With the release of Mugen Souls Z now less than two months away, NIS America has chosen to release some new English screenshots for the game. This time most of the screenshots focus on dialogue or a few events that take place in the game, though a few images of the game’s combat system are still included.
Mugen Souls Z is still set to be released on the PlayStation 3 in North America on May 20th and in Europe a few days later on May 23rd. In this sequel, Syrma has awoken to put an end to an ancient threat and she will be helped out by the previous game’s protagonist Chou-Chou and the rest of her friends.
Do you remember the game that Kadokawa announced they were working on last year? Well it looks like it will be making its way West when it is released. Today NIS America has come forth with a surprise announcement saying that they will be publishing Natural Doctrine in North America and Europe for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita sometime in the Fall.
This currently marks the first game announced by NIS America that will be released onto the PlayStation 4 and it is a strategy RPG that features cross-play and cross-save. As for the story of Natural Doctrine, players will take control of a fresh faced adventurer seeking a rare and expensive material named Pluton and on their first trip to try and collect some you encounter a new threat unlike anything the kingdom has seen so far.
Well my friends Sakura Trick is over, twelve episodes have gone by and they were very interesting to say the least. Although the series has ended I am 4 impression posts behind so now it’s time to play catch up.
9-A: Year-end Debut S.B.J.K
It’s New Year’s Eve and Haruka is on the phone with Yuu, both of them are watching Yuus’ favourite artist on TV and Haruka is singing the lyrics of the song. The dilemma of this story begins when Yuu is called down so she can eat with her family, however Haruka doesn’t want to hang up as she wants to be the first person to say Happy New Year to her, this selfish and also jealous reason is what earns her the title of S.B.J.K or Shitto-Bukai Joshi Kousei (Jealous high school girl). When Mitsuki walks in and tells Yuu to come down and have dinner Haruka suggests talking to her whilst Yuu goes down to eat, Yuu would rather eat with her family (as it is tradition) however Mitsuki comes up with a lie so that she can have some alone time talking to Haruka.
The conversation starts out awkward as Mitsuki suddenly becomes sceptical about what she can say to Haruka; she starts off with the usual good evening, but then messes up one of her questions (which Haruka interprets as a joke). It’s not long before their talk turns into a regular conversation that contains a brief mention about a senior graduation, this little bit of info is a small teaser to the events that will occur in the next three episodes. At the end of the talk Yuu barges in with anger on her face as she found out her older sister lied to her, we then get a shot of the hungry Sonada parents as they wait for their daughters in order to start eating. The yuri kiss at the end is actually done through the phone this time, as the two girls give their final good byes they hang up on the greeting that they both wanted to say to each other from the start… “Happy New Year.”
Although I didn’t like the abbreviation title, it was great seeing Yuu making the most out of it to fully torment Haruka, her reasons being so were pretty justifiable too as it does sum Haruka up in a nut shell. The phone conversation with Mitsuki was the least enjoyable part of the story, however the awkwardness didn’t linger on and there was a genuine connection shown between the two of them (which Mitsuki will get the wrong idea about in the second third of this episode)
9-B A Sour Plan?! Take Two
Whilst walking to school in the chilly weather Mitsuki begins to wonder why Haruka wanted to talk to her the previous night; we then get one of Mistukis’ “oh so enjoyable” fantasies about Haruka which Is followed by a sliver of jealousy shown when she sees Yuu linking arms with her. When Ikeno and Iizuka catch up to Mitsuki she grabs ahold of Iizuka and links arms with her, this brings about no effect to Mitsuki and a lot of confusion and irritation to Iizuka. When Ikeno mentions Yuua and Haruka took a different pathway to school they begin to tail them in order for “Mitsuki to link arms with Yuu.”
The pathway leads to a children’s playground and Ikeno is the first to spot the two girls inside a large dome; yes they took that path so they could kiss each other, but once caught Haruka quickly makes up a story about planning a surprise event for Mitsukis’ graduation.
This cover up story was not only good, but it also didn’t feel like it was pulled out of thin air. Haruka was genuinely planning a surprise party for Mitsuki and you can see her disappointment when she overheard, a nice and quick response yet at the same time a ruined surprise for a friend. When Mituski begins to walk back she trips over a (small) stone, quick to respond Haruka manages to catch her and also receive an accidental kiss on the forehead, as you can imagine Mitsuki is read with embarrassment and runs off at road runner speed. This third ends with Ikeno questioning why Yuu and Haruka had to discuss the surprise party all alone, rather than inside the classroom and thus the suspicion begins…
You may have noticed (and I hope you did) that instead of writing halves, I mentioned this episode being in thirds. That’s right folks, we have special extra that is both longer and more entertaining than the
Yuzu-Chan Becomes One With The Wind!
Iizuka just got her license and finds joy in riding her new scooter and almost runs her instructor over, Ikenos’ maths notebook is destroyed after a rather interesting game of house with her younger siblings and Haruka gets the daylights scared out of her from one of Ikenos’ practical jokes. This has got to be my favourite extra of them all; all three stories are short, sweet and focus around the two funniest characters in the show. The interactions between Ikeno and Iizuka are wonderful and really highlight their personalities; it also offers a nice break from the main storyline and succeeds in delivering good laughs in such a short time period.
With the introduction of Ikenos’ suspicions plus the mention of a graduation ceremony, the last three episodes focus mainly on those topics and no doubt affect Haruka and Yuus’ secret being exposed; the two main stories in this episode set a good enough foundation for things to develop and in episode ten, you can bet that they do.
Sakura Trick is animated by Studio Deen and is currently being streamed, byCrunchyroll. Don’t forget to check out our Anime Impressions page to see what shows the other Capsule Computers anime crew is watching this season.
Last month Atlus USA released the first in what is going to be a series of videos showing off the enemies that players will be able to possess in Abyss Odyssey and today the company has chosen to release the next video in the ‘Know Your Enemy’ series by highlighting the Bauta foe.
The Bauta is a masked swordsman and you can check out how this enemy will control in the video below. In this video a member of Atlus’ testing department is controlling the character while the last video, featuring Judith, was performed by one of the game’s designers.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPad and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.
Description
Attention! NOT compatible with iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
Be the captain of an expedition to a distant planet in a new multi-genre game blockbuster from an eminent developer! Unprecedented Action, RPG and Strategy in one game! A huge world, highest-level graphics and countless possibilities! Feel the new gaming experience right now!
Features:
– Fight your enemies in real time, using a unique combat system! Shoot enemies, seeing their moves in perspective! Although it has the strengths of an Action game, the combat system is simple to master and does not require lightning reactions.
– Build a base and protect it from attacks with a fortification system. Then use the accumulated technological power in battle!
– Terraform the planet! Unique extraterrestrial civilization technology is now in your hands! Turn lifeless land into green oases with its unique flora and fauna!
– Build an installation to run continental ballistic missiles to overwhelm enemies the size of a skyscraper!
– Explore the world of one of the biggest games in the history of IOS! Planet Utopia hides many surprises! Uncover all its secrets during exciting adventures!
– Develop and equip your character to defy the most dangerous inhabitants of the planet!
– Fight in the company of faithful allies, including the robot dog named Fido!
– Break open the storage to find valuable resources! Multiply your wealth by opening electronic locks with a special interface.
– Communicate with your allies and enemies! A trusted team of 4 will follow you from the beginning of the adventure. In your journey you will meet dozens of characters, whom you can talk and fight with
MY.COM’S SCI-FI ACTION RPG EVOLUTION NOW LIVE WORLDWIDE IN THE APPLE APP STORE
Experience a Unique Variety of Gameplay Elements Woven into an Unforgettable RPG that Boasts One of the Largest In-Game Worlds in App Store History
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–April 3, 2014–Welcome to the planet Utopia! My.com, a subsidiary of Mail.Ru Group, today released Evolution, a best-in-class Science-Fiction Action RPG on the Apple App Store. Boasting one of the most expansive and action-packed words in mobile gaming history, Evolution combines a deep sci-fi storyline, a unique combat system, puzzles and more, amounting to an experience unlike anything else. After soft-launching in Russia two months ago and finding a home at the top of the charts already, Evolution is now making its worldwide debut.
“When we set out to make this game, we wanted to deliver a core RPG, but one built from the ground up for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch,” said My.com’s Publishing Director, Yuriy Maslikov. “That means players will find the same depth that RPGs are known for, but will also be drawn into the intriguing storyline and surprised by the other gameplay elements woven into the game.”
In Evolution, players step into the boots of top human operatives on a mission to explore, chart, and uncover the dark secrets of a mysterious paradise gone silent – the planet Utopia. In the game, players will engage in real-time battles using a unique combat system that allows players to target and respond to enemy movements. In addition, they’ll be able to dive deep into the game’s immersive storyline and encounter dozens of complex and identifiable characters, all while discovering what truly lies beneath the ashes of a ruined planet.
Evolution is now available and free-to-play in the Apple App Store here.
Evolution joins My.com’s stellar, recently-announced lineup that also includes AAA online PC games Skyforge and Armored Warfare, and World of Speed.
To learn more about Evolution, visit Evo.my.com. For instant updates, like us onFacebook and Twitter.
About My.com My.com is a subsidiary of Mail.Ru Group, the largest Internet company in Russian-speaking countries with an audience of more than 100 million users (comScore, September 2013), that is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: MAIL), (listed since November 5, 2010).
My.com is building an integrated communication and entertainment platform, dubbed ‘Communitainment,’ beginning with a family of mobile services and games. My.com’s mobile communications apps – myMail and myChat – provide multiple email account management and messaging, and myGames is a growing collection of mobile and PC game experiences.
STREAMLINE MEDIA GROUP ANNOUNCES ‘STREAMFRAME’, A UNIFIED BUSINESS PLATFORM FOR MAKERS AND CREATORS
Consolidated Collaboration, Task and Project management system with financial and statistical analysis, ‘Streamframe’ launches its Closed Beta today.
Las Vegas, USA – April 03, 2014 — Streamline Media Group, a global powerhouse in integrated digital productions and video game development today announced Streamframe, its unified business platform for modern productions. Streamframe is launching its Closed Beta today and is now available for the price of $/€/£10 per user per month.
Built with total awareness in mind, Streamframe uses intelligent data correlation and flexible workflows to integrate business, production and operations from micro to macro levels. An intuitive interface, inspired by social media, provides fluid and work-centric communication across functions and departments, while on the back end tracked time automatically generates progress, efficiency and risk assessment evaluations in real time.
“Streamframe was born from our experience with bootstrapping and growing start-ups. We developed a core suite of tools to accelerate teams and unified them into a robust all-in-one platform”, said Alexander Fernandez, CEO of Streamline Media Group. “It’s been the perfect tool for our work, allowing us to manage our people, projects and efficiency on an unprecedented scale. Streamframe has accelerated our productivity, improved planning and unlocked deep organizational awareness – now we are thrilled to share its benefits with others.”
Streamframe was designed to allow teams to focus on their talent and simply work. Its goal is to remove all friction, confusion and delays from production and management. This means going beyond tracked work and communication; financial awareness is made possible as actual costs are updated against live data and compared against projections, invoices and payments, exposing the bottom line. Staff availability and activity is revealed through scheduling, vacation and event calendars. A robust reporting system then captures all data – updated to the minute – synthesizing the information you need, when you need it.
It’s about getting things done, about using technology to bear the burden of data management and allowing businesses to focus on the information, what it means, and the work itself.
Stop wasting time. Rise above the noise. Realize your vision.
Video Games Live returns to London after six years
Award-winning video game multimedia symphonic concert experience debuts in Manchester for the first time
London, UK – 3rd April, 2014 – Video Games Live (VGL) is set for a highly anticipated return to London in 2014, having last wowed audiences at the Royal Festival Hall in 2008. Six years on, VGL’s arrival back in the capital marks a brand new Bonus Round show, featuring a whole new arrangement of visuals and music.
The Bonus Round show includes music from games series such as Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Mega Man, Street Fighter, Warcraft, Kingdom Hearts, Sonic the Hedgehog and many more, propelling the gaming experience beyond anything else before it with unprecedented variety and surprises.
“We’re thrilled and honoured to be bringing VGL back to the UK,” said Tommy Tallarico, creator and host of VGL. “VGL is a one of a kind entertainment experience so we’ve always strived to let as many people across the globe experience it. Not only do we get to come back to London but we’re very excited to be performing in Manchester for the very first time. We’ve always wanted VGL to perform more in the UK so this is definitely something we’re hoping we can expand and do more of in the future.”
VGL is an experience that combines video game music masterfully performed by a live orchestra and choir with the explosive energy of a rock concert, featuring exclusive synchronised video game footage, lighting and live action and unique interactive segments. Noted in the Guinness Book of Records as the Longest Running Video Game Series in the World, VGL is taking its audio-visual extravaganza to Manchester for the first time in its performing history on November 1st and in London on November 2nd.
Since its first performance in 2002, VGL is the first and most successful video game touring concert in the world having performed over 300 shows in 30 countries on five continents to an audience of over 1 million people. VGL has also been inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest game concert in the world for the performance in China which was attended by 100,000 fans.
The VGL concert includes a Pre-Show Festival and a Meet-n-Greet for all ticketholders. The Pre-Concert Events at 7pm includes a Guitar Hero competition, VGL costume contest and prize give-a-ways. In addition, there is the opportunity for prospective ultimate gamers to purchase a very special VIP experience, in which they will receive a very special tour detailing what goes on behind the scenes by VGL creator Tommy Tallarico. Full details on the Ultimate Gamer VIP package, including all the perks and benefits of its purchase, can be found below.
Video Games Live backstage laminated tour pass
Pre-show production tour, Q&A and special personal meet & greet with VGL creator and game music superstar Tommy Tallarico
Free download card for the top selling Video Games Live: Level 3 album
Official vintage Video Games Live poster
Video Games Live Temporary Tattoos
Special FRONT OF LINE access to the Video Games Live post-show meet and greet
Signed 1st page conductor sheet music from the performance
The VIP Ultimate Gamer Experience must be purchased in addition to a regular ticket to the show. Full details on this can be found below
Video Games Live tour dates
Manchester O2 Apollo – Saturday 1st November 2014, 7PM
London Eventim Apollo – Sunday 2nd November 2014, 7PM
Tickets:
Manchester – £25.00/£30.00/£35.00
London – £25.00/£32.50/£35.00/£40.00
The Ultimate Gamer V.I.P. Backstage Experience Package DOES NOT include a ticket to the show. You MUST have a ticket to the show to attend the V.I.P. Experience. You may purchase any seat separately from the V.I.P. Package. After purchasing the V.I.P. package you will receive a confirmation e-mail immediately. Following that, on the week of the performance you’ll receive an e-mail with instructions on what time to be at the venue, where to go to receive your package and start your experience! If you do not receive an e-mail within 24 hours of the performance PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY at [email protected]. If for any reason a performance is cancelled the full amount of the V.I.P. package will be REFUNDED 100% (minus service fee). If you have any questions regarding the V.I.P. Experience Package please contact [email protected].
About Video Games Live™
Video Games Live™ is an immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Created, produced and hosted by well known game industry veteran and superstar Tommy Tallarico, top orchestras and choirs around the world perform along with exclusive synchronized video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, well known internet solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.
The best way you can describe Video Games Live™ is by picturing the energy and excitement of a rock concert mixed with the power and emotion of a live orchestra combined together by the technology, interactivity, stunning visuals and fun that only video games can provide. Completely synchronized cutting-edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special FX, stage show production and special on-stage interactive segments with the audience dazzle crowds of all ages – gamers and non-gamers alike.
This is a concert event put on by the video game industry to help encourage and support the culture and art that video games have become. Video Games Live™ bridges a gap for entertainment by exposing new generations of music lovers and fans to the symphonic orchestral experience while also providing a completely new and unique experience for families and/or non-gamers. The show is heralded and enjoyed by the entire family.
Achievements & Accomplishments
Incorporated in 2002, Video Games Live is the first and most successful video game touring concert in the world having performed over 300 shows in 30 countries on 5 continents. Over 11,000 people were present for the debut performance at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A. Philharmonic and since then over 1 million people have experienced the show live. Video Games Live has released 2 albums worldwide (both of which debuted in the Billboard Top 10) as well as an award winning full length feature DVD/Blu-Ray. In 2010 the show aired nationally on PBS and quickly became one of the top rated PBS Specials of all time. With over 100’s of ticket buyer reviews on Ticketmaster.com, Video Games Live boasts a 4.6 (out of 5) rating. Inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest game concert in the world (over 100,000 in China), Video Games Live continues to break new ground and thrill audiences worldwide with brand new content each year.
Overview In Japan there are numerous channels where anime is aired nightly and many long running series are shown throughout the day. However with the amount of anime produced every season, some series are only shown online through NicoNico. One recently released series to be given this treatment was Upotte!! and now Sentai Filmworks has released another series, Ebiten, that was only shown online. Despite being relegated to an online broadcast, many of these series can be quite enjoyable but the question is… is Ebiten one of those series?
Story Ebisugawa High School is home to a certain club that like many clubs in anime is full of weirdos. Despite seeming like an astronomy club thanks to being called the ‘Asstronomical Club’ this club is anything but and this leads to a new student named Itsuki Noya joining the club without realizing that everyone in this club is strange in some way and only a few of them are even interested in astronomy in the first place.
Instead the club consists of a strange leader named Kyoko Todoyama who is constantly harassing her fellow clubmates and simply acting crazy at times, a girl who loves anything with boys love in it, has delusional erotic fantasies, and is the fanservice girl of the club since she is always being stripped down to her underwear, a smaller girl with an obsession for felines, and the club’s older-sister type vice president who is always having to deal with a tsundere Student Council President trying to shut down the club.
Oh and did I forget to mention that Noya is also a boy in this all girls club? Well that doesn’t actually get referenced itself for a few episodes as Noya is forced to cross-dress as a girl in order to remain a club member, simply because Kyoko doesn’t want things to become “complicated.” Throw in a delusional stalker supervisor who abandons her position and leaves a cat in her place and a person from both Noya and Kyoko’s past and place everyone together in a basement club room and you have the recipe for an odd but fairly enjoyable show.
Ebiten is the type of show that thrives off not only the way the characters interact with one another and the strange situations they get into, but also on how the numerous jokes land. Despite placing all of these personalities in one place, there really isn’t too much of a running storyline for most of Ebiten as the focus is instead placed on the strangeness of the club and countless parodies.
In an interesting twist, every episode in Ebiten contains parodies of other anime series, though a few of them are more obscure or older parodies that viewers might not have seen. Some of these are very obvious however, with the first episode tying astrology together nicely with Saint Seiya references, another episode involving Sailor Moon transformations and characters and even full on Dragon Ball Z and K-on! sequences that are impossible to miss.
Now as mentioned before, a show like Ebiten lives and dies off of its humor and unfortunately a lot of the jokes in Ebiten become stale halfway through the series and at that point it is only surviving by the parodies that viewers are able to connect with. Sure the character personalities help make up for this, and fourth wall breaking jokes never get old, even with these eclectic personalities more of the gags fell flat compared to those that had me laughing.
With this only being a ten episode series, Ebiten quickly throws a plot together in the last few episodes which, despite how absolutely absurd it sounds, actually works considering the various things that led up to the events that occur. In these final episodes we not only see some actual character development for two members of the cast but also a conclusion that is rather satisfying and rare for a series such as Ebiten which thrives off being random and is generally something viewers simply enjoy while they are watching it and forget about later.
Visuals
If you forget that Ebiten was originally a net anime, then it simply falls into looking rather generic in a number of areas, however for a net animation it actually is rather impressive how well a number of sequences in the series are pulled off. Almost all of the parodies in Ebiten have visuals to match the jokes, my favorite being an almost exact Sailor Moon transformation sequence with a little bubble in the corner showing the girl quickly trying to change clothes normally.
As for the series itself, the character designs are unfortunately rather basic with generic school uniforms being the standard and the characters themselves being rather simple looking. The animation quality is also subpar as a number of movement sequences and mid-range shots look extremely poor. As for the fanservice aspect, Ebiten is rife with panty shots and a girl constantly being stripped to her underwear, but the main series does not contain any actual nudity. The same cannot be said about the special features in the release.
Audio Now it is worth mentioning that Sentai Filmworks’ release of Ebiten contains only the Japanese dub with English subtitles. This is a disappointment, however it is made up for by the act that the Japanese voice actresses all do an amazing job with their characters. The standout here is Kyoko’s voice actress Kana Asumi who matches the characters personality perfectly, though her performance in Ebiten sounds exactly like her performance as Haiyore! Nyaruko-san’s Nyaruko.
As for the background music, the standard music is rather basic but there are a number of songs with vocals laced into a few episodes. Special mention has to go to the fact that while there is one opening theme used as a standard for every episode, every episode has a special ending theme with a song and animation sequence that seems to parody that episode’s theme, such as an ending looking similar to Sailor Moon.
Extras With this release of Ebiten from Sentai Filmworks, there are a large amount of on-disc bonuses included in the second disc. There are some rather standard inclusions such as a clean version of the opening theme, clean versions of every single ending theme, Japanese promotional material and web comercials, and trailers for other Sentai releases, but these are followed by some standout extras.
This release contains the OVA that was released after the main series completed and the OVA seems to take place after the events of the final episode and follows the cast of the club as they completely break the fourth wall and realize that there is actually an anime being made following the exploits of the club. Along with this OVA there are two live action music videos involving the voice actresses for the cast and a set of five “Heart Throb Hot Springs” shorts. These hot spring shorts are about five minutes long a piece, though the first few minutes are always the same, and feature the female cast being placed in lewd situations or poses with nipples being exposed, to put some extra fanservice out there for viewers.
Overall Ebiten follows the life of a bunch of weirdos all in one club and bases many of its jokes off of the characters’ personalities and how they interact with one another. This works well for the most part and the numerous parodies help add an extra layer of humor when things start to get stale. Despite its limited episode count, Ebiten does what it can and actually produces a strange but enjoyable final story arc and although it is limited in a number of areas it may be worth checking out for fans of club-based comedies that thrive off of randomness.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Mario Kart fans prepare to be excited as one of the most exciting trailers yet has just been released for Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U, this time revealing a few new characters, new tracks and even some new abilities and items. You can watch the trailer below, but first, read on to see what has been revealed.
First off the newly announced characters that are joining what seems to be the largest roster yet for a Mario Kart game after it was announced all 7 Koopalings would make an appearance. The three new characters are Shy Guy, Metal Mario and Lakitu. Glad to see the guy who was always stuck holding the flags and bringing you back on the track when you fell off gets his own turn behind the wheel. (But who will rescue us when we fall of Rainbow Road now…)
Secondly, a few new tracks and some very popular fan favourites will be making an appearance. As we expected, we are getting a new Rainbow Road that will feature some amazing scenery and plenty of anti-gravity sections. We are also getting alot of new tracks. Below is a list of all the confirmed new tracks for the game.
Mario Kart Stadium: A stadium track similar to the Wario and Waluigi stadium tracks from previous games. This is the first track in the game.
Mario Circuit: The Mobius Strip track that is represented in the games boxart.
Sweet Sweet Canyon: A stage filled with sweets. Many references to Peach and Daisy can be seen throughout the track.
Toad Harbor: A Sanfrancisco inspired stage.
Thwomp Ruins: A track racing through some ruins with Thwomps and rolling rocks.
Twisted Mansion: A stage where you race through a Boo filled mansion with underwater parts as well.
Sunshine Airport: An airport stage where a big plane takes off overhead.
Bone Dry Dunes: A desert track, with some paths made out of bones. A giant Dry Bowser skull can be seen here.
Cloudtop Cruise: A track racing on the cloudtops, and through some of Bowser’s Airships.
Klub Koopaling: A night club inspired park where all the Koopas hang out.
Water Park: A water based theme park track where the racers drive on a roller coaster track.
Shy Guy Falls: A track where the racers drive down a waterfall and glide off using anti-gravity to get back to the top.
Dolphin Shoals: A track featuring frolicking dolphins.
As for retro tracks, expect to see Toad’s Turnpike, Royal Raceway and the N64 version of Rainbow Road as well as Donut Plains 3 from the SNES. Also making a return is Moo Moo Meadows from the Wii, DK Jungle from Mario Kart 7, as well as Cheep Cheep Beach Tick Tock Clock both from the DS version.
Lastly, a few new items and abilities. The Piranha Plant stays in a pot in front of you, biting anyone that gets in your way. It also continues to bite when no one is around, swallowing air and giving you a nice boost. The Boomerang gets thrown out in front or behind you and can hit your opponent either on its way to them or on the Boomerang’s return trip to your hand. You have to try and aim at your opponents whilst driving to hit them and you can use it up to 3 times before it dissapears. The Cannon Box that Mario could wear on his head from Super Mario 3D land was also in the mix but no knowledge of how this item functions is out yet (although in that game it constantly shot cannon balls which seems like a perfect for Mario Kart). The final new item shown today was the Coin, which simply adds two coins to your current total.
Some items (such as the Golden Mushroom) will feature a timer so you know how long they have left before they dissapear and you can no longer get a new item if you are dragging one behind you. We also learned that if you bump into someone while in anti-gravity mode, you will get a speed boost while also giving a speed boost to your opponent.
Other intersting features about the game were also mentioned or reiterated upon:
Players will be able to fully customise which items appear in their races.
Four player grand prix mode has been confirmed which is great for local co-op players and it has been said that graphic fidelity will remain high no matter how many players are on screen.
For the first time in the Mario Kart series, select courses will feature music recorded by live performers.
Every control scheme you can think of will be supported by Mario Kart 8, including the Wii U GamePad (with off-tv support), the Wii U Pro Controller, the Wii Wheel, and Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
Finally, a new feature called Mario Kart TV will allow you to share you best moments with the world through Miiverse.
Hopefully that was enough information to tie you over until the release date on May 30th, which was reconfirmed today. Those who purchase the collectors edition from EB Games will receive a blue shell trophy as a bonus. After all that reading don’t forget to check out the trailer below to see it all in glorious HD action.
