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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle Review

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May 6, 2014

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games
Platforms: PS3
Release Date: 25th April 2014
Price: $49.99 – Available Here

Overview
Having come into publication in 1986, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has amassed quite the roster of quirky characters and strange abilities. One might even go as far as to call them bizarre. Regardless, with all of the climactic battles that have taken place throughout the JoJo timeline, it’s only natural that fans would wish to relive them. Thus, All Star Battle came to be.

JoJo's-Bizarre-Adventure-All-Star-Battle-Screenshot-02 — **A truly diverse roster…some assembly required**

Story
As I’ve already mentioned, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a phenomenon unto itself. With a massive 28 years of content behind it (with more still being produced) the developers really couldn’t ask for more. Countless, battlefields, a bevy of odd characters to work with, eight storylines to recreate. Truly the basis of a fantastic story…if only the game had used it. Look, I’ll be fair here, the game does include a number of the central characters you’d expect in a JoJo title, that’s not the issue here…it’s the story. The game’s so called “Story Mode” throws you into the world of each character who has worn the name JoJo, from Phantom Blood to JoJolion, it’s all there. Vaguely. That is to say that Story Mode itself features no form of cutscene to set up each fight, relying on simple and short blocks of text. Essentially, if you haven’t actually read the manga or seen the anime (for the earlier parts), you may find yourself fairly confused. Of course, the low number of stages doesn’t help this. For example, after four brief paragraphs explaining Dio’s transformation into a vampire, Jonathon Joestar and Will A Zeppeli fight…in Dio’s mansion. As fans would know, the heroes of Phantom Blood didn’t arrive at Dio’s mansion until well into the arc. Also, despite being a representation of Jonathon’s Hamon training, he has access to every single move, including the climactic Sunlight Yellow Overdrive. Now I understand that some titles (especially fighting games) utilise a form of gameplay and story segregation, but come on. Basically, this is a fighting game through and through. The story mode really only serves to unlock additional characters and maybe give you a refresher on the broader points of JoJo.

JoJo's-Bizarre-Adventure-All-Star-Battle-Screenshot-12 — **BRANDOWNED!**

Gameplay
Alright, onto some positives. Despite possessing a rather eclectic mix of fighting styles, as we’d expect from JoJo, the game does an excellent job of maintaining balance between the fighters. Spanning the entirety of the JoJo franchise and the many forms it has taken over the years, characters are divided into five main categories: Hamon, Vampirism, Mode, Stand and Mounted. Naturally, each of these classifications possess their own unique abilities and require slightly different methods of controls. Allow me to explain. Hamon, though able to cancel the healing abilities of Vampirism, rely solely on regular kicks and punches that limit their range. However, they are also the only fighter type able to charge their Heart Heat Gauge without outside assistance. Vampirism allows characters to restore small amounts of damage taken over time (unless damaged by Hamon) and grants a draining element to attacks that restore health and Heart Heat. Mode characters are also share this ability to regain health, though trade out draining attacks for the chance to briefly transform mid-battle for a power boost. Stand wielders are, of course, able to summon their spiritual extensions and utilise them in combos, altering their moveset and providing range to every move. Finally, in a photo finish, we have Mounted. Racing into battle atop mighty steeds, these characters are able to attack both with and without their mount, providing them with two movesets…and a horse.

In addition to the abilities lent to them by their respective fighting style, some characters enjoy further individualisation. One clear example would be the extra power up method of each character from Part 7, better known as Steel Ball Run. True to form, these fighters are able to collect pieces of the Corpse, increasing their combat acumen and strengthening their moves. Opposing players may knock these pieces from an enemy’s grasp by dealing enough damage, though Steel Ball Runners may simply pick them up again later. It’s a vicious cycle. Due to their nature and fighting style, Vampires and the Pillar Men of Part 2 also share a unique trait: aversion to sunlight. As such, unless they are bested in story mode, Dio, Esidisi, Wamuu and Kars are usable only on night time or indoor battle stages. As if there weren’t few enough stages to choose from already. Though the attention to detail is a nice touch.

JoJo's-Bizarre-Adventure-All-Star-Battle-Screenshot-13 — **WHAM!**

In addition to regular combos, characters also have access to more powerful techniques known as Heart Heat Attacks and Great Heat Attack. As characters give or receive damage, their Heart Heat Gauge fills. Once sufficiently filled, certain button inputs will unleash a character’s unique ability, such as Dio’s classic steamroller attack.

As mentioned before, All Star Battle includes a default story mode for you to play through, “reliving” the moments of the JoJo franchise. Just to compound the concept of challenge, battles will occasionally place extra conditions upon victory. For example, when fighting Kars, both your attack and defence are lowered whilst he gains the ability to regenerate health and Heart Heat…so not fair. As you progress through a chapter however, you are awarded with Gold, a currency that allows you to purchase Support, such as an attack boost, should any battle become particularly difficult. This concept is also carried through to Campaign Mode, wherein you challenge the Avatars of other All Star Battlers. Utilising a system that forces you to deplete an Energy Gauge in order to begin a fight, Campaign Mode allows you to unlock medals that, in turn, allow you to customise your fighter’s taunts and sound effects. It’s pretty cool. However, with each expenditure of the Energy Gauge, there is a small chance that you will encounter a Boss. Besting said boss in combat will unlock rarer customisation options, allowing you to alter a character’s colour, costume and/or dialogue. Even cooler.

Though Story and Campaign are the bulk of the game’s predefined content, the Western release of All Star Battle decided to throw in an Arcade Mode. Forgoing the intricacies of the other modes, Arcade simply pits you against eight AI fighters for the sheer thrill of it. But, when all is said and done, there is one thing that defines a fighting game:Versus Mode. Well you’re in luck because All Star Battle does indeed include a Versus Mode, with both online and offline options. Talk about being spoiled for choice. As you’d expect, this mode grants you the ability to battle any opponent across the world, even one physically sitting next to you! Remember when videogames let you do that? No gimmicks, no Gold, no Support, just a good ol’ fashioned JoJo battle.

JoJo's-Bizarre-Adventure-All-Star-Battle-Screenshot-14 — **At least he’s honest…**

Visuals
Belonging to the wave of games still being released on what is now the old generation of consoles, All Star Battle’s graphics are not the best. However, as with most JoJo material, it covers up any sign of weakness with inexorable style. Utilising a specialised engine known as the JoJo Shading Requiem, the entire game possesses the look of its manga source material. This creates authentic representations of each present character, rather than an off model 3D recreation. This is definitely a benefit to the game, as it allows you to visually enjoy fights as you would with the manga. Plus how else could you represent the hulking masses of muscle that make up each JoJo character?

The same courtesy of detail given to the characters is also lent to each stage, though they number few. Though the stages themselves are flat sections of land within a larger environment, the little touches in the background are a nice little touch that remind you where, and when, in the franchise you are fighting.

Audio
Though localised for Western audiences (as we all know too well), the game includes only the original Japanese audio. And that’s just fine. Fans of the anime franchise will recognise the voices from Parts 1, 2 and even the currently running 3rd arc. This serves to unify the vocal representation of characters across the franchise, preventing the disconnect that arises from utilising multiple voices across multiple formats. Of course, every character outside of these parts has never actually been voiced before, so All Star Battle is their first speaking role. Though I have to say, every character’s voice is a perfect fit for their personality. That isn’t to say some voices don’t get annoying through repetition, but they are true representations of the fighter. Just a note for all you All Star Battlers out there, spamming Jotaro’s attacks will earn you the ire of your opponent. There’s only so many times one can hear “ORA ORA ORA” and retain their sanity.

JoJo's-Bizarre-Adventure-All-Star-Battle-Screenshot-05 — **This is as close as he gets to “nice”**

Overall
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle is about as true a recreation as you can get. Flamboyant characters, intense shading, ridiculous powers. All the hallmarks of the franchise that we have come to know and love. Which is good, because in order to truly appreciate the game, you need a strong interest in JoJo. Though newcomers will enjoy the combat system, enjoyment of Story Mode requires previous knowledge of every single Part. I know that fighting games are in fact mainly about the fighting, but when something as central as story seems like an add on, it can really limit a game’s appeal. This of course is unavoidable in All Star Battle, as playing through Story Mode is required to unlock more than 50% of the roster. All I’m saying is some cutscenes would have been nice. I mean they already had an entire vocal cast, why not fully utilise them? All in all, All Star Battle is a fun, crazy game with a solid combat system and an interesting roster of fighters. Just don’t go in expecting to truly relive the series.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Cuticle Detective Inaba: Complete Collection Review

Travis Bruno

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May 6, 2014

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Cuticle Detective Inaba: Complete Collection Review

Cuticle Detective Inaba: Complete Collection
Studio: Zexcs
Publisher: Sentai Filmworks
Format: DVD, Blu-ray (Reviewed)
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Price: $59.98 – Available Here

Overview
Comedy comes in different many different forms and everyone’s sense of humor is different so while some people might enjoy a show’s style of comedy others may avoid it entirely. This can cause a lot of issues when starting a show that can be nonsensical as few shows can thrive off of comedy with no backbone to keep the show together. With Cuticle Detective Inaba now available in North America, does this comedy series manage to keep it together while making viewers lose it?

Story
In the world of Cuticle Detective Inaba police dogs are more than K-9 units, they are actual cross-species humanlike creatures called Secret Dobermen that possess special powers that make them invaluable resources when solving crimes with their human partners. Or they would at least if every Doberman was willing to listen to their partner such is the case with Hiroshi Inaba.

Hiroshi is an ex-police dog who is now running a detective agency that takes on various jobs and employs two assistants in the form of Yuuta, a crossdressing boy with a yandere style obsession with Hiroshi, and Kei, a teenage boy with an obsession for felines and perhaps the only normal acting person in the entire show, who works for the company as an assistant to try and earn money after growing up poor.

Shortly after the start of the series Hiroshi’s former partner in the police Ogino appears at the office and asks for Hiroshi’s help in capturing a new mafia organization that has moved into Japan and is causing problems for everyone. They are the Valentino family and their leader Don Valentino has a taste for money. Literally. You see Don Valentino is a goat and while he eats normal money he also prints out almost carbon copy counterfeit money in its place.

This is where things in Cuticle Detective Inaba get strange if they weren’t already as basic premise of the series is Hiroshi and Ogino attempting to capture the Valentino Family during one of their random schemes but usually letting them get away either by arguing with one another or simply not paying attention. Throughout the series the focus shifts between either these two groups messing around or directly highlighting one of the two groups which works well considering outside of the goat leader, there is a man devoted to the Don whose head is always covered with a burlap sack, a nearsighted assassin with a height fetish, and a genius scientist with her own quirks.

Things get a bit more serious once the story, yes there actually is one… or at least a semblance of one, starts to come into play by introducing Hiroshi’s younger brother Haruka, who Hiroshi left the police force to search for, and his organization called NORA. Due to Hiroshi always spending time working with the police and not spending time with him, Haruka has joined this group in order to eliminate the police force and make the Secret Dobermen the go to force in Japan.

Things run much deeper than that however as the comedy takes a bit of a backseat to a fair bit of drama as the dark nature of the police force is slowly revealed as the phantom leader of NORA, Sōmei, reveals how corrupt the police are by fabricating evidence and torturing confessions out of scared innocents in order to close a case. With so many lies compounding ontop of one another this not only caused the Secret Dobermen working with the police to start to lose their minds but even Sōmei’s partner became a victim of the corruption which ultimately leads to the creation of NORA.

This serious tone is really needed in a show like Cuticle Detective Inaba which literally doesn’t know when to turn the comedy off. I’ve mentioned in the past how some comedy series will shoot off jokes at random to try and get a laugh or try various kinds of gags to make viewers laugh. Well in the case of this series, Cuticle Detective Inaba is a machine gun on full auto as it throws everything it can at the viewer without holding back. Outside of the few serious episodes or moments scattered throughout an episode, everything that happens is a joke.

Hiroshi’s special abilities when holding a piece of hair in his mouth? A joke thanks to his powers usually being comedic and the fact that he’s a huge hair fetishist. Every character is a running joke and is eccentric to the extreme with Yuuta always trying to kill Ogino because Hiroshi acts like a tsundere puppy dog around him as only the smallest example. Despite seeming serious even NORA is full of oddities as Haruka’s brother obsession and weak body quickly become running jokes as well as Sōmei’s need to possess a body and perverted habits.

Even with Kei being the only sane one in the group, since Ogino’s terminator style body and overly doting father mode rules him out, a lot of the comedy comes from him responding to the absurd things happening around him, though whenever the focus is turned towards cats then he becomes yet another running joke in a show that tries so hard to be funny and throws so much at the viewer that there is going to at least be something here for most viewers, if they feel like trying to keep up with the pace the show sets. But even then, sometimes too much simply becomes too much and not everything can be a homerun and for every joke that will had me laughing there were another ten that simply seemed like forced comedy.

Visuals
It is pretty clear going into this show that Zexcs either didn’t have much of a budget or that they simply wanted to use the best style that would fit the show’s comedy and I believe that it is the latter. This is because while everything will shift from normal anime style to chibi looking then back to normal in a few seconds time frame, it is all for the sake of comedy. This is especially true when you consider how the Don looks almost all the time along with Hiroshi’s chibi reactions.

The series occasionally takes a big jump in quality for specific sections, primarily whenever something dramatic is happening and, again for the sake of a delayed laugh, everything was drawn extremely seriously for half an episode to have a big payoff at the end. The bright comical art style helps the cheap looking animation style actually pull its weight rather than drag the series down.

Audio
It is worth noting that Cuticle Detective Inaba has been given a subtitle only release so the Japanese voice track is the only dub available. This works well for the most part thanks to the nature of the jokes which would probably not work half as well as they do in Japanese if they had to be translated into English. The Japanese voice actors work well in their roles and the fact that Don Valentino’s way of speaking works best in Japanese also points towards this Japanese only release being for the best.

That being said, the series’ background music is entirely forgettable and not once throughout the show did it catch my notice in any regard, even during the aforementioned moments of drama. The opening theme “Haruka, Nichijou no Naka de” by Junichi Suwabe, the Japanese voice actor for Hiroshi, is fitting for the show while the ending theme “Prima Stella” sung by Toru Okawa, the voice of Don Valentino is played off as a joke.

Extras
Cuticle Detective Inaba: Complete Collection does not feature any special bonus features as it only includes the bare minimum in the form of a clean version of the opening and ending animations, trailers for other Sentai Filmworks anime, and disc credits.

Overall
Cuticle Detective Inaba’s frenetic pace is one that works against it to start with as it can be incredibly difficult to get into. There are just so many jokes on a rapid fire pace that even people with a great sense of humor will find it hard to laugh at everything because for everything that seems funny there are twenty other jokes that will fall flat in a matter of a minute. Thankfully since every member of the cast has their own hyper-exaggerated eccentric nature, this series that thrives on being quirky and strange manages to be enjoyable with nice touches of drama added throughout to flesh out this random comedy.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

90’s Based Game Terrian Saga: KR-17 Announced

Nathan Farrugia

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May 6, 2014

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Digital Tribe Games is happy to announce its collaboration with Wonderfling Studios to launch their very first game: a retro-inspired side-scrolling action platformer called Terrian Saga: KR-17. The 90’s based game puts players in control of a rogue military drone as it grows a conscious after being activated to fight in a war. The game will contain upgradable weapons and a guided missile sidekick called J1M which will help players fight through hordes of enemy robots to uncover the mysterious past of the world and see who or what the true enemy is.

The game has a strong focus on solid controls, challenging and diverse level design, and an engrossing story, with Terrian Saga KR-17 being the first of four multi-genre chapters of the Terrian Saga. The games main features include:

Adventure across 60 boards spread over 9 themed zones
Test your mettle against 8 deadly bosses
Fire and guide J1M to take out hard to reach enemies, blast open new passages and explore the levels
Receive important updates and explore the relationship between KR-17 and J1M with in-level dialogue
Collect Gears to purchase Weapon Upgrades at special posts hidden throughout the game
Experience varied level design: play through non-linear levels that encourage and reward exploration, along with high intensity action platforming sequences
Earn Steam Achievements that unlock alterations to your character

Terrian Saga: KR-17 will be available for Windows PC and Mac on Steam and other major digital distribution channels when the game releases in May. For a sneak peek at the action, tune in to Twitch on Wednesday, May 7th from 4pm-5pm Pacific Daylight Time for an hour long playthrough.

NHL 15 announced for Xbox One and PlayStation 4

Travis Bruno

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May 6, 2014

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Today EA Sports has announced the next entry into their NHL series of games and good news, this next game will be making the jump to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Today EA has announced NHL 15 which will be released sometime in the fall with a large number of improvements in the form of “12 player NHL collision physics,” new puck physics, “9,000 individual crowd models” that will help the crowds from looking like cardboard, enhanced teammate and opponent AI and enhanced skill stick controls.

The commentary team is also being replaced with Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, and Ray Ferraro mercifully stepping in to add some change to the series. A teaser trailer for the game can be found below and while it is worth noting that this game is also coming to the PS3 and 360, improvements to those versions of the game will be limited to only the commentary team and some better collision physics.

A cover athlete vote is also being held and can be voted on here, though oddly enough no members of the Chicago Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions who are currently steamrolling the Wild in the NHL playoffs, have been made eligible for the cover this year.

Mark Wahlberg Heading Down Under for Transformers: Age of Extinction

Andrew Day

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May 6, 2014

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Time to transform and roll out! The upcoming Transformers: Age of Extinction is still a few weeks away from its June 26th debut, but the suits over at Paramount Pictures have announced some awesome news to tie us over until then. The star of the film, “Marky” Mark Wahlberg himself will be heading down under for a special advanced screening of some of the film’s footage on Wednesday May 21st.

No word yet on what footage will be shown, how long Wahlberg will be hanging around, or even how to get tickets to the event but rest assured that as soon as the information drops, you will find it here In the mean time, check up on the film’s latest trailer and make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Transformers news as it becomes available.

PANZER GENERAL ONLINE®LAUNCHES OPEN BETA

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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May 6, 2014

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PANZER GENERAL ONLINE^®LAUNCHES OPEN BETA

Ready armies and prepare for battle in this tactical turn-based title

Open-Beta Trailer Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYwaExzvQIc

London, UK – May 6, 2014 – Today Ubisoft^® launched the Open Beta for Panzer General^® Online, the historically inspired turn-based tactical battle title from Blue Byte^®. Featuring a robust single player campaign and intense multiplayer matches, Panzer General Online, the new free-to-play browser based game, is now open to all.

During Closed Beta the development team worked closely with the community to gather feedback and implement improvements. The team optimized the mechanics of the booster packs and fine-tuned the balance of both the single player and multiplayer battles. Powerful new units and command cards were introduced to add new strategic elements and completely new features including the Skirmish 2.0 multiplayer mode were added to enhance multiplayer. Skirmish 2.0 allows gamers to enter player versus player battles with pre-constructed decks so new and advanced players can face-off on equal footing. Panzer General Online will be supported by new content releases through Open Beta and into launch.

As a thank you to early fans of Panzer General Online, all players who participated during the Closed Beta will receive two exclusive tanks, one for the US army and one for the German army.

Panzer General Online is currently available in English, French, German and Dutch. Polish and additional languages will be added to the game in the near future. For multilingual fans or players waiting for the game to arrive in their native tongue, languages can be toggled between at any time.

About Panzer General Online:

Panzer General Online is a free-to-play browser-based tactical game combining elements of collectible card games and board games. Players create their own armies of World War II units including tanks, artillery and the infantry as well as command cards that when deployed strategically, can turn the tide of battle. Featuring a singleplayer campaign and multiplayer PvP battles, players can challenge their friends and other generals to race to the top of the leaderboards.

More information on Panzer General Online as well as direct access to the game can be found at www.panzergeneral.com.

About Ubisoft:

Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher, and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified lineup of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 29 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2012-13 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,256 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

About Blue Byte, a Ubisoft studio:

Blue Byte was established in 1988 and released its first hit game in 1991: Battle Isle. This was followed in 1993 by the development strategy game The Settlers®, which established itself as a longlasting favorite. In 2001, Blue Byte was acquired by Ubisoft, and in 2004 the studio moved into the premises of Ubisoft’s German branch in Düsseldorf. The team at Blue Byte is responsible for new productions of The Settlers® and ANNO®. The studio is also active in the free-2-play genre with the web-based browser game The Settlers Online, available in several languages and currently captivating millions of players worldwide.

© 2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Panzer General, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Developed by UBISOFT /Blue Byte and Funatics.

Disney Infinity: Phineas & Agent P Review

Disney Infinity: Phineas & Agent P
Developer: Disney
Publisher: Disney
Platforms: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii U, 3DS, iPad (Reviewed), PC
Release Date: May 8th, 2014
Price: $17.95 (Individually), $29.95 (Toy Box Set) – Available Here

Overview

Disney Infinity has been delighting hearts and minds since it launched last August, and one of its biggest draws has been the fact that the range of figures keeps growing and covers a wide enough net to provide something for literally everyone. While Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Superheroes is almost here, there is still one last piece of the Disney Infinity 1.0 puzzle left, and I am not afraid to say that it is the one I have been most looking forward to.

Phineas & Ferb is one of the best things to come out of Disney in the last 10 years, and easily one of the best television programs the House of Mouse has ever put out. The adventures of two geniuses, building over the top contraptions to fill in their summer vacation has the right mix of humor and intelligence to appeal to audiences young and old. Well, now Phineas and Perry “Agent P” The Platypus have finally arrived, ready for you to play them in the Toy Box Mode.

Gameplay

Like many of the wave two figures, Phineas and Agent P are only playable in the game’s Toy Box Mode. While they don’t have a playset of their own, they bring a world of life and vitality to an already jam-packed game.

Phineas brings a brand new weapon into the game – the Baseball Shooter. Like most characters, you can aim and fire down the barrel of your softball cannon to take down enemies from afar. This is Phineas’ primary method of attack and although he has some melee options, they aren’t too effective.

Agent P on the other hand has an ability that is unique among the playable characters – he can throw his hat. Much like the Tron Identity Disc weapon, Perry can throw his hat a great distance and it would fly around in a wave-like pattern before landing square on the Platypus’ green head. This can sometimes cause a bit of a visual glitch, but most of the time it looks awesome and will have you throwing your hat like Oddjob in no time.

One last thing to point out. Since these are the last two figures available for the game, they also bring something special. If you have the entire figure collecting (excluding the crystal figurines) and level each of them up to at least level 1, then a special item will appear in the middle of the Hall of Heroes for you to collect. The item once collected will go into the packs of all characters, and is really (and I do mean REALLY) cool. We don’t want to spoil the fun just yet, but head on over to your Hall of Heroes and check it out.

Visuals & Audio

Lets talk about the figures themselves for a second, especially Phineas. Even in the context of the show, Phineas is rather oddly-shaped. His giant triangle face puts him apart from many cartoon characters, but at the same time makes it rather difficult to transition into a 3-D Model. The main problem with the figure is the pose that they have chosen for young Phineas. Looknig at him side-on perfectly captures the look and feel of the show and makes it feel like it has come to life. Unfortunately, looking at him front-on is a little more jarring, making it look like he is a skin-coloured banana on top of a shirt. The worst however is if you look at him from the right-hand side, his eyes are stark white and he looks like he has been possessed by a demon.

Thankfully, the in-game model which isn’t locked to one position doesn’t suffer from this problem. Here, Phineas fits right at hime alongside Agent P, Mr Incredible or Lightning McQueen. He really ties the whole package together nicely.

Phineas’ voice actor Vincent Martella returns to lend his lungs to the pointy-headed youngster, and it sounds awesome. The first time you slap him down on the Disney Infinity Base, you will be greeted with the infamous “I know what we’re gunna do today” and if that doesn’t bring a smile to the face of any fan of the series, I don’t know what will.

Agent P is a whole other story here. He is a relatively simple shape on his own (I mean he is basically just a rectangle with legs) so his transition to figurine has gone perfectly. They have added a third dimension to his body, given him his trademark hat and off we go. He keeps his signature colour scheme from the series, which again helps him stand out amongst the crowd. As expected, Perry doesn’t have any voice work for the game (you know… because he is a mute platypus). While Agent P is voiceless, it still would have been nice to get that trademark Perry growl from the show.

If you buy the two figures as part of the Toy Box pack (or you get lucky with the Power Disc Booster Packs) you will also get two Power Discs that will transform your world into the Tri-State area. When you do this, the visuals all change dramatically to make the world look like an episode of Phineas and Ferb come to life, but they also bring with it some new background music; Gitchee Gitchee Goo. The hit song from the show’s second seasons will play on loop in the background, offering an up-beat soundtrack for your experience.

Overall

Phineas and Agent P wrap up Disney Infinity 1.0 and while it is sad to see it come to an end, now our sights can be set on Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Superheroes. Remember that Phineas, Agent P and all the other figures will be playable with the new game. The figures themselves are some of the most highly anticipated of the series and for the most part they live up to the hype. Sure, Phineas is frightening if you look at him from the wrong angle and Perry’s hat has a habbit of just randomly appearing on his head, but they are minor problems at best. The major problem is that there is no Ferb figurine to complete the set.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Path of Exile Launches First Ever Charity Race to Benefit Child’s Play

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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May 6, 2014

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Path of Exile Launches First Ever Charity Race to Benefit Child’s Play

Grinding Gear Games Partners with NVIDIA and Razer for a Two Week Event that Benefits Both the Player and a Great Cause

Auckland, New Zealand – May 5, 2014 – Grinding Gear Games announced today that they are launching a two-week Path of Exile Ambush/Invasion race event to benefit the Child’s Play charity. The event will start at 1pm Pacific on Saturday, May 10, 2014 in the Path of Exile game and run till Saturday, May 24, 1pm Pacific.

Grinding Gear Games has created an exclusive new helmet skin call the Angelic Mask specifically for this charity event. The mask will cost $5.00 and only be available during the two week event with 100% of the proceeds being donated directly to the Child’s Play charity.

Participants during the event will be able to win great in-game prizes such as special micro-transactions as well as signed art from Path of Exile. Additionally, Grinding Gear Game’s partners such as NVIDIA and Razer have contributed an awesome array of keyboards, mice and graphic cards that will also be awarded to participants. Grinding Gear Games will pick winners randomly from the participants whose characters reach the following levels or higher. Participants can win prizes from multiple tiers as their characters level up.

Prizes available in the random draw include:

Level 15: 100x Stash Tab Bundles
Level 20: 100x Premium Stash Tab Bundles
Level 25: 10x Razer Mice
Level 30: 5x Razer Keyboards
Level 35: 5x NVIDIA High-performance Graphics Cards
Level 50: 10x Sets of all Seraph Micro transactions (Armor pieces, Wings, Weapon Effect and Footprint Effect)
Level 65: 5x Sets of Signed Prints of Original Early Concept Art
Level 85: 1x One hour private Q&A on Skype with Chris, Jonathan and Erik

In addition, the top 5 players (ranked by experience) will receive an Alternate Art Demigod’s Bounty unique item.

More information about the Path of Exile 2 Week Charity Race to Benefit the Child’s Play Charity can be found at: Path of Exile Charity Race to Benefit Child’s Play

Information about this event can also be found in

the Path of Exile “Build of the Week” video at: Path of Exile Build of the Week

About Path of Exile

With a community of over 5.6 million players, Path of Exile is the award-winning online PC action role-playing game set in a dark fantasy world. Featuring ethical micro transactions, the game is free-to-play, but never pay-to-win. Playing as one of seven character classes, players find themselves banished for their past misdeeds to the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. There, they encounter hundreds of species of opponents laden with loot and mysterious artifacts as they explore the abandoned continent. www.pathofexile.com

Key features include:

A dark and deep action RPG
Unlimited character combinations with the game’s gigantic skill tree
Combine skill gems to create unique combat strategies
Explore a dark and gritty world rendered from a fixed 3D perspective
Download and play for free, but never pay-to-win
Explore randomly generated levels for nearly infinite replayability
Craft weapons, magic items and even end-game maps to become more powerful
Cooperate or compete with thousands of other Exiles in a persistent online world
Ascend online ladders in every game mode
Battle in PvP tournaments for worldwide recognition
Steam and Twitch integration

About Grinding Gear Games

Grinding Gear Games is an independent game studio founded in 2006 and based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its team members come from various countries and have a diversity of backgrounds ranging from artificial intelligence and software security to industrial design and professional tournament gaming. GGG recently released its flagship title, Path of Exile, and is committed to ongoing expansion and new content releases for the critically acclaimed game. You can find more information about Grinding Gear Games at www.grindinggear.com.

First Tales From the Borderlands Screenshots Emerge with new Details

Dustin Spencer

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May 6, 2014

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Borderlands fans have a lot to look forward to. With a prequel right around the corner, its almost easy to forget about Telltale Games little spin-off Tales From the Borderlands – which takes place after the events of Borderlands 2. Today, the first batch of screenshots tell a lot, and have been offered up to give us a first look.

As you can see, that famous art style has been left in tact, which should work wonderfully with the story-driven gameplay that we expect from Telltale.

Here are some further details to chew on as well about the narrative:

Featuring two playable characters, the story is told from two unique perspectives that will alternate as the story progresses. These characters include Rhys, a scheming, low-level data-miner within Hyperion who’s plotting his own grand ambitions; and Fiona, a clever and classic fast-talking con-artist born and raised on Pandora out to pull off the grift of a lifetime.
While they themselves aren’t vault hunters, both Rhys and Fiona will also come across vault hunters such as Zer0 and other characters from the world of Borderlands 2 throughout the series, as all events in Tales from the Borderlands will be part of the official Borderlands story canon.

Check out the screenshots below and stay tuned, as there is sure to be more news about platforms and more of that nature as we get closer to E3.

Kirby Triple Deluxe Review

Dustin Spencer

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May 6, 2014

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Kirby Triple Deluxe
Developer: Hal Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: May 2, 2014
Price: $34.99

Overview
Out of all of Nintendo’s intellectual properties, Kirby is the one I hold near and dear. Sure, it wasn’t my first, and I don’t get addicted to the titles like I do to the likes of Pokemon, but no other mascot can take me to that special place that the pink fluff can. Fans like myself have been waiting for Kirby to land on the 3DS for a good while now, and without missing a beat, that star has fallen onto the platform in the form of Kirby: Triple Deluxe. Now with new modes, new abilities, and that same, easy-going gameplay, does this title mark a high point for the franchise, or is it wading in those safe waters that a lot of other franchises have took? Lets find out.

Story
I’ll be the first to say that Triple Deluxe does not have a deep, meaningful story, but what Kirby game does? This title, just like all other installments of the franchise carries itself with a carefree plot about a small, pink hero simply trying to save the day. This time, an evil force has kidnapped King Dedede, and Kirby must run up a beanstalk through a number of worlds in order to catch the foe and free the king.

Yeah, Triple Deluxe does not go out of its way to tell you a tale for the ages, but why should it at this point? Kirby titles are all about speaking volumes with charm and imagination, and this one is no different as it effortlessly captures a delightful atmosphere. We see so many titles try to do this time and time again, some going out of their way to present some convoluted backstory just for you to like the main protagonist. Kirby simply puffs along and greets the player with a wave, jumping on a star where you can’t help but attach yourself to him and take off on a brand new adventure. Its a special achievement that very few titles in this industry can capture, but Kirby manages slam down that welcome mat and put a smile on your face within minutes, awaiting for you to come on board and just play.

Gameplay
Kirby titles – or the more traditional platformers for the brand, have always stuck to nearly the same formula since 1991, relying on smooth and easy-going gameplay to take the player throughout each level, with a great number of abilities to utilize for everything in-between. Triple Deluxe is the same in that aspect, as the controls are second nature to anyone playing just seconds after starting the game. If you have even touched one of this title’s predecessors (or even Smash), you know what to expect. Jump, puff up, float, inhale, exhale, run, and slide. Its that simplicity that gives Kirby his core, and makes the series so accessible to the masses. Sure, its easy, but that is the charm. Hal build the world and foes within around the formula, so the “new” experience comes with the content within.

So lets talk about the content. The first new thing in the main game for fans to check out will be the brand new abilities. Along with the returning favorites such as cutter, wheel, whip, leaf, and so on, Kirby can now don the bell and circus hats. The bell ability allows Kirby to chuck bells at opponents from afar, or pull out a bell and beat the beats out of the unsuspecting foe. Circus is more of an acrobatic ability, giving the pink wonder the power the evade with quick reflexes, blow up deadly but humorous balloons, and juggle to nab enemies from below. Much like Return to Dreamland, there are not a lot of past or new abilities that are required to proceed, but this gives the player that element of freedom, where you simply move on with the power best suited to your own preference. Some might complain that this makes the game even more simple, but with the large array of abilities, the fun factor overwhelms that issue entirely – allowing you to make your way up the Dreamstalk to the beat of your own drum (or bell).

Another awesome addition that pops in quite often is the Hypernova ability. I would have categorized this with the other hats, but it happens to be a bit more special. When Kirby touches a magical plant, he instantly is granted the power to suck up every enemy in sight, along with parts of the stage and everything that isn’t bolted down to the ground. Sure, it sounds a bit gimmicky, but it works and is one of the most devastatingly charming techniques to appear in a Kirby game in years. The utilization of this power also makes it stand out, as players can move heavy pieces to solve environmental puzzles or deflect large attacks. For instance, one stage will have you pull a snowman’s head to its body, where it joyfully rewards you with stars once connected, while other moments will lead to Kirby pulling on lasers to melt ice from above, opening up a new pathway for the sake of progression.

The stages themselves also add a great deal of freshness to the formula. If you have played any platformer in the past few years (namely Shantae), you may have noticed that a lot of developers have been toying around with the idea of going into the backdrop of the stage. Well, Triple Deluxe is layered and attempts this as well, and in my opinion executes it to a great degree. By jumping on a specific warp star, Kirby can ride into the background, where he can explore the stage in a whole new way and discover secret stars and items buried within the fauna of the stage. Starting out, I kind of thought that this would be a rare occurrence, but as it turns out, nearly every stage within the game uses this concept. Sometimes the player will have to take a cannon and clean house to clear a path in the background, before swapping sides and enjoying the safe travel zone they creates. Other moments will have you bouncing back and forth constantly. Its clever and chaotic, but also a blast to experience when bosses are tossed into the mix.

So you have all of these layers. The standard, fun platforming we got with Return to Dreamland. The new element that allows Kirby to jump in and out of the foreground. A Hypernova ability that allows Kirby to suck everything up in sight. Even a gyroscopic control scheme enters during moments of the game, but never comes off as intrusive as it has been in other titles for the same platform. You would think as “easy” as these titles are, that everything would be cake due to the amount of ideas working at once. Well, not entirely. Kirby Triple Deluxe earns its name by blending its ingredients into one savory entree, where the player is rewarded by…get this…PLAYING THE GAME! If you go in with the mindset of beating the game, you will be done in around three to five hours – tops. If you want to go in and collect every item, it could take you a great deal longer. There are a few stars amongst each stage, and some are hidden quite well. Keychains also litter the landscape, and have fun little homages to past titles with original art and sprites. It is a completionist’s paradise in many ways, and it only opens up more after beating the game once.

From the start however, players can grab some friends and play the new mode deemed Kirby Fighters, which is kind of like Super Smash Bros. meets your standard HP based brawler, but with only Kirby hats and abilities. The mode is ridiculously fun, but also teaches us that some hats will always top others. Its honestly really interesting just to think where this idea could go, as with a little more work- I could see this as its own product one day. Dedede’s Drum Dash is more of a rhythm based platformer where the big bird must land on drums to the beat to gain height and collect coins. Fun, but not nearly as engrossing as Kirby Fighters, I must say. Players also have a boss rush mode to compete in and have the option to play as Dedede in a speedrun of the main game, which by the way is fantastic. As I said, there are a good number of layers to this title, and the 3DS is thankfully a welcome home to Kirby and all of his tricks here.

Visuals
I never thought I would say this, but having exceptional graphics may be the only thing that slightly hurts Kirby on his 3DS debut. Much like a lot of the gameplay itself, Triple Deluxe looks a lot like Return to Dreamland, which came out on the Wii a couple of years ago. The colors are vivid and happy, the models and environments are smooth, and the textures all pop with the elements working together, but my big qualm comes that this title looks too much like that Wii title. That isn’t a bad thing, but when you are in an age where people are not buying the Wii U because it seems like a Wii or are skipping out on Mario because it has the same visual style of the last, it will probably make some think that like Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, this is just a portable remake if they don’t have the gaming education to presume otherwise. Trust me, its a far cry from that game, but I could definitely see some confusion due to the visuals alone.

There are so many charming animations in the game however, that its hard not to let out the biggest grin imaginable while playing. For instance, one of the most memorable moments for myself were these two little Waddle Dee that were joyfully playing in the background. I just obtained the Hypernova, and noticed a straw-like pipe that connected the areas together. Without hesitation, I made Kirby inhale like crazy, and the Waddle Dee latched onto a rock, holding eachother’s hands until they met their quick demise just seconds later. Its that attention to detail that gives this title its heart, and gave me some memories that simply bring joy in retrospective.

Audio
The audio is also wonderful, with a lot of the same tracks from past games, along with new and remixed tunes to present this title as a new experience. Quiet, melodic beats give icy areas a peaceful atmosphere, while fast, chaotic tunes are sure to keep you on edge while going against a giant boss. Kirby also still has his lovely little voice and the effects are all pure quality, so its another great thing to see that the audio was handled with care for this portable entry.

Overall
Kirby Triple Deluxe is an exceptional portable platformer. I am sure other critics would choose to disagree due to the low difficulty, but why can’t a game just be a game for once? Over the past few years, indie platformers have been in heavy rotation, tying together archaic gimmickry to make a new product, only to be wrongfully labeled innovative as a result. This title doesn’t want to change the world, it just wants you as the player to have fun. What is the best part of Kirby titles? The abilities, of course. So when you increase the inhale by 100x and create a never-ending smorgasbord for the player to take advantage of for no reason other than that magical little “F” world, we as the player get everything we could want in what is a decently packed cartridge full of charm and care-free entertainment. Triple Deluxe is platforming perfected that leaves plenty of room for dessert, and a pretty great lesson for newer developers on how to reward your consumer by simply giving them what they paid for.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.