It’s 2014 and guess what? Yep, you got it! It’s the year of the bus according to the reigning government of London and it is about time you all start getting excited for what was once a booming public transport option. It seems like, in recent years, citizens of London have been choosing to avoid taking the bus and instead decided to use other modes of both public and private transport, well what better way than to pique the interest of former bus-goers than by throwing our old friend Pikachu into the equation? Pop culture fixes all!
Yes, you heard it correctly, Transport London alongside the London Transport Museum have begun organizing certain bus-related events to both celebrate the transportation marvel and to once again bring it to a level of popularity it deserves. A huge Pikachu will appear on certain buses around London for the duration of the celebration period to excite bus patrons so if you’re a citizen of the great city I beg that you take more bus rides as part of your daily routine to hopefully get a chance to snap a picture with the larger-than-life mascot. If you do come into contact with this non pocket-sized pocket monster, please let us know about it in the comments section below!
NVIDIA announced their spring promotion will see $100 worth of in-game currency for Heroes of Newerth and Path of Exile bundled with new GeForce GTX desktop GPUs and GeForce GTX powered notebooks. All GTX 650/750 graphics cards and 700M/800M powered notebooks from vendors like Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, Palit, Gainward, Galaxy, EVGA, Zotac, Inno3D, and certain notebook OEMs will come with $50 credit for each game. Learn more at the official GeForce Spring F2P Bundlemini-site.
Heroes of Newerth is a MOBA title from S2 Games. Path of Exile is an action RPG inspired by Diablo II from Grinding Gears Games. The game boasts more than 5 million players and was developed with the help of in-house crowdfunding.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Description
Step into the shoes of Charlie, a private detective and rich heir, for whom humor is the best weapon!
In Dream Chamber, uncover the culprit in this simultaneously breathtaking and dreamlike quest.
THE ADVENTURE
A humorous adventure with a quirky cartoon graphic style
Immerse yourself in 30s America, between Prohibition and the Great Depression, and discover Charlie, a rich heir who divides his time between social obligations and his hobby as a private detective.
During yet another official museum opening, Charlie witnesses a robbery, the victim of which is none other than his own girlfriend. Firmly set on investigating the case despite the reluctance of his uncle, the detective in charge of the inquiry, he unknowingly embarks on what will become the greatest adventure of his life!
Thanks to his unique skill and unrivalled memory, Charlie explores and investigates all the way into his dreams!
In true adventure game style, Dream Chamber will delight the genre’s fans and captivate new players!
THE GAME
In true adventure game style, Dream Chamber will delight the genre’s fans and captivate new players!
THE HIGHLIGHTS
• A unique graphic style!
• An original game with a brand new scenario
• Revisit your investigation scenes in your sleep – you might find the answers in your dreams!
• Solve many different enigmas and puzzles
• Interrogate the suspects and break their alibis via mini-games
• A jazzy and humorous atmosphere
• Voices in English and texts in French, German, Italian and Spanish
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT OUR OTHER FANTASTIC ADVENTURE GAMES!
On Mac, iPad, iPhone:
Nicolas Eymerich Inquisitor – Book 1: The Plague
Amerzone The Explorer’s Legacy
Atlantis 2: Beyond Atlantis
Atlantis 3: The New World
Atlantis 4: Evolution
Atlantis 5: The Secrets of Atlantis – The Sacred Legacy
Aztec The Curse in the Heart of the City of Gold
Dracula 1: Resurrection
Dracula 2: The Last Sanctuary
Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon
Dracula 4: The Shadow Of The Dragon
Egypt 2: The Heliopolis Prophecy
Egypt 3: The Prophecy
Jules Verne’s Journey to the center of the moon
Jules Verne’s Mystery of the Nautilus
Jules Verne’s Return to Mysterious Island
Jules Verne’s Return to Mysterious Island 2
Louvre The Messenger
Necronomicon: The Dawning of Darkness
Nostradamus The Last Prophecy
Road to India Between Hell and Nirvana
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Today Viz Media has outlined their plans for digital manga releases for the month of April and just to remind us about the ice cold winter we just left behind they are kicking things off with a shojo manga called Millennium Snow. This is the first release for Millennium Snow and volume 1 can already be downloaded for $6.99 through Viz’s multiple digital outlets.
The rest of the month includes numerous releases that have already been released such as Bleach Volume 60, the second volume of Dragon Ball Full Color, Deadman Wonderland Volume 2, our review of which can be found here, Sweet Rein Volume 2, Naruto Volume 65, Toriko Volume 21, and Happy Marriage Volume 5.
On April 15th the digital debut of One-Punch Man Volume 2 will also be released and a number of other multi-volume specials for manga such as Knights of the Zodiac, Firefighter!, Phoenix, and Whistle! are also planned for the rest of April.
The incredible true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man who is abducted and sold into slavery, is coming to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on June 4, courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment.
Having won a staggering 135 awards from its 271 overall nominations, 12 Years a Slave clearly deserves all of the praise it has received, being called “a modern classic” by The Guardian and referenced as ‘not simply a masterpiece, but a milestone’ by The Telegraph.
Based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup, the work of acclaimed director Steve McQueen (Shame, Hunger), starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender amongst many more talented actors, is powerful in its raw portrayal of a innocent man who faced cruelty of the most degrading fashion, staying alive and retaining his dignity with hopes of reuniting with his wife and children.
Look for the 2014 Academy Awards ‘Best Picture’ on store shelves and digitally from June 4. Keep an eye on Capsule Computers as we review the release closer to the date.
Earlier today Gust held an Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea preview event on NicoNico and while the event may have been fifty five minutes long, a lot of it was fluff and nothing substantial. However a viewer did manage to snip out three pieces of actual gameplay footage that were shown off the for the first time in the game. If you want to watch the whole thing you can do so here.
These pieces of footage show off our introduction to Shallotte, our introduction to Shallistera, and a bit of field gameplay though no actual combat footage was shown. You can check out the footage below and keep in mind the game is still in development as Tecmo Koei is planning on releasing the title on June 26th in Japan.
After a lengthy beta test, Ghost Recon Online has officially launched and has been rebranded as Ghost Recon Phantoms. The free to play shooter’s rebranding is not just a change of title. It includes a revamped background story and a new art direction that will affect everything from maps to character design. The new ModMaster feature will allow players to customize their character’s equipment, clothing, and weapons to create a unique look.
The worldwide launch also brings new servers in Asia, Australia, and South America, which will ensure better latency for those outside of Europe and North America. Matchmaking has also been improved to better match players based on skill and to ensure a smoother entry for new players. Ghost Recon Phantoms is available for free on Steam and the official Ghost Recon Phantoms website for Windows.
Call of Duty®: Ghosts Devastation DLC Pack Coming to PlayStation and Windows PC Players Friday, May 9, 2014
Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC Season Pass Owners Can Use Devastation’s All-New Ripper 2-in-1 Weapon Immediately
Call of Duty®: Ghosts players on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC will have access to Devastation, the game’s second of four massive DLC Packs planned for this year,on May 9, 2014. Devastation delivers four small-to-medium sized multiplayer maps, the all-new tactical 2-in-1 “Ripper” SMG/Assault Rifle, and “Episode 2: Mayday” – the next chapter in Extinction’s four-part episodic narrative. Devastation is available a la carte for a suggested retail price of $19.95, or as part of the discounted* Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC Season Pass**.
Devastation’s new multiplayer maps include:
– Ruins: A multi-level Mayan temple with verticality suited for long-range weapons and underground pathways perfect for close-quarters showdowns. Skilled players that find and complete the map’s unique Field Order will have the ability to become one of Hollywood’s most formidable action film stars and the galaxy’s ultimate hunter, the deadly Predator. As the Predator, players will brandish its dual wrist blades and shoulder-mounted plasma cannon, as well as be able to utilize the creature’s keen hunting abilities to track down enemy players.
– Collision: The mangled remains of a cargo ship that’s crashed into a New York City bridge. The map’s tight corridors – made-up of burnt-out vehicles and demolished shipping containers – create a space perfect for run-and-gun players.
– Behemoth: Players battle atop a massive excavation platform in South America with long sight lines ideal for long-range weapons, while the confined interiors of the platform’s control rooms make for intense SMG and Shotgun encounters.
– Unearthed:A reimagined version of the fan-favorite map “Dome” from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3. “Unearthed” is full of new secrets and Cryptid artifacts for players to discover in this compact, versatile map, great for all play types.
Additionally, Call of Duty: Ghosts Devastation brings fans the next chapter in the ongoing episodic Extinction story with “Episode 2: Mayday.” In the aftermath of the events at the Nightfall Program facility in the Alaskan wilderness, the Quick Reaction Force boards a mysteriously abandoned Chinese research vessel adrift in the South Pacific Ocean. Armed with multiple, mod-able versions of the Venom-X weapons that harness the power of Cryptid technology, players will pursue Captain Archer in an attempt to uncover what’s become of Dr. Cross, all while battling against a new Cryptid enemy called the “Seeder,” and culminating with players facing-off against a massive, 400-foot tall Cryptid beast from the deep – the “Kraken.”
Finally, Devastation arms players with the all-new tactical 2-in-1 “Ripper,” a hybrid SMG/Assault Rifle. The “Ripper” is the perfect complement to Devastation‘s new multiplayer maps, providing two different configurations – medium to short-range capability as an SMG, and medium to long-range as an Assault Rifle. Additionally, Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC Season Pass holders get instant access to the “Ripper” weapon and can use it in all Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer maps now.
Call of Duty: Ghosts game sold separately and is required to play the Devastation DLC Pack.
Legal Stuff:
*Based on Season Pass suggested retail price of $64.95 and four DLC Packs at a suggested retail price of $19.95 each.
**Content in the DLC Season Pass may be sold separately. If you purchase the DLC Season Pass, do not also purchase these standalone DLC Packs, as you will be charged for them. DLC Season Pass and DLC Packs may not be available on all platforms or in all territories. Pricing and release dates may vary by platform.
After the huge success of Animal Crossing: New Leaf in the West and the game’s own success in Japan, many people were wondering if Nintendo was going to bring over the unique and incredibly strange Tomodachi Collection: New Life to the West in any form. Well today the company has announced that they are doing just that with an eleven minute announcement video, that can be seen below, talking all about the game and showing off some of the strange things that can happen in the game.
The game will be called Tomodachi Life and is set to be released in North America and Europe on June 6th. In this game players will customize their Mii and give them personality traits and put them in random pieces of drama that they can create.
Overview By making it so that everyone who purchases an Xbox One also has a Kinect, Microsoft has made it so that everyone with the console is capable of playing any Kinect games that may come out. Because of issues with the first version of Kinect for 360, many gamers are right to be skeptical about the capabilities of the Xbox One’s Kinect and now we have a game that will put it to the test in the form of Kinect Sports Rivals. The question is, does this game help make that Kinect worthwhile or is it just another gimmicky attempt at motion control?
Gameplay Now the very first thing players will do when they play Kinect Sports Rivals is create their champion, but unlike other games this isn’t done by selecting from pre-set faces, this is done with the Kinect. Players are asked to move close to the Kinect and position their face for scanning which, for me, was a very quick and accurate procedure that had the Kinect even asking me to take off my glasses at points to properly scan and producing a character that looked similar to me in skeletal structure, although the haircut was way off.
Things such as hair style, beard, glasses, and the color of the player’s hair, eyes can be adjusted afterwards if the scanning might have missed a fine detail here and there. However the same cannot be said when another member of my family tried to make their character as the Kinect was constantly failing to finish the scan and asking them to move back and forth only to fail continuously even after numerous lighting, positioning, furniture movement. Only by luck did it finally allow him to create a character, and allow him to continue to play.
Anyways, once players create their character they are introduced to each event through a drill instructor like “Coach” which serves as a tutorial to each sport. This is a nice trickle of information and works well enough to slowly reveal events to players and instruct them on how to properly perform each act asked of them in the game, though it can be a bit slow at times… especially if there is a certain event you really want to play right off the bat.
The events in the game are unlocked in the following order, Wake Racing, Rock Climbing, Target Practice, Soccer, Bowling, and then Tennis. As such we will also be talking about these events in that order with some of them being incredibly fun, a few feeling tacked on and one that is really terrible to not only play but boring at the same time.
Wake Racing will see the player having to position their hands in front of them and steer like they would if they were actually on a jet ski. By moving one arm forward and the other backward players can turn in the direction they would as if using handlebars and acceleration is handled by closing your fists or stopping by opening them up. Players can even lean into turns to make tight turns, lean forwards or backwards to front flips and backflips while catching air and even performing no handed maneuvers if you raise your hands in the air as well.
Players are also able to use power ups such as speed boosts and other things by either saying the power out loud, the most accurate way to do so, or stomping their right foot, usable more often than not but occasionally misfires. These are useful in difficult races where players will need to race against AI and avoid mine fields making this one of the more enjoyable events in the set. These power ups are available for each event and are changed up to match the event properly and are activated the same way in each event.
Another one of the best events is Rock Climbing which seems simple at first but can be incredible fun. Players must use their arms to navigate up a rock face by reaching for handholds, closing their hands and then pulling in that direction to climb. You can jump up gaps by physically jumping and move sideways by moving your hands together to transfer hands while you reach for the next handhold.
In these stages things can be rather difficult and exciting at times, since players can grab other climbers by the feet and yank them off the wall or if they are being grabbed, try to climb as fast as possible to shake their assailant off. Things are made more difficult when shocking hand holds are added in which can cause a players stamina to drop, making it difficult to hold onto the wall with one hand and reach for another for any length of time. Despite being one of the more exciting events, it is worth noting that the Kinect can have difficulty with transferring handholds properly which can make climbing sideways a difficult endeavor.
Following that there is Shooting which is pretty much a target practice light game event where players need to simply point at the screen with their hand aimed like a gun to shoot targets and accrue points. The shooting is handled automatically and players will need to dodge left and right and aim for special targets while avoiding others to build their score. This is one of the simpler games that is fun but not as nuanced as the others.
Remember how I mentioned that there was an event that was terrible and boring? Well that one happens to be soccer. While playing as the goalie is alright as you can try to defend shots from the AI, being the shooter is a pain. Players need to pass the ball down field to themselves past stationary defenders and then trying to kick a shot past the goalie in what is the most terrible aspect of the game since not only does the Kinect seem to have issues picking up the kicks, but the entire process is a snoozefest.
Bowling in Kinect Sports Rivals is a fun little inclusion that is sure to ensnare a number of players since it is one of the easier games to step into and play. There are minor adjustments players can make by adding some spin to their ball depending on how they throw it but for the most part it is a straightforward entry that is one of the better games to be played with a group of people.
Finally in this release we have Tennis which is far more detailed than I have ever noticed before in a game such as this. Players will have to toss the ball up for a serve and then smack away at it with the racket as if they were actually playing tennis and they can follow up by trying various swinging techniques to score points. This is another game that feels great to play with another person; however there are occasional issues that spring up with accurately detecting each players’ movements.
It is worth noting that there is some semblance of a set-up within the game where players can choose between three different factions to join, the Eagle Legion, Wolf Clan, or Viper Network but this is pretty basic and forgettable since it seems to mostly get in the way of actual events and fades into the background quickly. Players can also customize all of their outfits in the game, unlock better gear with special upgrades, or take advantage of a hub app to submit photos and videos as well as compare their scores with other people.
Visuals & Audio Gone are the times that trying to use a basic avatar was satisfactory, instead Rare has stepped up to create a gorgeous looking experience filled with bright colors and great looking environments. Thanks to the player scanning technology there are some nice looking details in each character and thanks to customization players will be playing against numerous different looking people as they play events that take place in gorgeously designed scenery.
Although it might be detrimental to your finishing position, taking a quick stop to look around at the world is a great thing to do, especially in Wake Racing and Rock Climbing, two events with scenic set ups, though the more stationary events are spiced up with special effects as well. As for the voice work in the game, it is satisfactory for the characters and the narrator and the music in the game is mostly recent music that isn’t about to offend anyone and helps provide an upbeat feeling to the whole experience.
Overall Kinect Sports Rivals has some great events, a few that are simple but enjoyable and one that is absolutely terrible and will probably be played the least. With Wake Racing and Rock Climbing providing the best challenge and fun in the game and Bowling and Tennis coming in for some simpler but more multiplayer friendly enjoyment, Kinect Sports Rivals is still held back by nagging motion control issues that can ruin the fun.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
After the huge success of Animal Crossing: New Leaf 
