So this is definitely an unusual one. Paramount Pictures have officially announced that principal photography on their upcoming monster flick; Scouts vs Zombies is now underway. As you might have guessed from the title, the film follows a group of boy scouts who are forced to defend themselves from a violent horde of zombies.
Christopher Landon, who previously served as a producer on the Paranormal Activity series (also directing the latest installment; The Marked Ones) will be jumping into the director’s chair with a script penned by The Drew Carey Show’s Lona Williams, so it should have a nice mixture of comedy and dark horror elements. The cast is filled primarily with up and coming actors, with Patrick Schwarzenegger, Halston Sage and Tye Sheridan in leading roles.
No word on when Scouts vs Zombies will be released but rest assured that we will let you know as soon as that info comes to light. So for all the Scouts vs Zombies news as it becomes available, make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
Fans of the iconic Doraemonanime series were rather concerned when it was announced that the series would at long last see a release in North America through a broadcast on the Disney XD network. Those concerns appear to be justified with reports coming in from Japan that the series will be undergoing an ‘Americanization’ of sorts.
Major changes to the series include the setting being moved from Japan to America, which in turn results in the removal of all Japanese cultural signs, items or references. For example, chopsticks are replaced with forks and Japanese Yen is replaced with US Dollars.
Others changes include name changes for several characters. While Doraemon himself will not receive a name changes other characters do. Nobita is changed to Noby, Gian is changed to Big G, Suneo is changed to Sneech. There are several other name changed to items featured in the series all of which make them supposedly more ‘American’.
Oricon Style has detailed the entire list of changes for your viewing pleasure here. Be sure to let us know what you think of these alterations in the comments section below.
Dark Lands Developer:Mingle Games Publisher:Bulkypix Platforms: Android/Windows Phone/iOS (iPhone/iPad) – Reviewed on iPad Release Date: 8th May 2014 Price: $3.79 – Available Here
Overview Forces of evil are just the worse. I mean there you are, just relaxing in your homeland, when a horde of dark creatures emerge from the shadows and infest the environment itself. Such a hassle. If only there was some kind of heroic knight close by. One who would barrel through the monstrous opposition, vowing to banish the invaders back to the darkness from which they came. Oh wait, there totally is.
Hell’s heart I stab at thee!
Story Dark Lands doesn’t so much possess a story, as it does the idea of one. Presented through a textless slideshow, we learn that dark creatures have invaded the land. As a brave knight, it is up to the protagonist to march across the land and destroy the evil force that has decimated his homeland. Whether or not the monsters brought the death traps with them is still up to conjecture though…maybe it was just already a really dangerous place to live.
Gameplay Dark Land is centred around a concept that dictates how the game plays out: steady progression of difficulty. Assuming control of the player character (whom I shall dub Knight), you must push on through side scrolling locales that just love to beat their predecessors when it comes to challenge. Of course by challenge, I mean deadly, deadly death traps. Being that Knight’s default state is movement, you must aid the antsy hero and avoid said traps. The controls aren’t anything complicated, a simple swipe upwards will activate jump (with a second calling upon double jump) and a swipe downwards will instigate a power slide…that’s pretty much it movement wise. Told you it wasn’t anything complicated. However, Dark Lands takes a step beyond this runner style premise, by including an aspect that is central to a knight’s life: combat.
Know where to strike
Littering the path that leads to your victory, enemies will do whatever is in their power to halt your progress. Namely hitting you really hard with weapons. Keeping the flow of the movement system, combat can be undertaken by simply standing in front of a foe. IT is at this point that you may tap the screen to attack or hold it (with two fingers) in order to defend. Simple. Once you’ve got a handle on the controls, it’s just a matter of avoiding their strikes and counterattacking to cinch victory. However, be careful where you choose to fight, should an opponent attack from behind you’re pretty much out of luck. Also be careful when fighting near death traps, creatures have a tendency to slam you into them. Of course, this also works the other way around but still, be careful.
The game itself features two game modes: Survival and Adventure. Whilst both of these modes control the same, there are some minor variations in how the situations unfold. Adventure Mode focuses on the “story” of the game, throwing you into levels with a predetermined layout. These levels take roughly 1 minute to complete, though it may take you a few attempts to best some of the later ones. Survival Mode on the other hand, allows you to run continuously through one long randomly generated level to test your manoeuvrability and combat acumen. Regardless of which mode you play mode however, you will be given the opportunity to collect precious gems. As you’d expect, these form Dark Land’s currency, allowing you to buy a number of upgrades that will aid you immensely through the game. Seriously. You’ll need them.
Bad things come in threes
Visuals and Audio In spite of its simplistic, monochromatic style, Dark Lands is a surprisingly beautiful game. The stark contrast of black and white in the foreground demands attention, keeping you focused on the action. It is also the absolute nature of these colours that allow the red of spilled blood to stand out. It’s pretty cool, in a gruesome way. The background of the game also serves to bolster this effect. Though aesthetically pleasing in its own right, the softer blend of lighter colours serves merely to create a backdrop for the foreground. The colour changes between each area were a nice touch however,providing a minor degree of variation within the simplistic visuals.
Owing to the rather simplistic style of its visuals, Dark Lands employs a soundtrack with a tremendous sense of drama. Heavy piano notes that resound consistently through the audio, provide a sense of fantastic wonder and violence, adding weight to a story left under explained. The accompaniment of violins also serves to add a shrill sense of danger to certain moments in the soundtrack, reminding you to stay on your toes. The characters themselve will also react to their torturous predicament with a number of guttural sounds. Combined with the ominous nature of the soundtrack and visual, it creates quite the environment. Although I will admit that the grunts of pain occasionally cross over into the realm of humour, especially when Knight ragdolls 10 meters into the air from stepping on a bear trap. It’s just so ridiculous.
You mess with the Minotaur, you get the horns…and the axe
Overall Dark Lands is a simple game, though this is by no means a bad thing. It knows what it wants to do and it does it. The inclusion of combat into a side scroller/runner style game serves to add a depth to the game that keeps attention longer than it would have without it. Adventure Mode’s brief levels also allow you to immediately retry if you fail, their short length meting a great deal of the frustration that arises from loss. That being said, there is a noticeable difficulty spike towards the end of the first Adventure Mode area. Whilst the game should become harder as it progresses, this sudden jump forces you to replay levels and purchase upgrades in order to proceed…unless you’re really talented and really patient. That first boss is a doozy. Regardless, Dark Lands is a beautifully simplistic game that will keep you coming back for more…if only out of spite from some creatures. Damn Minotaur…
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Level 50 Shiny Mamoswine Pokémon character will be distributed at the 2014 Pokémon European National Championships!
Attendees at this year’s Pokémon Video Game National Championships will be able to receive a special distribution of the Ice-Type Pokémon character Mamoswine. This Mamoswine was part of the successful team of Pokémon used by the Masters Division World Championwinner last year. Arash Ommati was the first Pokémon Video Game World Champion from Europe in the history of the Pokémon Championships. Mamoswine is also featured in the Kalos Mountain Pokédex and is legal in tournaments for the 2014 season.
The Level 50 Shiny Pokémon has the following moves: Icicle Spear, Earthquake, Icicle Crash and Rock Slide and the ability, Thick Fat.
The free-to-enter UK tournament will take place this year in Manchester (May 24–25) and will determine who will go on to win a travel expenses paid trip to the 2014 Pokémon World Championships in Washington, DC in August. The UK Video Game National Championship is open to all Europeans, while the Pokémon TCG tournaments are open to citizens of the host countries only.
To compete in the video game tournament players need to bring their Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL or 2DS system, and their copy of Pokémon X or Pokémon Y, along with their Player ID. To get a Player ID, please visit Pokemon.co.uk or register at the event. To receive the Shiny Mamoswine players do not need to take part in the tournament but will need to bring along the same equipment.
The VGC and TCG National Championships will be taking place at the following locations with three age restricted divisions:
2014 Pokémon UK National Championships: May 24–25, 2014, in Manchester, UK
2014 Pokémon Italian National Championships: May 31–June 1, 2014, in Milan, Italy
For more details on the event, including tournament rules and registration please visit: Pokemon.co.uk/play.
Indie Platformer ‘The Last Tinker: City of Colors’ Available Now
Grab the award-winning action/adventure game for PC/Mac/Linux
San Francisco, USA — May 13th, 2014 — Independent developer Mimimi Productions and publisher Unity Games today launched their highly anticipated 3D action/adventure game, The Last Tinker: City of Colors, for PC/Mac/Linux via Steam’s digital distribution service. The Last Tinker is the most recent desktop gaming release for Unity Games, and is part of their program to showcase and promote independent developers. In The Last Tinker, players take on the role of Koru, a cheerful and acrobatic young boy who must harness unique abilities to fight the forces of evil and return brightness and vitality to his world. The Last Tinker: City of Colors is available for €21.99, £16.99 through digital distribution service Steam: http://steam.thelasttinker.com
“We are excited to launch The Last Tinker on Steam today and eager for the response from players,” said Johannes Roth, CEO of Mimimi Productions. “The game’s unique blend of vibrant colors and beautiful landscapes, coupled with modern and fun adventure-style gameplay, is a winning combination that gamers of all ages will enjoy.”
In a world where creativity has given way to conflict, a young street kid living in the slums of Colortown seeks to restore the spark of imagination to his hometown. As Koru, you must harness the power of color to defeat the Bleakness and make Colortown vibrant once again. A charming blend of modern platforming and multicolored style, The Last Tinker is a one-of-a-kind adventure.
Along with having recently been awarded the “Best Game in Show, Audience Choice” prize at the 2014 Casual Connect conference, The Last Tinker also won the “Best Project” award at Game Connection 2011.
Follow The Last Tinker on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thelasttinker) to stay up-to-date on all of the latest news, and don’t forget to follow the development team on Twitter @mimimiprod
About Mimimi Productions
Located in Munich, Germany, Mimimi Productions in an independent games development studio that develops innovative games that mix challenging puzzles and easy to understand concepts. Mimimi’s debut release is Apple Design Award winner daWindci, a critically acclaimed 2.5D puzzle game for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The Last Tinker: City of Colors will be released in summer 2014 onto console and desktop platforms. For further information on Mimimi Productions visit www.mimimi-productions.de
About Unity Games
Unity Games is a division of Unity Technologies dedicated to publishing high quality Unity authored games. Working with the talented and diverse Unity community, Unity Games is elevating the status of its developer base, while pioneering technologically and artistically advanced games. For more information, visit www.unitygames.com
Time Warping Puzzle Adventure Platformer, ‘Chronology’, is Now Available for Download on Steam!
Featuring time-turning puzzle adventure gameplay set in a beautiful universe, ‘Chronology’ is out now on Steam
Aalborg, Denmark – May 13th, 2014 – Indie micro studio osao games today announced that the mind-bending puzzle adventure platform game, nominated for the Nordic Indie Sensation award for 2014, Chronology, is now available for download through Steam. Mixing classical fantasy with mechanical retro-futuristic elements, Chronology places players into a beautiful universe inspired by Hayao Miyazaki where time must be manipulated and controlled to move past and future in order to fix the present. Chronology is now available for USD 9.99 / EUR 9.99 from Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/269330 with 20% off for the first week.
“Chronology began with a very simple concept and has grown organically to become a truly fun, challenging and beautiful experience that we are proud to finally share with gamers throughout the world,” said Niels Højgaard Sørensen, Game Director at Osao Games. “It’s taken a lot of time, energy and love to launch this game, and we know that fans will appreciate the work we’ve put in to make it unique and engaging”.
Our story begins, as the inventor wakes to discover the world has ended, and has no memory of his past. After finding a time travel device that can take him back in time, his memory slowly returns… With the help of a snail, who can stop time, the inventor sets out to fix the future by changing the past. Players run and jump through puzzles, using the time travel device, that moves the player from a beautiful idyllic past to a dark dystopian future.
Chronology has had a turbulent history after its original developer Progressive Media, closed its doors in January 2014 after the game has been Greenlit by Steam community. A small dedicated team of ex-developers, turned indie and opened osao games to continue the development of Chronology. Scheduled for release on multiple platforms through 2014, Chronology has already been selected as one of the eight finalists for the Nordic Game Indie Sensation Award.
About osao games
We are a handful of guys with years of experience working on big titles with big publishers – We decided we had to follow our hearts, and work on truly unique, brilliant games that would move and touch those who love the art of games.. People like us. We are now excited to launch our first game, Chronology.
While we have yet to get a solid release date yet for Titanfall‘s first piece of DLC, EA and Respawn Entertainment have released the first gameplay trailer showing of ‘Expedition’ which is set to be released sometime this month for the Xbox One and PC while the DLC will arrive for the Xbox 360 version in June. In this trailer, found below, players have a chance to look at the three maps that will be added into the game.
Swampland is a map filled with tall trees to provide pilots with new angles of attack, Runoff is an industrial battleground, and Wargames is set in a simulation that is stylized to allow fighters to take advantage of numerous routes to overtake their enemy. When Expedition is released it will be priced at $9.99 though if you purchase the season pass which costs $24.99 then this DLC and the two others that will follow will be included for that price.
While many people were wondering if NIS America would pick up Hyperdimension Neptunia‘s anime adaptation back in 2013, FUNimation licensed the series’ streaming rights and now they have announcedthat they will also be releasing the series on home video sometime this winter.
As it stands it is currently unknown what the dub plans are for FUNimation’s release of Hyperdimension Neptunia, but considering the multiple English releases the games have been given it might be in the company’s best interest to try and stay consistent with the voice actresses between the game and the anime.
For those who aren’t familiar with the series, Hyperdimension Neptunia’s anime adaptation that combines elements from the first three games in the Neptunia series to tell a condensed story. FUNimation also announced that they are joining with NIS America to give away three copies of the idol management game focused around the four CPUs, Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection Limited Edition which is set to be relased on June 3rd.
It should probably go without saying since FUNimation already released the first season of High School DxD in North America but there have been times a series has simply stopped being released but anyways, today the company announcedthat they are planning on releasing High School DxD New sometime in early 2015.
FUNimation previously streamed the series and now they are planning on releasing it on both Blu-ray and DVD. High School DXD New continues the story of the perverted devil Issei as his master Rias and the rest of the group encounter dangerous new foes from both the Fallen Angels side as well as from Church itself. Though even with all of this potential danger, being surrounded by beauties who seem to be growing by the episode is always a plus for Issei.
Telstra customers to receive exclusive bonus track from Michael Jackson’s new album, XSCAPE
Sydney, 13 May 2014 – Sony Mobile Communications Australia can confirm that its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia™ Z2, is available today with Telstra in both purple and black. The Xperia Z2 also comes with Telstra Blue Tick certification, meaning it is recommended for rural and regional use.
Customers can enjoy the best of Sony’s waterproof design, display, sound, camera and camcorder experience on Telstra’s Mobile Network which has four times the 4G coverage of other mobile networks in Australia.
Telstra customers can purchase the Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone for $6 per month additional handset payments on a $70 Telstra Mobile Accelerate Plan, when they stay connected for 24 months, which includes 1.5 GB of data ($0.03c/MB) for use in Australia ($76/month – minimum cost over 24 months is $1824) 2 min standard call $2.38.
Telstra business customers can purchase the Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone for $10 per month additional handset payments on a $60 Business Performance Plan, plus when they stay connected for 24 months, which includes 1 GB ($0.03c/MB) for use in Australia ($70/month – minimum cost over 24 months is $1680) 2 min standard call $2.38.
Customers can also purchase the Sony Xperia Z2 from Telstra outright for $672 RRP.
To celebrate the launch of Michael Jackson’s XSCAPE album Telstra customers who purchase the Xperia Z2 before 31 May 2014 can to download the XSCAPE album plus an exclusive bonus track– a PaperCha$er remix of Chicago through the Xperia Lounge app. Telstra customers with the Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z1 Compact, can also receive the exclusive download1.
The new album, which is executively produced by Epic Records Chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, is a long-awaited collection of exciting new music that will thrill the legions of fans of one of the world’s most revered and best-selling artists, as well as attract a whole new generation discovering his artistry for the first time.
