I have a confession. I too, like some of you out there am a “little monster” of sorts, as I tend to enjoy taking in anything creative. Lady Gaga is no stranger to the pop culture scene, and with her latest music video has crossed into our world due to Minecraft. As you see in the screenshot above, Lady Gaga is Minecraft.
What is really cool about Lady Gaga‘s new video G.U.Y. – An Artpop film aside from the theatrics is that she rewarded a fan with a cameo who also happened to be a highly popular Youtuber by the name of SkyDoesMinecraft after being introduced via Twitter when the singer was invited by the Youtuber to learn how to play the game. Other than Minecraft, the entire video really is a bit of a spectacle running at nearly twelve minutes with Gaga reviving the likes of Michael Jackson, being at the center of greed, and performing a ton of outfit changes for our entertainment. Check out the song below, and to see the cameo, you can go to the 5:20 mark.
Trials has came a long way over the years, and now RedLynx and Ubisoft are gearing up for the release of Trials Fusion, which is due out for the Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC, and Xbox 360 on April 24th. Sure, we could be nostalgic about the classics, but Fusion is a game that is begging for attention due to its stunning visuals and new physics engine that are of course bound to impress.
Today, a new trailer was release showing everything working in unison to bring the player a whole new experience. The tricks, the tracks, those graphics – its all here. Watch the clip below and stay tuned, as we are only weeks away from seeing this latest edition of the digital favorite hit our consoles.
In case you weren’t aware, Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars is going to be having a demo released before the full title is released and it just so happens to be today that that demo was made available for download on the 3DS and PS Vita.
Now in case you don’t have the space on your memory card to download the demo or want to learn some tips, then you will be happy to hear that Atlus USA‘s PR Manager has recorded twenty five minutes of the game’s demo on the Vita. You can check out the trailer below and keep an eye out for the game itself when it is released on April 15th in North America.
Absolutely lovely. When we first heard news that the Wii U was going to start offering Game Boy Advance titles on the eShop‘s Virtual Console, we were both excited and confused as the 3DS had already shown us it could too power the much loved favorites. Today, Nintendo of Europe tweeted out that Advance Wars would be coming to the service as of April 3rd , and while we still don’t know if the 3DS will be shown the love, we have come to terms with the idea as this classic should bode well on the Wii U.
Now, this should all but confirm that the U.S. (and maybe Australia?) will be seeing the same love on their Wii Us, but it is still wonderful news either way and something to look forward to as we await the huge releases for the console later in the year.
Hasbro Studios have teamed up with SHOUT! Factory to bring us yet another treat in the form of our favorite robots in disguise that have a lot on their plate this year. Starting March 25 (which is today for those of you checking those calenders), you can purchase Transformers Prime Beast Hunters – Predacons Rising digitally on iTunes, which will also be expanding to VUDU, CinemaNow, Google Play, Rovi, Sony PlayStation Network and Xbox, as well as available through Amazon Instant Video on April 1st.
So what is this animated flick about? Check out some details below:
Brimming with spectacular CG animation, a captivating storyline and unforgettable characters from the TRANSFORMERS PRIME lore, TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS – PREDACONS RISING delivers entertaining cinematic adventure the whole family will enjoy. A resurrected UNICRON has taken over the now-lifeless body of MEGATRON to seek vengeance on the AUTOBOTS and ultimately, the destruction of Cybertron. This formidable enemy forces an unlikely alliance between the AUTOBOTS, DECEPTICONS, PREDAKING and two new PREDACONS, who come together in an epic battle to help protect their newly restored planet.
Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Josh Keaton, Jeffrey Combs, Kevin Michael Richardson, Steve Blum, Will Friedle and Sumalee Montano lend their voices to this hit series produced by Hasbro Studios. Spearheading the creative efforts on TRANSFORMERS PRIME are executive producers Jeff Kline, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Duane Capizzi and Stephen Davis.
Sounds rather awesome to this fan, and you should also know that this feature is also available on Blu Ray+DVD Combo pack as of today through who else but SHOUT! Factory.
Why have someone else do something when you can do it yourself? Fans of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series have been waiting to hear when NIS America would be localizing Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 since they had originally brought the game over to North America and have been picking up every title in the series so far.
Well as mentioned before, Idea Factory has announced that they will be taking care of that themselves. Idea Factory International has revealed that they will be releasing Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 on the PlayStation Vita sometime late in the Summer. You can check out some new screenshots of the Japanese release below while additional information about what has been added to Re;Birth 1 can be found here.
Act 2 of the Kai Lord’s journey reaches iOS and Android devices when Bulkypix releases the Forge Reply developed Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf: Forest Hunt on April 3.
The first instalment, Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf: Blood on the Snow, won “Best Italian Indie Game” and “Best Game Design” at the 2014 Drago D’oro Awards. I personally gave it a very favorable review, choosing to also nominate it for “Best iOS/Mobile Title” in our 2013 Capsule Computers Game of the Year Awards. The next chapter in this epic saga promises fresh enemies, enhanced Kai powers and a brand new mini-game. An example of the new monsters can be seen in the gallery below. Further down, you will find a brief teaser trailer for Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf: Forest Hunt, which we will be reviewing closer to release.
Tecmo Koei America released three titles in North America today. Deception IV: Blood Ties is now available for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The game is produced by Fatal Frame creator Keisuke Kikuchi. Players will create devious traps in the game as Laegrinna and her three Daemons. The leaderboards will test players ability to create complex traps for high scores, efficient set ups for quickest clear time, and more. Deception IV: Blood Ties is available for PlayStation 3 for $59.99 and $39.99 for PlayStation Vita.
Long running beat em up series Dynasty Warriorsgained a new title in its library. Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends is a stand alone expansion and features five new characters, the often requested Challenge mode, an expanded Ambition Mode, an enhanced Free Mode, and a new difficulty level. The PlayStation 3 version will sell for $39.99. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita owners have the Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition that combines both Dynasty Warrior 8 and its expansion in one package, along with a PlayStation 3 save transfer tool. The PlayStation 4 version retails for $59.99 and the PlayStation Vita edition for $39.99.
When Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z first released in late January those who preordered the game through certain retailers were rewarded with either Super Saiyan Bardock or Super Saiyan Vegito DLC depending on the place of preorder, meaning the only way to get both was to either pre-order the game twice, trick an employee out of a code or buy one on eBay at a rediculously inflated price. Well a couple months after release, Bandai Namco have finally released the DLC over the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE stores outside of Japan, at the cost of $2.99 (U.S.) per character.
So far the two DLC characters have only shown up on the U.S. stores, but expect other markets to receive it very soon, most likely no later than the end of the week. The Sage Mode Naruto Uzamaki bonus costume seems to be remaining a pre-order only bonus. You can check out our review for Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z here.
Just after episode 1, I ripped Golden Time to pieces for a number of pretty crucial reasons. It lacked the quick fire drama of a shoujo, but it didn’t have the comic edge that a more male-targeted romance would normally have. Instead, it chose to take the long road, building up Tada Banri’s character slowly and carefully, working its way towards an epic conclusion. Though, I never could have imagined the final result would be anywhere near this spectacular. Everything should be coming to a peak, but somehow with every episode we are presented with yet more drama to deal with! It might give you a heart attack, but you would have to be mad to want the torture to stop.
Speaking of torture, Banri could not have had a worse time without taking the day off and watching School Days… Last episode’s shock break up left him utterly distraught to the point where he stood in the street, dumbfounded, until night fell and Kouko’s father ‘found’ him and drove him home. Kouko left with no explanation and that confused Banri more than anything else. In fact, her actions were so unclear that the next morning she just floated over to him as if nothing ever happened, making Banri think that she had thought it through and gone back on her decision. Oh, how wrong he was…
For the two minutes that Banri was under the illusion that everything had gone back to normal, the feeling of discomfort was on the same kind level as an average episode of Watamote. However, unlike Watamote, there was no joke or payoff to save the day – this was just the calm before the storm. In the words of Nana, “Life is suffering, pain, and misery,” and that message has never been more powerfully conveyed than when Kouko casually announced the breakup to the group. Silence fell and the faces of Mitsuo, 2-D kun, and Chinami resonated with the combined shock of an entire audience. It was then that the episode turned and somewhere between Kouko’s cruel, fake smile and Banri’s fury and devastation, the reality of the situation set in.
The episode turned sour. Their close-knit group suddenly tore at the seams as if Kouko and Banri’s relationship was the thread holding them all together and standing over the wreckage was a girl with a cruel smirk upon her beautiful, blood-red lips. What has happened to Kouko? Only an episode ago she seemed more devoted to Banri than ever and now she is like a monster, her words tearing into Banri like talons. Though, despite her cruelty, I still think that her arrogant façade is just a shock tactic. Mitsuo’s experience with Kouko is surely still relevant and he was the first to tell Banri that Kouko being non-sensical is nothing new. The shared view seemed to be that Banri needs to keep chasing her. Nobody is willing to accept their relationship ending like that, especially Linda.
What an incredible triumph the scene where Linda confronted Banri was… Scenes like this define anime and I can guarantee that Linda finally breaking down after all this time and confessing her feelings for Banri will linger in my mind long after Golden Time has faded into obscurity.
“If I could, I’d go back and redo that day! Let me redo it! Let me do it one more time! If I can, I won’t screw it up again. I swear I won’t be late.”
That line hit me hard. Even recalling it now I’m close to welling up. I was unprepared for it to hit the same heartstring that the famous, “I’ll marry you,” line from Angel Beats did. Heck, there aren’t many anime that can inspire even close to that level of emotion in me, but somehow Linda managed it. She was disgusted that Banri would let her get away after she lost her chance of ever telling her how she felt. If he hadn’t lost his memories that day, Linda would have been the one by Banri’s side and who knows what would have come of their future? The life that Banri of the past would have given anything to lead. The life that he would be willing to destroy his future self to have back.
Golden Time may not have the best art, the best side-characters, indeed, it may lack a lot of things, but by taking that long road it has really invested us in the character that is Tada Banri and now that his life is falling apart, the amount of feelings being plunged into the audience’s combined heart is staggering. This episode was, in one word, simply brilliant. With only 2 left to go, I can’t imagine how everything is going to be resolved, but I could not be more interested in finding out how they do it. Please let Kouko be a good guy! Until next time.
Golden Time is currently simulcasting on Crunchyrollwhere new episodes can be found each week and watched on mobile devices, consoles, smart TVs and of course on PC.
For more impressions of winter’s best and worst, head over to our Anime Impressions page.
