comes back into focus here in the Balbadd arc after having a bit of a disappearance for a fair part of collection 1. His character is so genuine and natural, the show is always better when it focuses on him. Alibaba is really just the most human character in Magi and therefore the most relatable. While Aladdin is a cool character with a bit of a dark past, he is rarely a character that the audience can relate to. So it comes as a breathe of fresh air to have the very human Alibaba back in the playing field in a big way this time around.
The story dives heavily into the darker themes the series has pondered, in particular it explores the notion of freedom through the rampant slavery that afflicts the world of Magi. The series does a good job at conveying differing opinions of what freedom truly is, but it generally always falls into the more black and white ‘slavery is bad’ ideology. Magi could do with some shades of grey, but it treads more firmly in black and white, good and evil, light and dark.
While the plot and characterization is generally on point throughout this collection, I must admit that there is some very odd pacing choices and there are moments the feel rushed when they really should have gotten more time. It is hard to say whether this is just the way the manga was originally or if A-1 Pictures have adapted it this way, but there are moments that should be truly emotionally affecting that fall flat due to poor timing and structure. In spite of that however the series does remain highly engaging even though some moments just don’t land the right way.
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic collection 2 is an intense second cour for the series and it builds upon the intriguing world and cast that we were introduced to in the first collection. Magi is a very interesting shonen series and with the Balbadd arc we are now beginning to see why the series has millions of fans across the globe.
Visuals and Audio Continuing on from collection 1’s impressive aesthetic outing, A-1 Pictures have employed a remarkable visual style in this second collection, with a crisper look that comes off as a smoother and more detailed art style than that used in the earlier episodes of the series. The character designs become a bit more ludicrous but all look quite good and fit well within the world of Magi.
The audio portions of this release are equally as good and much like the visuals the soundtrack continues the strong showing of collection 1. The English dub is also rather noteworthy as it features some really incredible performances that must not be missed. Of course if you aren’t into the English dub option there is always the option of the original Japanese audio track.
Extras Much like the first collection, Madman Entertainment have gone all out with Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic collection 2. Like the first release, this one also features an guide and art book inside the packaging, detailing all of the episodes on the release as well as compiling some stunning artwork from the series. The book alongside the on disc special features of clean opening and ending themes as well as trailers makes for an all around blockbuster release that more than earns the price tag associated with it. This is the closest thing to a collector’s edition release we will likely get down here and it is something special no doubt about that.
Overall Although there may be some pacing issues here and there, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic collection 2 continues to build upon the strong foundations set in collection 1 of the series. Not only does it build upon it but it provides a satisfying pay-off to the seeds planted as far back as episode 1. It is clear that Magi is designed for long-form story telling and it does benefit by having a 25 episode count, but you just can’t escape the feeling that this should have been an ongoing series in the same vein as Fairy Tail or One Piece. The idea behind this world is so immense, that there is so much left unexplored by the time episode 25 rolls around. Thankfully there is a second season, but when exactly it will see an English language release is anyone’s guess.
All in all, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic subverts the tropes associated with the shonen genre and ultimately becomes something truly unique. Although it would benefit from better pacing and a continuous ongoing serialization, the series does a superb job with the time it has and provides a somewhat cathartic conclusion however teasing it may be.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Late last month J-Pop Summit revealed what artists will be attending the event when it kicks off on July 19th and today it was revealed that Tokyo Girls’ Style are going to be the special guests of honor for the event as they will be holding a number of live performances and making a various special appearances throughout this year’s event.
It is worth noting right off the bat that Tokyo Girls’ Style will be making their U.S. debut during this event with their first ever concert here. On July 19th the all-girl five member dance and vocal group will be performing at Union Square as part of the “J-Pop Live at Union Square” event and they will also be performing on the Pagoda Main Stage in Japantown in the afternoon of July 20th. On both of these days Tokyo Girls’ Style will be holding meet and greets with VIP Pass holders and various pieces of merchandise will also be available for purchase.
There will also be a special U.S. Debut of the movie Count Five to Dream of You and Kotodama: Spiritual Curse, the former set in an all-girls high school focused on capturing the short-lived and unforgettable moments of adolescence while the latter isa reboot of a famous Japanese horror movie franchise. Both of these movies feature all five members of Tokyo Girls’ Style and a special Q&A session with the group will be held after the screenings. These screenings will be held at the New People Cinema and tickets will be priced at $15 each.
Also to go along with their U.S. debut, Tokyo Girls’ Style is holding a special crowd funding project called “Let’s All Join Hands to Make Sunflowers Bloom Girls’ Style in San Francisco.” All funds will go to finance a special TV documentary for Tokyo Girls’ Style debut in the United States as well as various interviews.
During their performance at J-Pop Live at Union Square attendees will be given replica sunflowers to wave in their air while they sing the English version of their popular song “Himawari to Hoshikuzu” which means Sunflowers and Stardust. The pledges start at $19 and those who do pledge will be personally thanked by Tokyo Girls’ Style with a variety of special items, such as a behind the scenes performance and backstage photographs, a DVD of the San Francisco concert, and various autographed items. Additional information about the crowd funding event can be found here.
As you have likely heard, Viz Media picked up the childhood favorite of many anime viewers last month in the form of Sailor Moon as well as the new version of the series, Sailor Moon Crystal. Since the company picked up such an iconic series, it only makes sense that they make a big deal about it at the largest anime convention in North America, the 2014 Anime Expo that kicks off on July 3rd and ends on July 6th.
At the event at booth #1601, which is located on the main convention floor, Viz Media will have a booth set up where they will be holding special events and panels focused on the Sailor Moon series. This includes a panel that will introduce the series’ new English voice actors as well as the debut of the English dub, a presentation of a subtitled episode of Sailor Moon Crystal, and even an autograph session. Full details on each event and its start time on July 5th can be found below:
Saturday, July 5th, 10:00am Sailor Moon Official Panel
Room LP1 (Petree Hall)
Join Charlene Ingram, Viz Media’s Senior Manager, Animation Marketing, and Joshua Lopez, Associate Producer, for the exclusive world premiere of the all-new, uncut English language premiere of the legendary anime series, Sailor Moon! The session also will introduce the cast and screen the entire first two dubbed episodes of the newly re-mastered anime series. Immediately following the premiere, there will be a very special Q & A session with the animation team and the cast and a special premium poster for attendees, while supplies last!
Saturday, July 5th, 1:00pm Sailor Moon Cast Autograph Session
Anime Expo Autograph Area
Stop by the Viz Media booth and pick up your very own Sailor Moon full-color poster, personally signed by the new Official English voice cast!
Saturday, July 5th, 2:45pm Sailor Moon Cast Photo Opportunity
Viz Media Booth #1601
Fans can take photos of the talented new Official English voice cast for Sailor Moon with the Sailor Guardian cosplayers from American Cosplay Paradise in a special session!
Every once in a while a series like “Psycho-Pass” comes along that shakes fans of anime to the very core. Usually these series’ are filled with likable character, they take place in an interesting location and they have a story that people can become engulfed by…”Psycho-Pass” is no exception to this. It had it’s original run back in 2012 to an amazingly positive reception and to this day is still revered as one of the very best contemporary anime series’ to have been released. Thanks to the lovely people over at Madman Entertainment, I have been given the chance to review “Psycho-Pass” in all it’s high-quality, English dubbed glory. Let’s see just how much I loved the series a second time around.
Story
“Collection One” (read the review here) did an amazing job at setting up the series’ storyline. “Collection Two” does something just as brilliant; it ends the series. Now that might seem like an obviously generic comment but thinking it through will have you truly understand what I mean. There are shows out there that can start off well but be made obsolete thanks to an under-prepared and abrupt ending. This anime is not one of those animes. “Psycho-Pass” is an overly-intellectual anime series that features probably the most though-provoking storyline since “Fullmetal Alchemist”.
It isn’t that the series is hard to follow, it is that it begs the watcher to ask themselves questions they never though to ask before. Though even in saying that, to get the most out of “Psycho-Pass” it is best to pay as close attention as possible because it is very easy to miss something in the background of a scene that, while not hindering your understand of the overall story, WILL add to your appreciation of the layers of intelligence developed throughout. You’ll hear me say this a few times throughout this review; I have to be very vague. This is an anime that must be experienced, not just watched. For me to divulge possible spoiler information would be unfair.
“Collection Two” shows some amazingly in-depth character development that has people seemingly jumping ship or rethinking allegiances, what’s fantastic is that you’ll follow the thought process of these characters yourself and you’ll find that it would be very hard to make a decision in that situation that you wouldn’t later come to regret. We call this “good writing”, something I’ve found a lot of modern anime series’ lack. The story is escalated beyond belief with the character of Makashima finally fully stepping into the spotlight he deserves. I always judge a story based on how relatable the antagonist is written and, well…you’ll soon see exactly what it is that I mean. That is, if you take my word and go to watch the series now.
Visuals
“Collection Two” is much the same visually as “Collection One”. For the most part it retains it’s dark and cold yet vibrant colour palette but does show a definite change to warmer colours as the final episodes begin to creep in. To say anymore about the setting which hosts these aforementioned “warm colours” would be delving deep into the sea of spoilers so I’ll refrain from saying such things. Everything about the series, visually, mostly stays the same. There’s no massive jump in animation or no drastic change in character design but that’s not to be expected.
A couple changes are noticeable; one of them happens to be the prolonged use of CG animation for certain environments which, contrary to what is believed about the style of animation, is actually quite fitting especially because the animators decided to focus all of the CG animation capabilities on one certain piece of the environment which made for an interesting clash of traditional and contemporary. The story coming to a close gives the animators a free pass to run wild with aesthetics. This means that the audience are shown certain things that the last collection simply couldn’t. Once again, any more talk of this would be wandering into spoiler territory so unfortunately I’m to be as vague as possible.
Watching through the series, you’ll certainly understand what it is I’m referring. There’s much more hand-to-hand combat and it is all planned out very well. One thing “Psycho-Pass” does above all other series’ I’ve seen as of late is use actual camera techniques apart from “front on” and “side on”, the likes of which you see almost entirely populate anime. To include things like continuous sweeping shots in an animated medium seems odd but ultimately makes for one hell of a cinematic experience. Just know that “Psycho-Pass” is definitely a series you need to keep your eye on. Literally, I mean.
Audio
Being a direct continuation on from “Collection One”, there’s absolutely no change in the audio quality. Everything, auditorally, that made “Collection One” so appealing has returned to take the spotlight in “Collection Two”. The English dub cast has, once again, blown me away. What DOES make “Collection Two” different from it’s predecessor is simply that an escalation in the urgency regarding the story calls for the voice cast to be a little more, let’s say, “on their toes” when it comes to their character portrayals.
This means there’s plenty of shock, plenty of awe and plenty of raw emotion with lines delivered as realistically as I could have possibly perceived. Much like the voice acting, the soundtrack stood structurally sound much like “Collection One”. Something I noticed this time around was that the opening and closing songs were timed quite well within the actual bulk of the anime. This means we constantly heard the closing theme before the actual episode had ended which brought such a thick layer of gravitas to the ending of the series. Japanese rock group “Nothing’s Carved In Stone” provided the opening theme song for this half of the series.
The song “Out Of Control” was entirely sung in English and musically described the series perfectly. It was not just the lyrics that made sense in regards to the overall storyline, it was the composition of alternative rock sounds that really made for a hard-hitting introduction to any episode, the contents of which rocked you even harder. The in-anime soundtrack pretty much stayed the same which isn’t a bad thing because, the way I see it; why fix what isn’t broken?
Extras
“Psycho-Pass Collection Two”, despite being distributed on Blu-Ray, actually doesn’t feature that many extras. Like regular anime home video releases, “Collection Two” comes with somewhat of a reversible cover, episode commentaries and textless opening/closing sequences. It was nice to see that the release also featured a “Sakura-con” spotlight video that basically showed “Psycho-Pass” in it’s element at a popular convention but this is all pretty much normal for standard anime releases. It would have been nice to have seen more special features, especially seeing as I was given the Blu-Ray version to review; a format that can hold a great deal of data. Still, at least “Collection Two” came with what it did rather than nothing at all.
Overall
“Psycho-Pass Collection Two” perfectly ends the series while also leaving enough open to warrant the release of a second series which, in case you are unaware, has actually already been announced and confirmed for a release sometime late this year. “Psycho-Pass” forces watchers to think about morality in a world that is mostly immoral and makes them doubt their government and, in fact, the world in which they live. Luckily you’re not baited into questioning it too much, I’ve yet to hear of an anarchistic-type uprising due to certain unhinged people watching “Psycho-Pass”.
It’s a modern series that takes a great deal of inspiration from early science-fiction films like “Blade Runner” and books like “Ninteen Eighty-Four”, both of which (alongside many other publications) were actually mentioned throughout the show. “Psycho-Pass” is truly for the introspective thinker. It’s a series that allows for the watcher to immerse themselves within it, it has plenty of quality insight and information to share, and it also indirectly remarks on the society we’re currently living in. Yes, “Psycho-Pass” is simple fiction based in a dystopian future BUT there’s a lot you can get out of watching it. You just have to think a little deeper.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
As we already learned thanks to their E3 line-up this year, XSEED Games is planning on bringing Dekamori Senran Kagura, the cooking rhythm game over to North America under the title Senran Kagura Bon Appétit. Well this weekend XSEED released their E3 trailer for the game that shows off a bit of gameplay as well as some English subtitles.
You can check out the trailer below and keep an eye out for the game itself sometime this Fall which is when Senran Kagura Bon Appétit will be given a digital release on the PS Vita. It appears that the game will be given the same release treatment as with Japan, where the initial title will offer ten playable characters with twelve others, mostly those from Shinovi Versus, available as DLC.
While we have heard that Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is going to be released in the West this Fall, XSEED hadn’t really shown much of the game off until E3 this past week where they had playable versions of the game. Since the majority of gamers couldn’t be there, XSEED has instead released a new gameplay trailer that highlights the new combat system, customization, and all of the new characters that are available in Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus.
You can check out the video below and as for the question about who will end up on top? That’s an easy one… the fans will.
So apparently the Warbeasts virtual world is Tokyo, for all the sense that makes. Of course if it wasn’t just a throwaway locale to justify Sora and Shiro’s little breakdown at the end of last episode, it’s existence may be hinting at something regarding Earth and Disboard. Though I kind of doubt that. Either way, it’s time for the video game of a lifetime as the battle between Imanity and the Warbeasts begins.
Undisputed master of FPS and cuteness
Ok so first of all, the rules of this game certainly stand out. For those of you who didn’t catch it, the video game into which our heroes are summoned is entitled “Living or Dead Series Side Story: Love or Loved 2: Hit Her With Your Bullet of Love!” So not exactly the most serious sounding game out there. This become especially noticeable when we learn that the game is some kind of fusion between an FPS and a harem anime, though to be honest I’d be surprised if this didn’t exist somewhere in our world. Anyway, the aim of the game is to shoot NPCs in order to make your way to the other team’s player/players, whom you must then shoot in order to make them yours and win the game. Simple. Of course, for the sake of fan service, clothes may be used to block bullets, though doing so will cause said item of clothing to disappear…expect this rule to come into play a lot. That being said however, I was actually surprised by how little this aspect of the game was utilised. Sure they threw it around here and there, but a majority of the episode was spent showing how awesome Shiro is at FPS games and how the Warbeasts are a bunch of cheaters. Which, as you can guess, puts them on about equal footing.
This episode also stood out from those previous, in that we got to see Shiro implement her talents in a more immediate fashion. Until now, all of her calculations have been for the sake of more passive games wherein she was not a direct participant. To see her calculations and deductions utilised in an FPS served to show that she can more than compensate for her lack of physical abilities with careful planning…and a little trust. Though, by now we expect Sora and Shiro to invent some sort of plan together, even if only one of them understands it. Though, once again, this game is different in that we can see their teamwork in motion, bouncing off each other in real time in order to acquire the best firing positions and create perfect opportunities to shoot. Not to be outdone however, Izuna also reveals some pretty sweet moves as the game draws on. Though much of this could be attributed to the cheat codes the Warbeasts have active, her ability to survive an encounter with Shiro is impressive nonetheless.
The Angel of Death
However, if there was anyone to mention in this game, it would probably have to be Jibril. The joy that she clearly expresses from being in combat serves to remind us that she was once a vicious soldier in days of old. It’s kind of easy to forget when she spends most episodes drooling over books and making snippy remarks at her Masters. Her stand off with Izuna also showcases her terrifying battle lust further, helpfully presented to us via a shadowy aura, one that intimidates her opponent before the battle even begins. Though Sora and Shiro are obviously the stars of the show, it’s nice to see some other characters getting some justification of their proclaimed skill…unlike poor Stephanie. Ever the comedic relief, she is immediately beaten by NPCs, revived by Sora, whom she is forced to fawn over, tricked into shooting herself, who she then fawns over, only to be immediately left behind by her comrades. That girl cannot catch a break. I’m not even sure what happened to her after that because they seriously just lef her behind…twice. She’ll probably make a return next episode, even comically help save the day, but I doubt she’ll be too happy about what has transpired.
Though despite everything that has happened in this episode, there is still one thing that I have to ask: Who came up with this game? Seriously, this is the game that destroyed the former King? I understand that the Warbeast cheated, but why did they pick this game to cheat in? It really doesn’t carry much dignity for a game that decides the fate of nations. Also, what kind of grandfather makes his granddaughter play this kind of game? Is he serious? Sure she’s most definitely going to win, but why throw her into a world where she has to shoot the clothes off of NPC women? Werechild services should really get on this guy…though I guess putting Shiro into this situation wasn’t that good either. Though they have the excuse of not knowing. Still, this world isn’t a very child friendly place.
Weregirls just wanna have fun
So everybody’s managed to fire off a few good shots here and there. Sora and Shiro tricked Izuna and Jibril has changed allegiances so many times she probably has whiplash. But whatever the case, Izuna is finally experiencing something that she has not had in a long time: fun. Admittedly she has a terrifying way of expressing this, but hey, good for her. Now, Sora, Shiro and the other two must somehow manage to defeat a girl who can see the future in a gunfight…shouldn’t be too hard.
Indie Gala and Capsule Computers released the Steam Greenlight Bundle #3 today. The bundle contains 12 indie games currently on Steam Greenlight, plus 2 extra games to unlock.
Astro Emporiais a turn based space trading game designed for short bursts. Players will fly from planet to planet with a limited amount of fuel, trying to rake in the greatest amount of profit possible.
Soul Gambleris a modern retelling of Goeth’s Faust. Players will play Faust, who is ready to trade his soul to make his wishes come true in this interactive comic.
Luna’s Wandering Starsis a puzzle game that will challenge players to master gravity as they move celestial bodies through space.
Magic Meistersis an action RPG that supports up to four players and boasts more than 70 spells.
Song of the Myrne: What Lies Beneathis a retro styled action RPG. The game features no classes, allowing gamers to create their own combat style.
One Day for Chedis a hardcore FPS designed with older computers in mind.
Data Hacker: Initiationstars Jay, a hacker who is attempting to return to the online game he was banned from. His plot to wreak vengeance upon the administrators is about to go sideways, when he discovers the truth behind the game.
Stingrayis an ASCII game based on Candybox and Cookie Clicker.
Yrminsulmixes tower defense and strategy game that gives players the chance to play the villain.
International Snooker comes with a Steam key, as the game has already been Greenlit. The game is the most realistic snooker sim on the market.
Gamers can snag all 12 titles plus the two bonus games for only a dollar. Grab your copy atIndie Gala.
