The latest trailer for the Spring 2014 anime series One Week Friends has just been released. The trailer gives a hint at what to expect from the anime series while proving to be more of a teaser than anything.
One Week Friends is an anime series from Brains Base studio that follows Yuuki Hase and Kaori Fujimiya, two high school students doomed to only ever be friends for one week due to Kaori’s short term memory loss affliction that resets her entire memory every single Monday. Unrelenting Yuuki makes it his mission to become Kaori’s friend every single week despite the fact that she will only forget it all come Monday.
You can check out the trailer for One Week Friends below. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section.
Thought there were no more updates? Hwoarang you were
Namco Bandai has announced that their online card battler Tekken Card Tournament is set to receive a major update this April. This overhaul will add a bundle of new content to the title as a kind of thank you to the fans who have downloaded it and bought the physical cards.
Tekken Card Tournament 2.0 will see the introduction to the game of legendary Tekken stalwart Hwoarang, bringing his Taekwondo moves to the game with a swathe of spectacular character effects to match. The update will also include a item shop chock full of new character enhancing items, along with a character viewer to scope out your Tekken favourites. Team features will also receive an improvement, including descriptions, team buffs, shop and stats. Fell free to test these out within the new special tournaments, each with specific entry criteria.
So take the fight to the streets and download Tekken Card Tournament now from iTunes, Google Play or Amazon. Or, should you be so inclined, simply play instantly in your browser. Either way, test your mettle and strategise to stand above all who oppose you (Or just use this card guide). Check out the trailer below and marvel at what technology has done. I mean who wouldn’t want their own little Heihachi?
D-Frag! Episode 5 – What?! Your Little Sister Makes Your Lunches?!
With a backlog that grows larger by the day it seems like it will be impossible to catch up this season but no time like the present to try and make some headway. So after the events of episode four of D-Frag! we what lengths the Provisional Game Creation Club members are willing to go to protect their fellow club member and we have even learned that Roka is the true underground boss of the school that is feared by the entire student body as she manages to make even the fiercest group of delinquents cower in fear.
Well now that Kazama has managed to escape from the Band of 14 Devils he is now back with the club and while he wants to show his thanks for being rescued, he isn’t exactly excited to play a new board game that Roka has come up with that involves collecting porn mags from across the galaxy to try and win the game. As such even though he is a club member and Takao is simply hanging out with the group since it seems she has nothing better to do, he does his best to bring her into the game since it is only playable up to four people.
Much to his dismay, after promising Takao a major favor, Roka is pleased to inform Kazama that the game has evolved to allow five people to play and with only one human character and one ridiculously embarrassing alien left to play as, Takao and Kazama begin to fight for the last human that just so happens to be a play on Gandhi.
This leads to another minor power struggle between Kazama, Takao, and Roka as we see that not only is Roka a bit jealous about Takao but really wants to make Kazama happy at the same time. Also it makes things more obvious than ever that Takao has a crush on Kazama as she begins to grill him on his likes and past trying to find out more about him using the ridiculous rules of Roka’s Rock, Paper, Scissors game.
While this first half of the episode is full of cute gags relying on the chemistry between Kazama, Takao, and Roka, the second half takes a bit of a look into Kazama’s past while not only introducing a new female character but an awesome teacher that happens to be called “Shaun Konekone” and happens to look and sound very similar to a certain famous Scottish actor. You see, this teacher played quite a role in making Kazama the man he is today in a rather interesting fashion.
Of course, revealing this information, plus everyone finding out that Kazama’s little sister packs him a lunch for school quickly begins to make Kazama’s recently heightened delinquent status begin to falter once more, though this seems for the best since his soft side appears to be attracting a new girl in the form of Funabori.
This episode helped bring back the status quo of D-Frag! which sees the group mostly messing around in the clubroom and bringing viewers the same type of outlandish humor that the series has featured so far, a special note this time goes to food that had fallen on the floor only for all of the class to embarrassingly say where they’ve been walking around all day just to make Kazama’s situation worse. Kazama seems to be the only “straight man” left now as even Takao has begun to act odd around him. Funabori is a nice new addition though her devotion to the classroom is a bit strange as well, but I can see her becoming a popular fan favorite if she receives more screen time, but for now Takao continues to be the best of the ever growing cast of characters.
Currently D-Frag! is available for streaming in the United States by FUNimation. As for the rest of our winter impressions, you can check out our Anime Impressions page.
Douglas Booth, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Jennifer Connelly, director Darren Aronofsky, producer Scott Franklin and Ray Winstone at the premiere of ‘NOAH’ at Zoo Palast on March 13, 2014 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Paramount Pictures have released a flood (I swear it’s the last time I’ll use the pun) of NOAHcontent, including a new clip, two interactive experiences and photos from the film’s premieres in Moscow, Berlin, Mexico City and Madrid, along with a cut-down version of the ‘Building the Ark‘ featurette.
Embedded at the bottom of this article, you will find the clip ‘It Begins’, which shows the migration of all the planet’s species of animals towards the Ark. You can also explore the three decks of Noah’s Ark in the interactive ‘Ark Experience‘, and put on your headphones as you trek ‘The Journey‘ towards the Ark. NOAH releases nationwide on March 27.
This anime season is almost over and even thought it IS summer here in Australia I was definitely feeling the chilled winds of a Japanese winter. Thoughts on the winter season? It wasn’t terrible but apart from outstanding series’ like “Space Dandy” and “Noragami” I found it to be, for lack of a better word…flat. What I felt the winter season lacked, for the most part, was interesting characters and overall good writing but my spirits are still high because I have grand hopes that the spring anime season will make up for what I believed the winter season lacked.
I can hardly believe that, years ago, I never enjoyed the sci-fi action of a “mech” anime. Luckily I’ve changed in a big way because most of the spring anime titles I’ve chosen to follow pretty much revolve around “mechs” in way way or another. Much like last season my sights have been entirely set on one particular anime; “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 3: Stardust Crusaders”. Last season I had my eyes glued to “Space Dandy” even before it first started airing but this season “Stardust Crusaders” has gotten all of my attention and I hope with all my heart that my other anime picks can stand alongside “the next “JJBA” anime series when it comes to quality because they have quite the expectation measure up to. Speaking oh which, let’s get a move on!
Two Japanese teenagers, an old man, a middle eastern mystic, a flamboyant frenchman and a dog travel the world in search for an ancient evil that may or may not have been a part of the band “Black Sabbath”. I really shouldn’t have to give anymore explanation than that but what kind of pop culture journalist would I be if I simply left a description at that? Surely by now, if you’re a GOOD anime fan, you would have heard of a little shonen series called “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure”. Created many years ago by an ageless man called Hirohiko Araki, “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” is one of the longest running manga series of all time.
With eight different parts, each of which hosting different characters and storylines, this series has a lot of tales to tell and recently the animation studio “David Productions” have picked up the series and started turning it into a modern anime series beginning from the very first storyline “Phantom Blood”. Within the past year we’ve been through the release of the first two seasons; “Phantom Blood” and “Battle Tendancy”, within this new anime season comes the third installment of the “JJBA” anime series “Stardust Crusaders” which follows the juvenile delinquent and total bancho bro Jotaro Kujo as he uses his brand-new supernatural abilities to take on an evil that MAY just mean the end of the world if not stopped. “Stardust Crusaders” was the only “JJBA” series to be released outside of Japan so you can imagine that a great deal of the Western fans of the series would be shaking in their seats right now and, well, so should you!
I heard that the name “Captain Planet” was already taken so the people behind the upcoming anime “Captain Earth” had to chose that title instead. Now I’ll be entirely honest with you; I haven’t actually seen much of this show but from what I’ve read about it I think that it may just be one that’s worth checking out even if it does end up being a little silly. Basically a young boy finds a cool looking robot, alien forces attack and he’s forced to pilot the hulking mass of robot into victory…pretty simple. That’s as basic as it comes and, let’s be entirely honest here, we’ve seen this kind of thing before BUT “Valvrave the Liberator” started in this fashion and that series ended up taking twists and turns like you wouldn’t believe so I’m willing to put my faith into something simple with the hopes that they take the fundamental aspects of any “mech” anime and do it damn well!
Obviously there’s more to this anime than just that but as far as official descriptions go; that’s the long and short of it. Boy meets robot, robot beats aliens, world loves boy. I’m mostly interested in this anime because a) BONES is producing it and they developed fantastic series’ like “Fullmetal Alchemist”, “Soul Eater”, “Norgami” and “Space Dandy” and b) the robot within “Captain Earth” somewhat reminds me of “Heroman” which is an old anime series that was co-created by American comic book God Stan Lee. Both I feel are good enough reasons to follow a show, even though one is clearly more thought out than the other. In all seriousness though I really do wish the best for this series, it seems as though it may be more than just “boy meets bot” and even if it ends up being just that I’m sure the writers will do the genre justice.
Much like “Captain Earth” I can’t say that I know a great deal about “Kenzen Robo Daimidala”. I heard about this a while back when it was first announced and it has sat there in the back of my endless mind for what seems like an eternity only running to the forefront as a glanced past “Daimidala” while looking through the spring anime season series listings. “Kenzen Robo Daimidala” follows on with the “boy meets bot” theme but puts a pretty big twist on it and I think that is simply because its a comedy series…unless I researched incorrectly. Koichi Madanbashi is a young boy who attends highschool. He’s a seemingly normal high school student: he’s lazy, he’s stupid and he’s a bit of a “perv”. One day young Koichi discovers that he has a source of energy hidden within him called “Hi-ERo Particles”, a force that he also discovers to be the main power source of an incredible giant robot. So far so good.
As he discovers this, his town is attacked by…yep, you guessed it; a malevolent force known as the “Penguin Empire”. Using this hidden power alongside his new robot friend, Koichi fights off the invading forces and begins his life as a hero. Once again pretty damn simple but also fairly attractive to an anime viewer who, now and then, enjoys a bit of comedy. Oh! I forgot to mention one thing! He powers himself up with these “Hi-ERo Particles” by getting all “touchy touchy” with the girls around him…I guess he puts the “ero” in “hero”. Look, people, it DOES seem a little silly, I’m fully aware of that but I’m trying to stay positive. If this series can give me a laugh or two within the first episode I will most likely stick with it but I can’y honestly see myself staying with it for too long. Prove me wrong “Kenzen Robo Daimidala”! Prove me wrong!
Basically “Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun” is the spring anime seasons version of “Nobunaga The Fool” which aired throughout the winter anime season. It takes Japan during the Meiji Restoration period (more specifically; just before it) and tosses a bunch of high-powered, robot, giants, into the mix. I avoided “Nobunaga The Fool” like the plague last season despite the fact that I love both “mech” and “samurai period” anime, the funny thing is that I couldn’t even tell you exactly why so I have to make an amendment, I HAVE to follow “Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun”! This series isn’t exactly like “Nobunaga The Fool” but they are quite similar in premise so I can imagine people will be comparing the two quite frequently.
“Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun” takes place in Japan just before the “Meiji Restoration Period” (look it up) wherein which foreign ships were driven away by huge mechs called “Onigami”. Due to those ships being sent away, Japan has been in a state of isolation for a very long time therefore the country hasn’t really changed much from that period of time but there’s still robots! That’s something different! What I’m really into when it comes to this series is its artistic style, from the small promo video that has been released as well as some character art assets the series is actually looking to be quite good. Hopefully it doesn’t end up going down hill or getting TOO silly but I have more faith in this one than in “Kenzen Robo Daimidala” so that has to be saying something.
We’re still a few weeks away from the beginning of the spring anime season so it’s not odd for there to not be that much information on the upcoming series’. Unfortunately though, us here on the Capsule Computer anime team have to write about them so it doesn’t really help us that there isn’t too much information circling the net. “Majine Bone” is almost entirely bare when it comes to a series description. All we really now at this point in time is that the series will feature people with the ability to transform into powerful warriors. The designs of these transformations remind me a great deal of “Gatchaman Crowds”, a beautifully-animated series which premièred last year, and that gives me great hope in the aesthetic quality of the series.
Apparently “Majin Bone” is the anime adaptation of a card game project created by “Bandai” but even information on that particular card game is scarce though I believe it may have a release sometime around that of the anime series, I guess we’ll soon see. Lately the anime industry has seen a rise in the amount of CGI animation used within series’ animated mostly traditionally. At first it didn’t seem like it fit well but I feel as though, ever since the release of “Tiger And Bunny”, the quality of anime series’ that mix traditional and CGI animation has risen exponentially, I suppose that’s why I’ll put my faith into “Majine Bone”…hopefully the series wont do us wrong.
Now this series right here is one that I usually wouldn’t want to get into but seeing as I’m clearly in a more adventurous mood I may as well give this one a try. “Hero Bank” is another anime that is being based off of a game; it revolves around a young buy who gets into a fair bit of debt somehow and his quest to get himself out of it using an oddly awesome program called “Hero-Gi” which allows him to take part in paid “cyber battle” wherein which he can fight other “Hero-Gi” users in the hopes that eventually he’ll win himself enough money to wipe away his ungodly debt.
I happen to love anime series’ that have been adapted from games but they have proved to not be as good in the past so I stopped viewing them, “Hero Bank” though…it has sucked me in and now I’m kind of excited to see exactly where the series goes. It’s been a while since I’ve watched an anime series with a protagonist as young as this one but I’ve got the feeling I’ll love it for the sense of nostalgia it will surely give off. The aesthetic style of the series looks fantastic in my opinion, though it IS childish in the way it looks I think sometimes that’s exactly what you need to break up the monotony of such serious-looking anime titles. I’m quite exited for “Hero Bank” and I really hope a distributor like “Crunchyroll” picks it up soon!
The opening theme for the upcoming sports anime series Haikyu!! has been previewed. The song is called ‘Imagination’ and is performed by popular J-Rock band SPYAIR.
Haikyu!! is of course based upon the wildly popular Shonen Jump volley ball manga of the same name. The series revolves around the intense sport of high school volley ball and is set to premiere as part of the Spring 2014 anime season.
You can check out the opening theme in the video preview below. Do you think that its a good fit for the series? Let us know in the comments section below. Get ready for a spike, baby!
It’s been five years since the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) mode was introduced to the FIFA video game series in FIFA 09, and to celebrate this anniversary, EA Sports have released an infographic filled with staggering statistics and numbers.
You can check out the infographic in full below (click through to enlarge). Some highlights include:
Every hour, 542,000 player transfers are happening in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT). That’s 42X the number of actual transfers that were handled by the FIFA governing body in all of 2013.
A staggering 64% of all FIFA players play FUT.
There have already been 1.46 billion transfers listed in FUT in FIFA 14 since Sept 2013.
There are as much as 13 million player transfers in a day in FIFA 14 Ultimate Team. That’s approx. 542,000 transfers an hour.
There have been 725 million matches played in FUT within FIFA 14 Ultimate Team so far.
FIFA 13 Ultimate Team had over 11.2 million players and FIFA 14 Ultimate Team is currently on course to surpass it.
Special events will be held throughout the week to celebrate further, which you can learn more about right here.
– The Ultimate Online Cross-platform King of Iron Fist Competition Warms Up for a Major Update This Coming April as Downloads Roar Past 6 Million –
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 20th March 2014 – This April will see the biggest update yet to NAMCO BANDAI Games’ bar-raising free-to-play online card battler TEKKEN CARD TOURNAMENT. As the game shoots past 6 million downloads on mobile platforms – not to mention the players taking part via browser instant play – the publisher isn’t resting on its laurels. Instead it’s working on a major overhaul with stacks of new content and features for the cross-platform card fighter as a big TEKKEN-sized “thank you” to all the fans old and new who’ve shown their mettle on the battle stage.
TEKKEN CARD TOURNAMENT 2.0 will see the introduction to the game of legendary TEKKEN stalwart Hwoarang, bringing his punishing Taekwondo moves to the game with a swathe of spectacular character effects to match. The updated game will also feature character enhancements including items, plus a new character viewer and item shop. New team features will include descriptions, team buffs, shop and stats, while tournaments will receive a boost in the form of special tournaments with specific entry criteria.
Download TEKKEN CARD TOURNAMENT for free from the following stores:
TEKKEN CARD TOURNAMENT physical Game Cards are available now at hundreds of retailers across Europe and Australasia. Sold in five card booster packs, the 191 collectible cards bring a wealth of bonus in-game features including valuable power ups, collectible art, new cards via the card fusion system, augmented reality characters, plus the chance to unlock and play with Heihachi.
Available in 11 languages, TEKKEN CARD TOURNAMENT lets players customize their deck, create new cards, train, then chain Focus, Strike and Block moves to take down opponents worldwide with blistering KO combos. Offering explosive PvP play across devices, the visually stunning turn-based battler is available now as a free downloadable app or for instant browser play.
Take the fight to the streets with TEKKEN CARD TOURNAMENT.
About TEKKEN™ Created and published worldwide by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., the TEKKEN™ fighting game series is among the world’s most popular and well-known gaming brands with franchise sales of more than 40 million units to date. Originally a 1994 arcade game, subsequent titles have been released for almost all gaming platforms. The series is renowned for the visual style of its many characters including Heihachi Mishima, Jin Kazama, Anna Williams and Emilie De Rochefort (Lili), and for its martial arts-based combat set in the universe of the King of Iron Fist Tournament. For more information go to www.tekken.com.
About NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S.
NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S., part of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles and PC, with marketing and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, Tekken™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™. More information about the company and its products can be found at www.namcobandaigames.eu or www.facebook.com/namcobandaigames.europe.
TECMO KOEI REVEALS FIRST PLAYSTATION 4 TRAILER AND NEW MODES FOR DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION
TECMO KOEI America today revealed the first trailer for the PS4™ version of DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION highlighting intense melee with stunning graphics while also revealing several new modes. Details on the new modes include “Ambition Mode”, “Challenge Mode”, additions to “Free Mode” and “Story Mode”, which adds multiple hypothetical stages and side stories bringing even more diversity to the Three Kingdoms experience. Whether it be DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION on the PS4™ and PlayStation® Vita, or DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS on PlayStation®3, these titles will deliver the best DYNASTY WARRIORS game ever for players on any PlayStation® platform. Both titles will be released simultaneously across North America on March 25, 2014. The official website for DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION can be found at: http://www.tecmokoeiamerica.com/dw8xl/.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS (DW8XL) for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, is a stand-alone expansion of the highly successful Dynasty Warriors 8, which was released in July 2013 to critical acclaim. It will include new episodes that add to the story of the three kingdoms the game revolves around, focusing on the exploits of the mightiest of warriors, Lu Bu. Additionally, DW8XL will see the introduction of five new characters, giving players the option to choose between 82 warriors in total. DW8XL will also feature multiple hypothetical scenarios that alter the plotlines of various episodes throughout the ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ story, an expanded Ambition Mode and the popular Challenge Mode. The Free Mode has also been significantly enhanced, featuring among other things, the Xtreme Legends ‘Ultimate’ difficulty level.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and PlayStation®Vita handheld system, is a treat for DYNASTY WARRIORS fans that have migrated to the new generation of consoles. The Complete Edition includes all of the content from both DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 and DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS, thus giving new fans the opportunity to play through both titles. As an added bonus, PlayStation 3 system Dynasty Warriors 8 save data is transferable across all platforms.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS COMPLETE EDITION and DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: XTREME LEGENDS have been rated T for Teen by the ESRB.
Summary
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 is a historical tactical action game that follows the stories of the kingdoms of Wei, Wu, Shu and Jin through the actions of historical military and political figures of the time as they fight to gain control over the Three Kingdoms of China. It features more than 40 completely new stages: verdant plains, desolate wastelands, sharp ravines, huge castles, and other breath-taking sites, giving stronger emphasis in the stage of these epic battles and inspired by ancient landscapes.
TECMO KOEI AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. On April 1, 2009, TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger.
Overview
Nippon Ichi has been feeding gamers across the world a steady diet of role-playing games for over twenty years. With dozens of established titles under their belts like the Disgaea and Hyperdimension Neptunia franchises, their fanbase has developed certain expectations. How does their newest title, The Witch and the Hundred Knight measure up, though? Will it take the world by storm or should it stay in its secluded swamp stronghold?
Story
Nestled deep within the lands of the Niblhenne Swamp lives the infamous, dreaded Swamp Witch, Metalia. For a hundred years, she and her nemesis, the beloved Forest Witch, have feuded, arguing over who is the more powerful spellcaster. Afraid to leave the comfort of the noxious swamplands, Metalia performs a summoning ritual to bring forth a mighty demon known as “The Hundred Knight,” to spread her swamplands ever further and help defeat her rival. When a small, unassuming creature steps through the portal, however, the boisterous, foul-mouthed Metalia begins to lose faith. After some quick pointers, she sends him off to face his destiny with little hope of victory.
Gameplay
Though one could call The Witch and the Hundred Knight a role-playing game and leave it at that, doing so would be a great disservice to anyone with more than a passing interest in the game. While it’s true that you gain experience, level up, and equip new gear, The Witch and the Hundred Knight is far more complex than the label “RPG” leads on. With a little deeper analysis, you’ll come to see that Hundred Knight is part role-playing game, part action game, and part rogue-like.
The combat in Hundred Knight feels deceptive, continually growing more complex as you play it. To attack foes, you run up and jam on the square button, trading blows for spent stamina. You can equip up to five weapons at once, covering a range of classic fantasy weapons: swords, axes, hammers, spears, magic wands, and so on. Each equipped weapon grants the Hundred Knight an additional attack in his combo, granting its own unique characteristics (and weaknesses) to punish your foes. You can even chain certain weapons together for increased effect. Given the right circumstances, you can take on swarms of foes at once, but the game will be quick to punish you for shooting from the hip.
As the story progresses, so will the fighting capabilities of the Hundred Knight. He’ll eventually unlock different “facets” that have unique abilities and attributes. Each facet also levels up on its own, encouraging you to swap as you play.
Each mission in the game has the same basic overall structure. You’re placed into a stage with a map marker at your goal. As you move around, you’ll uncover more and more of the map, occasionally wandering upon “pillars” that serve as checkpoints. Breaking pillars open will flood the area with swampland, giving you a place to rest and an opportunity to spend “grade points” you earn in combat for temporary stat boosts. At the end of each level, there will be a boss of some type you’ll need to defeat. They often guard a major pillar Metalia needs crushed to extend her swamp.
The real meat of difficulty in The Witch and the Hundred Knight comes from restrictions placed on you during missions. In honor of its rogue-like roots, you’re limited on time and action within each mission. You start each mission with 100 “Gigacals,” represented by a flame burning on the head of Hundred Knight. Over time, these will drain (whether because you chose to spend time exploring or because you died and had to borrow from them to refill your life), putting our protagonist in a real bind when the flame burns out. He’ll start to take continual damage, eventually dooming him to an early mission end and trip back to Metalia’s home.
If you’re the sort of gamer who likes to grind for levels and get ahead of the curve, you’ll feel woefully ineffectual with The Witch and the Hundred Knight. Some regular enemies can quickly swarm and overwhelm you and, worse, they level up alongside you, leaving you with few options other than fleeing or taking your chances. It makes you feel powerless, adding to the frustration of the Gigacal system.
To its credit, the game’s cast of characters is a lively one. Metalia is not only known for her evil – she has the skimpy uniform and foul mouth to back her reputation up. Her witty butler, Arlecchino, oozes sarcasm and humor. Hundred Knight alone is mute, choosing to take in the goings-on around him. The story is one that has the potential to be both interesting and side-splitting, but extended text-driven story sections that keep you from the action too long help quench that flame.
Visuals & Audio The Witch and the Hundred Knight feels surprisingly weak in terms of visuals. As we near the end of the PlayStation 3’s life cycle and the next generation is picking up steam, it’s surprising to see a game with somewhat lower graphical fidelity. Don’t get me wrong – the hand-drawn character art is fantastic and the colors they use are vibrant and eye-catching. The environments, however, look muddy and character models occasionally feel almost fuzzy, especially when you take some of the sharp sprite-based titles Nippon Ichi is known for into account.
The audio design in The Witch and the Hundred Knight is excellent. The soundtrack is light and whimsical, suggesting an air of goofy, joyful romping as you explore the magical lands. The voiceover work is delivered with as much vibrancy and gusto as you’d expect from the makers of the Disgaea. As cheesy as the lines can be, the voice actors did a great job with their delivery.
Overall
Overall, The Witch and the Hundred Knight is an RPG with some good ideas that tried to do too much. Vibrant characters full of personality, excellent voice acting, and a great soundtrack help immerse you in the tale of Metalia and her Hundred Knight. Unfortunately, the Gigacal system coupled with combat that can feel both frustrating and downright unfair seriously hamper what could’ve been a wonderful experience. Couple that with meager visuals and some mechanics that feel overly-complex and under-explained, and all but the most ardent players will leave feeling somewhat confounded and underwhelmed.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
